Luna has returned without Nightmare Moon. Celestia is overjoyed, but Twilight very suspicious after some very bad timing.
On the Longest day of the Thousandth year, Princess Luna returns. Celestia wishes to protect her vulnerable little sister at all costs so Nightmare Moon may never return. Twilight becomes suspicious of this new 'princess' after reading the legends prior to her return. Can Twilight save Celestia from the death beneath her nose? Will Celestia love Luna as she needed, but allow her room to live her life? Will Luna forgive herself for her actions? Also, who's really in danger here?
Every pony happily talked and pranced about. The mayor of Ponyville was announcing Princess Celestia’s arrival! The Princess Celestia had come to their tiny town! The ponies were excited to see the sunrise, but one pony was concerned. Twilight Sparkle, personal student of Celestia and gifted unicorn, knew today was when the Mare in the Moon would be free. Today, the evil sister of her teacher would come.
“Fillies and gentle colts, as mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration!” Every pony but Twilight cheered and stomped. “In just a few moments, our town will witness the magic of the sunrise and celebrate this; the longest day of the year!” Twilight nervously gazed at the moon. Four stars moved around it. In a small flicker of light, the Mare in the Moon vanished! The thousand year curse was broken. Twilight shifted about uncomfortably and kept her eyes on the curtains.
“Oh no…”
“And now, it is my great honor to introduce to you the ruler of our land, the very pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day, the good, the wise, and the bringer of harmony to all of Equestria…” “Ready?” Fluttershy kindly asked her bird choir.
“Princess Celestia!” Rarity pulled a rope and the curtains parted. A spotlight hit the exposed area, but no pony came out.
“Huh?!” Rarity shrieked. Confusion and fear took over the crowd as gasps and other shrill noises were exchanged.
“This can’t be good…” Twilight said. The mayor looked around and saw the confusion.
“Remain calm every pony, there must be a reasonable explaination.”
“Oo! Oo!” A pink party pony bounced in excitement. “I LOVE guessing games! Is she hiding?” Pinkie looked around in childish wonderment. Rarity trotted to the curtains she had carefully arranged to check on the princess, but one step toward the curtain and it shut automatically. The crowd gasped in confusion with anxiety and questions spreading like a virus. “There she is!”
A little earlier…
Celestia watched the moon with careful and excited eyes. The second the stars released her sister, she turned around. Curled in a little ball across from her was a pony. Her coat was blue like the gentle evening sky right after the sunset. Her mane and tail were colored like her royal shoes that adorned her hooves; a silvery, pastel blue or perhaps periwinkle. Upon her head was a black crown of the night, on her neck was the emblem of the night, and on her rump was the cutie mark only the Princess of the Night possessed. Tears sparkled out of Celestia’s eyes. It was her sister. Not a speck of that possessive, angry magic could be sensed on her. Her sister had returned. The thousand years were not for nothing. Her baby sister had returned.
“Princess-” Celestia shut the curtain. The moment was delicate. Nothing could go wrong here. She wouldn’t allow it. Her sister’s eyes fluttered a bit. The slight move swallowed her attention. She moved to her side as soon as she could. Her eyelids finally lifted revealing two, perfect aquamarine eyes. They spun around in confusion; looking for something to focus on.
“Luna?” Their eyes met.
Sadness…regret…confusion…fear. They reflected each other one thousand years of pain neither could ignore. But somewhere in there, they both saw love.
“Ce-Celestia?” Her voice was raspy with time, but light with innocence.
“Oh Luna,” Celestia fell to her sister’s eye level and wrapped her sister in a feathery embrace. “I-” *sniffle* “I missed you…” Fresh tears wet her white furred neck.
“I-I’m so sorry!” She cried. “I’m so sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” She continued as Celestia shushed and nuzzled her soothingly.
“It’s okay Luna. It’ll be okay. Shhhh,” Celestia did her best to hold back tears, but with no success. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered anymore. Behind the curtains lay two sisters and nothing more.
“Princess Celestia?” Their heads shot up. The Princess of the Sun scowled at the intruder with white flames burning out of her eyes. Her rainbow mane swiftly became alight with scarlet flames. Twilight ran out as fast as she could. Celestia stood up as her eyes burnt out and her mane settled. She smiled warmly and looked at her sister who smiled back.
“If it is alright, I wish to make an announcement to my- neigh, our little ponies,” Celestia corrected, “of your return.” She sighed as her mirth left her. “It’s been one thousand years, Luna and I wish for you to reclaim your place as co-ruler of Equestria.” Luna had tears running down her eyes. Never in any of her time on the moon did she think she could be allowed on the throne again.
“But…sister, I betrayed our little ponies. I sent the land into darkness. I let myself be engulfed by my feelings!” as the weight of the past returned with the suppressed force of a millennium, Luna became more and more hysteric, “I threatened an eternal night! I threatened the ponies I loved the most! I threatened you!” She sobbed out. Her body trembled with emotions. Her indigo ears heard Celestia coming closer. Each hoofstep seemed to come down like a judge’s gavel to declare the final verdict. Luna kept her head down as some kingdoms decree that low ranking ponies could not meet their superiors’ eyes.
The steps stopped. A final judgment was imminent. It’d only take a moment. Luna frantically whispered apologies and regrets to those she may meet again in the next realm when her sister was upon her. It stopped when she was met with a feathery embrace and her sister head over her shoulder. What shocked her beyond comprehension was the distinctive hot wetness dripping from both their eyes.
“No Luna, I betrayed you.”
“But-”
“Hush,” Celestia removed herself from her sister and knelt down to her eye level. The desperation and fear in her tone matched with an expression of irreversible regret and misery was enough to silence the Princess of the Moon. “I promised you many things Luna. I promised you an extension of night. I promised you our subjects would see the beauty of the stars. I promised you that for one day; one day, I would take a break from work and be the big sister you needed me to be. You received nothing of the sorts. You didn’t betray us. We betrayed you.”
So star struck by the moment, Celestia put on a sad smile and stood. She guided her sister toward the curtains she had closed before. With a flick of the horn, they flew open. The two alicorns stepped forward.
The crowd’s faces were nothing but confusion. Celestia cleared her throat.
“My little ponies, I thank you for your patience and I apologize for the delay. My sister has returned to the throne and I wish for you all to welcome her warmly.” Luna stepped forward on cue and looked around. The ponies were somewhat puzzled, but as soon as a pink pony began cheering and hoof stomping, the others did as well. Luna was surprised to see them so happy to see the mare they had once shunned. Ponies who cowered in fear from her very appearance were now applauding her like…royalty. She turned back to Celestia, but the eldest sister simply gestured to continue.
“We…” she wiped a few tears, “we are so grateful for your applause. We do not deserve such an honor from our little ponies. After the tragedy and pain we forced on all of thou, thou hast chosen to forgiveth me. And for that, we can not thank you enough.” The cheers came back louder. No pony really understood what this was all about, but no pony was about to mistreat a relative to Princess Celestia.
“There is something you may do, sister.” Celestia came to her side and pointed with a wing to the window. “It is time for the sun to rise, sister. Would you please lower the moon?” Those were the same words that started it. Memories of her anger and hatred melted into guilt and misery. But one look at Celestia’s face and Luna knew she was forgiven. She smiled at her sister.
“And what if we decide not too?”
“Then our little ponies will have to walk home in the dark.” Luna lit up her horn and concentrated on her old prison. She watched it be, not swallowed, but taken into the loving horizon. On the other side, Celestia raised the sun of a new day overhead and all the ponies eagerly watched. They cheered for their Sun Princess like they always had. Luna felt a twinge of pain, but was dismissed when Celestia’s hoof held her shoulder. She smiled as Celestia let her into the spotlight. “We were meant to rule together little sister. Now,” Celestia faced the audience and smiled brighter than the sun. Every pony put their attention on the Sun Princess, then on the Moon Princess when she gave her sister a caring, but serious gaze. “Princess Luna, it has been one thousand years since I have seen you. It’s time to put our differences behind us. Will you accept my friendship?” Luna sprung forward and nuzzled her sister.
“Of course I do! I missed you so much, big sister!” The crowd cheered once more. Celestia was so overfilled with joy, she couldn’t stop the tears despite being in front of her subjects. Everything had gone much better than she had hoped. She had expected her sister to still be full of fury and hatred and possibly too powerful for Celestia to handle. But she was so grateful of what did happen and grateful her sister had returned the way she was meant to be.
“She would NEVER do that under normal circumstances, Spike!” Twilight told her assistant. She stormed about the room with about seven books in her magic spinning around her. “Princess Celestia loves me! Why would she…she…!” Twilight clenched her teeth and trembled a bit recalling the passionate rage on her mentor’s face. The way her hatred engulfed her normally angelic mane, the unrestrained fire leaking from her eyes, and the condescending stare that seemed to judge every transgression ever committed…it was terrifying. Twilight could not think of any words for this feeling, but despair, frightening, and helpless came to mind.
“It’s okay, Twilight,” Spike patted her shoulder in concern. Twilight snapped out of her thoughts as every book slammed on the floor. She felt tears dampening her cheeks. Spike was sadly smiling at her. “Celestia wouldn’t do that normally. I’m sure whatever this is, we’ll get to the bottom of it.” Twilight bent down and nuzzled him.
“Thanks Spike,” she said softly and sincerely, “I couldn’t have asked for a better friend than you right now.” She saw his reddened eyes and giggled. “I think you should get some sleep though. You spent all last night and this morning awake and partying! I’m sure you’re exhausted.” Her hoof nuggied his head playfully, but Spike resisted.
“I’m not that little anymore Twilight! I can…handle…a few…” And the little dragon was down and out. Twilight levitated him to a little basket and covered him up. From many years of experience, she knew he could only last about eighteen hours of continuous activity; he’d reached his limit. But as Twilight lit a few candles and picked up her books, she couldn’t help but wonder if Celestia’s transformation was a sign she was reaching the limit of her resistance to Nightmare Moon.
Knock Knock Knock
Twilight bookmarked her page and went to the door. Upon opening it, she saw the ponies she had talked to the day before to set up the Summer Sun Celebration.
“Can we come in?” the orange caterer asked.
“Well,” Twilight didn’t want to see anypony today. Learning more about Nightmare Moon was the priority, but it this was a public library. Impeding others’ desire to learn went against her nature and it just wouldn’t be fair to keep Ponyville residents from the Ponyville library. She sighed.
“Yes, but please be quick. As temporary Golden Oaks librarian I must tend to my patrons before myself and I have a lot to do.” Her voice was kind enough, but her tone expressed exasperation and lethargy.
“Thanks!!” The pink pony who threw that completely inappropriate party bounced into the library with a cheery grin on her face. It was official; the library’s sanctity was defiled. The yellow bird conductress, white decorator, rainbow weather pony, and orange caterer came in a bit more respectful after her. While the pink pony proceeded to poke and look at anything and everything, the other four mares approached the librarian. Twilight made a mental note to actually put some effort in remembering their names this time.
“Sorry, that’s just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie,” the orange pony explained as though this was an everyday occurrence (and she hoped it wasn’t). “We came here ‘cause we were worried about ya,”
“Me?”
“But of course!” The white unicorn stepped forward. “Fluttershy here saw you running from the Summer Sun Celebration in tears!”
“Actually, one of my birds saw you leave then told me,” Fluttershy said.
“We wouldn’t be good friends if we just let you be all hurt and stuff,” the weather pony spoke, “So we came over to check how you were!”
Pinkie Pie sprang out of nowhere. “And cheer you up!!” She announced. Twilight put her hoof to her face. First her brother worries about her sociability, then her mentor, and now five ponies she’d just met! Is it so hard to have alone time in this town?! “Look, I can understand your concern and I appreciate it, but if all you wanted to do was check up on me, you’ve done it. I have a lot of studying to involving Nightmare Moon and-”
“Nightmare Moon?” The rainbow pony asked. Twilight had her name on the tip of her tongue. Rainbow Spin? Rainbow Dart? Rainbow Blitz? Maybe the word ‘rainbow’ wasn’t even in there. That’s when Twilight realized she didn’t pay any attention to what the rainbow pony said; or the fact Pinkie took over speaking.
“-then Nightmare Moon is as real as can be!”
“That’s it!” Twilight said, “I believe Nightmare Moon isn’t just a myth!”
“Uh, you okay, sugarcube? Pinkie said on Nightmare Night Nightmare Moon is as real as can be.”
“But look at this!” Twilight brought out the old storybook and flipped to the last few pages as every pony gathered around. “On the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape! Nightmare Moon will bring about night time eternal!” Twilight slammed the book. “I did the calculations and that day was today!! The Mare in the Moon has escaped! I saw it right as Celestia was about to be announced out!”
“Mare in the Moon?” Rarity thought out loud. “Do you mean Mare of the Moon? Princess Celestia did announce the return of her sister, Princess Luna. She actually lowered the moon today and her cutie mark was a crescent moon,” she put a hoof to her chin, “I suppose one may call her a Mare of the Moon just as I am a Mare of Fashion.”
“That must be her!” Twilight pointed to the white unicorn. She leaned forward deep into her personal space. “It must be some sort of disguise!” Twilight levitated the storybook back in front of her and flipped the pages. They stopped on the second page and the book was held, just a little too closely, for all the ponies to see. “Here!!” The picture was of the two alicorn sisters standing in opposite directions. “Nightmare Moon must be assuming her old form to trick Celestia! It makes so much sense! I knew it!” After slamming the text in the ponies’ faces again, she took up a triumphant pose. “Princess Celestia would never EVER act like that to her faithful student!” She strut across the floor in success. “It must be this Luna pony who’s twisting the princess’s mind!” She faced her audience with an incredulous, manic grin. “It’s the only explanation!!!”
The five ponies just looked at her. Overwhelming silence engulfed the room. They looked confused, nervous, and maybe a little misled despite the clear evidence Twilight presented them. Their combined expressions of mixed displeasure hit the unicorn’s nerves like a hammer slamming down on an anvil making that sharp, high pitched ring. The sound waves of which crumbled her heart.
Twilight had seen this gaze many times. The utter confusion and disapproval in their eyes; it hurt her. It hurt in a way she’d never told anypony else about. Other students at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns would give her this look. The neighbor kids would give her this look. Worst of all, her parents and brother would give her this look. It was a painful feeling that made Twilight cry as a child. She made excuses and ran out on social gatherings to avoid any chance of hurtful peer judgment. She was a scared filly then, but now, as a young mare, it only caused anger.
“Does that mean I was late making a welcoming party for Nightmare Moon?” Pinkie asked gleefully to break the heavy silence.
“No!!” Twilight stepped forward with all the aggression she could express. Her tail was stiff and her muscles tense. Her ears were straight backwards as a snarl nearly made it past her mouth. “Don’t you understand?!” The other ponies leaned away from Twilight with nervous and somewhat frightened expressions on their faces as she took a few stomps forward. “Nightmare Moon’s strength can match Celestia’s!!” She yelled at these stupid ponies, “Celestia doesn’t have the power to defeat her!! I’m trying figure out where this…this moon monster is before it’s too late!! And from what I’ve seen, it is too late!! Celestia is in peril!! Every pony’s lives are in jeopardy!! And all you friend-obsessed ponies can think about is why the purple unicorn is acting crazy!!!”
No pony dared to breathe in the tainted atmosphere. The five local ponies all had dropped jaws and shaky legs. Pinkie’s mane fell flat and her tail drooped over the ground. Fluttershy sobbed silently behind Rainbow Dash who was so shocked, she was standing, not hovering like she liked. Rarity’s mind and heart was racing faster than the time her sister put glue in her mane; but it did not allow her to faint. Applejack didn’t need to look at her friends to know they were just as distraught and offended as she was. She finally broke the silent, time binding spell with a tired and worn sigh.
“Sugarcube,” the other four ponies watched with concern. Applejack locked eyes with the angry unicorn with a cold scowl of her own. Twilight’s head was still down in an aggressive manner with tense shoulders and stiff limbs. Applejack raised herself as high as she could then glared down at Twilight. It was when the farm pony put her hat on Fluttershy’s head did the other ponies know shit just got real. “No one here called you crazy-”
“You didn’t have to!” She raised an accusing hoof. “I could see it in all your eyes! ‘What’s wrong with her?’, ‘Why is she here?’, ‘Can’t she see she’s wrong?’!!” Twilight unknowingly began to tremble. Water swiftly formed in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. “I don’t need other ponies! I don’t care what any of you say! All I need is me!” Seeing an opening, Applejack struck quickly.
“We’re sorry we made you feel that way,” it was a simple sentence, but it lodged itself deep in Twilight’s mind. Her ears perked up and her narrowed eyes rounded out into a different emotion. Applejack smiled with hope. The walls were coming down and from Applejack could tell, they’d never come down before.
Luna looked around trying to look as confident as she could. A post-celebration of the solstice was in progress. Ponies crowded around her sister. They would probably surround her if she weren’t hiding on a cloud with an invisibility spell.
Buildings had become much more complex and larger. Judging by the city hall, the older style was an aesthetic choice rather than true representation of the era’s abilities. Or perhaps the fact they were using the older style efficiently represented the progress she had missed. Ponies themselves have changed as well. New objects and symbols appeared on ponies’ flanks she’d never seen and not once did she see any common ones from her time like anvils, swords, or even a few cauldrons. Her citizens also gained a bit more weight (for the better) and a lot more joy. It also seemed royal etiquette was lost somewhere. The ponies surrounding Celestia bowed, but then spoke immediately without permission to speak, they came within the Royal Circle of six feet, and they rarely addressed her as “your royal highness”. And when Celestia spoke, she did not use the Royal Canterlot Voice or offer her hoof to be kissed by her subjects. How could Celestia let such traditions fall out of practice? Luna decided only to study the new behaviors then ask Celestia about the loss of tradition.
Luna looked towards the morning sun. It had been one thousand years since she saw the sun. So many painful feelings were suddenly resurrected. It hurt her just thinking of them all. She suddenly fell.
“Aaaaaahhhh!!!!” Her invisibility spell shattered. Too spooked to flap, she fell.
“Gotcha!” Luna looked around. There was a pulling pain in her shoulders; probably caused by the gray hooves under her front legs. The pegasus pony flew over another cloud and gently set her there. Then she landed in front of Luna with a bashful smile. Luna looked at her subject. She was a gray pegasus with bright yellow eyes and a messy blonde mane. She had a large satchel strung over her neck with sweet smells coming from it. However, Luna could not look away from her eyes. Each was looking around independent of the other. When the left one finally focused on her, the right would move to the side
“I’m so sorry, miss,” she said, “I was told by my weather pony friend today was supposed to be cloudless. I know they get yelled at when they mess up so I busted that cloud so they wouldn’t get in trouble. Sorry I didn’t see you there; my eyes can trick me sometimes.”
“We would think it so,” Luna had completely forgotten being upset and was more concerned with her subject’s eyes. “Your eyes move about free of your control.” The gray mare lowered her ears and head in shame.
“Um, I know,” she immediately looked up and smiled, “But it’s okay! I’m just happy I saved you in time! My name is Ditzy by the way!” She held her hoof for a hoofshake, but Luna glared. How dare her subject ask for her to submit?! Luna flared up her wings in aggression. “Wait, you have pegasus wings too?” The anger in Luna immediately dispelled for confusion.
“What? Of course we do. How could we sit on a cloud without them?”
“That’s a good point,” Ditzy said with a hoof to her chin and a quizzical look on her face. An imaginary light bulb sprung up over her head as she grinned. Out of her bag came a white box. She broke the string binding it with her teeth and opened it. “Do you want a muffin?”
“Muffin?” Luna took the object in her magic and sniffed it. It seemed edible enough. The Princess of the Moon took a bite. Her eyes widened. “This…is amazing.”
“I’d love to stay, but I have to deliver some more things! Good bye!” With that, Ditzy left Luna smiling.
“I see you’ve made a friend,” Luna swallowed hard and turned around. Her sister was hovering by the cloud. “Tell me, would you like to meet my protégé? She’s a talented unicorn who I believe will do great things in this world.”
“Protégé? Since when hast thou taken in youths to be tutored by a goddess?” Luna asked. Celestia’s smiled twitched just a bit; only some pony as close as her sister could see that.
“Just recently,” Celestia nodded toward the ground then landed. Luna understood the signal and glided to solid ground. Celestia began walking with a high head and gentle smile. Luna followed just as regally but with a confused frown. “You see, I opened a school for gifted unicorns. Twilight, my apprentice, managed to do something in her entrance exam only a hoofful of ponies in any given century can do; hatch a dragon egg with magic.” Luna gasped. The last pony she knew who could do that was-
“Starswirl the Bearded, I know,” Celestia said, “I took her under my wing to teach her to control herself.”
“Oh my, it sounds to me this pony could even-”
“Shh,” Celestia genuinely smiled, “I know.”
Luna remembered something that boiled her blood.
“Sister,” Luna ground her teeth in an attempt to rein in her fury, “That mare I met, she presented me her hoof. I demand she be locked away for treating royalty like some commoner!”
“Luna,” Celestia sighed, “Times have changed. I do not ask for my hooves to be kissed anymore. I don’t use the Royal Canterlot voice, the Royal Farewell, the Royal Greeting, the Royal Speaking Protocols, the-”
“But it is tradition sister!” Luna spoke sternly. The older sister sighed again. Her smile faded away.
“Traditions have changed, sister. I’m sorry for changing them, but I promise to inform you of all things that have changed when we return to the castle,”
“But I want to know NOW!” Luna yelled and stopped walking. Celestia bowed her head and ears and looked at Luna with a look meant only for her sister; an expression of total exhaustion. The younger princess took a step back. “Sorry, I-”
“It’s okay, Luna,” Celestia smiled despite her tiredness, “Simply put, MANY things have changed and I promise to tell you, but here and now are not the right times.” Luna nodded as they continued on their way. Celestia stood tall and important with a gentle smile and not a hint of impatience as they made their way to the library.