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Luna had returned.

She could hardly contain herself as she hugged her big sister for the first time in an eon. She squeezed her tightly, savouring every bit of her, her feel, her smell and her warmth. She had endured centuries of torment, embarked on a life-threatening quest, slain a princess, lost her best friend and and came face to face with her inner demons just to be at this very spot at this very time. Now she was there with her and it was all worth it. Tears clung to her eyes as she relived it all in her mind. Every emotion coursed through her, pulsing a new emotion each time a new memory arose.

Celestia let gentle tears fall as the princess of the moon embraced her. For as long as she could remember she had lived with a wretched guilt, a guilt that tore at the very fiber of her soul. The guilt that lived by her movement to send her her sister to the most desolate, lonely and miserable place and watched her from afar, powerless to help her.

In this moment that guilt was gone though and all she knew was that she dearly loved her sister.

It shortly returned as she let go of Luna and looked down into her deep and innocent eyes. She knew that nothing would make it right, now or ever. How could somepony ever repay Luna for what Celestia did to her?  She couldn't ask Luna for forgiveness and any attempt to would be a meaningless gesture, incapable of lifting the infinite guilt she carried. Still she deserved something grand.

Yet in Luna's eyes, all Celestia saw was the desire to be with her. They sparkled like a child seeing their grandpony or receiving the treasured toy they wished for. As tears welled up in Luna's eyes from sheer bliss, Celestia could not help but tear up too. Luna's innocence and pure love was the most beautiful legend. Nothing else mattered to Luna but Celestia. Her guilt compounded in ways unfathomable.

'Why me?' she thought, 'I am unworthy. Please don't stare at me like that. You don't deserve me. You deserve so much more Luna...'

Another pony started crying from the emotional impasse taking place in front of her. Celestia knew that she needed to profess her guilt to Luna, but not right now. Not so insincerely in front of other ponies. She needed to be alone with Luna so she could say everything without fear. Celestia couldn't contain herself, the guilt was crushing her and she was on the verge of breaking down. Short erratic sobs were beginning to surface. Luna's eyes turned sad for a moment, pushing Celestia over the edge.

'Come on, keep it together...'

The pink pony who smelled of cotton candy that had been crying a moment earlier saved Celestia from a complete breakdown with a bizarre suggestion.

"Hey, you know what this calls for?! A party!"

Just having the another pony speak and suggest something was enough for Celestia to regain her senses entirely. She was a princess and she needed to act like it. She steeled herself and proceeded to throw Luna the best party she could. She at least deserved a welcome home party.

The festivities for the Summer Sun Celebration would still be in Ponyville, so it only made sense to have it there. Anyways the pony named Pinkie Pie seemed exceptional at planning fun parties so all the more reason.

Luna entered the town timidly, unsure of her reception. Celestia could see hesitance in her eyes as well, she must have been ashamed releasing Nightmare Moon unto the world. Of all the ponies in Equestria, Luna was the last one who should be feeling guilt. She looked down with a glum look on her face, avoiding eye contact with the other ponies, almost wishing to be invisible. She didn't know any of these ponies and was confused by their strange town and the dialects with which they spoke. A few little pegasi lifted a flower reef over her head so it sat on her like a necklace. It made her feel a bit better and even though it wasn't officially Luna's party, it served the same purpose all the same.

Luna returned to Canterlot Castle later that night. I had been an exhausting day for her and she was just glad to go back home with her big sister.

They had purposely avoided talking about the imprisonment, Nightmare Moon or any of the other touchy topics during their time in Ponyville and instead put on royal and graceful faces for their subjects. Almost as if she never left, she talked with Celestia and shared memories with her seamlessly. It helped to erode the tension between them but as they avoided more and more topics that came up, it pinpointed one specific fact.

They had a lot to talk about and when they did sit down to go over them, tears would be shed and they'd pour their hearts out to each other.

But for now, Celestia opted to tour Luna around the castle. Even though much had changed in the last 1000 years, some parts of the castle were still reasonably similar and Luna found comfort in the familiarity.

"Oh I am quite anxious to see! Tempt me no more my sister.I must know!, the library it still housest the great window before the moon?" Luna asked excitedly as they strolled through the castle.

"I sure hope it does. Did it look like this?" Celestia said, opening the doors and motioning to a great window. Through it the full moon shone almost perfectly center. Celestia wanted to see the moon reflect in her eyes and awkwardly peered around her until she got just the right angle.

It was just like Luna had remembered.

"Most wonderful! I thank thee sister! Tis just like that of the other world." Luna had only revealed so much of her experience, leaving Celestia guessing as to what the cryptic hints meant.

"The other world?" Celestia asked.

"Aye I shall explain it later when we have more time! Tis a wondrous tale of adventure and peril."

"I would certainly like to hear of your adventure during your time away,"

Celestia was still extremely uncomfortable talking with Luna about the sealing. Even though the elephant in the room had settled down an started a small family, they both did their best to ignore it. There would be a time and place for them to unwind and catch up. Still, Celestia could not help but remember the haunting sight of her sister trying to commit suicide for months on end when Luna spoke of her "time away".

"My most dearest sister, I know it may be a childish request, but it would do me great comfort if thou would allowest me to bed in thy's chambers tonight," Luna asked nervously. She blushed a startling shade of red.

Celestia was surprised by Luna's request, but saw no need to object to it. It was actually extremely fortunate for her, as she had not introduced Luna to Cadance yet, and for the time being, Cadance slept in Luna's old room. Celestia foresaw a conflict that Luna didn't need to deal with right now.

"Of course you may. It would be just like when we were fillies. Do you remember that time oh so long ago?"

"Aye! I do! I have wondered, dost thou remember when we escaped to the castle grounds and found the butterfly?"

"Of course, you were so frightened of it. T'was but a harmless butterfly..." Celestia trailed off as she recalled the memory. It was a special memory to both of them, one that bound them together across distances and dimension. If they could just go back to then, before they grew up and fell before the terrible deeds that stained both of them today.

Luna went to embrace her sister for a second time since she returned. This time it was much longer as neither of them feared the judging eyes of their subjects. They rubbed each other's backs and stroked each other's hair. Silent tears fell and glistened in the in the faint light radiating from the stars in Luna's mane. A candid moment of love between the sisters.

They retired to Celestia's chambers and both crawled into bed together. Celestia cuddled around Luna, keeping her close and warm. It was no different from when they were fillies and Luna had a bad dream. She always went to Celestia from comfort. Even though Luna was happy, her expression masked a worry that only Celestia could pinpoint.

"Luna... Tomorrow we are going to talk. We avoided it all day today, but there are things that I must tell that simply cannot wait. I love you so much little sister..." Celestia whispered emotionally into her ear. Celestia began to break down.

Luna could not help but reflect her sister's tone. She didn't want both of them to break down right now, but seeing her sister cry was one of the most heartbreaking sights. She had never seen Celestia cry so genuinely. Her sister was usually so strong-willed and invincible. Even now she was trying her hardest to hold it in, only letting quiet sniffles slip out, she could tell her sister was fighting a losing battle.

The sniffles steadily became longer, but Celestia refused to give in. She tried to take longer breaths to steady herself, but after the first one she cracked. Luna heard the smallest, most insignificant, most emotional little whine ever to escape her sister. After hearing it, Celestia  gritted her teeth and shut her eyes tight. She  tried with all her will to hold in her voice and only let silent air speak her mind, but as she exhaled a slightly louder whine escaped. It was followed by a cascade of loud sobs coupled with a river of tears. Nothing had been too much for Celestia to handle and only a few time was she even fazed by the happenings of the world. Yet here she was crying like a little filly.

"Nay I beg of thee. Dry thy eyes, can we not..." Luna began crying too, only barely able to choke out her words. As she cried harder she realized that nothing felt better than crying with Celestia alone in her hooves. She needed to cry and so did Celestia.

"Can... we... not.... what?" Celestia coughed out in a raspy voice. She had been constricting her vocal chords to prevent the sound that ultimately led to her downfall.

"T'was nothing... Weep with me sister..."

So they did, and began the release of a thousand years of loneliness, helplessness, desperation and hope. Only their sobs pierced the silence for some time. They didn't know the exact reason for why they cried, nor did they know for how long they cried, but they soaked their pillows through with tears.

An indescribable combination of emotions flew through them, together. They hearts were so in tune that they would merely look in the other's eyes and smile and memory would come flooding back to them. An unspoken and beautiful harmony led them down one memory to another and they shared in the emotion of them, sometimes one sympathetically for the other and sometimes joined. Celestia could share in the misery of Luna's imprisonment and cried for her. Luna could share bittersweetness that Celestia felt when she would sing her lullabies that she used to sing for Luna as a filly alone, to a full moon. But what caused them to cry the longest was the pure bliss they shared to have Luna finally return home. For almost two hours, they cried, laughed and cuddled as their eyes grew puffy and their manes became tangled.This moment was 1000 years coming and nothing would stop them from having it. So they cried until the mercy of sleep took them.

It was only the beginning as tomorrow, the real pain would be released. Next Chapter: Chapter 2 Estimated time remaining: 29 Minutes