Celestia sighed as she completed the last official scroll, sealed it, and sent it on it’s way.
“Nobles” Celestia mused, “always asking for things that they cannot have.”
She took a moment to clean her desk and carefully placed new ink pots, quills, and parchment in their homes. Celesta looked upon the worn surface and noticed the countless quill marks that peppered the wood. She observed them closely, reflecting upon the countless legal documents and official decrees that had passed through this desk.
A small smile appeared on her lips as she remembered some of the more... interesting requests. She let her mind wander though the memories seemingly at random and chucked when she found something amusing. Celestia was having fun with her thoughts, but a slight headache that pulsed from the tip of her horn brought her back to reality.
“It is interesting isn’t it Philomena,” began Celestia “that no matter the season I always seem to know when it is time for the sun to set.”
Philomena answered with a slight shake of the head and a muffled cry as she reached her beak under her wing to preen.
Celestia dawned her regalia and made her way to the door. She paused before it and turned back to Phenomena and said “Sometimes I wonder if I control the sun or if the sun controls me.”
She lit her horn and focused her yellow glow on the doors, which swiftly opened and allowed Celestia to pass.
She walked through the doors and closed them behind her, letting the heavy *clunk* act as a metaphor to how tired she felt. As she walked down the halls that lead to the royal balcony, Celestia glanced at the stained windows that graced the halls, admiring them not so much for the deeds that they depicted but rather for the craftsmanship that went into making them.
Such small details are easily missed all too often, a lesson that she had to learn the hard way more than once. Before she could reflect on those lessons, the magic at the base of her horn grew in intensity and demanded her attention. Celestia quickened her pace, eager to release the magical build up.
Luna waited in her chambers, knowing that soon it would be time to raise the moon for the first time in over a thousand years.
Her magic wasn’t as strong as it had been, and after the nightmare had left her it... drained her. It was a hard feeling for Luna to understand, let alone describe to somepony who didn’t already know.
Despite this, she had been practicing under her sister’s guidance and after many moons Luna began to feel the faint yet familiar magic return to her. It was slowly starting to build up at the base of her horn now, and while it was weak it was ever present, and growing.
Luna knew that it would only be a matter of minutes before Celestia would come and wait by her door. Celestia would never force Luna to do anything if she didn’t feel like she was ready, a fact which Luna appreciated, but it had been many months since her return and Celestia was getting more persistent.
Luna took up the regalia with her magic and looked upon it as though for the first time. It shined and sparkled as she remembered it from so long ago, and yet it felt... different to her somehow. She examined the crown and tried to remember what it was supposed to symbolise, but it seemed her memory was failing her. Luna took up the chest piece and gazed into the moon shaped stone hoping that it would reveal to her the mysteries that still eluded her. Luna even inspected each shoe, not sure what she was hoping to find.
Before Luna got too involved with her inner searchings, a faint knock at her door announced what was no doubt Celesta. As always no words were spoken, but somehow she knew it was her. Luna lit her horn and let her magic fall upon the door and opened it just enough for Celestia to enter.
As always, Celestia simply sat on one of Luna’s cushions and patiently waited.
This time there was no passing of words between the two. Luna took up her regalia and began putting it on piece by piece while Celestia simply watched. The crown felt heavy on her head, and the chest piece weighed her down, and the shoes made her steps slow and clumsy while making her hoofs echo louder. The signs of responsibility weighed heavily on Luna as she looked to her sister for guidance and instead found only patience.
When Celestia felt it was time, she simply looked into Luna’s eyes and said “Are you ready, sister?”
With a nod of her head, Luna opened the door for Celestia and followed her out to the hallway.
Celestia took the lead and guided Luna along the familiar path to the royal balcony where only the princesses were allowed and only a select few had ever had the privilege of gazing from its ledge.
Guards lined the hallways and snapped smart salutes as the princesses passed which Celestia returned with a nod. Luna kept looking ahead towards the end of the hallway. Her hoofbeats echoed loudly off of the stone walls and it served to remind her of the responsibility she was about to take on. Luna’s wings bristled at the thought, but the detail was not lost to Celestia who wrapped a wing around Luna in an encouraging gesture.
When the pair reached the doors and the echos had fallen silent, the two royal guards snapped to a crisp attention and allowed the princesses to pass. Celestia opened the door for Luna and they both entered. Luna walked to the edge slowly while looking up to the night sky. Celestia paused at the door and told the guards to take the rest of the night off. After a moment of hesitation, they agreed to Celestia's request and left their stations, unsure how to proceed with their evening. Celestia simply chucked under her breath and made her way to the balcony where Luna was waiting.
Celestia could sense the nervousness in Luna and her eagerness to proceed so Celestia began to lower the sun, releasing the pent up magic energy in a single, drawn out burst that left her mildly winded. She sat on the stone and looked to Luna who nodded in response.
Luna could sense the moon. It was waiting just beyond the horizon. Luna closed her eyes as she reached for the moon with her magic, letting it come out of her horn in waves of blue light. Luna could hear the moon calling to her, responding to her magic, trying to do as she wished.
Celestia watched as the moon slowly made it’s way above the horizon. Inch by inch it crawled along in the sky until it began to slow. Celestia glanced at Luna and could see the strain in her body as she tried to raise the moon. She quickly looked back to the sky lest she break her sister’s concentration and silently prayed under her breath.
Luna struggled with the moon, but she sensed that it was close and in a final effort, put all of her magic in a final surge to bring the moon across the sky.
Luna was only able to hold it for a few seconds before her magic left her, and she collapsed into a waiting Celestia, exhausted from her effort. She laid in Celestia’s embrace for several minutes while she got herself under control. Only after her breathing returned to a stable rhythm did she dare look up into the sky.
Celestia could tell that Luna was less than pleased with her work tonight. Luna could feel the moon, but she could not control it. Celestia could only wonder as to what that must feel like. She put her wing over Luna in an attempt to comfort her sister and was shocked to feel some wetness around Luna’s cheeks.
“What’s wrong my dear sister?”
“I am.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can’t move thy moon. Look, it’s barely above the horizon now, and it’s only a sliver of it’s full self, and the stars are gone as well. Not a single one.”
The pain that echoed in Luna’s words did not fall upon deaf nor unsympathetic ears as Celestia recalled how difficult it was to raise the moon those first one hundred years. She looked upon Luna and gently guided her eyes to hers with her feathers. When they met, Luna initially looked away and held back all but one of her tears.
Celestia simply smiled and drew her sister into a hug, and explained to her sister how long it took for her to lift the moon when she first tried a millennia ago. She went on to explain how at it took her over five hundred years to get the first full moon and almost as long to get the barest of constellations.
Luna took some comfort in her words, but remembered that her cutie mark was the sun, while hers was the moon. It should come easier to her, she should be naturally good at this, and she continued to wonder why she couldn’t do it.
Celestia could read Luna’s feelings like a book and backed out of the hug so Luna could look her in the eyes.
“My dearest Luna, you are doing a fabulous job. It has only been several moons and already your power is returning.” Celestia gently guided her head to the sky. Luna shed a single tear, which fell to the ground.
“Shhh... It’s alright sister. I know that you will get your strength back soon.”
“Do you really think so?”
“I do”
The two sat in silence for a time, content in each other’s presence.
Celestia waited for the right moment to tell Luna a trick she had discovered, and found the perfect moment when Luna took in a deep breath of the cold night air.
“You know,” Celestia began “the first thirty years were the hardest. No matter what I tried I couldn’t even feel the moon, let alone control it. To me it felt as though I was missing a piece of myself.”
Luna waited patiently for her sister to finish during her pregnant pause.
“I was frustrated because for years the night sky felt cold and empty. I so desperately wished to fill the skies as you did. One night, I was angry with myself for failing to understand the magic of the night. I let loose my magic on the sun, squeezing it until part of it separated and burned into space.”
Luna waited uncertainty for the next part, sensing that Celestia was coming to the point of her story.
“The next night, while I stood in this very spot I saw the most peculiar thing. There were lights flashing in the sky. They moved in waves and carried many different colors. At first I was confused, but later I discovered that my temper tantrum actually led to the creation of those lights. I spent decades researching the effects by trial and error, until ultimately I was able to control it.”
“Why are you telling me this sister?”
“Because I wanted to show them to you tonight. Look, I think they are just starting to form now.”
Luna looked to the sky and saw nothing at first, but suddenly there was a small greenish flicker. Then another, which was quickly joined by another. In a matter of moments the sky was alive with the colors. Luna was taken aback by the sudden change and was mesmerised by their beauty.
Several moments passed before she could utter the simple word “How?” in the faintest of whispers.
Celestia paused for a moment to let it all sink in and began by explaining how she learned how to manipulate the sun to create an excess of charged particles in the upper atmosphere that created the visible, dancing lights.
After a time Luna regained her composure and said “It’s beautiful.”
Celestia could feel the lingering doubt in Luna’s mind and carefully phrased her next words.
“You know... I could teach you how to do it.”
“But wouldn’t I have to learn to control the sun. Sister, I’m not sure I can.”
“I learned how to control the moon, so I’m pretty sure you can learn how to control the sun.”
“I wish I had your confidence, sister.”
“In time Luna. But, my offer still stands... if you want it.”
When Luna’s answer was not forthcoming, Celestia began to worry that she was asking too much too quickly of Luna. She tried to imagine what it must have been like to be isolated and alone for a millennia and put the empathy that welled in her heart as she spoke her next words.
“Luna...”
“Yes, I would like that,” Luna spoke under her breath.
Celestia was surprised by Luna’s response and was surprised again when Luna snuggled closer into Celestia. She responded by wrapping a wing around her. The two sisters stared into the night sky, content in each other’s presence.
