When Luna and Celestia reached the stage, she gazed at the crowd. They had gathered under the cool moonlight. Everypony was relieved to see their princess, but at the same time, they were surprised at Celestia's arrival. Murmurs mingled with noisome cheers. It was obvious how many ponies had forgotten what Celestia was like. After all, Daybreaker had been the subject of legends and tales ever since the solar banishment. It was ironic how she was the outgoing one, while Celestia seemed worried about others judging her.

The opposite had been the case when Luna and Celestia first ruled Equestria. She had come a long way since then. She adopted a serene smile. "Mares and gentlecolts, because of Sunset Shimmer's perseverance and the courage of her friends, Daybreaker has been defeated. Here is Princess Celestia. She is my older sister. I expect you to treat her with respect and kindness."

A group of foals placed the red and white roses on Celestia's neck. She didn't smile. Did she feel guilty over what she had done as Daybreaker? A small smile formed on her face, although it wasn't noticeable from a distance. "Lulu, why don't they seem afraid of me? They knew Daybreaker's crimes," she said.

Luna led Celestia to a less crowded area. One would think that her sister would be glad to return. However, Celestia seemed down. She wiped a small tear off her sister's cheek. It was strange how she was the more mature of the two. Would Celestia end up with the mind of an energetic young mare? A thousand years ago, Celestia was the more mature sister. Now it was the younger sister who was mature.

"Tia, don't be afraid. Tell me what's on your mind," Luna said.

Celestia frowned. "I will. I was used to the appreciation and cheers that I would receive from a huge crowd. Now it's the opposite. It's not that I'm ungrateful to be released from Daybreaker's grip."

"You're not being ungrateful. If Daybreaker hadn't been banished-"

"Equestria wouldn't be alive today. Yes, I know that."

"I have an old crown and regalia waiting for you."

Celestia shook her head. "Dear sister, you've been a wonderful ruler by yourself. It doesn't feel right for me to wear a crown. Not after-"

Luna hugged Celestia. "Even when you are gone, I still needed you. Why do you think we both received a crown during our coronation?"

"It's because a younger Equestria wanted us to rule the land. Since we have the ability to control day and night, it makes sense that we are to become co-rulers."

"Correct."

"I still don't want to control the sun. What if I get corrupted again and refused to lower the sun as a result?"

"I'm sure you won't be corrupted again. Daybreaker got the message when you told her to leave you alone."

"I hope you're right."

Luna turned her attention to the street. Sunset and the others had already gone home. Several ponies remained outside to stargaze. She led Celestia to the sky. The older princess seemed to have a hard time staying awake. Considering the distance between the ground and the sky, she didn't want to see her sister plummet downward. And because of the fiery chaos, she had a feeling that many ponies would encounter nightmares. It was about to become a long night. Even though some small fillies dreamed of becoming princesses, they had no idea what it was actually like to be a princess.

"A thousand years ago, I was taller. Being this size felt a little odd. I guess it's related to Daybreaker being desperate to win," Celestia said. "The whole time as she struggled to defeat the new Element bearers, I sensed her using part of my magic."

Luna stole a glance at the Everfree. It wouldn't take long for the strange forest to heal from the vicious flames. This was why the daylight shouldn't last longer than the normal amount of hours. If either the day or the night lasted forever, the consequences would be horrible. But the extreme heat would accelerate the destruction. Flames were known for burning certain objects in less than one hour.

"How does it feel to rule alone?" Celestia asked. She seemed curious.

Luna thought about the times when she had to deal with a whole day of diurnal responsibilities. "It wasn't easy. I had always thought your diurnal duties would be simple, but with the nobles and political issues, I couldn't deny the stress. Having to put on a smile despite all that drama is quite tiring. Sometimes I feel like rolling my eyes or scowling."

"The diurnal stress is the whole reason why I once took most of the responsibilities. Let me guess... the night is much easier than the day."

"Some nights are more hectic than others. On those nights, it didn't seem to matter whether the ponies made sure not to do certain activities that might cause strange dreams. Most of the time, dreams either symbolize problems in their lives or a hidden fear, or they can twist situations that happened during the day."

The whole time as they talked, they approached Canterlot Castle. The exterior hadn't been destroyed. It was as if eternal daylight never happened. When they landed on the courtyard, Luna glanced at Celestia. The older princess was already asleep. Her sister would need a lot of rest in order to regain enough magical power.

Celestia awakened from a deep slumber. Sunlight penetrated the purple curtains. This bedroom reminded her of the old one, but something about the room was different. How many time periods had passed since Daybreaker's banishment? Several hundred? A thousand? The old castle's furnishings were somewhat macabre. Canterlot Castle, however, fitted her taste. Her royal regalia waited on the nightstand. Slipping out of bed, she put on her crown. She caught her reflection in the mirror.

Several times during the night, Celestia had nightmares about Daybreaker. For that reason, she expected herself to have a fiery mane and a taller body. She left her new bedroom and searched for the dining room. The guards gave her strange looks. Others seemed suspicious as if expecting her to crack. They were probably afraid that she would transform back into Daybreaker. The way Luna addressed others was different compared to the era from a thousand years ago. How come Luna no longer used the Royal Canterlot Voice or the Royal We in public?

A few guards followed Celestia and blocked a certain door. The leader stepped forward. "Halt, Daybreaker! Do not endanger the princess!"

"It is us, Princess Celestia of the sun. Hath thou not known? We shall reverse the crimes we hath committed. Our little sister hath forgiven us," Celestia said.

The leader tilted his head. "We? Who's we? There is only one you. The princess doesn't have a sister. Leave the castle at once, Daybreaker, or you'll be arrested."

Celestia figured the Royal Canterlot Voice would provoke the guards. She tried to keep her voice soft, but the pitch in her voice wavered with each word. "What dost thou know? As in the stories of old, Luna is our sister. We understand if thou dost not want to forgive us."

Luna approached the guards. "She's not evil. And excuse her speech. It's called the Royal We, a figure of speech I no longer use."

One by one, the guards left. Celestia followed Luna to a dining room. Breakfast had already been prepared by the servants. She assumed that the ponies would stop giving her odd looks by now, but the servants seemed apprehensive. She remembered feeling nervous the night before her coronation. Now the same feeling had returned. However, she was still relieved to be back. The banishment had caused her to feel lonely. How long would it be before anypony forgot about Daybreaker?

Luna maintained eye contact as she spoke. "You seem a little troubled. There wasn't time for me to enter your dream last night, as countless ponies had nightmares. Most of the dreams are focused on... I'm not sure if you want to hear this. I know you felt terrible about being Daybreaker, but I've forgiven you and so will the rest of Equestria."

"I bet their dreams are about eternal heat. I've hurt them for life," Celestia murmured. "It's the reason why that stallion didn't accept my apology."

"Forgiving others is one thing, but forgiving oneself was another story. Everypony has made mistakes that they regret. The only way your heart can move on if you stop dwelling on what had happened."

Celestia responded with a small sigh. She couldn't deny that her sister had gained wisdom over the centuries. Maybe it was because Luna had seen a lot in such a long lifetime. Ponies assumed they were immortal, but alicorns aged much slower than the average pony. She had a lot of questions to ask about this current time period.

Celestia finally spoke. "How did those six ponies know about the Elements of Harmony? What happened while I wasn't here?"

Luna inclined her head. "Well, if I recounted every single event in Sunset Shimmer's life, you would fall asleep while listening. So I'll highlight the most important things first. At a young age, she wanted to learn magic. Her first friend, Twilight Sparkle, rebelled against me and entered another universe."

Celestia gasped. "Another universe? Did she ever return?"

"Sadly, no. I mentored Sunset ever since I took her under my wing. The reason I took her in is that she has potential. Before she became my student, I adopted an orphan named Cadence. She's kind to everypony she meets. You may see her if she visits."

"You adopted a pony? Was Cadence in an orphanage?"

"She wasn't in an orphanage. She was lost when somepony found her. A spell had teleported her to Canterlot, where she met me."

Celestia nodded. She had indeed missed a lot that happened in Equestria. There might be some interesting stories to listen to. A scroll appeared in front of Luna. She walked around the table to Luna's seat and peered closer. Instead of seeing the words, she saw an image. It wasn't like a painting. In the image, Sunset was surrounded by the five mares. Sitting by the unicorn's side was a small dragon.

"It looks realistic. Who made this painting?" Celestia asked.

"It's called a picture. It can also be called a photograph."

"Photograph?" Celestia sensed that she was way behind the times. She had a lot to learn about this strange era. She felt out of place. As much as she wanted to explore Equestria, there was a possibility that somepony could remind her of her crimes she committed as Daybreaker. Nevertheless, she could try to catch up on the times. She returned to her seat and finished her breakfast.

Celestia walked toward the door. "I may oversee the day court. I haven't forgotten how to deal with politics and snobby nobles." The last two words made her crack a smile. "I won't forget the time you imitated a noble. I chuckled for hours."

Luna smiled. "To be fair, some nobles only care about themselves."

"True. Aren't you supposed to be in bed soon?"

"I'll be fine. Even a nocturnal pony can get used to changes in schedule." Luna paused when another scroll materialized. "From now on, Sunset will learn friendship lessons. I'll share one with you if I truly like a certain letter."

Celestia nodded. "Sounds like a wonderful idea. I want to learn more about Sunset and her friends." She left the dining room and strolled through the hallways. She knew where the throne room was located, but she wanted to calm her subtle anxiety before overseeing the day court. She was still a young pony at heart, which didn't help with her feelings.

But, perhaps she could move on from her past with the help of her sister...

Author's Note

I hope you enjoyed the story. The next one will have episodes based on the canon show's, but it won't be a copy-paste one. It'll be unique.