Tears rolled down her face. The silver moon hung above, its pale unblemished surface always seen as beautiful. But for how long, Celestia asked herself. She sighed, hanging her head. Her sister, her only sister, had been acting so cold. Colder than her very night.

She turned her face up to the star lit sky, bathing in the silver light. It was beautiful, she had to admit. Yet she knew ponies relished in her day, and slept the night away. Anypony could be set a little on edge when one’s talent went unthanked, yet with her sister, it had always been something more.

But why now? Why, only now, was Luna so cold, so aloof, so… So dark? “Why,” she quietly asked the moon. It gave her no response.

She sighed, bowing her head once more. Softly, she lied down on the grass, feeling the dew soak into her fur. She knew the day would come soon, that she would have to confront her sister. Would have to face all that anger and rage that was welling up inside. But, how she wished not to.

Resting her head on her hooves, she thought back. She thought back to her sister’s birth. To her… To her death.

She’s not breathing, Solar!

Quick, into the water! It’s the only way!

Tears rolled down her face in little beads. She remembered it as clearly as if it had happened just yesterday. When her mother was pregnant, they had rejoiced… She would be born and raised an heir of beauty and serenity, one to rule jointly over the land with her older sister. Yet, into this world she was brought silently, not crying a single tear. Her eyes never opened. The stillborn had n’er taken a breath naturally.

They had tried all they could, until her mother and father tried the final thing they could think of. They prayed. Softly, they set her in the waters of Canterlot, in the ancient caverns. There, thin shafts of moonlight rested on the water that was as still as her newborn sister. They kept her head above the water, and wished and hoped and prayed.

The moon bathed the child in the same light it kept Celestia in now. It held the child, whispered to it, loved it as a mother would. And the moon made a deal with the parents.

The child survived.

But it would forever be tethered to the moon… Forever, the child would belong to the moon, and the moon to it. One day, the moon would claim her child. One day…

Celestia sobbed. “Why, Lu-Lu,” she whispered. “Why did it have to be you?... W-why must it be your destiny?...”

Destiny. What was it? Why did it have to be so cruel? Why now, why after all they had accomplished!? “WHY,” she cried out, sobbing.

The night answered with silence, as ever.

Celestia stood, sniffing, trying to stop her tears with little success. Half blinded, she flew away from the spot, later landing by a small lake. She looked into the waves, seeing her reflection. But the water gave her no peace.

The ocean… Her sea. Luna’s sea, Luna’s tide… The moon held the sea in her power. As it rose, as did the ocean. All it reflected was a reminder of her borrowed life.

Celestia sighed. She knew, that soon, the day would come.
*~*~*~

Celestia stood, once again, watching the moon. Tonight, however, she had raised it herself. She had watched the stars wink into existence, watched the crater filled moon rise, her sister staring back. The dormant daughter of the silver moon had risen… And had gone away…

Celestia hung her head. “Sister…”

Destiny. The word hung in her mind. It had hounded her sister, clung to her every word. Everything she said or did hinged on that single deal, that single moment that the moon claimed her. Everything she did had an edge of finality. Everything she did did nothing to help her, to free her from the curse of this nightmare of Celestia’s. The day her sister would be gone to her.

“My dearest sister… I’m sorry…”

No tears fell from her eyes that night. She had used them all up.
*~*~*~

From the sky, Princess Luna watched her people. She watched Equestria, far below her, alone on the moon. She watched the life she’d known she would leave behind. The tears her sister could not cry fell from her eyes instead, until those, too, had run out. Days passed. Weeks. Years. But, she never moved. She never stopped watching and thinking of the life she had left behind.

Are you sure you’re ready, Luna?

Of course I am!!

I could get it started f-

Nooooo, you said I could try it by myself!

Okay, Okay…

… But… Maybe you could stand next to me… just in case?

Just in case.

Luna chuckled softly, tears flowing freely. “I-I remember that day…”

Tia! I did it! Tia! Tiiiiaaaa!!

Did what?~

Tiiaaa, I got my cutie mark AND I raised the moon!

Really? I didn’t notice~

TIA!

Just kidding!~

Luna sobbed softly. “You never showed any signs of what was to come… Of course I knew it would happen someday, Tia… I’ve been tethered to the moon all my life… Of course I knew it would happen someday…” She rested her head on her hooves, sighing as she reminisced.

Do I have to raise the stars too?...

Most nights, yes…

ALL of them?!

I’ll tell you what. I’ll do the stars tonight… if you help me with the sunrise in the morning?

Deal.

Luna sighed again. “Sister… I…”

Luna! I-I will not fight you! You must lower the moon! It is your duty!

“I’m sorry, Sister… I-I had to… It had to happen… It is, and will always have been, my destiny to become Nightmare Moon… I had to do this… For you to understand…”

Oh, dear sister… I am sorry… But you have given me no choice but to use these…

“E-Equestria will always be safe,” Luna whispered, tears rolling down her face. “I-If I was still there, I would’ve been a-a weak point to you… You always treated me gently, as though I were fragile, because of my birth… Now you can do what you must f-for… For our subjects…”

Luna stood tall, feeling her tears fall. “I… I love you, Tia… Good… Goodbye…” Unable to watch anymore that night, Luna turned. She smiled through her sorrow, for she knew one thing. She might have said goodbye, but she had given her people life through her sacrifice. They would always be safe.

No matter what.

Author's Notes:

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