A Dance Between the Sun and the Voice in Her Head

by MistOverMoon

Chapter Thirteen - Cracks

More blood was poured into the urn. Soon Celestia would have enough blood to complete the spell matrix. It would only be a couple more days at most.

She had been storing her blood in an enchanted urn to keep it from rotting. It was macabre, but there was no other way to do it. The urn was stored inside the secluded tower as well the Alicorn Amulet. Soon, soon she would have more information on Void. Then, she would finally banish him from her head forever.

With the grim harvest done for the day Celestia flew back down from the tower. This time, before she left, she scanned the area for any unwanted watchers. Luna could be spying on her, and she didn't want to have to explain this to her. Thankfully, there seemed to be no unwanted eyes.

There was more work to be done today. More work, a meeting, documents to sign, it all needed to be done so she could rise again with the sun tomorrow. She also needed to speak with Cadance and keep training her to take over the Crystal Empire which was set to appear soon.

Celestia glided back down to the castle on shaky wings. A day had passed since the argument in the dining room. She had not seen Luna or Nightmare Moon since then. Maybe Luna just gave up on her. Celestia couldn't blame her.

Her hooves set down gently on the stone. With a practiced regal air Celestia walked the halls of the castle to her study.

"Your majesty!" Nightmare Moon's voice came from behind her.

Celestia stopped in her tracks.

"Yes?" Celestia said.

"Please forgive me your majesty. I- I never meant to get between you and your sister." Nightmare Moon bowed. "I can leave if you wish. It was never my intention to-"

"Enough, Nightmare Moon. I don't know if this is all just some trick, but I will say this." Celestia forced the words out of her choked throat. "You mean something to my sister. I can tell that you have a strong bond with Luna, something that I never had with other ponies. Please, I am putting my trust in you now. Take care of Luna."

"Your majesty, what do you mean you could never bond with ponies? You are the princess of the sun and ruler of Equestria. Everypony loves you!" Nightmare Moon said. "Why can't we all be friends?"

"You could never understand. You are the manifestation of my failures, how can I ever come to terms with that?" Celestia ground her teeth together, her back still turned to Nightmare Moon.

"I know that your majesty, I can't change my creation or how I look. However, if you could tell me what ails you then perhaps, we could begin to heal and come to terms with-"

"Nightmare Moon. That is enough." Celestia said. "Go back to Luna."

"...Yes, your majesty." Nightmare Moon said.

Celestia walked away without waiting. Nopony could understand her situation. The grating loneliness of being an immortal sun princess. The work, the meetings, the entire kingdom watching you every waking moment. Adventure which she used to love was now foreign to her. Luna, the only pony that could possibly understand her had hated her for the love of the ponies she received. If only Luna had seen just how valuable those few friendships she had were. Few friends, but good friends. Friends with bonds that would never break. Maybe then she never would have turned into Nightmare Moon.

Now, it seemed history was destined to repeat itself. Luna would not turn back into Nightmare Moon, as confusing at the whole situation was. There was a change in Luna, her new powers would see that such a thing would never happen again. Maybe... maybe Luna could rule for a few hundred years?

She shook her head. Celestia would never throw Luna into that situation. She had been gone for a thousand years. Maybe they would never have the relationship they used to, but Celestia would never doom her sister to such a fate. Not again. Her love for Luna would never fade, no matter the passage of time, no matter how much Luna feared and hated her. Their bond was just... simply not meant to be. At least not until she eradicated Void from existence. Maybe then she could start over.

"She is a real charmer, isn't she? I knew she was a good friend." Void said. "How is the blood collection going by the way, I can't wait to see what you do with it."

Celestia ignored the words and entered her office. She closed the door then sat down at her desk.

"This situation seems familiar, doesn't it? You alone in your office and a voice talking to you in your head."

She wet the end of her quill with ink and put it to paper.

"You know, I don't know why you think killing me is going to do anything. I'm just a voice in your head."

"I will analyze your amulet, then get rid of you. There is nothing more to it." Celestia said.

"There she is! I knew my sun still had that spark in her. Say, I can't wait until you complete that spell matrix. The thrill, the anticipation... The presentation! All of it just rings with dark magic, doesn't it?"

"Indeed." Celestia wrote another phrase on the paper.

"Boring, dreadfully boring." Void sighed. "If only you could regenerate blood faster. Say, why don't you use some of Luna's?"

"Silent, deceiver." Celestia slammed her hoof on her desk. "I would never harm Luna; I would never harm any of my ponies unless I had to."

"Morally uptight much?" Void huffed.

"I have waited for centuries; I can wait two more days." Celestia said.

"Well, I'm just a tad excited. Sorry about that, I'll leave you alone for now."

Celestia once again found herself alone. With a sigh she went back to her work. When she finally finished hours had passed. Exhausted once again, she made her way to her room for a nap. She could have lunch in the dining room but the thought of meeting seeing Luna again was enough to have it sent to her room instead.

As she started to eat there was a knock at her door. Celestia ignored it, maybe they wouldn't notice she was inside. The knocking grew louder and louder and more frantic until Celestia eventually cast a silence spell on the door. That would stop the noise.

She turned back to eating only to hear another knock. This time it came from behind her.

Hesitantly, Celestia turned to look at the source of the noise.

Luna was outside her window tapping on the glass as she sat on a cloud. Her serious face and insistent tapping suggested something that Celestia did not want to deal with. She shut the shades with her magic. With a sigh she turned back to her food. For desert today was a slice of mixed berry cake. It was a little different, but Celestia could not wait to try it. Just as she was taking a bite of the cake, the window shattered.

Glass showered the room as Luna came flying through the window. She landed with a thud, her starry mane billowing with magic power.

"Sister, we have come to discuss issues most pressing!" Luna stomped towards her, her hooves crushing glass into the carpet.

"Luna, I don't want to talk about this right now." Celestia took a bite of the cake, all the while not looking at Luna.

"Nay! We will speak sister, why did you stumble in the dining room?" Luna stopped right in front of her. "Why have you forgiven Nightmare Moon all of a sudden?"

"I took your advice to heart." Celestia chewed on her cake, she didn't really taste it anymore. "Nightmare Moon was innocent."

"Then why do we not reconcile? Let us be sisters once more. Is that not what you wanted?" Luna said.

"It is." Celestia went to take another bite of her cake only for it to be snatched out of her grip.

"What is wrong? What are you not telling us?" Luna held the cake back. "Speak sister! Why do you stumble, why do you not address me directly?"

"Luna." Celestia said with a warning tone. "Give me my cake."

"We shall not! Not until you tell us what ails you." Luna demanded.

Celestia turned her head away. She wished she could tell her sister what was happening. About the voice, about the pain, the blood, the amulet. However, telling Luna about Void would only grow his power. Telling her about her fatigue, the blood, the amulet, how could she possibly tell Luna about all of that? She was the sun of Equestria, the sun did not have time to be tired.

"Why? Why doth everything we touch fall apart?" Luna's voice seemed small. "Why won't you tell us?"

"Luna, I would tell you if I could." Celestia didn't like seeing Luna in such a state, her head down and eyes watery.

"You lie. You won't tell us because you do not trust us. In your eyes we are still the nightmare." Luna's watery eyes hardened. "Is that not it?"

"Luna, I would never see you like that!" Celestia said.

"Then why can't you tell us!" Luna shouted.

"I just... I can't. If I told you then you would be more terrified of me than you are now." Celestia looked away. "I can't tell you."

"It's Nightmare Moon, isn't it? She told us what you thought of her." Luna turned her back. "If you cannot get over yourself and open up to us, then we will not bother asking again!"

Celestia watched as her sister flew back out the window she had shattered. With her magic she pieced it back together until her window was whole again.

All of this arguing was draining. Then her gaze went to her cake, it was upside-down on the carpet. Amazing, just great, now she didn't even have her cake.

Did Luna even care about her anymore? The answer was clear, no. Nobody cared about her, her problems, her wishes, it was all for the good of Equestria. Who was she really other than a false idol? A thing to be looked up to but not touched. Who was she beneath the facade? Even Celestia didn't know anymore.

What else could Void possibly take from her? Her sister, her blood, her peace of mind, and now even her cake. She couldn't take this anymore.

The spell matrix was going to be made tonight. She was going to finish this, uncover the secrets of the Alicorn Amulet and free herself. The blood would flow, and she would be free.

Celestia walked to her balcony and looked towards the secluded tower. Outlined against the sun, it almost appeared to be on fire. Fierce and feral, the sun shone and cast away the shadows that crept. It banished them to lurk away from her ponies and allowed her subjects to live peacefully.

Yet, if mismanaged, it had the potential to cause drought, sunburn, and famine. That posed the question.

At what intensity did the nurturing warmth of the sun begin to burn?

Comments

[vectorVll]

At what intensity did the nurturing warmth of the sun begin to burn?

40°F as well as a sunny day with a temperature of 80°F. Not really that hot. It needs to be

[Salkitsune]

O shit