Nurturing the Heart

Speda sat up in her dream, expecting the horrors to come to haunt her for what she's done, and was ready to blast them away, but then she felt a large pair of midnight colored wings wrap around her in a soothing manner.

She's never felt this kind of comfort before, that she nearly cried again, out of longing for more. She bawled her eyes out hard, harder than she's ever done in the waking realm, and all she heard was the calming motherly reassuring voice, and that made her cry even more. Eventually, she just sniffled as she rested against the giant of a pony, who started brushing her mane.

Speda couldn't help herself, and purred almost cat like, but backed away, knowing she didn't deserve this kindness. The numbness in her heart was almost gone, but the self hatred she now felt for what she's done was almost unbearable, and being happy with another pony almost felt wrong. Instead, she looked at her savior, of her sanity at least, and asked the one question she wanted to ask.

"Who are you?", The cyan pegasus croaked, still having a somewhat sore throat from the crying. The large pony, no, Alicorn now that she looked and saw the large wings, and tall horn. She seemed to have guessed who it was from just this. "Are you Princess Luna? Or... Nightmare Moon?"
The Alicorn seemed to chuckle a bit as if remembering something. "While we would have relished to hear that somepony has remembered us, we feel no joy knowing it comes from you, one whost has lived her entire life under those vermin, and still sane to top it off. We wish we were sooner. We no longer wish war, or any harm to our sister, we just wanted to save you from those years of pain.", The Alicorn said sadly, not completely answering Speda's question.

Speda looked into the Alicorn's eyes, and saw almost a thousand years worth of pain in them, and so she huddled closer to her, as she listened.

Luna, or Nightmare Moon, whomever the spirit was that was in the Alicorn's body's heart thudded to a slight stop in surprise. She smiled, and teared up, thinking all those years ago when she was just like that for their dear sister. She missed those days, when she didn't know war, didn't know selfishness. But at the same time she was a little thankful that she lived through it. She came to a decision.

"No. And yes. I am... A mix of the two. I'm Luna Moon. But you can call me mother.", Both Spirits inside of the Alicorn agreed at once for this decision, as Speda looked up.

"Mother...?", Speda, after having never learning of the meaning of love, let alone familial love, didn't understand at first. She thought about the pony who birthed her from the cult, who had died after giving birth to her, she didn't know what to think.

Luna Moon, sensing this, hugged her close, and nuzzled her head. "A mother means someone who loves you unconditionally, and wouldn't ever harm you. Someone who wants the best for you. Will you accept us as your mother?" They asked.

Speda heard this, and thought about it. She smiled, and threw herself against Luna Moon. "YES! Yes I do accept you as mother!", Speda, now knowing what that longing was from years ago, understood it now. She wasn't alone anymore. She never will be. At least when she is in her dreams, cuz she remembered that Nightmare Moon was still supposed to be trapped in the moon for at least another eight or nine years.

Speda looked back up at Luna Moon, with slight despair. "Will I see you again Mother. After I wake?", She asked with tears in her eyes.

Luna Moon, smiled sadly. "in your dreams, for a time my dear. You will have to wait for my return, on the eve of the Summer Sun Celebration. Then we can be a real family. Okay, my Princess?", Luna Moon said in a soothing voice, that Speda couldn't keep her eyes open after she was done speaking. Soon she would wake up. She didn't know what she was going to do.

~

As all good things must come to an end, that's exactly what she did. Though, she wasn't alone now. She was surrounded by several ponies, one in particular looked important. She almost looked exactly like Luna Moon, just in an alternate color.

When the Alicorn saw she was awake, she headed towards her. Almost on instinct, Speda spoke in a hoarse voice, now feeling cleaner than she's ever been, but still felt the wetness of past tears.

"Princess Celestia",? Speda asked in a question, like she wasn't sure if she got the name right. The princess seemed to smile a bit.

"Yes my little pony. It seems to appear that I might have been a bit late on the rescue she wished for, haven't I Luna?", Speda heard her almost whisper that last part.

"Are you mother's sister?" It was a simple question, but it seemed to have alarmed every pony, Celestia herself included.

"Depends on who your mother is, my dear pony. What is her name?", Celestia asked a little cautiously.

Speda seemed to concentrate a bit so she specified things correctly. "Well... My biological mother... She died giving birth to me, and I was born in the cult. After...... After I broke....... And the mean ponies were gone.... She spoke to me. But she wasn't anything at all like the stories I heard about. She was kind. And.... ", Speda seemed to concentrate alot on this word. "Loving. She said she'd be my mother, if I accepted her. And I do! I really, really do. She was the one.... The only bright thing in the past that kept me going. I knew somepony would save me. And while you did physically, she saved me emotionally. I am so thankful to mother for saving me.", Speda said through tears, and a large smile. And Celestia seemed to notice, she looked almost like a younger Luna, with slightly different colors, and then she noticed the mystical glow coming from her eyes.

Celestia, while she didn't lose composer often, choked up hard at the mention of her sister. It's nearly been a thousand years, and she tried not to think about it too much, lest she'd fall into depression. But this one filly, one so young who did things no pony should have to do at any time, connected with her sister from across planets. She'd have to keep a close eye on her until Luna got back.

"Can you tell me anything about her, young one? Did.... Did she say anything about me?", Celestia asked, still a little shaken, having hope again.

Speda smiled wide at this, the tears from before starting to dry against her cheeks. "Yeah! They miss you. Alot. They are regretful because of things gone wrong, but she's kinda glad things happened like that." Speda was about to speak more, but saw the confusion evident on Celestia's face. "She told me her name is Luna Moon, and that she was a sort of mix of the two Souls, Princess Luna and Nightmare Moon. She referred to themselves as they. At least that what I got from listening. I'm gonna talk some more with her tonight, when I sleep!", Speda said in a happier voice, now that she is safe, and has something to look forward to.