Chapters It was late night when Princess Celestia returned with her sister to Canterlot castle together, once again after one thousand years yet as she closed the door which belonged to Luna's room a troubled look appeared on her face. She placed one of her hoof on the door then lowered her head. She turned around slowly, heading to the other room which got occupied this day.
One of the happiest day of her long life, finally to be reunited with her sister, but she has to try it, even if it looks impossible. Celestia was heading downward into one of the deepest part of the castle where their another new guest is staying.
Couple of tourches on the side of the wall perfectly lit it up to the very end where Celestia stopped in front of the room which was magically protected. She opened the door then entered into the room. It was just like any other normal room in the castle, but it's special guest had to be treated this way for everypony's sake, at least for a while. After a couple of steps, she stopped, closed the door then recreated the barrier.
The pony faced with Celestia, looking into her eyes for a minute then turned away, Celestia lowered her head.
"I'm sorry."
Celestia's voice was soft as always, but sadness covered it.
"I doubt that."
"You two left me no choice, what else could I've done?!."
The last couple of words of Celestia was filled with anger and sorrow. By the time when the other pony in the room turned around to take a look at Celestia who was staring at her while small tears made a pool under her eyes. She opened her mouth for a second, but closed it without saying a word then once again turned away from Celestia, laid down on the bed and closed her eyes. Celestia stepped closer to the bed.
"Fine, but we will have this conversation whether you like it or not."
Before Celestia left the room she turned around to take a look at the back of the alicorn who had her eyes open now. On her way to the throne room Celestia forced a smile on her face. No matter how hard she wanted to end the nightmare forever, she couldn't. She could never kill anypony, not even if it's the pony who ruined her relationship with Luna, who made both of them suffer for a thousand years.
She is part of Luna after all it was her who made her, Nightmare was borned from Luna's loneliness, anger and hatred. Hatred towards Celestia, but she wasn't like that all the time, something changed her, Celestia remembered times when the three of them had fun together, sure after she found out what Luna did, she was furios, but in time she accepted her as her sister, but from one night to another things changed.
For some reason she returned to Luna's body and transformed it into something else and her as well, but when Nightmare was laying in front of Celestia, she couldn't do it, she couldn't end the nightmare once and for all, especially after she saw tears escaping from her eyes, a small hope appeared inside her and brought her back to the castle.
The night passed faster than ever in the last thousand years for Celestia. She was looking at the moon for a bit while before raising the sun then turned to the kitchen to have a breakfast finally with her sister along her side. An hour passed, but Luna didn't show up. She knocked a couple of times on the wooden door.
"Luna?"
Celestia waited a minute, but she could feel her sister is awake and she is inside.
"Is there something wrong?"
The door opened in front of Celestia and she took a couple of steps inside to see her sister is laying on her bed. The pillow beneath her head was wet from her tears which were still leaving her eyes. Celestia closed the door behind herself, laid down next to Luna and cuddled her. It took Luna a few more minutes to stop crying and calm herself, but she still didn't want to face with Celestia.
"I'm so sorry."
"Luna."
Luna turned around and dug herself deeply into the white alicorn's fur.
"I'm so sorry Tia."
Once again she started crying, letting her tears out. Celestia tightened the hug around her little sister.
"I was so foolish and we did things I'm not proud of, I never will be. We fooled ourselves, both of us, to believe something what only existed in our heads."
"Shh, Luna, it's all behind us now, let's go grab something to eat, I'm sure you are hungry."
Celestia got out from the bed, turned around to offer a hoof to her sister who gladly took it after a short hesitation and a smile appeared on both of their faces. While they were walking along each other's side an uneasiness began to build up inside Luna, but she didn't say anything about it.
A month passed, Celestia was spending most of her time with her sister, they were trying to get back the time what they spent apart yet, whenever she could Celestia paid a visit to Nightmare whose existance was covered even in front of Luna who didn't want to talk about it. Most of the times they were only looking at each other without words since anytime when Celestia asked anything, Nightmare never gave an answer.
Celestia and Luna were sitting on Luna's bed, eating, when another letter arrived from Twilight. Celestia placed the food back on the plate and opened the letter. She started to read it while Luna gulped the food.
"She must be annoying."
After she finished reading the letter Celestia let out a small giggle then turned to her sister.
"She is awfully reminding me at you, a lot, her hunger for knowledge, love for the night and plenty of other things as well, you should get to know her, I'm sure you two would get along pretty well."
Luna crawled out from the bed then walked out to the balcony so she can take a look at the night sky. As she walked out Celestia could recognize the anger on Luna's face so she followed her. Before Celestia could place a hoof on her sister's back or say anything, Luna preceded her.
"I don't care, I don't care about anypony."
She turned around to look into Celestia's eyes, only for a second, she wanted to continue, but she couldn't so she turned away.
"Luna, you can't be serious."
"No, I mean, yes I'm. We've been like this before, then we grew apart by time."
Luna looked into Celestia's eyes once again.
"In the end we barely saw or talked to each other,"
Tears began to run down on her cheeks as she spoke.
"everytime when I tried to speak with you during the day, you sent me away because you had duties, you have always found a reason to not to have a talk with me. After years passed, we only met on the balcony where we changed the moon and the sun. You left me alone in the dark, that's why I needed her, she was always there when you weren't."
She laid down on the cold stone and a couple of seconds later she could feel Celestia's warm body wrapping around her own.
"I'm sorry Luna, you don't know how much I'm, but it's not true and you know it. You sealed yourself away from everypony else because you were afraid, afraid of loosing those who were close to you, in time. Twilight would,"
She turned her head around to look into Celestia's eyes.
"Stop it, you should go, you've already wasted enough time on me."
"Luna."
The small alicorn tried to stand up and walk away, but her sister held her down.
"Alright, as you wish, but let me ask you one thing, don't seal yourself away for eternity. Twilight was doing the same as you, living in the dark, so she would understand what you went through, probably more than I ever did, good night Luna."
After a short nuzzle, Celestia stood up and walked away leaving her sister there who stayed behind looking at the night sky. Celestia ordered the guards to close down the throne room and don't let anypony in. She needed to talk with Nightmare, hoping, maybe she can convince Luna, but no matter how many times she visited her, Nightmare never said anything.
Everytime when Celestia stepped inside the room Nightmare was laying on her bed, facing with the wall. She was nothing more than a single idea, an idea what formed a body and came alive. Celestia sat down looking at the other alicorn. Hours passed in silence and none of them even moved. Almost four long hours passed when Nightmare finally had enough of it and turned around to look at Celestia.
"What do you want?"
She slowly raised her head to look at Nightmare.
"To talk about Luna."
Nightmare turned away and let out a sigh.
"Go away."
Author's Note
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"No, we delayed it for long enough!"
Celestia took a couple more steps towards Nightmare's bed, but stopped when she heard that the alicorn took a deep breath.
"Fine, let me tell you a few thing," She turned around to look into her eyes before she continues. "I let her suffer,"
Celestia turned away so Nightmare couldn't see the smile on her face.
"the whole time what we spent on the Moon, I kept her awake while I was having a long sweet sleep. No matter how many times she asked me to have a talk or anything, I never answered not even when I heard her crying in pain."
When Nightmare finally finished her speech, she expected that Celestia will start to cry or leave without a word, but she didn't. Celestia let out a laugh which surprised even the alicorn.
"What are you laughing at?!"
A couple of seconds passed when Celestia stopped and turned to look at Nightmare with a smile on her face.
"You lie, I know you do and I'm pretty sure it happened the other way around as you said, you took responsibility for your acts and felt ashamed for it, so you protected her and made her staying on the Moon as painless as you can."
When a troubled look appeared on Nightmare's face and Celestia knew she was right about it.
"So what if I did, I don't care and If I'd get out from here I'll.."
Nightmare couldn't finish it because Celestia jumped forward and hugged the other alicorn, wrapped both of her front hooves around her.
"Let go of me you fool!"
No matter how hard she tried to get out from Celestia's hug she wasn't able to. Tears started to run down on her cheeks the a minute later when she finally calmed down and stopped fighting against Celestia who had her wings too around Nightmare by now.
"I forgive you."
They were holding each other for minutes before Celestia let go of Nightmare and backed away, but she was still looking into her eyes. Nightmare's whole face was wet from her own tears and her eyes turned a bit red from all the crying. A glow around her horn appeared to help herself remove her tears after she finally stopped crying. Celestia walked to the door and opened it, after a few more steps she turned back with a smile on her face and reached back with one of her hoof toward Nightmare.
"Come."
Nightmare was looking surprised at Celestia, after a minute or two, she stood up and walked to the door. She reached out with one of her hoof, but before she would touch the white hoof, she placed it back on the ground.
"I can't"
Nightmare turned away, maybe for the first time Celestia saw shame on Nightmare's face.
"Maybe you forgave me for what I did, but the ponies and Luna."
The same aura appeared around the door like her horn and it slowly began to close, but Celestia stopped it.
"You shouldn't have saved me, I didn't deserve it. The best thing you can do is to lock me up and leave me here."
"Everypony deserve a second chance, Neona."
"Neona."
A smile appeared on Celestia's face.
"Well I can't just call you Nightmare can I."
She turned around and began to move away from the room, but left the door open, hoping she will change her mind. She walked straight to the throne room, ordered the guards to open the main entrance and sat down. The full moon was right in front of her, it's light was filling the room up. She decided to hold the moon on that part of the night sky so she can look at it. It made her think about plenty of things, but it also made her sad yet hopeful. For everypony else the Moon moved like any other day, but it was nothing more than an illusion. When the time came Celestia removed the real moon and raised the sun.
Celestia stood up and made her way towards the room where her sister was already waiting for her. While she was closing to her seat she could recognise a troubled look on Luna's face.
"Good morning Luna."
Celestia greeted her just like any other time, but Luna only nodded as a response. Celestia was looking at her sister for a while before she decided to grab a bite from the food because she was really hungry. A couple of more minutes passed when Luna couldn't hold it back anymore. She placed the food back on the plate and coughed a little to get Celestia's attention who did the same as Luna with the food. Luna turned away a little because she didn't want to look into Celestia's eyes when she will hear the question what's been bothering her.
"Did, did she die?"
Before Celestia could say anything, they could hear some screaming from the outside. Both of them stood up then headed towards the door, but before Celestia could open it a guard did it who was scared to death, but he still bowed in front of Celestia no matter how much in a hurry he was.
"Princess, she is back, Nightmare Moon has returned."
A scared look appeared on Luna's face as well and she took a few steps back. A unicorn guard was backing from the first corridor to the right from the room where they were eating a minute ago while he shooting at something with his magic. Few more seconds passed when that something became visible for both princesses. It was Nightmare forming a shield around herself blocking every shot, but she wasn't firing back at the guard.
"Stop."
When the order left Celestia's mouth everypony turned to her with a surprised look on their faces especially Luna who took a few more steps back as Nightmare was approaching. When the guard did as he was ordered to, Nightmare removed the shield.
"Tia, what are you doing?"
Luna's voice was weak and shivery, but it can be heard who she was targeting with it.
Celestia turned around and shot a warm smile at her then turned back to meet with Nightmare who was walking towards them. Both of the stopped a meter away from each other, the other alicorn lowered her head, but she didn't bow in front of Celestia who wasn't expecting her to do so.
"Good morning Celestia."
"I'm glad you decided to come out from there, Neona."
She raised her head a little to take look at Luna.
"I"
"Tia, what's going on here?" Celestia turned around, but before she could try to explain anything Luna continued. "and how dare you call her like that?"
"Luna, calm down."
"NO!"
She used the royal canterlot voice then teleported away. Celestia let out a sigh then turned back to Neona.
"Well, it went better than I expected."
Under different circumstances Neona would have allowed herself to let out a laugh, but she only smiled at Celestia.
"I can go talk to her if you want."
Celestia smiled at Neona then after a couple of steps towards her she placed a hoof on her shoulder.
"No, don't worry about it, give her some time, I promise you two will have the chance to talk about things, just like the two of us."
Neona lowered her head.
"Alright."
Celestia turned back and pulled out a seat next to hers at the table, she ordered the guards to leave the room then closed the room's door. Both of them sat down and Celestia let Neona grab a few bite as well before they would have a long conversation about a lot of things.
Luna appeared at the edge of the Everfree forest in front of the stone statue of Nightmare Moon. She was filled with anger like before, but this time she didn't know why. Actually she was happy to see Neona and that name fit her perfectly since she was looking differently, Luna couldn't explain how or why, but she was. After all even Celestia was on her side and the way she was acting.
It was early in the morning, the grass was still wet and the temperature was quite cold, but she laid down on it. Luna raised her head to look at the statue.
Author's Note
Neona is a greek name and it's meaning is: New Moon
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Almost an hour passed when the sun reached a place on the sky where it's rays got through the canopy and hit her body. She could feel the sun's warmth almost instantly, but something distracted her from enjoying it. She could feel that somepony's look on her back. She turned around and saw a small figure in the dark, it was a pony she was sure of it also a unicorn, but she couldn't tell anything else about the pony. The pony was kneeling on the ground and she had something in front of her on the ground which she was looking at until she recognized that Luna is looking at her.
They were staring at each other for a while, but neither one of them said anything when finally Luna had enough of it and teleported the pony closer to herself. After she appeared in the light Luna's conjecture was right about the pony's identity.
"Twilight Sparkle."
After the surprising action what Luna did, Twilight didn't know what to say or do for a few seconds then she bowed.
"Princess."
Luna turned away with a grimace on her face.
"Let me guess, my sister wrote you a letter which probably contained these words, she could use a friend or somepony to talk to, well I don't."
"Yes I had that feeling, that's why I kept my distance, even if I promised Celestia I'll come, you looked like troubled and emerged in your thoughts so I didn't want to bother you, I'm sorry."
Twilight turned around to head back to the same spot which she occupied. Luna turned her head around a little so she can look at the pony who was moving away with one of her eyes. Even Luna didn't know why, because she had that impression about the unicorn that she must be annoying, sending those letters to her sister, but there was something calming in her presence. Deep down she became calmer when she learned it was Twilight who was here, but for her luck she didn't need to say anything about it since before she would form her thoughts into words Twilight stopped and laid down on the same spot where she was before.
She kept looking at the unicorn for almost a minute who levitated once again in front of herself something. After Luna turned back to the statue, she started to think about that maybe, it would be good to talk with somepony about this. It took Luna for a while to finally find the courage inside her to address the unicorn once again, after being kind of rude to her, since it's not her fault, Celestia sent her here.
"What are you reading?"
Twilight raised her head, but she didn't answer. She took a look at the book once again.
"I don't know princess, I mean, the book itself look old, really old, it's about the night sky and it's creations, but it doesn't have a title or an author's name on it.
She stood up and went next to Princess Luna then levitated it in front of her so she can take a look at it.
"Celestia sent it to me along the with the letter."
In that very moment when the book became visible for Luna she immediately recognized it. Twilight could see the surprised yet paled look on her face. She placed her hoof on the closed book's cover and closed her eyes.
"Princess, Is there something wrong?"
A smile appeared on Luna face then looked at Twilight.
"So, how did you like it so far?"
She levitated the book back in front of Twilight who took it with her magic.
"I loved it, it's the best book about the night sky I ever read in my whole life, it's like the author of the book would knew personally the one who created it and he was there the whole time. The most incredible thing is the history of the constellations, how they were formed and their legend why the became part of the sky. Even thought it's probably not real, It's.amazing.
Luna looked at the sun and a smile appeared on her face.
"You are wrong, It is real, almost every single word resembling the truth, there were only a few stars which remained nameless after we were done, but we felt ourselves bad for them, so we named them and gave them a story, the book itself is enchanted, you probably didn't notice it yet, but it contains almost three thousand pages."
Twilight opened the book so she can take another good look at it, it didn't look thicker than a book what has three hundred pages, but when she turned to the page where she left it, about two hundred pages, it was like she only started reading it.
"Princess did you write this?"
She shook her head.
"No at least not by myself, Nightmare and me wrote that book together, we felt like it would be good to share the history of the stars with everypony else, so we spent almost a year writing it, but I thought it was destroyed by us when we."
She lowered her head and stopped. A few minutes passed when she was able to speak again.
"But looks like Celestia saved it somehow."
"I don't understand Princess, how could the two of you write it together? I mean Nightmare Moon was you."
"You are right, but there was an other conscious inside that body other than mine, she was born from my anger, jealousy and most importantly my loneliness almost a hundred years ago before that happened. "
Luna turned to the statue so she can look into the eyes of the stone figure.
"I can clearly remember the night when Celestia banished us, Nightmare was confused about something, I don't know what was the reason, she never told me. Without asking me she returned to my body and took the control over it, but for some reason I didn't stop her, I didn't even try to do it. She was filled with such an anger that it corrupted me as well, then Celestia banished us. I could see Equestria from above then my eyes became heavy and slowly closed. Telling the truth I don't even remember anything from our banishment."
"Why am I even here, I should be back in the castle with her and Celestia."
Twilight released the book with her magic what dropped on the ground, Luna turned her head towards the unicorn who had a scared look on her face while she was backing away from the princess.
"Do you mean, is she, alive?"
"Yes."
Twilight turned around and ran as fast as she could toward Ponyville.
"I'll go gather the elements of harmony and."
Luna teleported herself in front of the fleeing unicorn who could barely stop before hitting the princess.
"It was Celestia who saved her life after the elements harmony hit us and we got separated once again, she even hid this from me, found out earlier today and I kind of ran away."
"But what if she will try to do something again? We should be prepared."
Luna placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulder and looked into her eyes.
"It won't be necessary, she is not a monster or anything, if you would get to know her you would probably like her, just like Celestia did after she found out her existence, of course it took some time, but now she even gave her a new name, Neona."
She removed her hoof when she saw that the purple unicorn finally calmed down and hopefully won't run away. Twilight looked at the ground thinking of the name what left Luna's mouth. She saw it somewhere before, when she finally remembered turned around to locate the book and teleported it in front of herself open, after a couple of minutes searching between lines she found it.
"New Moon."
"Yes, looks like Celestia didn't give only me a second chance. Would you like to meet her?"
No matter how hard she tried to hide it, the fear still emerged on Twilight's face. Before she could say anything Luna lowered her head to Twilight's ear.
"Celestia will be there to protect both of us if we need it."
Twilight pulled back so she can look into Luna's eyes.
"Are you?"
She winked at the unicorn.
"Yes, a little bit, are we ready to go?"
Luna stood up and reached out one of her front hoof toward the unicorn who was hesitating for a few seconds then placed on it her own.
They appeared in front of the room's door what Celestia and Neona occupied, a couple of seconds later the door opened by Celestia's magic.