Throughout all the previous events one mare lay fast asleep. Devoid of awareness she slept on. No thoughts circulated and within in her only her heart and breathing were heard. A steady and peaceful rhythm amidst the toil and tribulation known to the outside world. The nearly broken mare's body however was hard at work desperately recovering and healing. Magical healing made things faster, but still progress was slow.

Sunset eventually came to awareness, but unable to awaken. She enjoyed the peace of her own thoughts and mind for what seemed ages. She traveled the path's of her memories the good and ill. Perspective can be a funny thing, and Sunset's world began to change. Slowly her armor of hate began to chip and fail her. She viewed all that had been unaware of what lay before. Fire in ancient cultures she had known would sometimes symbolize purity, but could also represent rebirth. So it was with her.

She unsteadily began to awaken and pain entered. Every inch of her throbbed and burned. As she lay on the bed she attempted to rise only to fall back upon her bed. She tried to rise again a second time, and again a third time before she gave up taking stock of what she knew. She could not see, her eyes still too damaged and head wrapped about with gauze smelling of healing potions so Sunset listened.

She heard a steady beeping. She smelled rot and anesthetic.

She breathed deeply pulling in air and her nose smelled sweet smells of flowers coming from one area. Sunset felt things connected to her and the bandages about her body. One thought entered into her mind " Hospital".

Sunset could vividly recall the events in the mirror room and her tremendous fear and how she had been brought low.

As she kept steadily breathing she emptied her mind to prevent herself from panicking. She realized that until somepony came and realized she was awake there wasn't much she could do.

Sunset kept listening and heard a strange scratching noise on some sort of surface...A quill on paper?

Unknown to Sunset her mentor, and mother, Celestia sat awake late into the night studying and making notations on affairs of the kingdom. Books on parenthood lay about as well. Celestia had thrown herself into understanding where she had gone wrong and how best to help Sunset when she awoke.

Celestia viewed the differing documents. Trade and border disputes. Proposals for new mining and logging operations in the far North. The pile had grown over the days of Sunset's entry to the hospital, but millennia dealing with paperwork permitted Celestia to endure.

The adoption papers had gone through without much of an effort Dr. Firestone standing in as a secondary witness.

Candace came by whenever she could in hopes Sunset might awaken. Visitors and well wishers came from the palace staff. Guards and maids. Cooks and teachers. On the whole few knew the whole story, but they knew enough. Flowers were brought in at intervals.

Sunset had lay for two weeks asleep her body too broken to awaken on its own. Skin grafts and fur implants had been done and slowly fur was growing in places where before there were only burnt patches. Skin cells multiplied and joined together, but even with medicine she was still far from healed.

Dr. Firestone kept researching as often as she could. She visited her own family as much as possible, but kept notes so she could write ideas. She checked the latest literature and old tomes for anything that might prove even moderately useful. There were several operations to take care of still and more skin and fur grafts that needed to be done. Firestone's mind was one of feverish labor.

Celestia's mind never ceased from worry. Worry for her daughter and worry for their future. Sunset would forever have need of help and aid in some aspect. Immortals do not really ever become independent so to speak. They rely upon one another for sanity as well as compassion. The sands of time weigh heavily on them and the feeling is like heavy leaden weights wrapped around them with chains.

Celestia had wondered many times if what she had done was right. Had saving Sunset been the correct choice? Had her own selfish desires and love been weighed as best as they could have been?

The results from Dr. Firestone were at least promising. The healing that was occurring was doing so at a steady, but slow rate. The inevitable scarring was setting in on Sunset's body, but all things considered infection had at the very least been kept far at bay...A small mercy.

Cadance herself was free from classes as she had passed her tests, even battle magic based. She kept up exercising, but found herself coming back to Sunset again and again. It was not a love of romance, but one of family. Sunset was one of the few ponies that in some way could understand Cadance. Like it or not the two young mares had far more in common than she had previously realized.

Cadance realized how her sudden appearing in Sunset's life must have shaken the poor mare. Cadance had approached too quickly. She had come to discover that Sunset needed much more time than others to learn about ponies before really letting them in.

Each pony that knew Sunset had heir minds constantly on the poor mare. All being willing to try to help, but being unable to do much save to wait.

Through these events and occasions Sunset had slept, but now was awake.

The same sounds still came to her as she lay breathing and listening.

Sunset smelled familiar odors of roses and lilac based shampoo. She realized that Celestia was in the room, but heard no movement save for the quill. Should she call out to her? Apologize?

Celestia's own ears pricked as she realized that a steady pattern she had heard night and day had suddenly altered. She put the quill down from her magic aura and walked over to Sunset taking in the hurt pony...Her little pony. Her eyes gazed upon Sunset. There was movement behind Sunset's eyelids that was a sign of conscious thought. The breathing patterns too long and deep for a sleeping pony.

Sunset had tried many times over the years to fool Princess Celestia...Particularly when younger and trying to hide pieces of chocolate cake the then young filly had "liberated" from the oppression of the fridge.

Celestia sat and realized two things. One that Sunset was most likely awake. Two she needed to figure out how best to handle the situation...Her mind drew a blank.

Celestia arose and came closer to Sunset hooves clopping upon the tile of the room.

Sunset's ears heard the noise and was confident of the gait. Based upon the sound Celestia was in the room with her.

Sunset suddenly felt a nuzzle and what felt like rain droplets, but realized they were tears.

Celestia sat simply nuzzling her young and wounded foal.

She lay her head upon Sunsets bed keeping it near Sunset's own and sighed deeply and began to hum an old tune.

A lullaby from long ago.

Sunset still damaged tried to move, but a golden aura wrapped around her keeping her in place. Again a nuzzle with the humming. Slowly her mind drifted, her bodies exhaustion still too great to overcome. The firm golden aura would not let up, but the humming kept her calm.

Neither spoke.

So Sunset Shimmer fell into a deep sleep once more. Calmed for the moment, but without full facts.

Celestia kept humming and listened having heard the slow rhythmic breathing go back to the familiar pattern and feeling Sunset's heart beat almost as if it were her own.

She released her golden aura and walked back over to her work station.

Celestia blew out the candles and darkness descended upon the room the full moon rising in the background of the large window and unknown to Celestia the moon pulsated a soft glow as its light rested upon Sunset and herself. A compassionate feeling overcame Celestia and she looked upon the moon and smiled and cried.

Celestia gazed upon the light of the moon and stars for a short period then took up her sleeping pillow and blanket moving them over to Sunset's bed as a secondary hospital bed had been laid right beside Sunset's for the Sun Princess to use. So Celestia lay down and resumed humming. As sleep came to claim her as well.

Neither mare spoke. No pony entered.

Each breath and heart beat of Sunset and Celestia's matched. The slow rhythmic breathing went on.

Neither had spoken for there was no need. A light casts its shadows in the dark, but is plain to be seen as to both its source and what it is. So to in this situation.

Both mares lay and slept. Each hoping for far better seasons.

Author's Note

Sorry for the wait I've been battling a chest infection and dealing with smoke in the area I live making breathing fairly difficult. I've gone through and hit all the grammar issues I could find, but will keep looking through to correct anything I can find. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and that you are enjoying this story.