Author's Note

Started writing this story Jan 21st. In just 11 days, I've made 15 chapters. I've written more chapters in 11 days than I have of After in a year plus. :P

When Luna Counselled Me

"How long have these dreams been haunting you?"

"A couple of days now. I didn't say anything because... I hoped they would go away on their own."

"And?"

"It's like they're getting worse."

For the past thirty minutes, Luna and I had been sitting down at the kitchen table, casually sipping from our cups of freshly brewed tea. While the princess of the night was more interested in helping me talk about my recent night terrors, she couldn't help but find herself addicted to the taste of her drink. It made the talks just a bit more comforting.

"Are they different every night?" she asked me. "Or is it the same dream?"

"It varies, but it's usually the same dream. Twilight and Starlight screaming at each other, getting in each other's face like that... Starlight hitting her... To think it all happened because I just disappeared."

"But now it no longer happened," she stated, "because you're home now. You coming back prevented that moment from ever having happened."

"I know that," I said softly, "but it's all I can ever think about. Their friendship just... collapsed after I was gone, all of them. Maybe that's why I'm having them? Because I caused it? Or maybe because I'm just afraid something else will cause it, like me being back triggered something else and it's gonna get them to..."

I closed my eyes, and all I could see was the same scene again. I sighed with slight frustration, apologizing to Luna in the process, but she insisted that me talking about my emotions was a good thing. And it was, I believed her.

"You care so much about your friends that you are not willing to see their relationships come apart due to a simple mishap."

I laughed to myself, joking, "A 'simple mishap' that led to probably the biggest missing pony's search in Equestria's history."

Luna grimaced. "Right." However, she agreed entirely. "But even then, the feeling you share for them is mutual. They were not willing to simply let you perish. And Starlight Glimmer, as you said, spent three years trying to find the adequate spell necessary to ensure your return."

"But... even that wasn't enough. Apparently, Twilight called off the search a month later, Starlight distanced herself from everyone, and worked alone. And, well—you know the rest."

"Twilight is an influential figure, as well as one of the most powerful beings in Equestria besides Princess Cadance, my sister and I. But even she knows when efforts reveal nothing but failure."

I nodded in agreement. I was happy that Twilight searched for me, and for so long... but in the end, it was the right decision to call it off. But Starlight...

"Her efforts merely presented her passion for your well being."

I smiled faintly, sipping my tea. "And she cared about me so much, she spent the rest of her life wondering where I went—even to her last breath."

The thought killed any remnant of the smile I had, and I started to feel depressed. I sighed again, a mixture of slight midnight fatigue and emotional trauma setting in.

"It may not happen now... but it still happened, at least in some form."

"And so you're afraid of watching their relationship crumble, whether or not you were saved?"

"Yeah. Seeing them right now... that's how I wanna remember them... not like that."

I looked at Luna, hoping for a genuine answer to this problem, because right now—even with all of the knowledge in the universe—I didn't have one.

And with patience and a few moments of time, the princess heeded my unspoken request, holding a hoof out to rest on mine.

"Tell them. Tell them how you feel, tell them what you saw. Don't hold your emotions back. Let them know, but do not speak it all at once. As I have said for Starlight Glimmer—they will both understand... sooner or later."

"But how long will it take for them to understand?"

"Those are the questions that only you can answer for yourself, or rather, shape."

It made sense. She was merely the princess of the night, not of time—though that made what I had to do a bit more unnerving.

Luna levitated her now-empty cup and rinsed it out in the sink.

"You should return to bed now," she said, "for the roosters will be calling you soon."

I looked at the clock. "It's only past one-thirty."

"Time moves faster than you think."

"It used to be like that. Ever since I got back, it feels slower and slower."

"Welcome back to the real world, my little pony."

Admittedly, I laughed, sipping the rest of my tea and gulping it down as soon as it was warm enough. With a quenched sigh, I looked at the kettle of tea, still mostly full on the counter.

"Do you wanna bring the rest of this back? I probably won't finish it on my own, and Clanks doesn't exactly drink... or eat... or sleep."

But Luna shook her head. "I would advise that you keep it for your talks with Starlight Glimmer and Twilight Sparkle."

"Should I talk to them as soon as possible?"

"I recommend it."

Glancing at the steel kettle, I started to think about the conversation that I was going to have. I thought about the times, whether or not I should talk to them simultaneously or one then the other, and just how they're going to react. I think that's what made me just a bit nervous.

But like Luna said, they would understand.

And now Starlight had two things she needed to understand at least at some point. Mmmngh.

I grabbed the kettle and put it in the fridge, letting it cool down and stay fresh enough for later today. As soon as I closed the fridge door, I went back over to the table and brought Luna in for a well needed hug.

"Thank you," I told her. "I know I don't say that much... but thank you, Luna."

"'tis my pleasure."

Saying our goodbyes, Luna left in a flash of light, and I was left to push the table chairs in and return to bed. For the rest of the night, if I saw the scene approaching, I would whisk it away by remembering another moment: 'Redemption.'

To think it only took twenty years.