“Lulu dear, you have to let her go.”
“But how can I do that!?”
A plethora of dishes and tableware were knocked unto the ground.
Celestia looked at Luna’s hoof. “You’re bleeding.”
Crash! Bang! Crash! Several more dishes fell.
“Who cares!” Luna proclaimed, rage filling her. “Who cares about the minutas of life!”
“There is not a thing you can do, here or now.”
Luna darkly chuckled to herself. There were several spells she could think of. Much of the dark arts allowed for a ponies mind to be… changed.
Celestia seemed to sense what Luna was thinking. “You cannot let your emotions get the better of you. Not again…”
“Then what! What would you have me do!?”
Celestia sighed. “Let her go.”
Luna screamed, her rage and sorrow leaving her throat. “NEVER!”
Celestia knew there was not much that could be done for her sister. Not now.
But if things continued on as they were, then Celestia’s hoof would be forced.
Not the Elements of Harmony, Celestia thought, not again…
“Do not force my hoof,” Celestia declared, “I will do what I must to keep you contained.”
“Contained? Contained!?”
“Yes,” Celestia confirmed, “I will do what I must to ensure you do not harm her.”
Luna shouted once more, only sorrow escaping this time.
“I understand you loved her. But sometimes it doesn’t work out-”
“Then,” Luna said, her breathing turning frantic as she thought of a solution, however far-fetched it may be, “I’ll just have to be the perfect pony for her. I know I can do it…”
Celestia sighed and shook her head. Her sister could not accept the truth.
“It’s over…” Celestia confirmed, “Let her go.”
Luna could not accept it. Would never accept it.
Luna’s wings spread wide. Her body arched. And she shot forward.
But was immediately grabbed in Celestia’s telekinetic grasp.
“And where do you think you’re going?”
“Let me go sister.”
Celestia would not lose her sister. Not again.
“No.”
Luna powered her horn, forcing Celestia’s grip on her to falter.
“Do not do it sister,” Celestia stated. “Do not force my hoof.”
Luna broke the hold Celestia had on her. “Do not force my hoof, sister.”
“Lulu please.”
“No!”
Why did Luna have to fall in love with her? Luna had been doing so well. She had finally made a friend, several friends in fact.
Then Luna found love with one so uncommon.
Joy! Let the bells ring! She had found a partner, one that would keep her tethered to the good of this world.
But Luna had to let her go.
“She doesn’t love you anymore,” Celestia said.
“YOU LIE!”
Sadly Luna was right.
“So what?!” Celestia said, almost as if scolding a child. “So what if she does? Does that change anything? She doesn’t want to be in a relationship with you.”
“She can confirm it herself!”
“She already has!”
Luna grit her teeth in anger. She felt rage. Dark emotions were beginning to cloud Luna’s mind.
“Why!?” Luna asked, her emotions getting the better of her. “Why doesn’t she want me?”
“I… I don’t know.”
Luna’s shoulders sagged. She didn’t seem angry, but she looked… off.
“Surely there must have been something I must have done? Was I not attentive enough?”
“I don’t-”
“I must not have told her I love her enough! Silly me.”
“That’s not-”
“And of course I should’ve gotten along better with her friends.”
“No…” Celestia looked down to the floor. “No that’s not it.”
When Celestia looked up. Luna was crying.
“Then what?” Luna asked, barely a whisper, “What did I do wrong?”
Celestia sighed. There was no good answer. Not to one who’s heart was broken.
Celestia hoped she would give Luna the words she needed to hear. Not like last time, when she had failed her sister eons ago.
“Did you love her?”
Luna looked up to Celestia, filled with hope that Celestia would be able to patch whatever problem the two former lovers had.
“Of cours-”
“Then love her enough to let her go.”
It was a simple to ask. But much harder to actually do.
Luna slumped unto the floor. She begged deities that pony folk had made a millennia ago for salvation. But none would come.
“What did I do wrong?” Luna asked.
“You just… Weren’t meant to be.”
Luna cried and cried. Nothing was going to make this easy.
“I loved her so much,” Luna said. She wiped her eyes. “Why, why, why-”
“Let her go. It’s what she would want.”
Luna wiped her eyes some more. She didn’t want to admit it to herself, but Celestia was right. Luna knew it, as much as she didn’t want to.
Luna had seen the strained smiles through the last months.
Tired smiles. That’s what Luna was told that they were.
And now Luna had tired eyes.
But it’s hard to let someone go. Especially when they meant everything to you. Celestia knew it well.
Celestia had gone through the same sorrows in the past. She knew it would not be easy.
“Though time may move on,” Celestia said, pondering, “The memories will be with you.”
“I want more! I want… more…”
Celestia swallowed, hoping the words would come out right. “At some point you won’t be able to live off of only the memories. When that day comes you’ll want more. And when you want more for yourself once more – to be loved – then you will see that there are many that will come to love you. For you.” Celestia shook her head. “I’m sorry.”
Luna could no longer shed more tears. She fell into Celestia’s arms.
Warmth. Comfort. Compassion. Love. It was what Luna needed right now.
Though the one Luna loved had moved on, it would take some time for Luna to move on.
Celestia would have to wait. Wait for her sister to come back to her. Wait for her to want to be loved by someone else.
Until then, Celestia would be there for her, however long that may take.