Memory of Magic

"Thank you for your time."

Two ponies gently nodded their heads to each other, in a display of courtesy and respect. One pony, dressed in layers of shirts and coats made his way towards the exit. He took hold of the door with his magic and slowly brought it to a close, leaving the other pony alone in her room. The pony, who donned silver horseshoes and a black chestplate, and a coat with a tint one could find during the final moments of sunset along with an azure mane and tail, turned her head away from the door.

She skimmed through the writing in front of her. The notes about Equestrian society in the twentieth century. It was just some other facts, figures and axioms from another lesson. Celestia had made it one of the mutually-agreed 'punishments' she had to endure. She needed to catch up with the last thousand years of development in all facets of life; it was important - in Celestia's opinion - for her to get to know her surroundings as soon as possible. But this particular note is important: it was her last one.

After a month of admittedly boring talks and lectures, she was finally done with it (not to mention being done early today as well). She knew what trains were and to where they take oneself. She understood that Equestrian trade activities beyond its border depended significantly on the stability of the griffons, and that the sea creatures guaranteed ponies safe passage across the Western Ocean towards the Eastern Lands, allowing ships to commute. Heck, she'd known enough material to replace a quarter of the Equestrian administration herself!

She's ready, as far as she knew.

But despite this new knowledge, she wondered if it was really anything she really needed at all? Admittedly, she hadn't been paying the fullest of attentions throughout the lessons. Rather, she was entertaining the prospect of doing what she hadn't tried to do a thousand years ago.

Princess Luna stared through the windows of her room. Outside the colossal glass panes, the sun began to descend. The hour of dusk was approaching. Soon, it would be her moon's turn to be ushered into the Equestrian center stage. Time sure had passed quickly on Earth. Back on that ghastly sphere, a day of wait on her count was like an eternity. Although she really hadn't started counting until the last moments of her stay.

Being back sure was good.

Bored with being captive for at least eight mentally laborious hours a day in her own abode, she decided to rejoin her sister. She had told her before class that she was free in the hours after noon, and that she would be waiting for her. It seemed funny though, how Celestia suggested that an Academician (its what she calls them) took her stead in lecture, instead of teaching her herself. She would have made an excellent teacher.

Luna lifted herself up and trotted towards the door. On her way, she crossed by her vanity mirror and saw her reflection on it. Compared to her original physique, she was currently a dwarf. It was unclear to her how she became so petit. The effect of the Elements of Harmony had surely something to do with it, but nopony had bothered looking for an answer. And it didn't seem to bother Celestia either. And it definitely did not bother herself anyway. She could get used to this... lower-profile appearance, for a while.

The last month had been tough on her. Came back from the moon after a millennium, terrorized some ponies and got her flank handed to her, recovered from being a baddie but still had many ponies doubt her reform. All that, and topped with coping with a virtually new world. Celestia assured her many times that all was well now. But she wasn't completely convinced. Even a petty citizen would know that although redemption comes at a cost, sometimes it might not be in store at all. Especially for what she had done.

'Am I worthy of this second chance?'

She dispelled the question as quickly as it came. She did not need to make the situation any worse. What kind of question was that, anyway? Of course she was deserving of a second chance! Had Celestia wanted to, she would have actually gotten rid of her for real! She'd gotten a first chance by being banished. And yet another one when she was completely spared from execution after being defeated by the Elements of Harmony. Those were proof enough.

She exited her quarters and made her way downstairs. This old castle was not what she was used to. Her old castle was back in the Everfree Forest. This one was a remnant of the old unicorn monarchies, during the time Princess Platinum exercised her reign. It was unfortunate enough that she was assassinated. Nopony had seen it coming. Especially not after Hearth's Warming. It seemed to Luna that forming ties of friendship was not a little filly's job. 'That purple unicorn must really be Celestia's prized pupil if she really was sent to study about friendship,' Luna thought to herself.

She continued past tall pillars of sparkling white marble, gleaming silver pony armors, pristine oak doors and red velvet curtains, going up flights of carpeted stone stairs, until she emerged onto the topmost observation platform of the castle. If she recalled her sister's words correctly, Celestia could always be found here during the hours of dusk. She turned her attention to the balustrades at the furthest point of the deck. Behind it, a white mare stood, looking into the horizon. From what Luna observed, her sister's sight was reaching far towards the Southern Borders, where the dragons lived.

"Are you spying on the dragons, Sister?"

Celestia snapped her head towards Luna. She knew Celestia had managed to stifle her surprised yelp: she saw her sister's muzzle clamping shut as quickly as she turned. "You can admit that you were surprised, Tia. You're not always going to get off the hook." Celestia was the type of pony that believed that as an example to her subjects, she had to be unwavered. One could not have a lax resolve, for it signals a defect in one's position on the top of the hierarchy. And so, it wasn't easy to surprise her. She would always be described as a rock. But all ponies can be caught off guard. So, if preparations weren't enough, then-

"The sun seemed a little bit... off."

she changes the subject.

Luna wasn't amused with it, but decided not to pay any more heed to whatever it was she had been doing. She made her way towards the balustrades. "I was done early today. I didn't want to wait any further, so I came here," she said as she observed the bright horizon slowly blending into colors of the night. Little by little the warmth of day dissipated, replaced by the cool air of dusk. "I've always missed this view back then. On the moon, the sunsets didn't have any color at all. It was as bland as its surface."

Celestia turned her attention towards the Sun. "Such a beautiful sight," she said with an emphasis, trotting gently towards her sister. She thought hard about what to say next. But she didn't find anything meaningful.

"Tia, I believe I am done with the lessons. I'm ready now," Luna said as she shifted her gaze towards the stars above, eyeing one or two of them that looked a bit dimmer than the rest.

Celestia spied her little sister. "I see. I'd never thought you'd be done with it so quickly," she said.

She had been anticipating this moment. Once Luna had finished her reformation and catching-up, she would be ready to reclaim her throne and title as vice ruler of Equestria. But she couldn't deny the fact that deep inside herself, Celestia still felt insecure about her newly-reformed sister. In fact, it was about the only thing which had been on her mind for the last month, since her return.

Truth be told, the past month was hard on her, too. Sure, it was fun to have a close company: a long-lost blood relative at that. But one who had been corrupted? And who had been sent away for a thousand years and recently came back, only to cause trouble again? The Elements and Twilight's band of friends did stop her and got rid of her disease: that was certain. To forgive was one thing, to forget, the other. And to start again was a yet another thing. How will Luna react now? Was she still clinging to her past? Or has she really moved on?

Was she still angry at her, for having abandoned her in her time of need? Was she still disappointed in her?

These questions hadn't been given proper answers. Celestia felt that if she didn't master this situation as soon as possible, then she would be powerless to prevent history from repeating itself. And she wasn't ready for another thousand winters to go on without Luna by her side. She swore to herself that she would be dedicated to comprehend her needs and understand her sister better.

In the year before she succumbed to the darkness, she had suddenly decided to step down as vice-ruler of Equestria. She had never told Celestia her reasons, and had just upped and left her throne. A month of solitude later, her demeanor had changed, and she became more aggressive and selfish. Although she no longer held any power, she frequently (and forcefully) suggested to do things that didn't sit well with her sister. Ideas that were dictatorial in Celestia's eyes, and thus had never seen acceptance. Luna had begun to accuse her of authoritarianism and had wanted to oust her. The rest was as history knew it.

Celestia had publicly blamed it all on one thing: lust for power and glory the likes of which she had. Celestia had been the centerpiece of Equestria for a very long time, but Luna had always been in the shadows, even when they both shared the throne equally. But she knew that that was just a sugar-coat cover story for something that was much more delicate: something she had decided to write off in favor of her subjects, and the price of which she had paid in full due. She suspected-with a high probability-that it was due to the pain of the tragic death of her dearest friend that same year of her succumbing.

That, and on the other hoof, her own neglect for her sister's wounds. Behind her stoic facade, Celestia was more scared than ever.

"Now hear me sister," Luna said, pausing to find her words, "I confess that I had been very... selfish, in my past actions. I understand if you still cling onto your fears of me becoming The Nightmare once again." She trotted closer to her sister.

"But I have decided."

"What is it, Luna?" Celestia asked rather spontaneously as she turned to face her sister, unsure of where she was going with her thoughts.

"I have decided... that I do not want to reclaim my crown."

Celestia was taken aback, but still unsure of why. She quickly ran half-way through a list of possibilities before deciding it was better for her sister to do the honor of explanation. "Go on, explain to me."

"Much of what I did in the past was because of jealousy. You had many subjects who adored you, while I had none. I wanted something the likes of that which you had. Subjects who look up to you day and night. Ponies who held you up to the highest of regards."

Luna trotted away from her elder sister towards a section of the platform overlooking the mountains.

"But it wasn't power that I wanted. Nay, I know I am powerful enough. Not one pony from as north as the Crystal Empire down to the Southern Borders of Equestria could stand as I do."

She turned to face her sister. "All I wanted were... friends, Celestia."

Celestia turned her head away, in shame more than surprise. Luna turned her view towards a garden. A garden whose bushy border marked the edge of Canterlot castle, giving way to the solid rocks far below. She gave a cynical laugh, wondering to herself why some band of considerably ignorant architects had never thought about putting up some safety features if they had planned on using hedges as walls.

"You know, after she left me, I didn't really have friends anymore. There was nopony for me to share my pain of loss and grief. It didn't help that ponies were beginning to accuse me for her death then, either. I tried to make peace with what had happened, but all my subjects, they only distanced themselves from me. I really... was alone all these years."

Celestia ran towards Luna and without a warning, she grabbed her sister and pulled her into a comfortable embrace. Her head wrapped and held Luna tightly by her chest. She didn't speak a word as she sobbed. She waited for Luna to deliver her justice. Slap her in the face for having been negligent, grab her by magic and throw her off the cliff for having turned her face away from her during her time of utmost need, or kick her in the chest for having banished her to the Moon. Anything.

"We weren't the closest of sisters, but I turned to you, Tia. I thought that I... that I... would get a shoulder to cry on. Some... kind words, o-or maybe j-just a hu... hug. Maybe you could sh-shush me to sleep w-when I cry."

Luna was shaking. Celestia was crying audibly.

"Why did you leave me?" Luna asked, as a stream of tear fell from her eyes.

The two sisters stood by the sunset, crying over their broken friendship. Each drop of tear carried with it hate, guilt, sorrow, longing and coldness. Slowly, the chasm of a thousand years began to mend itself. Gone were those years of sleeping alone at night, and staring at each other from across the sky. Far away were the guilt and pains of the heart.

"I've missed you so much Luna! I'm sorry! I should never have left you!"

"Promise me, you'll never leave me again. That I'm not just your equal in might, but that I'm your sister," Luna said, wiping the tears from her cheeks, "your little sister."

"With all my heart Luna. I promise with all my heart." The alicorns shared a warm and long-overdue hug.

The sisters felt a gentle tug of magic beckoning them. The Sun and Moon called forth their caretaker, calling to them for their time to switch places. The Sun's aura washed over the lands, enveloping Equestria with a sense of restfulness. The Moon radiated her own magic, bringing calmness over the kingdom.

"Shall we do the honor, together?" asked Celestia, wiping fresh tears from her visage.

"With pleasure, sister," Luna replied as she sniffled.

Magic permeated through the air as Celestia and Luna summoned the arcane magic from within themselves. The two alicorns seized their celestial objects, and slowly began to switch their places, Celestia putting the Sun to sleep and Luna waking the Moon up. The large ball of fire gave a last salute in the form of a bright flash of green and orange. Then, all of Equestria was blanketed in darkness, save for a lantern in the sky. The Moon glowed softly, accompanied by twinkling stars.

Celestia let her magic fade away, but Luna maintained the spell. She concentrated harder, mustering every ounce of mana she had. Her face showed the mighty strain of maintaining the magical field. "What are you doing?" Celestia asked, surprised and worried.

"Wait and see, sister."

She gave a final jolt of energy. Then, all of a sudden, the stars shone as bright as flares, lasting only an instant of an instant. It was bright enough for even the griffons to notice. The stars quickly shied back to their dormant state, save for a few that shone brighter than before. These bright stars were purposely chosen so as to make a certain shape easy for the observers to trace. Said shape was in the form of two alicorns circling the Sun and Moon. It was the shape of the Equestrian standard.

"All done."

Celestia let herself be awed by the spectacle. "I'm impressed, sister."

Luna smirked. It felt really good to have earned a compliment from the ever-powerful ruler of Equestria. "Let this be a sign of peace for the years to come. I want everypony to see it."

The two sisters stood side by side in silence as they eyed the night sky. For the both of them, this day marked a turning point in their lives, and also a new era in the history of Equestria. Celestia smiled gleefully as she was reminded of the great days of their rule in the past. She couldn't hide her happiness that showed on her face, no matter how hard she may try. It really felt good having Luna by her side.

"Well, now that you have decided to relinquish the throne to me, what are you going to do?" Celestia asked.

The Princess of the Night frowned. She had only thought as far as not reclaiming her throne, but not what to do next. This was a tricky one. On one hand, she was free to do what she needed, but what exactly does she need? She had said that all she wanted were friends, and maybe she should go out into the world and make some. But how? For the past millennia, she never had any other friend but that unicorn.

What was 'making friends' like? How do you do it? Does the Academy have lessons for this?

"Why don't you help me at the School for Gifted Unicorns?"

That was a surprise. "Help you at your School?" Luna replied with a question. That had never crossed her mind for a single instant.

"Yes, become a teacher or an assistant or, if you fancy it, a mentor, even. There are many bright and talented students over at the School. You'll definitely love it."

Bright and talented. It seemed the ideal type of friend for Luna, not to mention a matching type as well. Both the sisters knew that Luna had a penchant for knowledge. And she had always pursued wisdom down to its very foundation. And Luna had to admit that she did prefer the company of ponies that were well-versed and learned.

She could use a friend like that as well.

"I suppose that isn't a bad idea. I may be able to meet more ponies there and make some friends, and share my knowledge. I will think about this, sister." Luna pondered as she looked to the sky.

Celestia smiled. "Take your time, dear sister. I gladly await your decision. Now come. Let us dine."

Celestia and Luna made their way down towards the banquet hall. All the while, the princess of the night kept thinking to herself. 'A mentor. That would be interesting. Wasn't I a mentor of some sort when she was still alive. Speaking of her, I wonder if it's still there?'

Luna made a note to herself to drop by the library after dinner.