Luna was suspended in the middle of a web made of wires and tubes. Belts held her above the circle of runes carved in the floor, metal bands ran along her legs and joined together on her back. Her mane hung limp and gray, her eyes closed. The room was silent save for her ragged breathing. "You could have called me." Luna opened her eyes and looked down at the pony standing in front of her. Mane flowing in an eternal breeze, a posture radiating authority, and old eyes scrutinizing your soul. "I didn't think you would have come, Princess Twilight." "I would. Despite everything, I always come." "Not soon enough." Twilight Frowned and said, "I'm often busy, but that's not a good reason for wrestling the Moon from its scheduled orbit. It's not your role anymore. Have you any idea how much trouble—" "I won't see the next dawn." Twilight looked up. She opened her mouth, then closed it. She bit her lip and looked away. "Is there a problem with your life support?" Luna laughed. It was a weak and pathetic sound, barely distinguishable a fit of coughs. She said, "You were never good at lying, not even to yourself. You know it as well as me, there's nothing anypony can do. My time is up and this will be my last night. It's our fate." "Fate," Twilight spat the word out and looked Luna in the eyes. "A word cowards use to feel good about losing the control of their lives. I've shown you that there's no such thing." She looked around. "Where is Doctor Chitin?" "I sent him away. I wanted a bit of privacy for this," Luna said. "I wanted to talk to you. I need to bring you closure. I need closure." "Will you apologize?" "I won't. We did what was necessary." Twilight snarled. "You lied to me. For three centuries you fooled me." "And I would do it again." "Then what kind of closure do you want? Another shouting match?" Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I had one with Celestia already. I will not... What do you want?" "To not repeat the mistakes of my sister. I don't want your last memory of me being one of a fight." Luna shifted a bit her weight. Her muscles were weak, but the metal reacted to her intentions. "I want to make peace." "Apologize. Apologize for having groomed me to rule over ruins. For having shunned your responsibilities." "We never did that. We prepared you to be a good princess." "It was you who illuminated me about my grand destiny! [i]Luna keeps the Moon, Celestia guards the Sun, and when the time comes Twilight shall reign over the end of Equestria.[/i]" Twilight stomped with her hoof. "You could have told me and I would have prepared. Instead, you lied and shaped me into the overseer of your failures." Luna looked at Twilight, at the minuscule tears gathering at the corner of her eyes. Luna cursed silently the failing body keeping her bound up there. "I simply told you about the prophecy. I admit there was some uncertainty about the exact translation, an ambiguity with the words Sunset and Twilight, but it was what would be." "Horseapples. Your precious prophecy is a bunch of nonsense. There was no decadence, no end. Equestria still stands." "Twilight, please open the curtains and look outside." Twilight glared at here, then shrugged and walked to the curtains. She pulled them aside revealing a large window. Outside the Moon shone over a city. It was an endless expanse of towers and hanging gardens. Airy boulevards teeming with life separated the gargantuan buildings reaching to the stars. "You remember the old Equestria. Tell me, where are the little villages? Where are the wide, empty plains? Where's the white capitol sitting on the mountain?" Twilight looked at her city. Minutes passed before she answered, "They are gone." A griffon carrying some grubs passed in front of the window, closely followed by a flock of pegasus foals. "Gone along with the barriers separating us from other species. Gone with the poverty. Gone with the risk of losing everything because some ancient horror felt it was time to stretch its legs again." Twilight turned around and looked at Luna. "You may be right. The old Equestria is gone, but this," she pointed with her hoof at the window and said, "is better." Luna smiled. "Twilight, we never doubted it would be."