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// Reunion Under the Moon 
// Story: Rekindling Bonds 
// by Mr_Casual 
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At night, the halls of Canterlot Castle were always so cold and lonely to her. She knew those feelings all too well. After all, it had been almost a thousand years that she walked these halls. A thousand years since her sister left. One thousand years that she was alone. Not a day passed where she didn’t miss her beloved sister. The memories of that faithful night haunted her dreams relentlessly. Oh how she wished her sister was there to ease her worries and calm her mind like she use to all those years ago.

Yes. Tonight is a cold and lonely night for her….and yet, she is not alone. Her sister had already returned to her thanks the efforts of her faithful student and her friends. Luna was right there and yet, they had hardly spoken in the past week since her return. Words could not express how happy she was to have Luna back in her life and yet…..there Celestia stood, at the doors of her sister’s bedchambers, frozen in fear. 

Gathering a bit of courage she raised her hoof to knock and paused, her mind suddenly flooded with feelings of doubt. “What if she doesn’t want to talk to me? What if she’s busy in the dreamscape? What if I mess things up again? What if I say something weird?” A million questions rang in her head at once, terrified at what events may play out once she enters these doors. 

Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself and whispered. “No Celestia. It’s now or never.” 

Knock Knock Knock 

“Enter” a firm, yet familiar voce called out. 

Pushing the doors open she took her first steps into a room she hadn’t been in for a very long time. “Luna?” she softly asked, scanning the dimly lit room for any signs of her sister, only to be met with chilling silence and empty furniture. It was just as she remembered. Although her sister had already been long gone by then, she had this room built for Luna during the construction of Canterlot Castle, in the hopes that one day her sister would come back to her. She knew she would. She had to. And there she was, sitting on the balcony, staring at her beautiful night sky. 

Turning her head to confirm what she already knew, Luna locked eyes with her sister, a soft smile hiding the sorrow behind them. “We were wondering when thou would visit us, sister.” She said, inviting Celestia to sit next to her, before turning her gaze back to the stars. “They are beautiful are they not?” 

Sitting next to her sister, she followed Luna’s gaze. “Yes. Beyond words can describe.” She paused as she regarded them, before dipping her head in shame. Her ethereal mane blocking Luna’s view of her face, lest she see the deep sorrow and regret plastered upon it. “Luna, I’m so so sorry.” She shakily said, afraid of what her sister would say next. 

“For?” Luna chuckled, giving Celestia a warm smile. “Sister We….I understand. I was consumed by jealousy and anger. That anger lead to hate, and hate was what lead me down my dark path. By the time I truly realized what I had done, the Tantabus had already consumed me.” Scooting closer to Celestia, Luna held her hoof to her chin and turned her sister’s head to look her in the eye. “I missed you SO much.” 

“I missed you too Luna!” Teary eyed Celestia hugged her younger sister tightly. Whatever fear she felt, promptly melting away. “But…that doesn’t excuse the things I’ve done. If I had only paid more attention. If only I hadn’t sank myself in my responsibilities. If….if only I wasn’t such a terrible sister then maybe, just maybe, we both could have been saved from making the biggest mistakes of our lives. Losing you, Luna, It was like losing half of myself.” Celestia raised her head to look at the stars once more. “Every night, as I struggled under the weight of the moon in your stead, I struggled under the weight of my actions the night I….” she paused once more, the words stuck in her throat by the very weight she spoke of. 

Luna silently looked on at her sister, unsure of what to say. There wasn’t much she really could say. Celestia was right. They had both made terrible mistakes. Mistakes that had horrible consequences that could not be taken back, no matter how much they wished they could. No…there truly wasn’t anything she could say. Instead, she did the only thing that felt right. 

And as Celestia gazed into the depth of Luna’s moon, consumed by the cold and horrible memories of the past, a soft, comforting, familiar warmth brought her back to the present. There, nestled under her wing, was Luna. Her muzzle, buried in Celestia’s neck as she nuzzled her sister. This simple act, was a most trivial one to the many equestrian families of their kingdom, yet, to these two royal sisters, it was an act that had been almost forgotten. Now, in this moment, as Celestia laid her head upon Luna’s, both sisters were reminded of something that they would cherish for eternity. “We’re not alone anymore.” The warm silence was broken only briefly, as a sigh of content left Luna’s muzzle, accompanied by a statement that would forever solidify this night in Celestia’s memory. “I’m home, Tia.” 

“Welcome home, LuLu.” Was all she could muster, holding back tears of joy.  

And so they sat, gazing at the very moon that held both their love and sorrow. The night, once cold and lonely, was now filled with a warmth they hadn't felt in a millennium. In the silence, they found solace, and in each other's presence, they found strength. The past would always be a part of them, but as long as they had each other, they knew they could face whatever the future held. The bonds of sisterhood, reforged in forgiveness and love, would light their path forward, guiding them through the shadows of their shared history and into a new dawn. Together, they were whole again, ready to rule side by side, and more importantly, to be sisters once more.