Luna woke up to the sight of her sister's sun shining through the window. She was glad she could once again sleep in her own bed, though her dreams were not pleasant ones. Overnight, she had created an entity called the Tantabus to give her nightmares in her sleep. Luna considered it her penance for the actions of Nightmare Moon. Still, that was a situation for the future. Luna's current worry was her grumbling stomach. Luckily, she remembered where the kitchen was.
"Good afternoon, Luna." Celestia giggled as the half-asleep moon princess trudged into the dining room with a cup of coffee and toast.
"Afternoon?" Luna said, "Apologies sister, we did not mean to neglect our duties by sleeping in. We did not get much sleep in the last thousand years."
"I have been raising and setting both the sun and the moon for the last one thousand years," Celestia replied, "another day or so means nothing if my favorite sister can get some well-needed rest."
"Well, all of that will change now. We imagine that a lot has changed since we last saw Equestria, and we would like to know more about it before facing our subjects again."
"Well one thing I can tell you," Celestia said, "is that not even the aristocracy uses the 'royal we' anymore."
"We... I see. I shall attempt to change my habits then."
For a while, there was an awkward silence. Then, Celestia put down her teacup. "Luna," she started, "I just want you to know, things will be different now. Nighttime is still a time for sleep, but many ponies have a very active night-life." She smiled warmly. "I have seen many of our subjects dance until the sunrise and become entranced by the stars in the sky. Your night is as loved as my day, and just as poetic."
Luna couldn't believe her ears. After everything she had done, after how she went out of control with jealousy, her subjects now looked up at the night sky...with awe? Luna's eyes began to form tears.
Celestia opened her forelegs wide. "Welcome home my dear, dear sister." Luna dove into her siser's embrace, feeling joy for the first time since she became Nighmare Moon.
Then she saw her reflection in the window.
"Sister," she said, finally breaking her sister's hug, "do I look different to you?"
"You look the same as you always did Luna."
"Interesting," Luna started, "because as thou wilt recall, once an ethereal mane disappears, it takes a few days for it to grow back."
"Indeed. I recall that bet I lost." Celestia's serene smile began to falter.
"The thing is, I didn't have my ethereal mane when blasted by the elements. In fact, I'm fairly sure I was smaller as well." Celestia was visibly sweating now. "Sister, exactly how long did We sleep in? A week? Two weeks?"
After a minute under Luna's gaze, Celestia finally gave in. "Since the Summer Sun Celebration, you have been asleep for about...three months."
Celestia had always taken the well-being of her subjects under consideration, especially the royal guards that surround her every day. Not once in one thousand years had she raised her voice no matter how badly they messed up. As such, they were not as used to the royal Canterlot voice as their predecessors were.
"THREE MONTHS!?"
"Now Luna," Celestia said sheepishly, "you know we agreed not to use the Canterlot voice with each other..."
"We will use the Canterlot voice as we please sister! How could you let us sleep for three months?"
"Well...you still look cute when you sleep."
Luna glared at her sister, but instead of speaking again she instead took a deep breath. "No...we shouldn't yell," she said, "it is as much our fault as it is yours. We are the ones who failed to get any sleep on the moon, it is our fault we were negligent in our duties."
Celestia smiled, happy to change the subject. "Well, it's not like you missed much. A few insidents with Twilight Sparkle and her friendship lessons, why I taught her the want-it-need-it spell, I'll never know. Oh, and you missed the Grand Galloping Gala."
"Well, that's usually boring anyways." Luna took the last bite of her toast. "So, we missed nothing else while we slept?"
"Nope! Nothing at all!" Celestia put on her biggest smile, hoping to herself that Luna would drop the subject.
Luna looked at her sister as she put down her toast. Just as Celestia started to relax, a metal disc fell out of Luna's mane. As it rolled to a stop on the table, it projected a hologram of a creature who looked like the product of Frankenstein the zookeeper, also known as the draconequus Discord. "Greetings Princess Luna."
Oh drat.
"When I broke out of my stone prison, imagine my surprise to find you fast asleep! I considered drawing a mustache on you with a sharpie, but then I thought, someone has to update you on what's happening now that I'm free. First of all, I stole the elements of harmony right out from under Celestia's snout. Somehow I expected that to be harder. I then tricked the element bearers into not only wandering around my maze in a wild goose chase, but also into going completely against their true natures! Isn't that brilliant?
"The thing is, Celestia never raised a hoof to help them. She could have sent the guards to search for the elements, but she didn't. She could have given her only student more information about me, her ultimate enemy, but she didn't. Well, that's a mystery for another day. I'm afraid I must be off! I've got promises to keep, and miles to fly before I sleep. Ta ta!"
The hologram blinked out of existence, much as the real Discord would. For a few minutes, there was silence between the two sisters. Well, it can't get much worse than this.
"Y'know, I just thought of something."
Horseapples.
"The things Celestia has put little Twilight through, giving her little to no help against me, sounds a lot like the Princess Trial of Sanity! If I didn't know better, I'd say she has plans for a new princess, as if the Princess of Love, Cadence, wasn't enough. Well, you've probably got much to talk about so...ciao!"
As the chaos god disappeared once more, Celestia nervously looked at her sister, trying to gauge her reaction. Luna, for her part, kept a very straight face until she turned towards the shining alicorn and took a deep breath.
"You have got to be kidding us!"
Celestia's mane was blown back with the force of Luna's rage. She had forgotten how loud her sister could be. "Luna..."
"Not only were you negligent in your duties as a ruler during one of the worst crisis' to befall our nation, but you also dare to replace me with a simple unicorn? And what's this about a princess of love? Do you realize how dangerous one of those are?"
"I can explain! Really I can!"
Luna got up and started for the door, no longer wanting toast. "No wonder Twilight Sparkle was the only one who knew my legend. She was keeping an eye on the competition!"
"That's not true! She doesn't even know that I'm putting her through the Princess Trials!"
Luna turned back to look at her sister incredulously. "You mean you sent your only student against your worst nightmare without telling her why she must face it on her own?"
"...You know, that sounded much better in my head."
"We cannot believe you right now!"
Luna stomped into the hallway with her sister Celestia hot on her hooves. "Luna please," she said, "you don't understand! If I ever told Twilight what I really had planned for her, she would trip over her hooves trying to impress me! The only way to keep the purity of the Princess Trials was to...oh no."
Luna's retreat had taken her into the ballroom. There, a guard, ears still ringing from Luna's first outburst, was hanging an orange banner with a dark horse on it along with the words Happy Nightmare Night. Celestia considered the pros and cons of banishing herself to the moon.
"Guard," Luna said, "come here please."
As the guard approached Luna, Celestia cringed. She knew that her sister had no trouble using her Canterlot Voice when addressing the guards. However, when Luna talked in her normal voice, that's when Tartarus was about to hit the ceiling.
"Guard," Luna started, "please explain to us the significance of Nightmare Night."
"Oh, that's easy Princess! Nightmare Night is a national holiday where fillies and colts scare each other silly in honor of...Nightmare...Moon..." The guard's cheerful smile dropped as he realized exactly who he was talking to. It wasn't really the guard's fault. His ears were still ringing from Luna's first outburst.
"We see. Thank you for your honesty." Luna turned back towards her stunned sister. Luna's horn glowed as Celestia shut her eyes, waiting for the inevitable.
"We are done with you."
Celestia opened her eyes as Luna walked past her. Celestia ran after her sister as she went back into the hallway. "Now wait a minute," Celestia said, "what do you mean done? That was a signaling spell, wasn't it? Who were you signaling?"
"The only ponies we know who appreciate us for-oof!"
Luna ran into a white stallion with a blonde mane. Celestia skidded to a halt as she realized who Luna ran into. Blueblood. Why did it have to be Blueblood?
"I say!" the stallion said, "Watch where you are going, wench! You might have messed up my mane!"
"...Wench? WENCH? JUST WHO DOST THOU THINK YOU ARE?"
Celestia gestured wildly to try and tell Blueblood to stay quiet. It didn't work. "I'll have you know," he said, "I am Prince Blueblood! The richest stallion in Equestria, and nephew to Princess Celestia herself!"
"...Nephew..." Celestia facehoofed.
"That's right! And I will not be disrespected by a simple, ignorant horse! What do you have to say to that?"
Luna's eye twitched. Without a word, Blueblood was picked up by a blue glow and thrown at his royal aunt.
"YOU TWO DESERVE EACH OTHER!!"
Luna calmed herself as the sun started to set in the distance. She was in the courtyard avoiding her sister and waiting. As the sun started to touch the horizon, two dark ponies with bat wings landed in front of her.
"It is an honor, Princess Luna," they said in unison as they bowed.
"It is good to see that even after all these years the Lunar Clan still exists."
"Our ancestors kept the old traditions alive. They knew you would return and prepared us for service," the left pony said.
"I am called Wrath," the other one said, "and my brother is Scorn."
"Tell us Wrath and Scorn, what is the connection between Nightmare Moon and tonight?" The twin bat-ponies looked at each other nervously. "Thou wilt not be punished for honesty. We can take the truth."
"Very well," Scorn started, "according to the tale of Nightmare Night, it is the one night of the year that Nightmare Moon returns to Equestria."
"She flies though the sky," Wrath continued, "looking for ponies to eat up. So everypony dresses in costume to avoid her."
"Meanwhile, the foals travel from house to house collecting candy and sweets."
"A portion of their haul becomes a tribute to Nightmare Moon so that they may stay safe for another year."
"We see," Luna said. She closed her eyes in thought.
"It is purely a fairytale," Wrath commented, "a campfire story meant to scare young fillies and colts, nothing more."
"Still, it portrays us in a rather unpleasant light." Luna opened her eyes again. "Find us a chariot. We shall show that there is nothing to fear now from the princess of the night."
"Your wish is our command," the twins said as they flew off to find a chariot.
At this point, Celestia finally found her sister. She ran into the courtyard and collapsed, completely out of breath. "I have...(pant)...I have been looking for you everywhere."
"We are not speaking to you."
Celestia's horn glowed as the sun disappeared over the horizon. "Fine. Don't speak, but let me at least help you raise the moon."
"We need no help from thou. One thousand years has not dulled our abilities." Luna's horn glowed once more.
Celestia's brow furrowed as the moon rose into the sky. "I'm sorry," she said, "I didn't mean to imply anything, I only thought that after a thousand years you might be out of practice."
"Apology accepted. Thou art still a terrible sister."
As the moon halted above, the Lunar Clan twins returned with a chariot. "Where would you like to go?" Scorn asked.
"It depends. Dost thou know where the bearers of the Elements of Harmony live?"
"I believe they all live in the town of Ponyville."
"Then we shall go to Ponyville," Luna said, "for the element bearers shall be the first to witness the return of the Princess of the Night!" In the distance, lighting flashed.
Celestia blinked. "Since when do you have bat-pony guards?" she asked.
"The Lunar Clan have served us since our 100th birthday. You'd know that if you actually came to the party."
Celestia sighed. "Luna, I admit I haven't been the best sister, but I want to make it up to you! I really do!"
Luna looked her sister in the eye for the first time since she arrived in the courtyard. "Honestly, we can forgive you for not waking us up. We can even forgive your horrible handling of Discord. To tell the truth, we don't mind ruling alongside two more princesses." She paused. "What we cannot forgive is the national HOLIDAY that it seems you made SIMPLY TO MOCK US!"
"Luna, I can explain!"
"ENOUGH! We are going to Ponyville to gain back the respect you seem so desperate to take away from us! AGAIN! Goodnight."
"Luna, please-"
"I SAID GOODNIGHT, SISTER!"
The chariot flew away as Celestia watched her only sister leave her again.
Later that night, Celestia was having a hard time sleeping. Her usual remedy for sleeplessness, a cup of warm tea with honey, only reminded her of a happier time. It was Luna's favorite tea.
"Sister? Art thou awake?"
Celestia's ear twitched at the sound of Luna's voice coming from outside her bedroom door. Celestia nervously beckoned Luna in.
As Luna approached Celestia's bed, Celestia noticed that Luna carried herself differently. Gone was the air of confidence that came with years on the throne. Gone was the deceiving swagger that Luna walked with around others. Luna looked almost...humble. In passing, Celestia wondered if whatever happened was connected to the friendship report she was saving for the lighter hours.
"Sister," Luna started, "Celly, I would like to apologize for my behavior earlier. You did not deserve that."
Luna would have continued, were it not for the pair of white forelegs wrapping around her as if she was going to disappear any moment.
"Don't apologize," Celestia said, "I should be apologizing to you. I didn't create Nightmare Night to hurt you, I did it to lessen the damage of Nightmare Moon so ponies would still love you." Luna felt tears fall on her back. "And I let you sleep in at first because I thought you needed sleep but then it was I was scared of facing you, especially after Discord came back, and I...I...please don't leave. I don't want to be alone anymore."
Luna blinked, stunned by the confession. Eventually, she returned her sister's hug. "Don't be afraid," Luna said, "the nightmare is gone now. I am here, and I always will be."
"I was such a...a terrible sister."
"But thou art trying to be better. That's what matters most."
They stayed like that, hugging and crying, for a while. When Celestia calmed down, Luna moved onto the bed so that they could cuddle like they did as fillies.
"The first few days were the hardest." Celestia said finally, "Starswirl suggested that I have you officially declared dead, so no-one questioned my refusal to leave my room. But eventually, I had to leave."
"It's a good thing you did. Can you imagine what Equestria would look like if Starswirl was left in charge? Though I doubt your student would mind very much."
Celestia smiled. It was a small smile, but a smile nevertheless. "No, I suppose she wouldn't. To tell the truth, I considered visiting you up there. But I didn't. One rather turbulent night, I toyed with the thought of 'accidentally' forgetting to cast the age spell on myself." She paused. "I'm so old, Luna. The things I've seen, were it not for you, I'd have rebelled myself, just to get away from it all. Oh Luna, can you ever forgive me?"
"You're my sister," Luna said, "I've already forgiven you."
"Thank you. I needed that." The two sisters snuggled closer.
"Speaking of forgiveness, how exactly are you and I related to that white stallion?"
Celestia chuckled. "I married his uncle. Believe me, if he were my own blood, he would not get away with a lot of what he does."
"The virgin Celestia married? I bet that caused a stir."
"You know very well I'm not a virgin."
"Tell that to your admirers." Luna giggled. "Tell me about him. Your husband, I mean."
"He was...kind. Different from the other aristocrats. Certainly different from his nephew."
"I should hope so. How did you meet him?"
"Well, you know how there was racism between the three pony races when you were here last? Well, about the turn of the century, a group of non-pony families immigrated here. That caused a new form of racism. It was a big issue, especially among the richest citizens. The zebras especially had a bad situation. I'm sorry to say that it divided the country."
"What did you do about it?"
"I didn't realize how bad it had gotten, until one aristocrat told me. His name was Top Hat. He was different from the others for the simple fact that he wasn't afraid of me. He saw me not as a princess, but as just another pony. That got my attention. When he finished his arguments, I started to write some legislation with his help to give the immigrants at least a few basic rights."
"That's when he fell in love with you?"
"That's when I fell in love with him."
"And after the legislation was passed, you got married?"
"Not right away. You must understand, courting practices have changed significantly since you were last in Equestria. For example, marriage is not a foregone conclusion in a romantic relationship."
"It was in yours."
"I was lucky. I was so nervous about the relationship going right, I often sought advice from a newspaper column, 'Dear Amore.'"
"You can do that?"
"These days you can." Celestia giggled. "She was so helpful, imagine my surprise when I found out she was a pegasus filly."
"How does a filly qualify to give advice about love?"
"Well, it was her special talent."
Luna blinked. "Hold on. You didn't make a little filly a princess because she helped your love life, did you?"
"Well, that wasn't the only reason."
"Celestia..."
"I put her through the princess trials, and she passed with flying colors."
"Starswirl created those as a joke!"
"Perhaps, but I am fairly sure that Cadance's destiny is connected to the Crystal Empire based on her cutie mark. It's good to have a plan."
"You know, just because Starswirl has a smart hypothesis while drunk, doesn't mean you have to take it seriously."
"I don't know Luna, it looked a lot like the crystal heart."
Luna facehoofed. "Is that why you are training Twilight to be a princess? Because of her 'destiny?'"
Celestia laughed. Luna was glad that her sister was feeling better. "Not exactly," Celestia said, "but that is part of it. You see, even after the passing of mine and Top Hat's legislation, there was still a lot of tension in the nation. Equestria itself never went into a civil war, but if I hadn't endorsed one side of the issue, it very well could have. Top Hat died at the theater by assassination from an extremist. I was sitting right next to him."
Luna was shocked. "I'm sorry. That must have been traumatic for you. He sounded like one of the good ones."
"He was, and it was," Celestia said, "but I recovered. It helped that I was able to watch his son, Fancy Pants, grow into a good stallion like his father."
"You sired a son?"
Celestia's eyes widened as a blush crept over her cheeks. "W-what? No! I mean...I wanted to, but...he was married once before me, okay?"
"I understand. So the son was a, what did Applejack call it? A rebound?" Luna teased. Celestia considered an amnesia spell to get that image out of her head.
"What all happened tonight?"
"A true princess never reveals all her secrets."
"Isn't that magicians? And didn't Starswirl say that?"
"Well...shut up."
The two sisters laughed. It felt good to laugh together again. "I forgot what I was talking about," Celestia said.
"I believe you were explaining why Twilight is going to be a princess."
"Right. Well, after Top Hat died, I realized that Equestria was more polarized then either of us realized so I started a search for a pony who could become a princess of harmony, of friendship. Somepony who could unite Equestria under one banner again. I even started a school in case the pony was a unicorn."
"And you think it is Twilight Sparkle's destiny to be that princess?"
"With a push in the right direction? Yes."
A thought occurred to Luna. "You weren't by any chance responsible for all six element bearers being in exactly the same place just as I was escaping from the moon, were you?"
Celestia winked. "A true princess never reveals all her secrets Luna."
For a while, the two princesses simply sat and looked at the night sky. It really was as poetic as Celestia had said. "Celly," Luna said, "do you really think that Twilight Sparkle can reunite Equestria?"
Celestia sighed. "Honestly, it's too soon to tell. I've gambled a lot on her, and she wasn't even my first choice. But I do believe that if anypony can, it's her. In many ways, she's wiser than even Starswirl was."
"She'd love to hear you say that," Luna said, remembering what her Nightmare Night costume was. "And I agree. Twilight is wise enough to be a leader. Plus, she did play a part in reuniting us two, how hard could Equestria be?"
"Indeed she did," Celestia said, "and for that she has, if nothing else, my eternal gratitude."
"Mine as well."
Luna tried to take in as much information about that moment as possible. The feel of Celestia's fur against hers, the night crickets chirping in the dark, the smell of fresh pillows, she wanted to forever engrave those sensations in her memory, because that moment would forever be the first time in a long while that Luna felt content.
"Luna, I just had a brilliant idea."
"What is it?"
"Let's reform Discord."
And then the moment was gone.
