Open Youself

"I'll do it. Please, leave me." Luna stepped in front, holding her weapon. "I started this, I'll end it."

Looking down at me, I didn't think it would come to this. Looking back one more time, Celestia finally lowered her weapon, I was already beaten and on the verge of dying. Realizing that my end had come, I felt nothing but regret and pain. I had lost my nation, my powers and now I was going to lose my life. How could I have failed? I was the darkness, the ruler of the Crystal Empire? Awaiting the deciding blow, my consciousness was starting to become hazy.

"How cruel... letting me... bleed to death..."

Before I could contemplate how much I hated them, I felt something grab my legs and shoulders, pulling me up. Unable to see well, all I could make out was a dark blue mane slightly above me.

"What... are you doing...?"

"Finishing what I started."

It seems she had no intention to kill me. Carrying me away, she eventually stopped, letting me down carefully, firing dozens of energy blasts into the room they had fought her, setting it high on fire.

"I'm going on ahead to fix the damage done to the Crystal Empire!" Celestia yelled through the raging fire.

I could hear Luna shout something but not make out what.

"Where..."

Coughing, I was in greater confusion that pain. What was that stupid princess planning to do? Being picked up again, I could barely hold on. The last thing I saw were Luna's lips moving, saying something.

* * *

I woke up, too weak to even try breaking out. By my side was Luna, watching me almost around the clock. Even if I managed to destroy the binds that confined me to the bed, I realized that I couldn't beat her like this.

"What do you want, you incompetent excuse for a princess?"

"To talk. Tell me about yourself, tell me about your past. I want to know what made you become like this."

Whether it was intentional or not, I felt my pride tickled.

"You want to learn about how great and powerful I and my nation were? I suppose I could be telling you. Someone has to educate the fools and weak."

And so began a series of talks that I could have never even imagined. Whenever I saw her and she was in her normal form, she would not talk but simply look and listen. She was completely different from her older sister. After a few hours, I was almost talkative and seemingly looking forward to showcasing just how great my rule had been, how powerful my nation was.

It wasn't until about nighttime had passed that I had told all that I could. My wounds mostly healed, there was little that prevented me from escaping. And yet, I didn't even try. Nopony had ever shown such interest and understanding in my story.

"Why do you care?"

It was the only question which she never answered during all this time. At first, I wanted to escape, to kill those two, but the more I talked, the more I simply wanted her to listen. Because nopony else ever did.

"Because your story might have been mine."

Those words visibly shook me, making my once dark eyes grow wide in surprise. I believed that those two were destined to fail. If she herself could not rule a nation forever, then nopony could.

"There is one thing I had that you lacked. The one thing that stopped me from ending up mad with power and destroying my own land with my arrogance. My sister."

There was nothing I could say to that. I was painfully aware that I had not had someone to call a friend in longer than most of the current nations were around. But to have someone say that to my face was degrading.

"So what, I don't need any-"

My words were stuck in my throat, my body refusing to move. She had suddenly moved. Anticipating death, I was instead treated to a hug. A hug! Of all things!

"What... what are you doing...? Are you mad? I'm your enemy! Stop this! Get away! Don't you touch me!"

Squirming, I desperately tried to free myself but my body refused to respond and I just let it happen.

"It was easy to hate you when you were our enemy. But I had to know what motivated you, what drove you. And now I see that you're not evil. You're hurting. More than anyone else in the world. I know there is no way for me to ever close that wound, but I want to at least cover it."

"Stop it... don't be nice to me..." My voice was starting to tremble. "I can't... everything that happened... if you're nice to me... I can't accept anymore it's... all my fault..."

Trying to push her away, my head was in a world of pain.

"That's fine. You lived with it for all these years, unable to face the truth because there was nopony with you that could support you. I'm here now."

"Why? Why do you do this?" Shaking my head, I tried to stop the flood of truth that was about to break loose.

"Because living a lie so long that it becomes truth to you is something I can't let go on."

I could feel l was reached my breaking point. My hooves going limp, head resting against her shoulder, I didn't even resist the embrace anymore.

For the next few minutes, anypony that would have passed the room could have heard nothing but my cries, the pain of the truth of my actions finally sinking in.

The room was quiet and her mane was stained by tears, I finally calmed down in her hooves.

"I never had friends... I always thought a ruler was supposed to rule through power. Eventually, I forgot that without my army, there would be no empire. I followed what I thought was right... and look where I ended up."

What had been like a blight on my psyche was starting to vanish. But it was being replaced with guilt, horror and pain. Finding the strength to push her away, I couldn't even look at her. The one pony that knew all my delusions and the truth... I couldn't even imagine how much she must have hate me now.

My expectations were not betrayed when she stood up without saying a word. I understood. She didn't save my life. She only wanted me to confess to my sins before executing me. Closing my eyes and waiting, I felt that after everything I did, I deserved to die. Hearing a rustling sound, I kept waiting but nothing happened until I heard a slashing sound.

But there was no pain, no sharp blade cutting through my flesh. Opening my eyes, I looked at my body and saw the binds once holding me were no longer there

"What are you doing?"

There was no anger or tension in my voice, only surprise.

"Your life became a living nightmare because you were left with your pain, with nopony to show compassion to you. I can't go back and save you back then, but I can show you love right now and save you to live out the many years of your life that remain."

"Trying to save me... nopony could possibly even like me after everything I did."

"Do I look like I'm lying to you?"

Opening my mouth and closing it again, I couldn't say it. The look in her eyes was so pure, so honest, that I just knew that she wasn't lying, however impossible that looked to me.

"How do you feel anything for me that isn't hate?"

"You need love more than anypony else in the world. I'm not about to let the past get in the way of following what I think is right. There are also other, obvious reasons. You're beautiful, powerful, intelligent, tall, I really like that by the way, they can be used for good and not for evil."

At a loss for words at how blunt she was, I gave up. If she wanted to save her, I wouldn't throw the chance away. Relaxing significantly, she reached out with her hooves creating a hold that I couldn't get out of. I hadn't felt the touch of another pony for many long years. Being close to somepony felt... nice. There was but one more she needed to express that completely captured what she felt.

A few minutes later, she let go and smiled.

"What now? Am I going to be executed for all the horrible things I did?"

"I can't give you back the Crystal Empire and I can't give you Canterlot. But I can give you love and a place at my side. You can be a ruler again. This time, one that will not succumb to power."

I didn't know what to say.

"Are... are you serious? After leading the Crystal Empire to ruin... you would still trust me?"

"I'm here to watch over you." Bending down and kissing me.

Closing my eyes, I smiled, genuinely, out of happiness.