Guardians of Light: A Shadow Forms
Chapter 44-Night Incarnate
-Castle of the Two Sisters: 1,000 years before Nightmare Moon's return-
The chilling early morning breeze rushed through the castle, the halls whispering as the wind blew down the stone hallways. In the torch lit corridors, a single alicorn princess walked on the ornate floral carpets as she advanced to the castle's western watchtower.
Every step was agonizing, yet liberating. The years Luna had had with her sister in this castle antagonized her, taunting her with memories of happier times. Laughter echoed in her mind, her laughter at one of Celestia's jokes or the one of the many times they chased each other through these very halls.
Luna gritted her teeth at the past felicities. All the happy times, all the jokes, all the playtimes… in the end, they meant nothing.
Art thou ready, Princess Luna? The Shadow's voice beckoned from beside her.
Luna turned her head to see an alicorn's flickering shadow standing behind hers on the stone wall. The lunar alicorn paused her walk. "Why me?" She asked the shadow on the wall.
The shadow's head dipped, as if in somber contemplation. For many years I roamed this world. I searched and searched for a worthy candidate to carry on my cause of freedom. Every which way I turned I saw pride, selfishness, and cowardice. No one was willing to carry out my promise of liberation, blinded by their own ambitions. The shadow's head lifted again. But then I found thee, Princess of the Night.
Luna continued her walk, the tower's entrance just at the end of the hallway. "I am no different from any other pony."
That is where thou art wrong. The shadow said. Princess Luna, guardian of the nightly heavens and raiser of the moon. Everyone takes thee for granted. All the glory thou deserve, all the praise, is hoarded by thy sister. Had anyone else been in thy position, they would have given up long ago. And yet, thee carry on still. Thou bide thy time until thy moment has come. So it must be with the freedom I wish for this world. I would enact my plans sooner, but multitudes of forces have hindered me in the past. But with thy power, Princess, all that can change. This morning, Princess Luna, my crusade for independence and thy moment of glory have come.
Princess Luna stopped at the tower entrance, the stone archway beckoning her inside. "And what of my sister?"
Celestia has had her moment for long enough. Now it is thy turn to reign over Equestria, and bring my freedom to the world.
Mustering what determination she had, Luna stepped through the archway and into the base of the circular tower. A spiral staircase greeted her, circling the perimeter of the walls up to the very top.
Luna glanced to the wall, her eyebrows knitting together at seeing the shadow was no longer on the wall next to her.
"Shadow?" She called, her eyes scanning the stones around her.
Do not worry, Princess Luna. I am still with thee. The voice said, this time from below her.
Luna's eyes dropped to the floor, a second shadow standing next to hers. Breathing a small sigh of relief, Luna placed her hoof on the first step as she began her ascent.
"I'll be here for thee no matter what may happen." Celestia's voice whispered in her mind.
Luna tried to shake the voice from her head. Lies. That's all she has said are lies.
"Do not doubt thyself, for thou art stronger and more powerful than thou realize."
Luna's hooves began to move faster up the stairs, her facial expression hardening at her sister's words.
"Thou art as kind as thou art hard-working, Luna."
She was galloping now, the steps coming into her vision as quickly as they went. "Get out of my head!"
"I am proud of thee, Luna."
"Silence!" Luna's voice echoed through the tower, her gallop becoming a sprint.
"I love thee with all my heart, Luna. Nothing can change that."
Luna's hooves instantly stopped, her heart racing as fast as her breathing. A single tear dripped from her cheek onto the stone stair under her hoof. All for nothing.
"Maybe if thou presented thyself to the people more often and mingled with them, thou would experience the same love and joy that the citizens of Equestria have given me." Celestia's voice suddenly turned cold.
Luna caught her breath as she resumed her climb.
"Thy power of the night is forfeit, Luna."
Luna's features hardened once more, picking up her gallop up the stairs.
"Foolish sister. Why hide in the shadows when I have the power of light?"
Luna gnashed her teeth at the memories, the words Celestia had said in that vision in the Crystal Empire ringing in her mind. Deep down in her heart, she now knew that her suspicions back then were true.
"With my power, the sun as well as the moon shall soon be mine."
Luna's wings flared open. "NOOO!" With a great flap, Luna shot into the air, zipping past flights of stairs. The wind stung her eyes, tears leaking from the sides of her eyes and falling to the floor below. "Thou want my power, sister? Then thou wilt have to claim it from me!"
"My nation needs a strong leader. One who can provide a beacon of hope for them in times of trial. My sun shall be that beacon."
Luna reached the top of the tower, landing on the highest step. "Then the moon shall become a new beacon for them."
Walking through the tower's exit archway, she stepped out onto the tower's balcony. The Everfree Forest stretched into the horizon, the moon's silver light shone full against the night sky.
"Thou asked if I was ready, Shadow." Luna uttered. "I now know that I am prepared for what is to come." Luna kept her gaze focused on the moon. Her moon, not Celestia's.
"Excellent." The Shadow said, its voice no longer an echo in the princess's mind.
Luna turned around to see the deep grey alicorn she'd seen before. His slit yellow eyes looked entrancingly into her blue ones. On his front hoof was that trademark black vambrace. His black mane and tail flapped in the breeze, a fanged grin adorning his visage.
"What is thy plan, Shadow?" Luna asked.
"Lower the moon first, Luna. We do not want to keep Celestia and her adoring public waiting." The Shadow instructed, gesturing towards the moon. "But keep in mind, that once our powers combine, there may be some altercations to thy form."
Luna nodded. "Do it." She said, turning back around as her horn began to glow a bright blue. As her horn's aura intensified, the moon slowly began to fall towards the horizon. What light the moon provided in the night began to fade as it was lowered into the trees of Everfree. For the last time for a thousand years to come, Luna had lowered the moon. Luna's magic faded as the moon disappeared into the west. Now the only lights in the sky were the stars, the hundreds of twinkling eyes watching their princess.
"Brace thyself." The grey alicorn spoke, his form melting into a black shadow on the floor of the balcony.
Luna closed her eyes as the Shadow began to meld his form with hers. She couldn't see or feel it as the Shadow's form began to crawl onto hers. The dark blue fur on her back legs gave way to its new black color. The blackness snaked and swirled its way onto her back as the Shadow spread. Luna felt a twinge as the bones in her wings sharpened, giving them a smoother, longer, and more angular figure. Luna grunted she felt her legs extend, the stretching of her muscles and bones bringing surprisingly little pain. The blackness shot up her neck and down her chest, covering her torso completely. The darkness reached her mane, the billowing night sky-like mane thrashing about as it changed. It grew longer, darker, and wilder. The shadow curved down to Luna's muzzle. Luna could feel her flat teeth sharpening into fangs. Finally, Luna closed her eyes as the shadow overtook her completely, the blackness turning her eyelids nightshade purple. Opening her eyes, Luna's had morphed into a pair of slits, their pupils surrounded by sharp teal irises.
"And so the night becomes incarnate." The Shadow and Luna's voice melded together as she spoke. Luna beheld her new form. She felt strong, powerful, like there was no force in the world that could overpower her.
"But what is princess of the night without her royal accouterments?" Shadow-Luna said, her new elongated horn glowing a bright teal. Six figures flashed into existence with an explosion of blue-green light. On the ground sat four blue steel hoof boots, a large spike extending upwards from each one. Beside them lay a wraparound chest piece made of the same metal, a lighter blue engraving of the moon adorning the front of the piece. And finally, in front of all these, sat a steel helmet. Her horn lighting up once more, a similarly hued aura enveloped the chest piece. Unclasping the locks on the back, she looped the bars around her neck before locking them together again. The chest piece fell and hung on her chest, a perfect fit. She stepped into the boots, the spikes perfectly riding up the fronts of her legs. Finally, the newly transformed alicorn levitated the helmet off the ground. She gazed into the helmet's empty eyeholes as Shadow-Luna drew in a breath. Bringing it over her head, Shadow-Luna fit her horn through the helmet's hole, slowly lowering it onto her head. Slipping her ears into the helmet's ear holes, Shadow-Luna rested it atop her head, the curled neck brace of the helmet fitting comfortably on the back of her neck.
Shadow-Luna sucked in a breath through her nostrils, a smile broadening across her face. The alicorn's eyes narrowed as she caught a faint orange light beaming from the east behind the castle. Celestia had raised the sun. With a fanged smile, Shadow-Luna entered the castle. Now all she had to do was wait for Celestia's return. "Prepare thyself, Princess Celestia." Shadow-Luna proclaimed. "For Nightmare Moon awaits thee."