Expectations of Reality

Celestia and Luna guided her into the dark house. There was a living room with comfy furniture and a dining room to her left. On her right, there was a large kitchen, complete with a small table in the middle and a bathroom in the main hall that lead to the stairway to the basement and the stairs to the second level.

The trio made their way upstairs for Luna to gestured to her and Celestia's room on the left side. Each sister's room was marked by their cutie mark symbol painted onto each door. Then they showed her the bathroom on the right with the house closet right beside it to her left and finally the spare bedroom at the end of the hall to her right as well. Celestia quickly got her a pair of pajamas and ushered her into the room. Insisting, like a concerned mother to get some sleep because tomorrow would be a hard day.

Sunset nodded and closed the door to her new room. She flicked on the light switch to see a very plain-looking room. Nothing was special about it other than the flowers on the nightstand that seemed to be wilting. She looked over to the window, considering for a moment that she could escape right then and there.

No.

That would be wrong. They are trying to help. But why? Sunset shook her head. She needed to stop asking that question or she would spiral down a rabbit hole. She took off her clothes and put on her pajamas carefully, being sure to try to not hit her injuries that weren't covered up in bandages.

She finally completed that action and folded up her clothes. She put them into the dresser and then made her way to the light switched. She paused for a moment as she heard mumbled noises of the sisters talking somewhere downstairs. Probably about her. Probably about what they were going to do with her next.

Sunset sighed, her energy drained from the excitement of the day. She failed to complete her act, just because she couldn't sleep forever right now, doesn't mean she couldn't sleep a little. She flicked off the light and crawled into bed with wet tears running down her cheeks.

She should be dead right now.

She failed.

Princess Celestia couldn't sleep. She doubted she would be able to sleep again for a long time as she sat in her dark room. The only source of light she had was the dying fire of the fireplace casting a warm glow over the room. Celestia was silently crying as she stared down at an open page of a leather book that was once used to communicate with Sunset Shimmer.

"One can't make amends if they are dead, Princess."

That last message from Sunset had been sent a little more than two hours ago, followed by a drop of blood making its way onto the page a few minutes later. Celestia had never felt worse in her life. Even when she banished Luna. She might have driven her former student to...to...

Celestia didn't even want to think the word. She ran her hoof on the drop of blood that had passed to her side of the journal. Was she dead? Celestia might never know. The portal was closed. Any hope of helping Sunset Shimmer was lost. She heard a soft knocking on her door. She looked over to the entrance of her room to see Luna poking her head in with a worried expression.

"Are you alright, sister? You look like you are in distress." Luna commented as she took hesitant steps forward towards her elder sister. Celestia didn't bother to deny it as she pushed the journal away in her grief. She couldn't bear to look at it again.

"I...I think I killed her." She whispered before letting out a quick sob and looking towards the ceiling with tears going down her cheeks. "She might be dead because of me and I can't even...I can't even see her, see if she actually followed through with it. I can't do anything to help her."

Luna moved to sit beside her sister and read the page of the journal she was referring to. She sucked in a sharp breath in surprise and worry before lifting the book up with her magic and gently closing it but didn't make a move to bring it over to Celestia or herself. She simply left it hovering with her magic in front of them.

"Do not jump to conclusions, sister." She said softly. "She is still a pony. If she is sleeping, I may be able to reach her dreams but it would require more effort than usual. We could send a letter to Twilight Sparkle requesting she research ways to open the portal once again. There must be a way. Not all hope is lost."

"She might already be dead, Luna," Celestia whispered back. Luna wrapped her wing around her sister's back and nuzzled her. "The first time I hear from her in years and...and she...I was so awful to her." Celestia mumbled. Breaking into heartwrenching sobs as her body shook from grief.

Luna stared at the book as her sister buried her face in her hoofs. Luna felt it was better for her sister not to look at the contents of the book anymore to try and soften her grief. She stayed there for a few more minutes until her sister's breathing evened out. She had cried herself to sleep. Luna carefully lifted Celestia into her bed and tucked her in.

She left her sister's room with the book tucked beneath her wing. After many twists and turns, she entered the Canterlot Royal Library. In the middle of the room, sitting at a table that surrounded a large hourglass sat two unicorns, pegasi, and an Earth pony surrounded by hundreds of books.

A female unicorn, known as the head Librarian named Bini Filters, who was wearing small circle glasses and a red scarf look up from her scroll that she was writing on to see Luna approaching the ground. She elbowed Celestia's personal assistant Arone, who was asleep beside her to wake up. Arone, the male unicorn with light green fur and a short black mane and tail glared at Bini.

Bini ignored this and whistled at her two assistants. Rocky Snow, male pegasi who had light yellow fur and a mohawk purple mane and tail, and Chocolate Shadow, a female Earth pony with her light brown fur, a purple bow in her mane, pulling it into a messy bun and one purple bow at the start of her tail looked over to Bini through the sea of books.

"Princess Luna is here!" She called out. Everyone jumped to attention and stumbled out of their spots in the book madness and onto a clear part of the Library with nervous smiles. Bini brought over one of several lamps that had been lit to provide more light to the area they were standing in.

"Princess Luna. It's a pleasure to see you!" Arone spoke up as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Luna nodded towards the group, taking a moment to look at the mess behind them.

"May we ask what thou art doing?" Luna said.

"It's that time of year when we need to start reorganizing the Library for the new year. It usually takes a few weeks but with Arone helping us I am sure we will be able to get it done faster." Bini explained.

"Well done. We have a book we need you to put in the Archive. It is very important you do not read such a book. Understand?" Luna asked. The group shared a concerned glance before giving the Princess a weak smile.

"Of course. I will put it in the restricted section of the Archive." Bini said as Luna hesitantly levitated the book over to her. Bini caught it with her blue magic and studied the curious design on the front of the leather book. Luna said her thanks and quickly left the Library. Leaving the four friends staring at the book.

"So...What do you think is in there?" Arone finally asked. Bini shrugged and started to walk towards the direction of the Archive.

"I am not sure. I am not sure I even want to know to be honest." Bini admitted. Rocky flew over her with concern as he looked between Bini and the book. Bini raised an eyebrow and let out an irritated sigh to her fellow assistant. "OK. I will bite. What's wrong?"

"We have to deliver a shipment of books from the Archive to Princess Twilight in a few weeks. Are you sure you want to put it in the archive? You might mix it up with the rest of the books. Remember, we are sending about two hundred. Most of them only have symbols on the front because of how old they are." Rocky explained. Bini chuckled and gave a cocky grin.

"Ha! Yeah right. Like I could confuse a book that looks as special as this with any of those old things. They are falling apart. I don't even understand why she wants them in the first place." Bini said with a wave of her hoof as the group weaved through bookshelves.

"You have a history of screwing up book orders." Arone pointed out.

"Yeah. Before you guys came along. That shipment will be different. Now get back to work! We are already behind on schedule as it is!" Bini ordered. Rocky, Arone, and Chocolate mumbled to themselves as Bini disappeared farther into the Library.

---End of Chapter Thirteen---