The spell broke, and just like that, she could see everything with fresh eyes.

The first thing she felt was utter and complete exhaustion. She imitated a ragdoll as she very nearly collapsed onto the floor, only being held upwards by some force gripping her wrists.

Everything in her told her to close her eyes, but she fought to keep them open and lift her head.

She looked around the now familiar room, taking everything in. The plants by the window that looked in need of watering. Atlas, making them dinner in the kitchen. A bookshelf overflowing with spell books that Luna had bought for her.

Luna staring at her with a worried expression and tears in her eyes.

“Lun-“ she cut herself off with a cough, confused at how raspy her voice was. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

Luna let out a small sob, as tears began to trail down her face. “Hi,” she managed.

Dawn tried to talk again, tried to ask what was so terrible that had happened to make Luna cry, but all the breath was pushed out of her lungs as her left wrist was seemingly let go by whatever was holding it up, causing her arm to collapse and the left side of her body to follow.

Luna stepped forward, keeping Dawn steady with a tentative hand on her waist as if she wasn’t sure if this was ok or not.

Dawn was even more confused now. Luna hadn’t seemed this uncertain about something so simple between them in years.

Luna, oblivious to the puzzlement plaguing Dawn’s thoughts, tried for a smile. “Don’t worry,” she said. “Cosmo is just taking your bindings off.”

Questions once again rushed through Dawn’s head. Why had she been bound? When has Cosmo ever been this quiet? Who made Luna cry?

Just as suddenly as before, Dawn felt the remaining pressure on her right wrist disappear. With nothing to hold her up anymore she began to collapse, but was pulled forward by Luna so instead of falling to the ground, Dawn fell right on top of Luna.

It took Dawn a moment to process what happened after that, but when she felt Luna shaking, felt hands around her body, heard someone whispering “you’re safe now, you’re here with us”, realization hit her with a start.

She had made Luna cry.

Something must’ve happened to her. She wasn’t sure what, but when Luna got this worried, she wasn’t this gentle unless she was worried about physical injury. However, as far as Dawn could tell, she wasn’t physically unwell aside from being bone tired.

But whatever happened could wait. Luna needed to know that Dawn was ok.

With all her remaining strength, she lifted her arms and wrapped them around Luna as tightly as she could. “I’m okay,” she said softly.

The dam broke. Luna was well and truly sobbing now, guttural cries pried from her throat as her arms tightened around Dawn, bringing her as close as she possibly could.

“We’re ok.” Dawn felt herself slipping into unconsciousness, but she needed Luna to know this. “I’m okay,” she repeated.

The last thing she said before sleep took over was “I love you”.