I Don't Remember

by nitelight

Chapter 2: Until the Night

The inside of the castle was just as grandiose as the outside. The marble columns, plush carpets, tall windows, and stained glass giving a proud statement that this was in fact a place fit for royalty. Luna did not know where her sister was leading her to, simply following along and looking at the scenery, mentally mapping the area. That would have to be something that she did. Getting lost would be embarrassing.

Despite the fatigue that was slowly seeping into all of her limbs, she kept pace. The stairs were a bit of a challenge, but there was a rail that saved her more than a few times from wiping out. Honestly, who's idea was it to build a towered castle at the top of a mountain? The air was already thin, no need to make it even more difficult. Well, at least she'd stay in shape.

Their destination came after the long trek through what felt like the whole interior of the palace. A set of double doors with intricate designs of the sun and other celestials adorning it. Her sister's personal chambers most likely. Where they ended up wasn't much of a concern to Luna. All she wanted to do was at least sit down. Or sleep. That sounded heavenly.

The interior was warm, both with the red and gold hues, and the fire to the left increasing the temperature. Give her a blanket, and she'd be out like a light. And much to her delight, the room was left dim, a few candles, the fire, and bits of sunlight peeking out behind thick curtains all there was to illuminate the space.

While she was busy examining the space around her, Celestia had unwrapped her wing and set her loose from the warmth embrace of it. She hadn't watched where she went off to, but knew she hadn't left the room entirely. Might as well explore a little, no? Perhaps she could learn more about her sister by looking around her room. People usually decorated with things they enjoyed.

With her initial scan, Luna spotted a tall bookshelf spanning the length of the wall to the ceiling. It held more than books; trinkets, figures, and other accessories lined them, and were organized in a way to showcase everything in its own beauty. Signatures, most likely from a few famous people throughout the ages, were signed out to her. There wasn't anything she recognized. That already slim hope she had that something would jog her memory of her sister was slimming further.

She had seemed so happy to see Luna again, and breaking it to her that she hadn't remembered much than her name wasn't something she just wanted to throw out there. It would ruin her mood. She couldn't do that to her. They had just fought. That's the last thing she really recalled, but the events leading up to it were blurry. They were unmistakably negative emotions, however. Anger was obvious. But what else? Jealousy. That was stuck with her. From when Celestia had left her for a moment in the town to talk to her student, she had felt it. Was she envious of her sister? She was beautiful, and the people seemed to love her. But she also seemed to really care for her. Why was her memory full of blinded rage, then? It wasn't like she could just ask.

She must have been standing there staring at the title of a book for longer than she had meant to, her sister's presence returning beside her, making her jump. Seriously, how many times had she done that already? For someone so tall, she really was good at sneaking up on Luna. It wasn't her fault she kept zoning out. She didn't know where she was and was with someone she hardly knew. Perhaps that meant she should be paying more attention. But she didn't feel like she was in danger. Celestia wasn't dangerous, and there were guards stationed outside the doors. Yeah, she was safe. So it didn't matter. Her heart probably wasn't the happiest from jumping, but it wasn't any real danger.

It was then that she noticed how much her hair was blocking the side of her view. That would make sense why it was so easy for her to be snuck up on. Her sister's voice broke the silence that she had been relishing since entering the castle; apparently she'd been talking since she'd walked up to her. Oops.

"He was a very talented singer. You would have enjoyed his music if he were still alive."

Oh, the book was written by the same guy that had signed a few trinkets stored on the shelves. Music.. she hadn't thought of that. When was the last time she heard music? Did she have a favorite song?

"I'll show you some of his work later, sister. For now, let's get you into something more comfortable, hm?"

Luna tilted her head in response, pushing her hair out of the way. What was wrong with her outfit? Then again, she hadn't looked at herself, and- oh. Yeah, it wasn't the best thing ever.

While the armor that she had been wearing when the Nightmare had taken control of her mind had mostly been destroyed and left in the castle, there were still a few pieces that covered small parts of her body. Her clothes were in much rougher shape. While the fabric wasn't in the worst condition, it was dirty and didn't fit quite right, too big around her shoulders. And while the gown itself was intricate and likely very expensive, it looked outdated compared to what her sister was wearing. Right, fashion would change drastically in a thousand years. The only thing that did not seem outdated was her crown. The dark obsidian, moonstone, and diamond it was made out of almost looked better than the gold her sister adorned. Her other jewelry, again while beautiful and outdated, wasn't in the best shape either. Though the earrings she wore still made a twinkle when she moved her head quickly.

Celestia had motioned to another door on the opposite edge of the room, it likely where she had gone off to earlier. And so they walked towards the room, Luna looking around one last time before going under the arch. Not surprisingly, it had led to a bathroom. Quite a luxurious one at that. However obvious as to what the room was meant for however, nothing looked familiar. Everything looked so.. futuristic? Clean, white, and compact. She had no idea what anything was meant for except the bath, which looked more like a pool, that was on the far side and dug into the ground.

While she had been gone earlier, Celestia had picked out a change of clothes for her sister. A bit of a challenge considering their sizes were so different. Though baggy, they were meant to be comfortable. A new wardrobe was something to look into surely, but that was a problem for the future. She didn't need fancy clothes while getting settled down.

Luna felt slightly embarrassed that she was so oblivious to what everything was for, but that didn't go unnoticed. At least someone was paying attention to the bigger picture. Her sister went around explaining what everything was for and how to use them. Indoor plumbing? Amazing. Everything was relatively simple as well.

"But for now, I'll leave you to wash yourself. I'll be in the other room, so yell out if you need anything."

And by the stars, did she need it. The cleanliness of the room had made the grime on her skin stand out. Don't even get started on her hair. Everything else could wait till later. All she hoped was that she wouldn't fall asleep while bathing. To show her thanks, Luna was able to give her sister a smile and a nod. It still felt wrong.

"We thank thee."

The door was closed behind her sister as she left and Luna let out a breath. This was the first time she was alone in, what, had it been hours? Either way, she was tense around her elder sister, and deflated once she was no longer in her presence. It was also the first time she was able to take a detailed look at herself, thanks to the body-length mirror on the wall. Not that she remembered what she had looked like a thousand years ago.

Her light blue hair was short, spilling just over her shoulders with unmanaged loose waves throughout. The dark feathered wings on her back were in desperate need for preening. Her skin was dark, much more so than her sisters, but was pale. While Celestia's skin felt warm and sun-kissed, Luna's was cool and dim. And it looked as if her entire form was covered in dust. From the castle, or even from the moon, she didn't know. But she wanted it off.

Heading towards the bath, which was already full, thank you Celestia, she started undressing herself, throwing her dirtied clothes into a basket close by. The event of bathing itself was uneventful. That was something simple enough that she remembered how to do. To wash her hair, she simply dunked her head under the water, probably not the best idea because of how heavy it got and how much she got up her nose, but it was the quickest method. Coughing it out and pushing her now soaking hair from her eyes, she was able to breathe almost clearer. Maybe the steam was clearing her senses out. Though Luna had felt that she scrubbed her skin raw, there was almost stubborn invisible dirt clinging to her. Whatever, she didn't want to actually hurt herself. Celestia would worry.

Finishing up in a hurried sense, she dried herself with a towel obviously made for someone much bigger than her, and got dressed in the change of clothes she was given. They felt strange. Had she worn pants before? Either way, both them and the long sleeve were incredibly soft, and luckily not too bright in color. Her sister knew her taste in colors. Another pain in her chest.

Once dressed, she caught another glance at herself in the mirror. She looked closer at her facial features, now clear of anything obscuring it. She looked.. young. Like a child again. She knew that she wasn't one. How old exactly? At least a thousand, perhaps a few centuries more. Though maybe teenager was more accurate. From what she could tell earlier, she was still taller than the average citizen, and didn't look quite that young. It was strange though, looking at yourself in the mirror and hardly recognizing it. Getting closer, she examined the details more. Freckles. They were faint, but there were clearly darker spots adorning her nose, cheeks, and curled up around her eyes, getting darker around her temples. Biting her lip in concentration, she also noticed fangs. Again, they weren't loudly addressing themselves, but her teeth were undoubtedly sharp on either side. Her ears were similar as well, long and pointed at the ends.

Steeling herself with a deep breath, Luna opened the door to her sister's bedroom proper. Celestia herself was sitting on the end of her bed, writing in a book with a feathered pen. She must have heard the door opening, as she turned her head around to look at her sister again. For some reason Luna hadn't thought that Celestia would stay there and wait for her the whole time she bathed. And the way she was looking at her- admiring her? Either way, Luna felt that awkwardness seep back into her. Even as her sister patted the place on the bed next to her and Luna walked over towards her, she held her arms close to herself in a hug. The warmth of the clothes covering her, the fire in front of them, and the softness of the mattress below her almost put her right to sleep again.

But with a hand on her back, her sister pulled her mind back to the waking world. Apparently she'd started falling.

"Careful, there. I know you're tired, Luna, but I was hoping we could talk some before you slept."

Talk? Oh no. What if she wanted to talk about something from the past? She hardly knew this woman, how could she manage a conversation, especially while being so tired? Or maybe she could use that to her advantage. It had been a busy day, after all. Yeah, she could play it off if she said something dumb.

"Oh. Yes, we wouldn't mind talking f'r a time."

The look on her sister's face was hard to ignore. She looked so happy. Happy to see her again. Her demeanor was boisterous, another stark contrast to Luna. From what she picked up so far, they were almost complete opposites. Her speech was another thing. It was less formal; laidback and free. Compared to hers, Luna's ancient accent was thick. Did she not feel the tension that Luna did? Obviously not, as Celestia pulled her hands into her own, running her long fingers along the rough lines adorning them.

"This probably goes without saying, but I am so happy that you're back. Spending a thousand years without you was... so hard. There wasn't a day or night that went by that I didn't think of you." Her voice had quieted, but a smile was still proudly displayed on her lips. "I have so much that I want to say to you sister. But first, the most important thing, is that I'm sorry. I should have been a better sister, listened to you, and not let my ego push us apart as it did. I never wanted to send you away. But it was the first thing that came to mind when you- I'm sorry."

Tears were threatening to fall down her cheeks. She was even beautiful when she cried, that smile never leaving her face even while spilling her heart. But how could she respond to that? All she remembered was that she was angry at her in some way and had attacked as the Nightmare. Didn't that mean she was at fault and not Celestia? Why was she apologizing when all she had done was protect herself, and by extension, the whole kingdom by eliminating a threat?

"Do not apologize to us, sister. Thou art not to blame f'r mine own actions. Thou only didst what thou bethought was right. Prithee, we do not wish to reminisce on the negative events of our hist'ry tonight."

As much as she did want to know exactly what happened leading up to the banishment that she'd just returned from, it was too fresh a wound, too early. And it wasn't something she could directly ask.

"Of course. Of course... But I needed to tell you that before anything else." The solar princess used the back of her hand to wipe the undersides of her eyes, refreshing herself. "For now, are you comfortable? If you don't need anything, I'll let you sleep until you feel rested enough to tackle the world. It's changed so much since you left, as I'm sure you've seen."

"Does.. that mean thou art going to leave?"

Her voice came out quieter than she expected. Seeing her sitting there when she had finished bathing earlier had soothed her worried heart. Being completely alone was not something she felt quite ready for yet. Even if she didn't truly know Celestia, being around her was comfortable.

"The day is still young, little sister," Celestia replied, resting a soft hand on her cheek. "But I will stay with you until you fall asleep."

It wasn't enough, but she couldn't complain. Her sister had a whole kingdom to run, and no doubt her return would bring about changes that would alter how things were run from now on. That, and who knows what Celestia would set up for Luna to get acclimated to the new world she now found herself in.

In response, Luna gave her a nod as she shied away to get under the covers. Celestia surely would have done so anyway if she'd passed out on top of them, but there was no reason she couldn't manage on her own. Her hair had already mostly dried from both the heat of the fire and her sister's solar energy, so when her head hit the pillow, it didn't take more than a few minutes for her to fall into a deep sleep. All of the weight of the last few hours settled her further into the mattress. Tomorrow would surely be packed with many events that would be uncomfortable, but for now, away with the thoughts of her sister, Luna was going to enjoy her first dreams in over a millennium.

Comments

[Wooden Wheel]

Honestly, who's idea was it to build a towered castle at the top of a mountain? The air was already thin, no need to make it even more difficult. Well, at least she'd stay in shape.

I laugh at this.

[Comickook]

REALLY appreciate the work going into the dialogue, characterizations, reflections and future chapter set-up here. REALLY liked Luna's thinking about assorted things such as her age, her outward appearance, the location of their home and her older sister's history lessons.

REALLY looking forward to more of this.