The Collective

It was dark.

She stood up, taking shaky steps forward, a hoof outstretched. The wall... where was the wall...

A frown crossed her face, visible to nopony, as no obstacle met her trembling frame. What was going on? She put all legs back onto the ground, taking a deep breath, and opened her eyes wide.

Black.

Wide.

Ephemeral figments of light, painted across her vision by her frivolous imagination, too pale for her to even be certain of their existence. She bit her lip as pain began to oppress her heart, then walked towards her right with no precaution, simply seeking to find something.

But what she found was nothing.

Where was her room?

Where were her chambers?

Where was her bed?

Where was...

“Hello?”

Nothing answered her call, not even an echo. She swallowed, shivered, and then broke into a gallop. Something. Something. Something. Something! Anything!

There was no obstacle crossing her path.

There was no object entering her vision.

There was no light piercing the darkness.

There was no change to the ground.

No soul to speak to.

No occupation to spend time on.

Nothing to suggest that she was not... was not...

She collapsed at the ground, breaking into tears. The illusion was over.

She knew where she was.

She would give into desperation, just like so many times before. And just like so many... so, so many more times yet to come... more than she could even begin to imagine... so many that it might be easier if were just forever. No false hopes, no illusion of ever escaping, simply accepting this as her new life.

Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing.

And then there was light.

Her head shot up, and then she was running again, running towards the light. It was so faint, so very distant, that she was certain that it would disappear in a moment...

And then there was a sound under her hooves.

And the light gained in brightness.

And then she could see.

Wide plains. Fields of grass in either direction. A soft wind was blowing through, bending a thousand stems under its strength. Somewhere, far outside, amidst a lonely spring night, Luna stood, feeling tears dwelling out of her eyes. She didn’t know why, or how, or even when. She didn’t know what had caused her to be forgiven, but she knew she was back. Back at home.

Back in Equestria.

And all that she felt was overwhelming gratitude and relief.