- Empty Sky
Luna smiled to herself as she flew back into Canterlot Castle from the Royal Canterlot Cemetary. Another Hearts and Hooves Day had come and gone, and she had once more visited the grave of her beloved Jetfire. Once more had she used the spell she'd learned from Starswirl's notebook - the same book that had but recently triggered Twilight Sparkle's ascension. The second time she had done it, she wasn't sure if it would work again...but once more Jetfire had appeared before her. She had tried it at other times in the year, but the spell only worked on Hearts and Hooves Day, the celebration once known simply as The Day of Love. It made sense that this spell would only work on that day.
When Luna had once more called her beloved from his rest, at first she had been worried he might dislike being roused from his deathly slumber anew, as she was certain he had earned his place in whatever paradise awaited. His words that day had warmed her heart and wet her eyes.
"The other ponies call that place paradise, but it isn't for me. After all, you aren't there with me."
Since then, each Hearts and Hooves Day - there had been two others since - Luna had journeyed to the Royal Canterlot Cemetary and used the spell to call him back from beyond for this sacred day, to be with him, if only for a matter of hours. At first she had thought to simply talk of anything that happened throughout the intervening year...only to learn that Jetfire spent his time beyond watching her endeavors, praying for her to find joy and the sense of belonging with other ponies she so craved. And so they either spoke of specific highlights of the year or of nothing in particular...or sometimes just lay beneath a tree, curled around each other.
This year, however, had been different. When she'd flown to the Cemetary, her heart had been heavy, weighted down by a burden she felt she could not shake. While she had managed a good level of acceptance and kindness from the ponies of Ponyville, other cities had not been as welcoming. While a few ponies here and there in each place welcomed her, the vast majority were still very cold to her, and few and far between were those ponies who trusted her enough that she could help them in their dreams. She had begun to fear that her greatest istake from her past - embracing the Nightmare - might doom her forever.
She had confessed these fears in tears to Jetfire the moment he had manifested from beyond. Although he held her close, trying to comfort her, he knew nothing he could say could help make things better. And so he had given her a gift, one they had both longed for for a long time...one that they had been unable to share in the distant past before Luna's banishment to the moon.
The bliss he had brought her had pushed back the pain, and she had realised she did not truely need the ponies of the current era to accept her. Fillies and colts were far more open about getting to know her, and were eager to learn of her...far more so than most stallions and mares. With all of Ponyville firmly amongst those who welcomed her, she could merely wait a few generations until ponies were used to her again, and then be welcomed once more. And in the meantime, she had her friends, she had the ponies of Ponyville, she had her sister...and she had Jetfire, forever in her heart.
When she had left Canterlot Castle, she had been on the verge of tears. Returning now, she was actually humming a familiar tune, one that brought a smile to those she passed in the halls as she headed into the castle.
"Sister, may we talk?"
Luna's humming stopped as she heard Celestia calling her. "Yes, Tia? What is it?"
"In private, Luna," Celestia replied, guiding her to her own room.
Once in Celestia's private chamber, Luna settled down on a couch. "What was it you wish to discuss, Tia? Nothing too serious, I hope. I would rather not lose my good mood."
Rather than say anything, Celestia's horn glowed, enclosing the room in a soundproof bubble so that none outside could hear the conversation.
"Rather ominous of you, Sister," Luna said quietly.
"You used the spell again, didn't you?" Celestia asked without preamble.
Luna looked at her in confusion. "What of it? You showed it to me. You intended for me to use it."
"Only once, Luna. That spell...it destroyed Starswirl. He used it to continually seek out his dead beloved rather than move on. Eventually, he couldn't bear to be parted from her another year and suicided above her grave. To continue to cling to the dead is to risk the very real possibility that one day you might choose to prematurely join them." Celestia's eyes were hard, but from fear rather than anger.
Luna sighed. "That is hardly a likely possibility for me, sister. If nothing else, an alicorn learns to know patience. I can easily wait a year each time to be with him again. Besides, he is always in my heart, and I know he watches over me from beyond. And beyond that, I have too many friends and too loving a family to be willing to leave it behind." She smiled at her sister, hoping to ease her fears.
Celestia's eyes softened, and her expression grew pensive. "But Luna...to go to him like this every year...I had hoped you might be able to find somepony amongst the living to help you heal and grow-"
"Nopony could ever take his place, sister," Luna replied coldly. "I will no more move on to another than he did. I wouldst not betray his memory - his spirit - so cruelly."
"But Luna-"
"I know that you have sought love several times through your long life, sister. That is not something I can do. I shall only ever have one love. This discussion is over." Rising to her hooves, Luna stormed out of the room, right through the barrier.
Celestia sighed to herself. She had been afraid of this. As much good as the spell had done Luna, she was afraid it had done more harm...that eventually, no matter how much she might deny the possibility, that it would lead her to madness and an early grave.
But then, perhaps she was worrying too much. Luna had already walked the path of madness, and knew how to avoid a return to its pitfalls. Hopefully, things would work themselves out eventually.
Rising to her hooves, Celestia removed the spell on her room, allowing sound once more to pass. As she moved to turn in for the night, she caught the scent left on the couch. Approaching, she sniffed. She recognized her sister's scent easily...but there was also another scent. "His scent..." she mumbled to herself. "But why is it so strong? And..." She paused. Was that a wet spot?
She shook her head. She wasn't sure where her minds was. Her worry over her sister was making her paranoid. Climbing into bed, she curled up, hoping for pleasent dreams free of concern.
Floating idly over Canterlot Castle, Discord felt the change in the flow of events and began to laugh. The next year would be most interesting. It seemed chaos could happen just as easily without him./
