"Luna? I am... Nightmare Moon!
Celestia shuddered and began to lightly sweat.
"I have one duty now: to destroy you!"
"LUNA!!"
Celestia's eyes flew open with that shout, and she gasped for air for a few seconds before she threw herself upright. She looked all around. She was in her room, safe and sound, with not a soul to be seen around her. A nightmare. It'd only been a nightmare. That same one she relived too many times.
"Your Majesty!" A few of her guards burst her door open and were ready for action. "Are you alright? We heard you scream."
Celestia quickly composed herself, though the guards could still sense something wasn't quite right with their princess. Nevertheless, when she insisted she was alright, they left her alone.
"Wait!" Celestia called. "Where is my sister?"
"Princess Luna has not yet awoken," one of the guards answered. "She is still in her room. Shall we fetch her for you?"
"No! Do not disturb her for any reason," Celestia ordered, a little more sternly than she intended to.
The guards nodded and bowed before closing the door behind them as they returned to their posts. Celestia laid her head onto her hooves and tried to rest again. She'd been looking forward to finally getting some sleep again after her sister's return, yet she was more restless than she'd been in a long time. Everything was good, wasn't it? Her precious sister was back, the darkness had been wiped out from Luna's heart, everypony had celebrated Luna's return, and Luna forgave her too.
Luna forgave her.
It was that last thought that hung in Celestia's mind. The way the story of Nightmare Moon had always been told, one would expect Celestia to have done all the forgiving. Not only wasn't that true, Celestia wasn't sure Luna really did forgive her. She came bouncing up to Celestia after what felt like the longest seconds of Celestia's life, but did she really have a choice? She had just been stripped of her power, so much that her physical appearance reverted backwards some years. She couldn't have fought anymore if she wanted to, and where would she go? She may as well as have been an alien in a very modern world she knew nothing about, and she wasn't healthy right now. She initially seemed fine, but when Celestia brought Luna to the castle, she almost immediately passed out. The medical staff assured Celestia it was nothing more than over-exhaustion, but over twelve hours later, Luna hadn't woken up.
No, everything wasn't good.
Giving up on trying to sleep, Celestia walked over to her door, quietly pulled it open, and peeked outside. The only other ponies about were her guardsponies. She trotted out of her room, past her guards to assure them she was still alright, and made her way to Luna's bedroom. Slowly, she trotted up to the door, but she hesitated before pushing it open.
What if Luna wasn't there? What if this was all a dream of some kind? What if Luna never returned? It wasn't as far-fetched as it sounded. Countless times, Celestia would dream of life with her sister, only to wake up and be reminded her sister really wasn't there anymore and have her heart broken all over again. Now, it was the opposite. She knew Luna was there, but somehow still feared she wasn't. She just had to see her.
Celestia closed her eyes and, as quietly as she could, pushed open the door. She didn't hear a sound. She opened one eye, and soon, the other, and sighed with relief, though not a smile. Indeed, Luna was there, sleeping peacefully in bed beneath her blanket. For a few moments, Celestia merely watched, eying Luna's chest as it repeatedly rose and fell to signify Luna was breathing
Celestia should've left quickly, yet now that she was in Luna's room, it was too hard to leave. It was fine as long as she didn't wake Luna, wasn't it? She took a few steps forward. When she didn't hear Luna utter a sound or see her move even a little bit, Celestia kept going forward until she'd walked the short distance to Luna's bed. Now that she was closer, she could see Luna did look a little agitated, like she had been struggling to sleep. Celestia gently placed her hoof on Luna's forehead. It was hot. Luna had a fever and the agitation was likely from the fever's pain. Still, she seemed okay besides that. Or was Celestia only thinking so because she wanted Luna to be okay?
"Stop bothering her! Stop bothering her! She needs to sleep!" Celestia silently chided herself. Yet, she still couldn't pull herself away from that bed. She carefully slipped her hooves beneath Luna's body. When Luna didn't fuss, Celestia slowly held her upright and brought her close until she was resting in Celestia's embrace instead of the blanket's. She held Luna as tightly as she could without risking waking her, and some tears fell down her face.
No, everything definitely wasn't good.
Celestia's mind was thrown in the past as the few tears became many. She tried desperately to see what she overlooked, where she'd gone wrong, what signs she missed of Luna falling into despair. But like the countless other times she tried, she found zero. That never helped. Not a day had gone by she didn't miss Luna, but with Luna truly here, all of those emotions crashed onto her like a wave. She trembled lightly, but forced herself to be still when she heard Luna moan.
"Shhhh, my sister," Celestia whispered in her ear. "You are okay. Shhhh."
Luna quieted down and didn't make another sound. Celestia continued to hold her, lightly rocking her as she herself was soothed merely from the fact she could hold Luna now. And for many more nights to come.
"I'm so sorry, Luna. I promise... I promise I will never let go of you again."
