//------------------------------// // Banished // Story: NightMare Revisited // by jdan //------------------------------// “Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousandth year, my stars will aid in my escape and I will bring about ever lasting night. Finally.” “Aughh! All the ponies in this town are CRAZY!” Twilight grabbed her mane in between her front hooves and tugged hard. Pain shot across her scalp and she rolled over in her bed burying her face in a pillow. She disliked this place already, back in Canterlot nopony would just throw a party in her house without prior consent! Back in Canterlot nopony would douse cupcakes with hot sauce, and back in Canterlot she could do more research to figure out how to stop Nightmare Moon from returning! Warmness pricked at the corners of her eyes and she was forced to squeeze them shut to prevent tears from flowing. Through squinted eyes she gazed out her window at the full opulent moon hanging low in the sky. With a small sniff she cocked her head trying to take in the view from a different angle. It was larger than it’s usual self, something about the stars was off kilter and the mare formation in the moon seemed to be less obvious than usual. She let out another small sniff and rubbed her eyes, perhaps she was just seeing things. “I hope the Princess is right” the words barely escaped her lips “I hope it’s just an old pony tale.” Music from the library downstairs erupted into the purple mare’s room as the door was flung open. “Come on Twilight! It’s time to watch the sun rise!” Spike’s enthusiastic demeanor did little to calm the pony’s restless mind, but he was right. The festival was about to start whether she was ready for it or not. ---- Celestia signed her name at the bottom and rolled up the freshly penned scroll. After handing it to a pegasus of the royal guard and directing him towards the griffin homeland, the Princess turned to her two personal guards. With a nod they bowed lightly and dismissed themselves. The predawn darkness pressed down on the Princess with the weight of the world. Looking out over her balcony she exhaled a single breath she wasn’t aware she was holding. The steam from her mouth floated up towards the sky where her eyes fell on the moon. It’s radiance, made brighter by the lack of any lunar formations, cast her shadow through the balcony door and onto her bedroom floor. Keeping her eyes locked on the celestial orb, she spoke. “I knew you would be back for me first.” Her sisters moon shimmered in the tears streaming slowly over her cheek bones. “I have to try to stop you. You know that right?” Silence encroached on her words as she spoke them, as if trying to prevent them from coming out of her mouth. Princess Luna’s timid voice broke the silence, seemingly hours later. “It’s gorgeous, isn’t it?” Her soft words penetrated the night causing Celestia to inhale sharply. “Luna...” Celestia whispered as she turned to face her sister. A sob escaped her throat as she saw the pony standing next to her was not her sister at all. “Luna, listen to me!” She demanded with feeble composure. Still fixated on the moon, the dark mare spoke again. “I do hope that the rest of Equestria enjoys it’s gorgeousness as much as we do...” Her voice became constrained and higher pitched as she continued her sentence, becoming less and less like Luna’s voice “...because it will be there for the rest of their lives!” Nightmare Moon turned to Celestia, revealing her full set of armor and elliptic teal eyes. Jagged teeth glinted in the moon light as she sneered at the quivering state of the Princess. “Hello, Sister” The demon mare let out a high pitched laugh at her own words, causing Celestia to take a shaky step back. “I’ve missed you, but now I think it’s your turn.” ---- Twilight loitered back at the outskirts of the crowd, poking her head in and out of the other groups that had gathered, looking for Spike. A sense of loneliness filled her heart as she continued looking for her friend. She let out a long sigh and dropped her gaze to the ground, wishing her brother were here to experience the raising of the sun with her. Having Shining around always provided a sense of security she could never have with anypony else. She drug her hoof through the dirt, lost in thought. Twilight was called back to reality a few moments later by Spike calling her name from somewhere in the middle of the crowd. She felt a jump of joy and started inching behind ponies to reach her friend. “There you are!” Pinkie Pie threw her front hooves into the air and grinned, somehow keeping Spike secure on her back the entire time too. The other ponies that she had checked up on earlier in the day were there too, waiting to view the rising of the sun. Twilight let a smile creep across her face as she stood with the other five ponies, if Spike liked them they at least had good character. Twilight let her gaze wander to the raised pedestal where the Princess and her personal mentor would make an appearance to raise the sun in just a few minutes. ---- Celestia knew what would happen next. Having prepared for this night, her plan was not to go down easily. Ideally she would have had her sister return from the moon full of forgiveness. Worst case scenario she would come back and need to be retaught how to use magic. What had actually happened was much worse, as not only did Nightmare Moon come back in place of Luna, but every word she spoke and movement she made seemed to be laced with malice and a cruel intent that wasn’t there before. Nightmare Moon leveled her head and with a fluid motion of the alicorn’s wings propelled herself forward, driving her horn towards Celestia’s heart. A blinding flash of white light and the demon's horn drove straight into the stone wall, leaving a thick hole. “Luna, listen to me! You don’t need to do this, I can help you fight this demon and we can rule Equestria together!” Celestia was screaming from the other side of the room at her sister. Pain was apparent on her face as she stared back at her sister through moist eyes. “Please...” she offered. Nightmare Moon simply laughed and used her own magic to teleport closer to Celestia. “Neat trick, but you can’t run forever!” With that she teleported beside Celestia and thrust her horn forward, this time making contact with the Princess’s abdomen. Celestia grimaced as her own sister’s horn dove further into her side. Dark magic raged through her body, anger and fear replaced the love and harmony that previously occupied her heart. She turned towards her assailant to look her in her eyes, the deep teal eyes that had replaced her sister’s so long ago. The demon pulled her horn out of Celestia’s side, with nothing supporting her anymore the Princess dropped to her knees. Towering above her stood Nightmare Moon, but when the Princess looked up, her blood froze. The rage filled teal eyes that had donned her sisters face were now gone, in their place were her sisters eyes, Luna’s eyes. Filled with one thousand years of sorrow and regret. Admiring the work that their owner had just performed. “Luna...” Celestia said, keeping her eyes locked on her sister's as they changed back into the nightmare eyes filled with hatred. A grin spread across her sister’s face as she lowered her horn to Celestia’s own. “...I’m sorry” Nightmare Moon touched her horn to Celestia’s and the white alicorn collapsed. Stepping away, she watched as the former Princess of Equestria’s body began peeling away into licks of fire. Soon her entire presence, physical and magical, had left the kingdom. Nightmare Moon watched as the last few shreds of flame extinguished and turned to ash, floating to the ground. Nightmare Moon turned from her sister’s chamber and dissipated into a deep purple smoke.