We Believe In You, Luna

by KayeStar

Does She Deserve It?

Some months after Luna's return...

Celestia knocked on her sister's door, gently at first, but a little harder when she heard no answer on the other side. She was usually a patient mare, but she needed to talk to Luna. She needed to talk to her now.

When several seconds passed again without a sound from the other side, Celestia tried to open the door of her own accord, but it was locked. Not magically locked, however, as she quickly realized when she utilized a simple unlock spell. The door opened to finally reveal who she wanted to see. Or the backside, at least.

"Luna, we need to talk."

Once again, no answer. Celestia walked over to Luna to see where her gaze was fixated. Ironically, it was the very thing Celestia wanted to talk about: the moon.

"Luna!"

The night mare's gaze didn't falter for a second, only further irritating her older sister. Celestia sat right in front of her. However, almost as soon as she did, her irritation vanished like it was never there beforehand.

Luna's ordinarily sweet blue eyes were puffy and red. Her face was visibly stained with moisture and her mouth was curled into an unsettling frown. Celestia almost cringed at the sight. Still, Luna did not move her gaze, as if glaring right through Celestia to keep her focus locked on the moon.

Now feeling more sympathetic than irritated, Celestia moved back to Luna's side. Attempting to make her laugh, she poked her belly, a gesture that often got at least a giggle out of Luna when they were still fillies and even into their teen years. Again, Luna didn't react, only moving to shove away Celestia's hoof to prevent her from poking a second time.

"Luna, please!" Celestia pleaded, now desperate. "If something is bothering you, share it! You can tell me anything."

After a split-second glance at her sister, Luna finally broke her previously unwavering gaze from the moon. With one of her forehooves, she pointed toward a bin. Celestia walked over to it and looked inside. Her eyes widened in shock. In the bin, discarded like forgotten toys, were Luna's crown, her neckplate, and even her shoes.

"Luna, what is the meaning of this?!"

A longer glance answered that question better than Luna could've with words. What else could it have meant?

"Sister." Celestia tried to hug her, but Luna moved sideways and turned her head away. "Why are you doing this, dear sister? Why are you refusing to take back your place as princess?"

"It is not our place!" Luna snarled, startling Celestia.

That solved the question of what Celestia originally wanted to discuss. Luna had recovered fully since her return from the moon, but she had yet to resume her duties as a ruler. But now, Celestia had several more questions.

"Luna, yes, it is! We are supposed to rule together! Do you not remember we were chosen together? We had our coronation together. That is how it was supposed to be. How it's always supposed to be!"

Luna lowered her voice, but still spoke with a noticeable bitterness. "T'is not. And it never shall be again."

"We can talk about this!" Celestia insisted pleadingly. "Just let it out and tell me everything! I'm right here for you!"

Had Celestia known those would've been the magic words, she would've said them as soon as she stepped into Luna's room. However, she was not prepared for the response that followed.

"We. Are. A. Monster!"

She forced herself to stay quiet to listen to Luna's emotional rant.

"We know thou wishes to speak to us about our refusal to raise the moon! We refuse! We are not to be trusted with such power! We will not permit thee to give us such a position! We will not allow ourselves to risk falling to darkness once again! We want no association with the moon in our life! We want no association with the duties of a princess! We will not allow ourselves to endanger our subjects again!" Luna's eyes glowed and her voice rose to a booming volume. "Thou should never have retrieved us from the moon!"

If anypony reported a shattering sound at that moment, it would've been Celestia's heart. How could Luna say such things, and with so much fury, about herself? Had this really been what was going on? Luna was refusing her duties, not out of laziness, but fear and her own self-hate? Celestia failed to notice her sister falling into despair? Again?

Luna's anger subsided, but sorrow quickly retook its place. Her eyes returned to normal, a few tears making their way down her face as she stared at the floor. She was calm only in the sense of no longer yelling. She walked out of her room, but when Celestia attempted to follow, Luna slammed the door and refused to open it.

"Luna, what you say isn't true!" Celestia insisted, both sisters struggling magically to get their way with the door. "You are not a monster!"

"We do not wish to hear thy flatters!" Luna retorted. "We do not require thy coddling!"

"I'm not saying it just to say it! It's the truth! You are not Nightmare Moon!" Celestia banged on the door from inside. "Nightmare Moon is long gone! It's over, Luna! It's the past! What matters is you're with us again and you are okay! You are alive, Luna! We can move past this!"

"Why art thou willing to trust a monster?!" Luna demanded.

"I love you, Luna! You are my sister, our princess of the night, and far from a monster. It was a mistake, Luna! You made one mistake!"

"One mistake that cost us all we had!" Luna reminded her. "Our own existence was not ours!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Nightmare Moon took us!" Luna's voice was slowly rising in volume again. "We did not have our magic, our body, or our mind. But we knew. We knew everything! We saw everything! And we were weak! We could do nothing! We let that monster grow, overtake us, and let us be evil! We failed our responsibilities as a princess! We failed our subjects! We betrayed our own sister! We are not fit to be a ruler! We relinquish our position!"

Luna fell miserably to the floor, shaking and unable to speak further. But she didn't need to. That was enough for Celestia to understand.

Luna gave up her side of the struggle with the door, letting Celestia fling it open. She immediately grabbed her sister and held her as close as she could. Luna didn't fight against it, only because she couldn't. Celestia helped her get to her bed and sat next to her, closing the door to Luna's bedroom for the sake of privacy. Then, she resumed hugging her younger sister as she spoke.

"I didn't know." Celestia's tone was soft and kind. "I didn't know that's what it was like for you as Nightmare Moon. I can't imagine what it feels like to have your body hosted against your will. But please listen to me, my sister. You are not a monster. Nopony, not even as strong as we are, can fight darkness alone and win. I wasn't there for you. Yes, it is our duty as princesses to protect our subjects, but it is my duty as an older sibling to protect you. And I failed. I am also to blame."

Celestia paused to see if Luna was listening. Luna was silent, but she did finally look at Celestia intently. Celestia continued.

"But you can't live your life that way. You can't focus on one mistake and define it as your life. It was a big mistake, but it was a mistake and it is over. We are the only ponies alive with any true memories of Nightmare Moon from that time. In a few generations, nopony alive will remember her appearance at the Summer Sun Celebration. Were you truly a monster, you'd feel no remorse, yet you feel so much, you're willing to give up your title as princess to amend it. That's more than enough proof. You are not Nightmare Moon. You are not a monster, so do not speak of yourself as such."

Celestia could sense Luna wasn't believing most, if any, of what she said, but it wasn't a surprise. What led Luna to Nightmare Moon built up over years, so it was only natural it would take years for her to heal mentally from it. The difference was this time, Celestia would help her come back from it. Finished speaking her part, Celestia held her sister quietly, letting Luna mull over everything she said.

With her magic, Celestia took Luna's regalia from the bin where she discarded them. Slowly, she placed them on her. First, her shoes, one by one. Then, her neckplate. Finally, ever so gently, Celestia set the midnight black crown on Luna's head.

Princess Luna didn't protest.