Which is better: to be enlightened and miserable or oblivious and content? At what cost can paradise be bought, and at what point does it cease to be worth it?

Two years after Luna’s return from exile, these are the questions that pass through the mind of Princess Celestia each night as she waits. For over a millennia she has waited; waited for the end of war, waited for the return of her sister, and waited for a single dreadful day and the choice that she would have to make.

But she is not the only one who is waiting, nor is she the only one who seeks an end to the coming conflict. Luna and Fluttershy find themselves haunted by the same secret sin, and though they may not be aware of their connection, they must both choose between seeking forgiveness and doing what they know to be right.

Caught up in a labyrinth of breathing shadows and ancient lies, all three ponies must learn how valuable their loved ones truly are, as well as the ultimate cost of living in Harmony.

Disclaimer: I do not know the artist who drew the picture that I chose, but the image suits one of the central themes of the story. Proofread and edited by the wonderful people who are as follows:

The Journeyman
AlicornPriest
Glassed
Inkiepie
iSmartMan