You Are the Moon

by Horsegirl123

To Face the Blackened Sky

The lone pony was friendless no more, for she had continued her life from that fateful day by the lake that now lay deep within the Everfree Forest. She had found friends throughout the decades, comrades to keep her laughing and smiling, momentarily distracted from her greatest sin.

She stood behind a thick purple curtain, mane flowing with power, the chants of her adorning subjects wafting through the thick wool shield. Through the thick barrier, she could faintly make out the sound of the town's mayor introducing the festival. Loud chants and stamping hooves filled the air with cheery sound.

"And now, it is my great honor to introduce to you the ruler of our land, the very pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day, the good, the wise, the bringer of harmony to all of Equestria..."

Stifling a yawn from the early morning, Celestia prepared her winning smile, adjusted her crown, and sauntered through the curtain and onto the stage.

She was met with silence. No ponies cheered for her, and the mayor didn't even bother to move from her path on the stage. "Hello?" she asked out into the crowd, but no pony blinked, stirred, or snorted. The regal pony's eyes shut lightly, and she exhaled for a long moment.

With eyes closed softly, she turned slowly to face the open curtain. She did not peek, but simply opened her eyes facing the floor. "I didn't expect you to come."

"Why would I miss this?"

"You want to cause chaos."

"I want to cause pain."

"To whom?"

"To you."

"Why harm these ponies? They know not of you."

"I'll have to change that then, shouldn't I?"

"They are not the ones who harmed you."

"I know, but sometimes life isn't fair."

"I missed you Luna."

"Don't continue your foalish illusions, Celestia," said the dark mare, circling Celestia slowly, her starry mane licking at the white mare's face, snapping her chin upwards. "You know what you have caused. You know Luna is no longer here."

"She may not be here," said Celestia, refusing to make eye contact, "but she is somewhere, and she will be here soon."

"I doubt that," said Nightmare Moon.

"What do you plan to do, sister?" Celestia asked. Upon hearing 'sister', Nightmare quickly spun around with a sneer on her face, pushing her horn up into Celestia's neck.

"Do with what?" she growled.

Celestia gulped, but stood her ground. "With this moment in time. Surely you could have killed me in a matter of seconds. Heck, you could have stopped me in time and slaughtered me on the spot."

"Your point?" sneered Nightmare, applying more pressure onto Celestia's throat.

"Why didn't you?"

Nightmare took a step back, looking across the crowd of frozen, smiling faces. "You deserve to suffer as I did! You deserve to rot in the sun as I did in the moon! But I won't make the mistake of a weak spell. No, you will be trapped forever! Muahahahaha!" she cackled, lightning spewing from her flaring mane and tail.

Celestia hunched back from the sparks, but maintained her composure on the outside.

"Too scared to fight, dear?" teased Nightmare.

"Too disappointed."

"Psh!" scoffed Nightmare. "Of course you're still as pathetic as always. Prepare yourself, ruler of Equestria, for this day shall be your last," cackled Nightmare Moon as she fired up her horn at Celestia.

"Wait," said Celestia quietly.

"What!?" spat Nightmare.

"I want to be sealed in your heart."

"Excuse me?" scoffed Nightmare, taken back by the unusual request.

"If i am to be banished for as long as you reign, I want to be in your heart. So if one day you see the error of your ways, my Luna will be set free, and I along with her."

"An adorable notion," cooed the nightmare, "but a foolish one at that. You knew the day you banished me that Luna no longer existed."

"I will never give up."

"Oh shut up with your stoic words and fight me coward!" said Nightmare rearing up, horn flaring with dark magic. "And say to me what you plan to do!"

"To face the blackened sky," said Celestia, head hanging low. She could hear Nightmare's galloping hooves rushing towards her, and she knew without the Element's power by her side, death would be the only escape from this terror.

Eyes burning bright with the power she possessed, Celestia transformed her body into nothing but a wisp, evaporating the moment before she would be struck. The black foe spun around, whipping her head from side to side, sending her armored helmet clattering against her horn.

"Come out and fight!" she screamed.

But only silence. time stood still around her so that not even the wind could distract her. She looked at her chest, though could find no evidence of Celestia.

"Celestia!" she screamed loudly into the darkness, hitting at her chest with armored hooves, striking the breastplate with loud clinks of metal on metal.

"No, she is a coward, she has hidden. Her actions shall not stop mine!" She cast her spell, and was immediately greeted by a chilling breeze.

"...Princess Celestia!" sang out the Mayor's voice in introduction. Nightmare Moon plunged her body into her starry form, and rushed out onto the platform, revealing her true self with a flap of her black wings.

And in the sea of fear and confusion, one understood.

Comments

[Lunar Phoenix]

Great great great!!!
Please keep writing!