Author's Notes:

Sorry, everyone. This chapter was supposed to be out yesterday, but life happened. Hope you enjoy this because I'm planning to release more chapters to make up for the usual two chapters a day that I wasn't able to supply due to school.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTCgMj84AAg

Twilight stayed with Sunset as the morning light crept into the house. They returned and none of them could sleep. Sunset shakily laid her head under Twilight's chin. She shivered from the water and the thought of what she was about to do to Twilight. She was fearful of herself and afraid of what she was capable of. Sunset so desperately wanted Twilight to leave her and stay away, but she followed loyally and stayed by her.

Celestia leaned against the doorframe and watched the two of them rock back and forth slowly under the covers as they held one another protectively, like the danger was not one of them. This was bad. After one incident, they were traumatized. This couldn't go on much longer before the whole thing fell apart.

Twilight quietly hummed the song she heard Sunset sing and it sent chills down Celestia's spin. That was the song of her funeral. The one that would play over and over like a broken record until it completely fell apart. It was a song she would have died listening to. Sunset closed her eyes, seeing the significance of it. Twilight was humming it as a way to tell her that everything was alright without words. To tell her that the song she heard was nothing more than a tune and couldn't harm her.

Appreciating this comfort, she sighed and felt the girl's hand brush her hair. It was soft and warm in contrast to the rough, gritty sand they had collapsed upon earlier and the cold water she felt on her back then. It was a small reminder that she mattered. Twilight's fingers threaded through her hair and went through the damp curls, untangling them.

All was well.

Nothing was wrong.

Everything would be ok.

It was a miracle that Sunset topped before she killed her. It truly was. There had to be a reason as to why she stopped, but Twilight did not know the answer. However, Celestia knew well why her life had not ended that night.

Princess Luna looked up to the sky as she raised the sun. It was early morning and her sister had been gone for only a day. But something felt wrong. She watched the sun rise to its rightful position in the sky. Something felt eerie. The morning air was brisk and filled with untold secrets. Despite the sun being out, the air was still cool. But it was autumn getting close to winter.

Luna ignored this feeling and watched as the first of the ponies rose and went about their morning routine. It wasn't until thirty minutes later that Luna saw ponies walking the streets of Canterlot to jobs and run errands. It was a place she rather preferred. A world where everyone had a place in life. Somepony was the carpenter, somepony was the mail mare, and another was the weather control officer...

It made Luna feel at ease. She felt as though everyone was being orderly and constructive with their time. No need to worry about anything big happening. No need to feel at odds with the cool morning. The sun was up, ponies were out, and everything was fine. No worries...

Luna decided to rest.

Her eyes were heavy with fatigue. She usually didn't stay up to long for morning to rise. Celestia and Luna usually rose and set their respective objects of duty and Luna would be out sleeping in her room the whole day. Being princess of the night meant your work was at night. She wondered how Celestia managed to raise and set the moon and sun without her all those years.

Sighing contently, she closed her eyes and entered a dream she herself could not control.

Celestia was running, her hair flying out behind her and legs pumping as she moved silently over the grass. Celestia wasn't a pony, but a human. She was barefoot and in some pajamas. Luna's mind eye watched her older sister run across the damp ground heading toward the full moon.

So full of questions was she that Celestia would be out at this time. Judging from the position of the moon, it was early morning. Around 2am, similar to the time there. It was common for the ponies of Equestria to be out bright and early, but humans..? Especially since they required more sleep? It became apparent that Celestia was following someone.

Someone who was as dark as the night herself with long dark purple hair and lavender skin...Twilight Sparkle. She was heading toward a river...Luna saw a flash of red and yellow hair. But it disappeared almost immediately. This was real. Luna knew so. Her ability to enter the minds of sleeping ponies was functioning in a new way she's never known it to. She was able to connect with the mind of her sister and see through her eyes what was happening.

Twilight cried out and screamed to the object that had flashed in Luna's mind eye. Sunset Shimmer was what she was calling...So the fast blur was Celestia's former former student. Celestia caught up with Twilight on the sandy bank of the river. But by then, Sunset had gone. Twilight kept crying out her name and started to tremble. Her face was streaked with tears. Celestia stared out at the rippling water under the moonlight and said nothing.

This is all my fault

Celestia's thoughts. Luna could hear them...

I should've poisoned it sooner. Or none of this would've happened.

Luna felt very confused. Poison? Celestia would never do that. She'd never purposefully cause harm to anyone...So what was this about poisoning sooner? Luna felt suspicious. Celestia had only told her that she and Twilight were to be leaving for a while. She never did tell her what it was they were leaving for. That explained the funny feeling she felt in the air. The brisk morning full of untold secrets just floating by, waiting for it to be snatched and read for all to know.

It was a long time full of screaming and crying and staring. Twilight had gone slightly hoarse by it all and Celestia was motionless. Her mind was empty after those two thoughts. The suspenseful feeling of the cold autumn morning and dark atmosphere made things worse. There was bound to be a sudden event...

Without warning, a huge Siren burst through the water's surface and sent a chilling roar in the air. Luna felt frightened and watched helplessly as her sister dodged its attacks dragging Twilight with her. When it changed into Sunset Shimmer, Luna knew all the answers somehow. They were before her so openly as Celestia's mind flung her thoughts around in a jumble. A web of information.

She watched as Sunset tried to take her soul and Celestia could only stand motionless. Then, the coughing. Seeing the dark magic flow from her mouth as she coughed, Luna knew her sister poisoned the jewel inside her. Everything from there was just too much to bare.

Luna jerked awake at the herald's touch. It was already 6am. She was tired and restless at the same time. The herald glanced out the window.

"Your majesty, your royal duties as the temporary supreme ruler of Equestria need to be fulfilled as of this morning."

Luna sighed. It was a great wonder how Celestia did all this. She nodded and got up. Walking out of her room she had more information than she was willing to have about what was going on in the other world.