It was a sight Celestia had, in ancient days, witnessed many times over. Yet now, after such a long absence, it was strange to see it once more. Princess Luna, mare of the night, ready to lower the moon and help her sister usher in the new day. Standing at the end of the highest balcony in Canterlot, the youngest of the sisters took deep breath after deep breath, looking out at the night sky and the lands beyond. She knew her duty and she intended to see it done. But as her horn ignited, her face contorted into a look that betrayed her struggle. She was out of practice, and by quite a bit it had to be said. Celestia, recognising this, softened in her own look, and glanced over to the two guards by her side. They nodded and saluted to her, turning around and giving her and Luna some privacy. Celestia walked up to her younger sibling, seeing her try and try to get this right, to no avail. Eventually, Luna knew she was there, yet she said nothing, leaving the way open for Celestia herself to speak first.
"Nopony is expecting you to just jump right back into this, sister. If you like, I could..."
But Luna shook her head.
"No, sister. We thank thee for the offer, but..."
She sighed.
"...we must do this ourselves."
Slowly, she closed her eyes, and her horn lit up once more. Celestia looked out, focusing on the moon above, and after almost a full minute of waiting, she smiled as she finally saw her sister's power do its work. The moon was lowering, and for the first time in a thousand years, it wasn't Celestia who was making it happen. The elder sibling waited patiently, for she knew Luna needed time to do this right, and while the lowering of the moon may have been a bit slower than normal this morning, there came a time when it was finally down. Luna ceased her magic, and started to pant soon afterwards, the effort having clearly been a lot for her. But, ever the Princess, she never faltered, always appearing regal as she stood there. Celestia, continuing her smile, lit up her own horn, and before long, the two watched as the bright sun rose in much the same place where the moon had descended. A new dawn had broken, and light had come to Equestria. The sisters looked out at the glisten this caused for Canterlot in particular, and as Celestia finished with her own magic, she glanced down to her younger.
"How are you feeling?"
Luna considered that, then offered up the smallest of smiles to Celestia.
"We are...fine, sister. It is good to be able to return to our work once more."
Celestia nodded, though she stifled the need to giggle a little at the way her sister had responded. It had been a lifetime, or several lifetimes at least, since she had heard the old ponish way of speaking, it brought great nostalgia for her, though she knew not to comment on it.
"I'm glad you're getting back into it, Luna. It's good to have you here."
Luna's eyes drifted to the spot where her moon had been.
"And it is good that thou did our duty in our absence, sister. We are grateful that the moon was cared for under thy watch."
Celestia chuckled briefly.
"Trust me, Lulu, the nights I came up with paled in comparison to yours. But...I did my best."
Luna nodded to that, taking a moment to walk to the very edge of the balcony and look down at the now-waking city. Celestia joined her, curiosity coming to her.
"So, how do you like Canterlot?"
Luna paused here, looking down to all the impressive spires and shining marble of Equestria's capital. After a while of considering her views, she looked to Celestia.
"An impressive city, to be sure. Worthy of being the heart of our nation."
Thoughtfulness came to her, and she again looked down to the rest of the city.
"When we last walked this earth, Canterlot was little more than a farm...or was it a small village? Either way, it barely warranted a mention on even the most detailed of our maps."
She raised an eyebrow as she again looked to her sister.
"Tell us...why dost though no longer rule from our castle? When we awoke, we saw the place as nothing but a ruin, lost to the ages. We doubt anypony even knows it exists outside of those mares who freed us."
Celestia's smile faded, though she turned to look to the horizon so Luna wouldn't notice.
"There were...too many memories."
Luna didn't ask what that meant, for she already knew, and shame came to her. She glanced away, and for a while all the two sisters did was stare at the new sunrise. But, both of them knew this silence couldn't last forever, and so Luna, after releasing another sigh, finally broke it.
"We are...sorry, sister."
Celestia looked to her immediately.
"You have nothing to apologise for, Luna. You said your sorrys already, and I accepted them. We can move on from all that."
But Luna did not share her sister's perspective on that.
"Thou truly believes so?"
She looked over her shoulder, to where the two guards had been before this conversation started.
"Nopony has spoken to us about it...but we can tell that not all are as accepting of us as thou."
She again looked to the horizon.
"Nor would we blame them for that."
Celestia's face softened, and she gently placed her hoof on Luna's shoulder.
"Give them time. I promise you, ponies will come to love you, just as they have loved me."
Luna looked to her, her face showing just a hint of incredulity.
"Thou think so?"
Celestia nodded, prompting Luna to continue.
"We have no doubt that they shall be courteous and polite. Such has been the case thus far as we have walked through this palace. But through their dutiful surface, we have glimpsed the uncertainty underneath."
She frowned, but only ever so slightly.
"There is still fear there, sister. Fear for which we cannot blame them. Were it simply a matter of them having to cope with the knowledge of there being another alicorn, that would be one thing. But it is more than that."
She paused, taking in her own words.
"There is still the matter of my past actions. Thou sayeth that forgiveness is ours, yet what of the common folk? To them we shall always be the monster parents speak to their children of. The Mare in the Moon who feasts off the dreams of all good and decent ponies. When we returned, out first act was to take their beloved Sun Princess from them."
Shame came to her.
"Perhaps that fear shall pass in time...but that time is not now."
Slowly, she began to hang her head.
"And that fear will have been entirely earned on our part. Our actions leave much to be desired, and we expect that acceptance will not be as swift as thou hopes it will be."
Celestia knew that such a thing had been what Luna had been troubled by, yet hearing it now, out loud, was another thing altogether. Yet the elder sister did not push her, or encourage her to speak further, instead giving her as much time as she needed. That time passed eventually though, and the blue alicorn glanced up to her sibling.
"We are grateful that thou no longer bears scorn in thy heart for our crimes...but we are not yet a mare that can walk among the people as thou does."
Celestia nodded, accepting the decision.
"I see. That is your choice?"
Luna nodded.
"It is, sister. Though like thou, we wish it may change one day."
For the first time in a while, Celestia smiled.
"I know it will, Luna,. Trust me. The world has changed much in a thousand years. Ponies aren't like what they once were. You'll see. They'll come to accept you as a friend and as a Princess."
Luna offered her a smile, though it was clear that those words would take time to truly be believed. But in the here and now, Celestia knew that there was yet another matter that needed to be discussed.
"Oh! On the subject of alicorn Princesses, you'll be surprised to learn that we are no longer the only ones this world has to offer."
That caught Luna off-guard, though her curiosity overtook her shock soon afterwards.
"Indeed? Pray tell, sister."
Celestia looked down to the city.
"Her name is Cadance. I found her some years ago, having ascended from the state of pegasus. Hers is quite the story, I can tell you."
Luna smiled, giving a quick nod.
"We shall be most intrigued to meet this young Princess."
Turning, Celestia began to walk back towards the entrance to the Palace.
"I'll be sure to arrange a meeting. But for now, I think it's high time we get ourselves some breakfast."
But, barely had she taken a few steps forward when her sister's voice halted her again.
"...Tia?"
Stopping, Celestia turned around, seeing Luna look to her with interest.
"That mare...Twilight. The one who saved us? She is a pupil of yours, yes?"
Celestia, though taken aback, soon regained her composure, knowing full well what was about to be asked, yet allowing her sister to ask all the same.
"She was able to achieve what was once thought impossible. An ordinary unicorn, wielding the power of the Elements themselves, and enabling others to do so as well. That is...most remarkable."
Celestia's smile returned, and she nodded to that assessment.
"Indeed. I have watched her since she was a young filly. Believe me, sister, there is much more to her than even she is aware of."
Luna, for the first time since her return, actually seemed amused by her sister's words.
"Ah...we know that look, sister. You have plans for this young mare, dost thou not?"
Giggling, Celestia shook her head slightly.
"No, not plans, Luna. I..."
She paused briefly, then resumed her smile, looking out to the horizon, and the new sun that rose above it.
"...I have hopes for her."
Author's Note
The very first fic I ever posted to this site was called Too Soon For Friendship, and it concerned Celestia and Luna having a heart-to-heart after the latter's return in the series' pilot. Since then, I've always wanted to do a story that showed what might happen afterwards. So, here it is. I couldn't really decide if it was right to have it be a sequel or follow-up, so I'm instead going to regard it as a sort of spiritual successor, one that can be read without having any prior experience to the original. Hope you enjoy it all the same 
