Luna smiled as she watched the sunset, the golden globe lowering inch by inch. She narrowed her eyes as the last of its rays met with the horizon.
Now! She reached out with her magic, and smiled as she thought of the ease with which she could perform such a vital task. However, tonight was different. Tonight she was going to break her record and raise it faster than mortal eyes had ever seen before.
Focusing, she felt the tug become greater and greater; she added more and more to the spell as magic radiated from her illuminated horn. She shut her eyes as she felt pain stab into her mind and lowered her head, her flank high in the air. Such was her position when her new maid arrived, bearing a tray of hot tea.
“Eep!”
Luna ignored the yelp and retained her focus on her task. However, the scalding liquid on her flank was just a little too hot for the great Princess of the Moon to ignore. She turned to her rear and sighed in relief as she saw her moon was still white, but then turned her gaze on the maid. “You dare disturb me while I am performing my royal duties? What gall must you possess to attempt something so foolish?”
She raised an eyebrow when she noticed the maid audaciously averting her eyes, instead staring off into the distance. She decided to indulge the mare by looking out her window. An involuntary shiver ran through her body, for the moon was rising despite her no longer tending to it.
“Fetch my sister at once.”
Luna scowled as the mare simply stood there.
“If you value your life, you will summon my sister to my side immediately!”
Luna squeezed her eyes shut as the maid ran out. Her mind swirled, attempting to comprehend what she’d long thought impossible. Except that I have thought about it. Through night after night, this nightmare has tormented me. Luna walked over to a mirror in her room and looked at the dark blue mare in the reflection. She grimaced as she thought of how her look did not match how she felt. Tears were already coming down her face as Celestia charged into the room.
“Sister, are you all right? Your maid seemed quite panicked.”
Celestia put a hoof onto Luna’s shoulder and gasped as she saw the tears in her eyes. “What ails you, Luna?”
Luna wiped the tears from her eyes and took in a shuddering breath. Slowly, she stood. “I cannot help but dwell upon how much has changed in a thousand years. It is a topic I have been giving a lot of thought to recently. Would you mind… staying for a short while?”
Celestia smiled and sat next to Luna. “Sure. You know I always have time for you, sister.”
Luna smiled back, though it quickly fleeted. “When was the last time you needed sleep?”
Celestia raised an eyebrow. “Last night, if I recall correctly.”
Luna shook her head. “I mean actually needed it.”
Celestia looked down and sighed. “I seemed to stop needing it almost three hundred years ago. Over time, ponies began to require my aid more frequently during the night. Eventually, I adapted to the steadily shortening hours of rest that I was able to steal.”
Luna nodded, staring at the floor. “You did good work, though. The Earth, Unicorn, Pegasus Guard does well in its duties, especially at night. Makes it fairly peaceful for me most flights.”
Celestia smiled again and puffed out her chest; the move was subtle, yet Luna did not miss it. “I do like to think my original methods in training them after you left have had some impact on their current status.”
Luna’s ear twitched and she walked out to the balcony. A cacophony of noise assaulted her ears from below. “Disgusting night music,” she said. She paused and then turned to Celestia. “Would you not agree that they corrupt my peaceful night with such loud music and rough-housing?”
Celestia frowned slightly. “Luna, are you okay?”
“Please, just answer the question.”
Celestia sighed as she thought about how somber her sister was acting. “It took a lot of getting used to, but I had the gradual progression through things like rock and roll. Be thankful it isn’t reggae.” She chuckled until she saw another tear roll down Luna’s face. “Sister, please tell me what is wrong.”
Luna turned to Celestia, but then turned away. “The moon isn’t at the top of its arc. Allow me to raise it.”
She focused her magic and locked her sight upon the moon. This time she put enough of herself into the spell that her aura almost blinded her as she yelled out in pain. Even though her vision had begun to blur and was blocked by her magic, she still saw the moon start to move. She immediately turned to her sister as she turned her magic off. Faint trails of golden magic danced around Celestia’s horn.
“How long?”
Celestia looked away. “Please do not make me tell you, Luna.”
Luna put a hoof onto Celestia’s shoulder; a tear rolled down her face. “Tell me, please. I need to know.”
Celestia hesitated at the sadness and desperation within her sister’s voice, but finally answered. “I believe you were weakened more than any of us dared to believe by the Elements of Harmony. I have been doing it since you were banished, and have never stopped.”
Luna slowly shook her head and let out a small chuckle. “Sister, I will miss you.”
Celestia’s eyes widened. “What do you mean, Luna?”
Luna looked back and gave Celestia a weak smile. “Don’t worry, I shan’t relapse into Nightmare Moon. However, I am tired, Celestia. I am tired of this charade of thinking: thinking that I still belong, that I am anything more than a burden.”
Celestia scowled as she held tears back. “Is that what all that talk earlier was about? Proving you weren’t needed so you could leave?”
Luna looked down, but eventually nodded. “In a manner... yes. It is not merely my job having been replaced, or being unable to keep up with all of the changes that have happened in the time I missed. No, it goes beyond that.”
Luna looked down at her hooves. “Do you know what the most common nightmare I stumble upon is? Nightmare Moon gobbling up some poor unfortunate filly. Yet it isn’t just the young ones—it is also our older peasants… sorry, citizens that dream of such things as well. I am no longer seen as a princess: I am merely a monster to them.”
Celestia wrapped a wing around Luna’s shoulder. “You are too fast to forget what you learned in Ponyville, sister. There they love you, even call you a friend.”
“Three. Three of them last night had almost identical nightmares about me.” Luna shook the wing off, feeling herself already beginning to slip. “It is not your fault, Celestia—this is merely more to the curse of having been Nightmare Moon for so long. I only hope my final decision will not hurt you too much.”
Celestia felt something enter her and saw loose magic start drifting off of Luna’s horn. “Luna, these are small things to be worried about,” she said. “With time, the wounds will close and you’ll be able to make friends as I have. Besides, I need you. I can’t bear to think about ruling without you for any longer.”
Luna burst into tears as she laid down. “You are wrong, Celestia. I was never the politician, and I don’t want to wait fifty years to start befriending a new generation of foals. No, I will bow out with grace instead, and give my night to the one who owns it now. No longer will I attempt to fill a role unbecoming of me.”
Celestia felt the force within her grow stronger as she laid down next to her sister. “Luna, I can’t do both—not again. I want you here with me. I don’t want to be alone again!”
Luna smiled at Celestia as she felt her body growing colder. “You won’t be alone, Celestia. You’ll have Twilight, and all of the others who love you. I wish I could be there, but I simply can’t continue this shadow of an existence.”
Celestia shook as she saw Luna’s cutie mark beginning to vanish.
“Do you remember what we told Twilight? We still have time..., perhaps your new part will come to light?”
Luna smiled as she closed her eyes and nuzzled into Celestia’s side. “I remember. In fact, I have given the words much thought as of late.” She cleared her throat and started weakly singing.
“Know that your time is coming soon.”
Celestia felt a shiver go through her as she thought of all the ways that line could be taken. “As the sun rises—”
“—So does the moon.
Celestia watched as the last of the moon adorning Luna’s flanks disappeared. Her voice cracked as tears streamed down her face. “As love finds a place in every heart.”
She slowly stroked her sister’s now-still muzzle and waited for it to open one more time. The new power within her could not fill the hole Celestia now felt as she whispered an all-too-familiar line.
“I am a princess... I’ll play my part.”
