Raise the Sun

"Luna." Celestia spoke quietly upon her return to the royal sisters' chambers. Though she could not see her younger sister, she knew her to be there. "Come, I would much rather we speak face-to-face, with nothing to hide."

Reluctantly, Luna slid out from beneath the sisters' shared bedding and stood to her hooves, her mane organized into the mundane light blue curtain falling at the side of her face. To this Celestia raised a brow, immediately curious as to her younger sister's lack of grandeur. "Is something the matter?" she inquired, her concern mounting quickly in her mind.

"We wanted to surprise thou, for when thou returned, but thine sense of urgency compels us to shed our fun times for another hour." Luna explained, and with the ignition of her horn her mane and tail swept out in the starry miasma that had been as her custom. "How was thine visit to Ponyville, dear sister?"

Celestia shook her head, her flourishing mane covering over her eye as she closed them with a sad frown. "Sour, at best." she admitted, "Twilight refuses to surrender her secluded studies, even after I had seen to her. Cloudsdale's weather facility refuses to allow itself to be shut down and openly resents revoking Rainbow Dash as an associate at my orders, and I dare not speak of young Pinkie Pie's hidden activities with many of the newly-missing residents in Ponyville."

"What of the others? Of Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy?" Luna questioned. "So far as we are informed, they have done nothing wrong."

"But they still grow distant." Celestia returned in kind. "I cannot help them, so it would seem."

"Can we be of any assistance?" Luna offered, deliberately cutting the flow of magic to her appearance as again her mane and tail sported only a mundane blue luster.

"What do you suggest?" Celestia raised at least one eyebrow, her other not seen behind her flowing mane.

"These ponies see thou as a figurehead, dearest sister." Luna offered, "Ever since we have returned to Equestria, it has been our deepest desire to know our subjects as our friends, rather than to face them down as our subjects as Nightmare Moon once had. We are seen as closer to an equal with Twilight Sparkle and her friends, and with our history we may be able to see more levelly with them."

"So that you can understand their perspective in the smaller picture?"

Luna nodded. "Indeed, sister. Thine rule is unquestioned even when thou attend the most informal of meetings, but we have been met many a time with less concern for regalia than thou hast."

"What will you do then?" Celestia inquired as she lay down upon the floor, her tail angling about to encircle her.

"We shall have to cross that bridge once we reach it, as the saying goes." Luna conceded, "At this time we know little to assess the situation with other than official standings."

The elder princess looked her sister in the eyes, her gaze diverting to her mundane mane and tail several seconds after, her own eyes deep in thought.

She had grown so much over the past nine years, had not only been able to put aside her cruel history for the sake of her subjects and friends, but had matured to a state of mind that nearly rivaled her own perpetual calm and collectiveness. And now she had even been surpassed by her younger sister's election of taking a route unbefitting of her stature and casting aside her title for their sake, and for the sake of Equestria's future. Each night she had been proud to see her brilliant starscapes and glory of the moon as it had risen, symbolic of her return to the norm of things in such a way that touched her heart even now, nine years later. And now a whole new sense of pride overwhelmed her, a feeling of gratitude that even now she could put the worst of times to use for good.

"Tia?" Luna's gentle voice snapped the older sister back to reality. "Art thou alright?"

Celestia closed her eyes and let a gentle smile cross her face. "I've never been better, little sister." she spoke serenely, rising and laying her horn across Luna's right shoulder, then her left. An ancient symbolism to part with the strength and love of she who had bestowed the blessing. "I bid you well, and good luck in your findings, dear sister."

Luna froze for a moment, awestruck that Celestia had suddenly become so formal with her. In the young princess' mind, perhaps not only was this the blessing of old, but a sign of her acceptance that if she were to fit in with the crowd of more common ponies, her stature bade her the same treatment of circumstance. With a nod and a grateful bow to her older sister, she turned to take flight. "Thank you, Celestia..." she said, finding in her mind the more common phrasings she had not used in quite some time. "I shall return shortly."