Celestia's Lament
I hobbled down the halls of the ruined palace, my injuries paining me as I made my way to the courtyard. My battle with Nightmare Moon had left me with many painful injuries. Half my body was wrapped in bandages, everything hurt and even walking had become difficult to do. But I had to be out here as I raised the moon for the first time…without her.
Casting my eyes to the sky, I looked at my beautiful sun as it shone in all its glory. Its warmth filled me as I summoned the strength necessary to set it to rest so that the moon could guard the night as it always did. With a heavy heart and a weary sigh, I lowered the sun and bid the ponies of Equestria goodnight as I raised the moon.
Once my task was done, my daily duty fulfilled, I paused to look at the moon. It was something I had never really done before, but now I could not look away. On that celestial orb, was my sister. I had banished my sister. I had turned my back on her when she had needed me the most, and then I banished her to the moon.
As I stared at the moon and thought of the battle with Nightmare Moon, I thought of Luna, my sweet sister. How could I have never seen what a hundred years of neglect from our subjects and standing in my shadow had done to her? How it had changed her?
As I stared at my sister's beloved moon, I could not stop the tears as they came faster and faster until I was sobbing under the gentle light of the moon.
"Forgive me, Luna," I whispered as I wept. I knew that she couldn't hear me from her prison, but I needed her to know how sorry I was. "I didn't see what was happening before my very eyes…how you were being neglected and left alone." I continued to sob, letting all of my sorrow pour out of me.
Drained of the last of my strength, I fell to the cold grass. The moon covered me in her light. She was beautiful. I didn't move. I didn't want to move. This would be as close as I was going to be to her for the next thousand years.
"I'm sorry," I whispered.