There were a number of additional questions, and the circumstances meant Celestia actually regarded that as a rather reasonable thing: those who had just witnessed history were certainly entitled to think about the implications. However, ponies operating in the degree of shock which came from having witnessed a fundamental overturn of the universe generally weren't known for doing a lot of thinking, and so the voiced queries generally fumbled their way across an increasingly-ridiculous series of fractured parameters.

Eventually, they got the reporters out of the Lunar Courtyard, because articles needed to be written, type had to be set and in the case of far too many (and not just those who were against them), you couldn't get a really good distortion without a few hours of dripping acid upon the actual events. The fact that it had become just about impossible to get a full sentence out of Cerea following the oath wound up encouraging them to disperse: the girl had spent the remainder of her time in the public eye within what the elder had been interpreting as a state of deep stun, and the current worst part about being a ruling Princess was that Celestia had to lock every last possible expression for her own part of that perfectly understandable reaction completely out of sight. And then she had to keep it there while the sisters attempted to answer those questions which actually had them, while implications boiled inside her and the perfect illusion of the full Moon shone down upon the Courtyard. It was a constant reminder that she was deep into her sibling's hours, and Celestia did about as well under too much Moon as Luna dealt with an excess of Sun: a full week of schedule flip could turn both into a bomb, and the only consideration remaining might be just where to go off.

The centaur girl was sent off to bed, and Celestia watched her hooves move down the palace hallway in a half-stagger: something which was echoed in too many of the accompanying Guards because they had heard what Luna had said, it would be mere hours before all of Canterlot knew what Luna had said, the news would spread across the continent in about a day and once it crossed the world...

She watched that, and Nightwatch's awkwardly-flapping wings, until the girl was out of sight. And when she finally turned away, she discovered that her sister had used the chance to get out of range.

They both knew the palace better than any other living pony. But Celestia had (regretted, hated, loathed) more experience. And in this case, she suspected Luna wasn't hiding. She'd just chosen to relocate the inevitable to somewhere more private...

It turned out to be a balcony atop one of the old towers, and the dark eyes were staring up at the true Moon. Forelegs had been hooked over a railing. An alicorn who was effectively immune to cold silently ignored the weather: snow was blowing onto the balcony, and Celestia's arrival vaporized all of it.

"I believe we should maintain the conditions for an additional cycle," the younger proposed. "Simply to moderate the reaction when the articles are released, as much as such can be hoped for. Which should also grant us some time to begin the composition and printing of the informational one-sheets. Following that, we can grant Canterlot a compensating period of unseasonal warmth --"

"-- how long have you been planning that?"

The younger carefully reared back, wings flaring slightly to aid in the turn. Landed to face the elder, or least what could be seen of the white form through the cloud of steam.

"It was not a plan," Luna coolly declared. "It was a -- consideration."

"You had her take up her sword before the press! Promise to defend! She was halfway to being sworn in before you --"

She had every intention of continuing, had in fact planned out the rant during the search and at one point, had nearly turned the opening stages into a mantra to help her stay both enraged and awake. But there were certain things which couldn't help but interrupt arguments, and the sound of a heat-abused part of the floor cracking was one of them.

"Concentrate on your breath, sister," the younger advised. "Not many know that stone can burn, and this is not the night to teach them."

Celestia raised her right forehoof, stepped back just enough to see both wound and glow. Glared at Luna.

"You didn't tell me." The words were slightly less heated than the air. "Everything that's happened, and you still didn't --"

The dark head dipped.

"...yes."

"Why?"

Softly, "This."

Celestia stopped.
Breathed.

It took a little time. Precious seconds before she stopped feeling as if every strand of her fur was a wick, with the world around her as waiting candle. And the whole time, Luna wouldn't meet her eyes.

"You were not with us, Tia," her sibling quietly said. "You did not see her fight, when the neurocypher came. I feel I would have survived: it... chose a different first meal, and that would have provided me with time to reach instinct. But some of our own would have died. They did not. I saw her fight, through the haze of the monster's power. It... required some nights to fully assemble the memory. And I realized -- what is her place? Abjura asked me that, at the arrival point. What does the world hold for a centaur, after Tirek? Fear. You saw that tonight. It holds fear. But when I could truly remember watching her battle..."

The silver-clad left forehoof scraped at the cooling floor.

"...you said you found beauty in watching her run? She fights like nothing I have ever seen. So few centaurs in our lives, and their ways were not hers. Certainly not Tirek's, content to drain from those in flight, watching pegasi plummet to their deaths while his only regret was that they did not possess more to steal. She is new, sister. Something strange, something unfamiliar, and... someone whose heart has been wounded. Who bleeds within every night. And who, when confronted with danger, gallops towards it. She brought back a memory..."

"He couldn't gallop." A statement of fact.

You invoked him...

Luna's lips almost quirked.

"Yes. Well. Two legs. She hardly reflects him in form, Tia. But -- a bleeding heart, a wounded soul, and a noble purpose. Look within and..."

A mare immune to cold shivered.

"...find a mirror," the younger concluded. "From the instant we first discussed the immigration option, I recognized the employment issue. Who would hire her? Even the boldest of our nation might hesitate. I can perceive the potential for somepony of great love to take the chance. I can think of such to have crossed our own lives. I remembered the first."

"The only reason I allowed some of them to retain the title of 'noble'," Celestia softly said. "And?"

"And he would not have been enough," Luna said. "Because there would always be others, forever the chance for one to successfully channel fear into aggression. She needed protection. The shield created by the palace, in so far as that might hold. And for employment here... what can she do?"

"Fight," the elder slowly acknowledged. "And that's part of the problem, Luna. You turned her into a combatant --"

"-- she needed her weapon."

"I know. We agreed on that days ago." The huge white forehoof stomped, doing so as the mane accelerated its flow. "Every sapient species has its own magic: a minotaur's strength can potentially break a unicorn's field, donkey endurance pushes forward through altered weather. We can't always counter each other directly, but everyone can at least try to find a way to defend themselves. Everyone but her. A sapient without magic, the only one I've ever seen, helpless every time she goes out in public. She needed the sword, and you were practically waiting on Wordia --"

"Somewhat predictable," the younger judged. "In a few ways."

"-- but this puts that sword in our service," Celestia forced. "You saw the original round of articles, when the rumors were going around. The fears of what we might use it for. That's international, Luna. They already deal with the fact that we're the only things standing between the world and global extinction. Most of them try not to think about it, and all of them do." The words were getting faster. "But they know they have their own magic, they tell themselves that their magic has a chance, and now we have someone who breaks magic. Try to guess what this is going to do at the next Zoology Conference. I'm guessing someone's going to propose rewriting the Treaty Of Menagerie to cover her, or exclude her, or just walk out. And that's before we get to what this is going to do with our own citizens, because some of them may decide that this means she's under our control, but others are going to see a centaur that close to a Princess and wonder when she's going to strike. Once again keeping in mind that if we both go down, Sun and Moon go --"

"-- I. Do. Not. CARE!"

The dark eyes had come up again, and frost began to creep across the stone. Radiating out from silver.

"Let them talk." The words were all too close to a hiss, cold syllables slicing through the air. "Let them scream, let them come. She has earned her chance, and how many of them can say the same? I know what we risked by bringing her into the light, sister: we both do. Two suicide attempts in Canterlot alone after the articles appeared, both stopped. An entire continent of police on high alert. And she is not stupid, Tia: she heard your request for a moment of mourning, she will realize that the fear may rise to the point where it could have started again. She already blames herself for --"

Stopped, as stars dimmed within the flaring mane and the ice chose its border.

"-- no," Luna whispered. "I still have not galloped that down, and I may find myself unable to tell you when I do. For having potentially tantalized... for that, I offer apology. But it comes back to those discarded options, sister. There is potential damage in every second she spends in the world, and we -- brought her into the light. Because the other choices equaled imprisoning her for what might have been a lifetime, and a rather short one. For the crime of existing. And rather than do that -- we took the chance, and hoped to avoid the worst of the toll. For one cycle, we did. And did you not say it should never be worse than the first night?"

Celestia did the only thing she could, in the presence of reflected (and echoed, so many echoes) pain. She waited.

"Her only chance," the younger finished. "Earned. So I do not care. They would talk regardless. Some scream because they wish to. They charge because it lets them pretend they are not afraid, while we remain ourselves and she bears her sword. They will come? Let them come. And I did not tell you, because..."

She sighed, and freshly-crystallized snowflakes fell to the floor.

"...we are equal in the Diarchy. That is the law. But even now, after the Return, and the era of new Bearers... not always in your own eyes, Tia. Too much time alone, and --"

The dark eyes looked away.

Gently, because that was what Luna needed now. "It wasn't your fault."

"Regardless," was a rather flat response. "So I allowed it to happen, before witnesses. And then you would have to support me."

The long white legs risked a step forward -- but just one, at least to start.

Celestia looked at her sister for a while. Considered that there were many ways to describe Luna. 'Diplomacy's other option' was internationally popular, along with being among the few such terms which remained printable. But there was something more accurate. For most of the palace staff, the younger could, with some truth, be regarded as a hyperintelligent force of nature, only one with lingering emotional issues and the public relations skills of an avalanche.

But for the elder, it was a sibling who still wasn't completely sure how to be home.

Ice slowly began to melt.

"I admit to being at something of a loss in one regard," the younger admitted as she once again stared out into the falling snow.

"Oh?" Genuinely curious.

"The training. At least the combat portions of it. We have never seen a centaur fight as she does: nopony has. We require somepony used to dealing with potential Guards, who is capable of not only adapting to new circumstances, but constantly dealing with having to be in the presence of a fighting centaur..."

The warm white wing draped itself across the cool dark back.

"Oh, Luna," Celestia smiled. "Have I got a pony for you..."