"Princess Luna!" Twilight called out.
The sound of Twilight's voice always made her happy. After all, it was the very special mare who brought together five friends to save her from herself. Even ignoring that, she was still a very special, talented mare that held a special place in her heart. Luna couldn't help but smile as her sweet voice, almost sounding like music to her, rang out. But her smile still wavered. After all, there was panic and concern permeating it, twisting it and rending it until it left her heart aching with a need to comfort Twilight.
Yet, she couldn't stop. She couldn't run over to her distraught love and embrace her in her wings. She couldn't hold Twilight to comfort and reassure her, even with as much as she wanted to. She closed her eyes and bowed her head against the light blue, cold helmet she held in her magic. Already, she could feel the familiar tingle of the Tantabus at work. As much as she wanted to stop herself and comfort Twilight, she couldn't. As much as she wanted to call out to Twilight for help, she couldn't.
The doors burst open and the sound of hooves clicking on stone broke the stillness, then stopped. She opened her eyes and lifted the helmet up over her head. Before her stood six familiar mares, with her beloved Twilight Sparkle standing in charge of the group. Her lips lifted up into a smile at the sight of her pristine, perfect visage, but then they twitched down as she saw the fear, concern, and worry present in her features.
It was one of the worst parts of her nightmares. The way Twilight looked at her, afraid and worried. And yet that is what made it so perfect. She would never forget nor make the same mistake again. She couldn't and wouldn't hurt Twilight that way. Her chest ached and she felt her legs tremble slightly. Twilight stared at her as if they were the only two ponies in existance, and Luna had just turned out to be something other than a pony. She looked betrayed, but it paled in comparison to the heartbreak engraved into her features. Luna felt her throat ache as a hard knot swelled up inside of her.
All six of the wore their Elements of Harmony- Twilight wore her Tiara, and the rest of them their necklaces. Luna took solace in it, especially Twilight wearing her Tiara. It was fitting, for Twilight deserved it far more than she deserved her own tiara. After all, Twilight had never done anything anywhere near as bad as she had. She was so young, and so innocent, and so perfect. And to make things even better, Twilight was responsible for saving her from what she had become.
Luna's lips quivered as she slowly lowered the helmet.
"Luna! Don't..." Twilight pleaded. Her eyes were on the verge of tears as she stepped forward, only for one of her friends to stop her. Twilight sent Applejack a betrayed glare. Applejack looked back at her with a sober, solemn look in her eyes. Remorse. Twilight looked back at Luna and reached her trembling forehoof out towards Luna.
Luna couldn't stand to watch Twilight now, but she had no choice. Twilight's eyes grew misty, and her lips wavered as she watched her. Finally, the helmet rested on her head. The forehoof reaching out to her slowly fell back towards the cracked stone floor. Twilight looked defeated, her wings slacked and drooped towards the uneven, moss-covered stone floor.
A crack of lightning sounded from overhead. Nopony paid it any mind. The rest of Twilight's friends regarded Luna seriously, yet looked at Twilight with soft, sympathetic looks.
Luna clenched her eyes shut and grunted as the Tantabus's magic surged through her, lifting her up into the air and changing her form. The magic coalesced around her in a red, orange, and black orb. The magic burnt her body, just as it had so long ago, as it reshaped her into the sickening, twisted form she had taken on as a result of her jealousy. The pain grew with each passing second until it vanished just as quickly as it had come on. The orb of raw, primal magic surrounding her sank into her body and she slowly descended back to where she had stood.
Luna winced as her metal horseshoes clicked against the stone floor. She opened her serpentine-slit eyes and looked at Twilight. She was sitting on her haunches, crying. Luna's eyes burned. The sight of Twilight crying was far worse than the sickening feeling of her body as Nightmare Moon. Her wings were wrong, her legs were far too long, and her teeth were sharp and jagged like a predator's teeth. Everything looked different with her serpentine eyes; She could see the world in a different light.
A low, reverberating laugh escaped her lips. Twilight's ears pinned back. "My little ponies..." Nightmare Moon cooed. She took a few steps forward and walked down the few steps to the ground level. She smiled as she looked at the group of assembled mares.
"Twilight, we gotta..." Applejack trailed off.
"Oh... but she can't," Nightmare Moon mocked. "She could never do it to me... because you'd be imprisoning me on the moon again for another thousand years!" she hissed, then cackled as Twilight's tears splashed into a small puddle below her head.
A sharp hiss echoed out of Nightmare Moon's mouth, and a quick teleportation snatched Twilight away from her friends. "Twilight!" they called out as the alicorn appeared beside Nightmare Moon.
Nightmare Moon grinned and looked at Twilight. Her mane reached out and carassed her muzzle. "You'll be an excellent helper for me, now won't you my love?" she mocked.
Twilight looked at Nightmare Moon. Her eyes were infuriated.
Nightmare Moon's smile faded. Twilight's forehoof slapped her muzzle. Even her helmet didn't stop her from feeling the sharp sting. Everything was silent for what felt like an eternity as Nightmare Moon processed that Twilight had hit her.
"I could never love somepony like you. I thought you had changed, Luna. I thought what we had meant something to you, but it didn't, did it? You just wanted to use me," Twilight said coldly. "You just wanted to make me love you so that when you turned back into Nightmare Moon, the Elements wouldn't work on you," she said in a bitter, resentful voice.
Nightmare Moon slowly turned to face Twilight. Twilight's gaze was still fierce and sharp, unrelenting, and Nightmare Moon watched her in timid silence. "I thought I could trust you," Twilight accused. "But you just wanted to use me."
Luna felt her heart torn to shreds under Twilight's verbal assault. Never before had the Tantabus been so harsh, and it shook her, because it was right. If she were to become something like Nightmare Moon again, she would lose Twilight. It would have been a complete betrayal of her love, and that realization struck her to her core.
Nightmare Moon's eyes burned. "T-Twilight..." A few tears slipped down her muzzle.
Nightmare Moon stood there unmoving as Twilight glared at her, then turned and strode back to her friends. They all gathered around, then their Elements glowed. The rainbow-colored beam shot into the air and arced towards her. And yet, Nightmare Moon stared at Twilight as the beam collided with her.
Luna gasped and shot up, her body trembling and her heart hammering in her chest. A soft grunt came from beside her, but she paid it no mind. For several seconds, she stared at the blue bedsheets covering the bed, her body tembling. The cool night air wafted through the room, slowly sapping the warmth from her unprotected back, making her shiver even more from the chill.
The memory replayed through her mind: the way Twilight looked at her, and her words. Luna swallowed and lifted a shaking forehoof up to her cold cheeks. Her hoof recoiled in shock as she discovered that her cheeks were damp. She blinked, then wiped her eyes dry.
For a few seconds, she sat there. Twilight shifted in bed beside her. Luna bit her lip. To her relief, her teeth were normal, rather than sharp as they were when she was Nightmare Moon. She hesitantly looked over at Twilight. Her precious alicorn shifted in her sleep, trying to get comfortable now that her guardian was no longer there to hold her while she slept.
Luna closed her eyes and turned her head away from Twilight as guilt flooded her mind. Undoubtedly, Twilight's restless state was her fault. Luna silently slid out of the bed. She looked around the darkened loft of the Golden Oaks Library, then turned around to face the bed. She lit her horn with her faint blue aura, then pulled the covers up and tucked Twilight in, hoping to preserve the mare's warmth and help her return to a peaceful slumber.
For several seconds after tucking her back in, Luna just watched Twilight. Her shifting gradually stopped and she seemed to go back to a calm sleep, but Luna still felt guilty for Twilight's distress. She dropped her gaze from Twilight and stared at the blankets. She wasn't worthy to be there with such an innocent alicorn. As she stared at the blankets, her muzzle gradually lowered until she could see her forelegs.
She could still see the pitch black color that her fur had been when she was Nightmare Moon. It was an image she could never get rid of, one that she would never forget. It haunted her and stayed with her, leaving her deathly silent as she stood there.
She turned around and quietly crept towards the balcony door. The wood creaked beneath her weight, but the sound didn't seem to disturb Twilight. As she walked by, she gave Spike a glance to confirm that he was sleeping.
Eventually, she made it to the door, then opened it. A gust of cold wind rushed in. Luna closed her eyes as the coldness further sapped the warmth from her body, leaving her in an almost icy chill. It was a familiar coldness that she had known for a very long time. She pushed the thought aside and glanced back at Twilight. The sleeping mare was facing her as she had left her. A small frown was present on her lips. Luna's ears pinned back flat against her head. She lowered her muzzle in shame, then stepped outside. Her moon hung high in the sky, just as she had remembered it from before her descent.
While she had been on the moon, she had never seen the Mare in the Moon that ponies had, so the majestic white orb looked no different to her. However, she had seen pictures and drawings of the Mare in the Moon. The images lingered in the back of her mind, tormenting her. 'How many thousands of ponies grew up seeing the moon scarred by my failure..?'
She slowly crept out onto the balcony, then sat down and rested her forelegs on the railing. For several seconds, she just stared up at the starry night sky while she held her head low in shame, letting the peacefulness slow her racing heart. Eventually, she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, then let her head hang limply over the railing. She let out a distraught sigh.
She opened her eyes to look down at the ground beneath the balcony, then swept her gaze around. Despite not just one, but two princesses' presence, Ponyville was still such a small, quaint, and peaceful village. The ponies were kind and unassuming, quick to forgive, and never thinking more of themselves than anypony else. It was such a sharp contrast with some of the ponies who lived in Canterlot, and it was a contrast that she welcomed. And yet the contrast also felt just as condemning if not moreso; the ponies in Ponyville never brought up Nightmare Moon and they treated her as if it had never happened. They could forgive, and yet she had not when she felt her jealousy so long ago. They were all so much better than her.
Ponyville was so much slower and calmer, despite the occasional monster attack because of its proximity to the Everfree Forest. As she looked towards the Everfree, a little more guilt edged into her mind. Had she acted as she should have all those centuries ago, perhaps the Everfree would have been tamed rather than wild as it was. Ponies' lives would have been easier, and they would have been safer. And because of what she did, they weren't. They were worse off, and it was her fault.
"You crossed a line this time, Tantabus..." she whispered, thinking back to how Twilight had acted. It hurt, but then again, the Tantabus was supposed to make it hurt. And yet, that was too much. It shook her more than other nightmares had. At least in those, Twilight hadn't hated her. However, that didn't mean she didn't deserve it.
She stared down at the ground, trying to convince herself she had nothing to worry about. After all, that was just a nightmare, nothing more. Just her own fears attacking her to ensure she wouldn't make a mistake that could cause something like that to happen. She wouldn't become Nightmare Moon again. She knew that in her heart, but she was still uneasy. After all, what if something happened and she did become Nightmare Moon again? Could Twilight forgive her? If they couldn't save her, and she couldn't stop herself, what would happen? Would she have to wait for a thousand years to see Twilight again? Would Twilight wait for her? If Twilight did wait for her, in a thousand years, how would they reunite? Or if Twilight had moved on, what would she do? And what if in another thousand years they still couldn't save her again?
Her chest ached as the thoughts raced through her mind, attacking her from every direction. Guilt and fear were behind each and every thought that attacked her. Her legs trembled.
A faint creaking sound came from the tree. Luna's ears perked up at the sound and she begrudgingly looked up at the barren branches as they swayed in the night breeze. She casually looked them over to distract herself, searching for whichever branch the sound came from.
"Luna?" Twilight's soft voice called.
Luna blinked, then turned her head back to face the door. Twilight looked out at her with a curious expression. Her eyes looked heavy, but she wore a faint and cheerful, albeit surprised, smile. The beautiful young alicorn slowly made her way out onto the balcony. "Are you okay?" Twilight asked as she came to a stop beside Luna.
Luna paused for a moment, then looked away from her and took a deep breath. "I am sorry. I did not intend to wake you," she said. "I thought that..." she trailed off and shook her head.
"It's okay," Twilight replied forgivingly.
Out of the corner of her eye, Luna saw Twilight shiver. On instinct, she lifted her wing and laid it on Twilight's back.
Twilight stepped closer to Luna so that her side was against Luna's, then she sat down on her haunches beside her, wincing slightly. "It's kind of cold out here," she noted.
Luna smiled and snorted. "'Tis indeed, but this... this is nothing compared to..." she trailed off, her smile fading. "When I was imprisoned on the moon."
Twilight leaned against Luna's body, her previous smile fading into oblivion. "Hey... are you alright?" she asked seriously.
Luna pursed her lips. "It was... I had a nightmare," she answered.
Twilight's mouth parted slightly in surprise. She leaned away from Luna as much as the alicorn's wing would allow so she could turn to face her. "I didn't know you could have nightmares?" she asked. "Since you're... you know, you."
Luna smiled at Twilight and giggled softly. "Indeed, I can... and I do have nightmares," she answered. "Every night..."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Twilight asked. She fluffed her wings. "Maybe inside? It's... kind of cold out here. Not that you're not helping, but... you feel kind of cold and damp..."
Luna took a deep breath and grimaced. "Yes, it... it was a bad nightmare. I suppose I must have sweated and..." she trailed off. "I suppose I should take you back inside, at least," she agreed. She kept her wing around Twilight as she stood up. Twilight stood up, and Luna sheltered Twilight with her wing as they walked inside. Once they were inside, Luna shut the door. "I should have closed the door when I went outside... 'tis colder in here, now."
"It's fine, I have you..." Twilight replied softly.
"Still," Luna said. She walked over to the bed, but Twilight stayed where she was.
"Maybe some tea would help?" Twilight offered.
Luna paused a moment and looked back at Twilight, then nodded. "I suppose tea would be nice," she agreed. "While it may not help me sleep better, it would help me to relax."
Twilight frowned and examined Luna's expression. The alicorn looked like calm, but she wasn't acting normal. "I thought that you slept well all of the time since you're the Princess of the Night. That's part of what I thought you meant when you said that... sleeping with me might help me the sleep?"
Luna pursed her lips and leaned to the right. "I... sleep well enough. I simply have nightmares," she replied.
Twilight frowned, then slowly walked over to her. "About what?"
Luna watched Twilight and opened her mouth to talk, but hesitated. Eventually, Twilight came to a stop right in front of her and looked up at her with a concerned, caring expression. Luna closed her mouth, then sat down. "I... have nightmares about... becoming Nightmare Moon again..." she relented. She shivered and fluffed her wings.
"I... didn't realize. I'm sorry, Luna..." Twilight apologized. She looked down at her hooves guiltily.
Luna took a deep breath and shook her head. "'Tis fine, love," Luna replied, "you didn't know." Twilight hesitantly lifted her head back up. Luna still hadn't recovered to her normal self. "I just... it was worse this time. I... Normally, it... ends badly, but..." she trailed off and licked her lips. Her eyes glistened slightly and she took a deep breath. Her body shuddered with the breath. "I-I was... scared. You... what... you said to me..." she said at length.
Twilight stepped closer to Luna and wrapped her forelegs around her withers to hug her. Luna hesitated and blinked, then closed her eyes and leaned down. She laid her head on Twilight's shoulder and wrapped Twilight in her wings. She took a deep breath and felt a wave of calm wash over her as Twilight's scent filled her lungs, but the anguish and guilt lingered. "Y-you said that... you couldn't... love somepony l-like me," she admitted, her voice cracking.
"Luna," Twilight said in a soft, serious voice. She held the older alicorn tight in her legs and nuzzled her. "You know that's not true," she reaffirmed.
"Y-yes, but... what if... what if I... become Nightmare Moon again?" Luna stuttered. "I-I don't want to lose you, Twilight, my love..."
"Hey... Luna, listen to me, okay? You told me that I worried too much. There are good worries, like planning, and then there are those silly worries I have like 'what if an asteroid hits Ponyville...' and that sort of thing."
Luna half giggled at that.
"That could happen..." Twilight defended, fluffing her wings.
"'Tis most unlikely, Twilight," Luna retorted in goodnatured voice, smiling faintly at the silly concern.
Twilight huffed. "Right. Well, you get the point," she said, her voice softening again. "Luna, I love you. I know that you messed up and made mistakes in the past, but that's in the past, alright? You told me that none of us are perfect... and that's okay. I've made mistakes, you've made mistakes, and... Celestia has made mistakes," she said softly. "But our mistakes don't define us," she said.
Luna stayed silent.
"Luna, I love you, and I know that you're not going to become Nightmare Moon again. I know that for a fact. And even if you do, which is impossible, I'll be right there to help you back... okay? I promise," Twilight whispered.
"Oh, Twilight... You're so sweet and forgiving... do you know that?" Luna asked. "I did horrible things... and yet you still accepted me," she whispered.
Twilight slowly rubbed her muzzle up and down Luna's shoulder. "It's okay, Luna..." she replied. "Everypony forgives you. You're not responsible for that."
Luna rolled her head away from Twilight and then lifted her head up. "I... am, though. My jealousy may have made me do it, but I still did it. I am entirely at fault for that, Twilight..." she whispered.
Twilight shook her head. "No, you're not Luna. As much as I hate to say it... Celestia is at fault too. She didn't see what was happening," she stated.
Luna tilted her head back towards Twilight and gave her a weak half smile. "'Tis true, but..." she trailed off and sighed, slumping forward.
"Luna, please... stop blaming yourself. I don't want you to. Nopony wants you to," Twilight sighed.
Luna turned back to Twilight, then laid her head back down on Twilight. "It's... hard. I know that ponies would be better off had I not done that and... I blame myself."
"You shouldn't. Everypony makes mistakes, Luna," Twilight coaxed. Luna stayed silent. "Do you want me to go and fix some tea now?" she offered.
Luna shook her head. "No... it is fine. I... wish to lay back down with you."
"Okay..." Twilight replied, flashing Luna a comforting smile.
Luna pulled away from Twilight and climbed back into bed. She slid beneath the covers and laid on her right side, facing Twilight. She lifted her wing up invitingly and gave Twilight a soft smile. Twilight smiled back, then climbed up in bed with her. The younger alicorn laid down and slid up in front of her, facing her. Luna laid her wing on top of Twilight and wrapped her legs and forelegs around Twilight's body to pull her close and hold her there. She curled her body slightly to embrace Twilight, and Twilight cooed as she nestled into her embrace.
Luna pulled the covers up over them and laid her muzzle so that her nose was near Twilight's mane. As she breathed, Twilight's scent, along with her warm body, helped put her at peace. "Thank you for this, my love..." Luna whispered.
"Of course, Luna," Twilight replied, giving her a tender nuzzle and burying her head in Luna's neck.
Luna laid there silently, her eyes still open. She slowly brushed her wing down Twilight's body, then slid it back up and laid it back down on her. She looked at Twilight and watched her. "Does... it truly not bother you that... what I have done?" she asked.
Twilight slowly lifted her head up, causing Luna to lift her head up to look at her. Twilight looked at Luna with a soft, loving expression; Her smile was tender and forgiving. "Of course it doesn't bother me, Luna... you weren't really in control of your actions," she comforted.
Luna's ears pinned back and she averted her gaze from Twilight to stare down at the pillow. "'Tis true... but had I not given in to my jealousy, I would have been and... I still chose to become Nightmare Moon..." she trailed off quietly.
Twilight lifted her right forehoof up and touched it to the right side of Luna's muzzle. Luna's eyes reluctantly looked back at her, and Twilight gently coaxed her muzzle back to face her. "Luna, it's okay," she said softly.
Luna closed her eyes and swallow. "But it's not... had you and your friends not stopped me..." she trailed off warily. Despite the warmth of Twilight's body against hers, she shivered. She bit her lip and shied back from Twilight. "I... could have killed my sister..." she spoke in a low voice. "I... if you had not stopped me... I likely would have done the same to you and your friends for... trying to stop me..."
The next few seconds passed in silence between them. Luna's heart hammered in her chest from fear. Eventually, she timidly looked back at Twilight, who wore the same kind, gentle smile as before. "Luna..." she sighed, then laid her head on her shoulder.
Luna hesitated, then lifted her forelegs up and slowly stroked the length of Twilight's mane. The young alicorn closed her eyes and her smile widened at the feeling. When her hoof came to rest at Twilight's withers, Twilight opened her eyes and looked up at her again.
Twilight nuzzled Luna's shoulder, making a small smile pull at Luna's lips. "Luna, I know that you're not perfect... but I'm not perfect either," she admitted. "Even though I'm not perfect, you still love me," she said.
Luna smiled solemnly. "Twilight, my love, you are far more perfect than I. You have not made mistakes like I have, nor have you hurt ponies as I have..." She slowly shook her head, then leaned down and touched her horn to Twilight's horn. "You are so young and innocent compared to me, Love..."
Twilight quickly nudged her head to the side, then lifted her head up, brushing her muzzle against Luna's cheek in a quick nuzzle. "And that doesn't make me feel any different about you, Luna," Twilight affirmed, giving her a happy smile.
Luna smiled and sighed as she laid her head back down on the pillow. "'Tis impossible for me to argue with you, Love..." she relented.
Twilight giggled a soft, mirthful, innocent laugh. "Luna, you've helped me a lot. Do you have any idea how many panic attacks you've helped me to avoid? How many restless nights you've prevented? I've lost count," she said. "And that's all because of you being here for me. Nightmare Moon wouldn't have done that. Nightmare Moon wouldn't have sacrificed so much for anypony without asking for anything in return."
Luna stared out the window at her moon. For several seconds, she mulled over what Twilight had said. "Perhaps... but I do ask for something in return," she said at length.
Twilight frowned at Luna. "Oh? I don't think so..."
Luna's lips pulled into a cross between a smirk and a solemn smile. She rolled her head back to look at Twilight. "Your love and your nights," she replied.
Twilight's frown disappeared as an innocent, happy smile returned to her lips. She closed her eyes and tenderly rubbed her muzzle and nose against Luna's shoulder before giving her neck a quick kiss. "And I freely give those to you, Luna... so you're not asking for them," she said in a sweet, soft voice.
Luan sighed softly. "'Tis true, I suppose... but..." she trailed off, her smile once more wavering and then disappearing. She looked away from Twilight and once again looked out at her moon.
"No buts!" Twilight stated. "You're not Nightmare Moon, nor will you ever be her again. I know you won't. Unless you think I'm lying?" she asked, tilting her head to the right as she looked at Luna.
"N-no," Luna answered timidly. "I-I... I just..." she trailed off.
"Luna, you're always the one telling me to relax and stop worrying... so now I'm going to tell you to relax and stop worrying. I'm not worried about what would happen if you became Nightmare Moon again," Twilight said.
Luna sighed, then looked back at Twilight, smiling. "I... suppose it isn't likely... I do have a choice in that matter, so thus It shall not happen... but... still. I hurt ponies by doing that, and maybe you do not see that, but I do, my love..." She bit her lip and once again avoided Twilight's gaze. "The vision you saw... from Zecora's potion, when the Plundervines had captured my sister and I... The vision you had of my... turning into Nightmare Moon, from what you have said, it was most certainly not what actually happened. I... killed ponies, Twilight, and... you did not see that. I am eternally grateful for that, but it does not change the fact that I did..."
Twilight nodded slowly. "But that's in the past. You can't undo it, but you can make sure it never happens again. Unless, of course, you're suggesting we break into the Starswirl the Bearded section and find a time travel spell?"
Luna smirked. "Now, Twilight... we both know that is both a bad idea and completely unnecessary. Not only are both of us princesses, so thus we could simply walk in there, but we could also simply teleport in there." Twilight giggled a little. Luna's smirk faded. "Changing history... I would not do that, however. I... am who I am because of the choices I made. I fear that... if things would have gone different, that... you would not exist, or if you did, we would never have met, or you would never have become a princess..." she said longingly.
Twilight shifted her weight and swallowed. "Luna, if you'd feel better, then..." she trailed off as Luna's head turned back to her.
Luna looked physically pained by the start of her suggestion. "Twilight, I would never trade you for that..." she said almost pleadingly. "What I did was horrible, but I would not erase it and risk you... you're far too precious to me, my beloved."
Twilight smiled a little. "And that's another reason why I know you'll never become Nightmare Moon again. Nightmare Moon would have sacrificed everything, everypony, even somepony as close to her as me in order to get what she wanted."
Luna hesitated, then nodded, but her guilt didn't fade.
Twilight shifted a bit and scooted a few inches away from Luna, then rolled over onto her stomach. She gave Luna a thoughtful smile. "Hey... do you want to go for a walk or a flight?" she offered.
"You would get cold," Luna countered.
A little of Twilight's smile faded and she nodded. "Yes... but I know you like going for flights and walks at night. If it would make you feel better, then I'm willing to endure a little cold."
Luna shook her head, though the corners of her lips pulled up. "'Tis the middle of Winter, Love... I won't make you endure that."
"Okay, I just... thought I'd offer," Twilight whispered.
Luna nodded, then reached out with her forelegs and grabbed Twilight. The young alicorn offered no resistance as Luna pulled her close once more, rolling her over and pulling their chests together. Twilight gave her a smile. Luna leaned down and affectionately nuzzled her exposed neck, then rolled over onto her back, pulling Twilight up on top of her. Luna watched Twilight and studied her moon-lit form. She let out a longing sigh at the alicorn's unrivaled beauty.
Twilight calmly folded her forelegs on Luna's chest and laid patiently on top of her. Luna reached out with her wings and enveloped Twilight's body in them, then started slowly stroking them back and forth, sliding them along the length of Twilight's body. Twilight closed her eyes, smiling, and sighed contently as Luna's soft, silken feathers brushed her body and wings, sending lovely shivers of delight through her body.
"You truly are precious, Twilight," Luna murmured. Twilight beamed at the compliment, making Luna smile. Luna tilted her head to the side and drew her wings up to envelop Twilight's head. She leaned down and laid her forehead on Twilight's forehead and met her gaze. "I suppose I shouldn't keep you up any longer... 'Tis unfair of me to keep you from sleeping."
"Luna, it's fine," Twilight replied. "I'm not tired; I'm happy to stay up with you."
"Perhaps," Luna replied, lowering her wings back to Twilight's body. "But I should be helping you sleep, rather than keeping you from it. I am the Princess of the Night, after all."
"Luna, if I had a nightmare, you'd be there for me and you'd stay up with me," Twilight replied.
"If you were to have a nightmare then I would have neglected my duty to stop you from having one in the first place," Luna retorted. Twilight giggled. Luna smiled and laid her head down on the pillow so she could watch Twilight without straining her neck.
After a few seconds, Twilight's warm smile faded. "Are you sure you're alright? It's not normal for ponies to have nightmares every night, and... with you being the Princess of the Night, I would have thought that you wouldn't have nightmares."
A grimace pulled at Luna's lips. "'Tis... true," she drawled. "It... I would not normally have nightmares," she tentatively added. Twilight tilted her head slightly and looked at her curiously as if to coax her into continuing. "It is not something I wish to discuss," she stated. Her ears slowly drifted back, folding about halfway to her head.
"Luna, if something is bothering you, you know you can talk to me about it," Twilight implored.
Luna's ears slowly folded back the rest of the way and pinned against her head. She parted her lips, then closed her mouth and nibbled on her lower lip. "'Tis... my own fault..." she answered quietly.
Twilight's brow creased. "Your own fault?"
Luna slowly, timidly nodded. "I would not be having nightmares, were it not for my own doing. I am capable of preventing myself from having nightmares..." she trailed off quietly, almost sounding ashamed.
"Luna..." Twilight whispered softly. She laid her head down on Luna's chest, then slowly rubbed her muzzle across her neck. "Why aren't you stopping them? I don't want you to have nightmares!"
Luna sighed softly and looked away from Twilight. "It is... my own creation. I... did not want to forget the pain I caused as Nightmare Moon..." she trailed off.
Twilight lifted her head up. "Luna," she said firmly. "Stop," she ordered. Luna winced slightly and closed her eyes. "You're not. Nightmare Moon. We just went over that. If you're giving yourself nightmares over that, Luna, that's not healthy and it's not right. Everypony forgives you, Luna... it's okay to forgive yourself."
Luna's eyes opened and she turned to face Twilight. "But... I can't forgive myself! I know what I did, and what I did was wrong and horrible! Ponies suffered because of my choice to become Nightmare Moon!" she blurted out.
Twilight listened calmly, looking at her with a forgiving, merciful expression. For a few seconds after Luna's outburst, they were quiet. Luna bit her lip. "Luna... You were Nightmare Moon. Nopony denies that. You did bad things and hurt ponies. You chose to do that," she stated. Luna closed her eyes and her body trembled slightly beneath Twilight. "But," Twilight said sharply. "We all forgive you, Luna. If you keep focusing on what you did, how are you going to move on and improve? Yes, you made mistakes. So have I. But you don't get anything from focusing on your mistakes. You can learn from them, but you need to realize that it's okay. What if somepony needs your help, but you can't help them because you're afraid?"
"I..." Luna started. "How is that..?"
Twilight sighed. "Luna..." she drawled. "What if you met somepony who was having a nightmare about something they did in the past. Everypony had forgiven them for it, but they hadn't forgiven herself, and because they couldn't move on, it was holding them back or hurting those she loved?" she asked. Luna looked away from Twilight again. "You would help her to realize that she needed to forgive herself. That's you, Luna... Please don't give yourself nightmares... that hurts me," she said softly.
"T-Twilight, my love... I-I'm sorry, but I-"
"No buts," Twilight cut in. "Luna, look at me," she commanded.
Luna nibbled on her lips and slowly turned her head to face Twilight.
Twilight took a deep breath and studied her expression. Luna stared into her eyes. "Promise me that you'll stop."
"Twilight-"
"Luna, promise me," Twilight said, leaning in closer to Luna's muzzle.
Luna turned her muzzle to the right again, only for Twilight's magic to pull her back. Twilight watched her for a moment, then released Luna's head from her magic. She slowly leaned in and gently rubbed her muzzle along the side of Luna's muzzle, then she pulled back and placed her lips on Luna's.
For a brief moment, Luna watched, then she closed her eyes and returned the kiss. The two slowly inclined their heads and laid their foreheads on one another, crossing their horns. Eventually, their lips parted. Luna opened her eyes and timidly looked at Twilight. "Promise me," she said.
"I..." Luna hesitated, then slowly wiggled her head up and down, relenting to her mate's request. "I... will, my love... I just..." she trailed off, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. A moment later, she opened her eyes and nodded. "I-I will, my love."
Twilight smiled and slowly lifted her head up. "Thank you, my Luna," she replied sweetly.
Luna smiled a little and hugged Twilight tight with her wings before sighing. "S-shall we... retire?"
Twilight gave a quick nod and snuggled into Luna's body. "Sounds good to me... unless you still want to talk," she said.
Luna shook her head. "It is fine... I believe that... this was enough," she answered. "I truly do not know how you can love me so, Twilight..." she said timidly.
Twilight leaned forwards and gave Luna a quick kiss on the lips. She pulled back with a cheerful smile.
Luna returned the smile, then slowly rolled over onto her right side. She kept her wings around Twilight as she gently pulled her over onto her side along with herself. Twilight carefully shifted on top of Luna's wing and then embraced Luna with her own wings and nestled into her embrace. "Goodnight, my love," Luna whispered.
"I love you, Luna," Twilight cooed back.
Luna waited for a few seconds before laying her muzzle beside Twilight's mane and closing her eyes, letting Twilight's scent lull her back to sleep. The next time the Tantabus struck, she vowed it would be its last.
Author's Note
This started out as a sequel to Crowning the Stars, and then I reread that and realized that this was incredibly OOC for Luna, since not only is she the one who always comforts Twilight, but also seems to have forgiven herself.
And so this story really can't exist in that series, and I wasn't going to scrap this much effort, so now this exists.
I enjoyed this story, and I hope you did too.
Special thanks to Nox Selunefor prereading!