The last rays of sunlight had long since faded when Celestia alit upon the highest balcony of the tallest tower in Canterlot. She rarely came to this particular corner of her castle; some error in design or construction had left it without a door, making it impossible to access without flight. The princess of the day had little use for the deserted balcony, but she suspected that it was the solitude that had attracted its other occupant. Princess Luna stood across from her, back turned, wings tucked at her sides, head raised toward the heavens. If she had noticed Celestia's landing, she gave no sign.

The white alicorn moved to her sister's side, hooves clopping slowly on the rough stone. "Good evening, little sister."

Luna sighed, continuing to gaze up at the heavens as she responded absentmindedly, "Is it? I do like when the moon is a waxing gibbous. I did my best tonight. I always try my best, but some nights are better than others. Isn't that odd?"

"Sister," Celestia ignored the question, "I haven't seen you at court. You need to come back to the world, learn to live again. You've avoided our subjects so much that I fear your desire for solitude may be consuming you. How long has it been since you've moved from this spot?"

"Since the last full moon, sister. Since the last full moon."

Celestia felt guilt at that; she hadn't realized how time had run away from her. She should have come sooner. Since her sister had returned to Canterlot, they'd spoken only a few times; Luna hadn't taken the revelation of her old knowledge of the hearts and love of their people well. Still, the princess of the sun felt as though if she could just find one crack in her sister's shell of bitterness, she could have the old Luna back, the Luna that had loved to laugh. She tried another angle, "Why don't you try some sleep? I found it to be a very pleasing experience, the first time I tried it; I'm no longer surprised that most ponies do it once a day."

The princess of the night looked toward Celestia, raising an eyebrow, "I remember when you would have considered sleep to be beneath you. You've become similar to our subjects in so many ways since you imprisoned me."

Celestia smiled down at her sister, despite the alicorn's hostile words, "Being like the ponies is not a bad thing, dear sister, as you well know. The fact that you ate and drank and traded jests and wit, the fact that you seemed like one of the herd while I stood apart, partaking in none of it, that was one of the things that made the ponies of Equestria love you."

"Well, sister, I'm afraid that my wit is somewhat dulled; I am a thousand years out of practice, after all. I believe my verbal jabs leave bruises where once they cut to the quick," Luna smiled wryly, sadness obvious in her eyes, "Loved, did they? In the past. They used to love. Sister, I was moved by your forgiveness, after all I'd done, but when you told me the truth about how things were... I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive you. For keeping it from me then. For telling me now, when it's too late. That love is a thousand years dead."

The white alicorn turned her head away from her sister as tears began to form in her eyes, "I don't blame you, Luna. It took me centuries to find it in my heart to forgive you for what you did as Nightmare Moon. I only hope that you're a wiser being than I am. If you want to love me as you once did, sister, if you want to forgive, then connect with our subjects. It is their forgiveness, their empathy, their friendship that taught me a better way than plotting vengeance. Centuries ago, when a few ponies found it within themselves to forgive me for the tyranny I inflicted upon them, to be my friends, that was what started to melt the ice in my heart. Frozen things are brittle; they break easily, sister, and the heart is no exception. Think on it. Goodnight." She flapped her wings, soaring away from the balcony; she feared that anything else she said would do more harm than good.

From behind her, Celestia heard a whisper on the wind, "The forgiveness of our subjects..."