> Remember the Moon
>  by Leviathan
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Moon hung over the land, reflecting a beauteous silver glow across the countryside.  The thick jungles and woods were bathed in the dim light, some spots having starlight cast upon the centermost areas while leaving some zones hidden away, unlit and enigmatic.  It was a magnificent effect, truly.  But, the light shining off the Moon was still only a reflection, a stolen glow taken from its sister form, the sun.  

Under this glow, west of the capital city of Canterlot lay a forest.  A dark, twisted forest that perturbed even the most logical of mindsets.  Within this foreboding timberland lay a wind-blown grove.  How it remained wind-blown when surrounded by a canopy of trees was a mystery.  It was the sort of mystery one would rather dislike decoding.

In the center of this grove was a clearing.  Grass stretched long and high off the ground, engulfing any of the smaller woodland creatures wandering through.  In the middle of this clearing was a unicorn, encircled by grass but not covered by it or even in contact with it.  No, the grass seemed to be making note to avoid this unicorn, in fact.  

It bent away from this foreigner, allowing her room to breathe and even lay down a few essentials on the ground.  She was cloaked in a veil of black, for the rite that she was about to perform was not one she wanted her identity attached to.  Quite the opposite in fact.  

This unicorn encircled by grass, in a small clearing, in the center of a grove, surrounded by woodland, west of Canterlot, did not want to be known.  What she was about to do disgusted her, made her sick, how could it not?  But she had to do it anyways.  She had no other option.  Not anymore.

With heavy breath and eyes that threatened to overflow with the burden of tears she poured out the contents of her bag upon the ground.  She threw the objects from her bag into a circle, the first part of the ritual.  Do not be mistaken, though.

While several of the things she laid upon the ground could be considered artifacts others were common, you could go so far as to call them junk.  So what could a cloaked mare be doing standing in the middle of a group of items whilst deep within the darkness of this evil woodland?  Could we assume that her intentions are less than righteous?

Perhaps yes, perhaps no.  The cloaked mare began to whisper into the wind, not in modern Equestrian, but in an ancient tongue, one long-since forgotten by the world.  The artifacts responded as if beckoned by some unknown force.  And perhaps they were.  They rose into the air, without so much as an aura surrounding them. 

This was not telekinesis that caused the items to rise, but something far greater, far more powerful than such a simple spell.  The mare was lost within her incantations, oblivious to the world.  A strange, unnatural wind began to whip up around her, causing the grass to sway in the wind and the leaves of the trees to be torn away.

A sickly green glow began to surround the circle, cutting off the blades of grass that had dared to lean inwards towards the epicenter.  It emanated a soft glow akin to that of an oil lamp.  The winds had begun to attack the glow, leading it in different directions, slowly molding it into the shape of a sphere around the cloaked pony.  

Still she remained.  Her voice lost no strength as she continued the strange language, nor did it gain any.  To say she was without fear would be a lie, however, considering the very nature of what she was doing.  She feared for what lay in store upon the completion of the ritual.  Determination and misguided love just happened to beat her fears back.

The sphere started to constrict, slowly pushing inwards towards the mare.  The green currents running through the orb picked up speed, guided by a force more than just the wind, more than just magic.  The transparent sphere gained substance, obscuring the mare from vision as it solidified.  

Smaller and smaller it became until it reached the point where it seemed as if the mare would most certainly be crushed.  There were no screams as the force reached its threshold.  No shouts of pain or cries of agony, just the scent of fear, resolve, and determination in the air.

This mare had known what awaited her should she perform the spell, and she was prepared to make sacrifices.  She had been building up the courage to perform the task for weeks, thinking that it was her only option left.  To her it was all that was left to be done.  

It was all that was left that could be done.  Not for her, but for her family.  Even if it meant her family would not see her again.  Even if it meant she would not get to see those she loved grow out of the ashes of her sacrifice.  

Unlike the noble phoenix she would remain ashes, forever and always, simple dust in the wind.  But she did not care.  She had long since abandoned the idea of self-preservation in favor of the idea of an altruistic philosophy.  

That is why she did not scream.  That is why she did not moan as she felt the energy closing around her body.  That is why upon seeing the presence that she had been so tenderly trying to bring forth she did not cower.  That is why she faced the monster with her head held high in preparation for the end.

She was ready.  To her, eternal damnation was but the price to pay, but a means to an end.  An end she so foolishly thought would be realized with her little ritual.  She believed herself to be the coordinator of this scheme, the mastermind behind its construction.  When in fact, she was little more than a pawn to this game.  

She should have been afraid of the what she saw.  She should have feared and dreaded the arrival of the presence she had wrought upon the world.  Instead she remained hopeful of the future, ever faithful that her will would be realized.

However, she was not blessed.  The heavens had not smiled upon her fortunes, and instead of meeting a creature that could help her, or at least intended to help her, she met something else entirely.  Something that cared not for her pleas or her needs, but only one thing.  Itself.

She met a being focused upon survival, intent upon living forever and ruling over its own domain.  Her meeting was with something that her nation would likely refer to as evil and depraved, perhaps even demonic.  In her end, she had met me.

Who am I, you ask?  The real question is what am I.  And what I am, is hungry.  

> A Friendly Tale 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I sat, enamored with the large selection of books at my disposal.  The Royal Library featured an even greater selection then when I had last visited it.  Which, while being only yesterday, felt as if it was years ago.  I sifted through the library, plucking books away until I had a sizable collection at my disposal. I found the assortment of books...comforting.  

Books serve one purpose; to inform their users.  They don’t judge based on past actions, nor do they limit you.  Books are so much easier to deal with than ponies.  They’re complex with the information they contain, yet straightforward when regarding intentions.  A book does not tease your senses, nor mock your ability and experience.  

A millennium ago the texts were better preserved and fewer in number.  I had read through all of them then, and I planned to do the same now.  I could feel it now, worlds colliding inside my mind as I soaked up opposing viewpoints on different subject matter.  These glorious constructions would help me fit into the world and understand the subjects I had not known for a thousand years.  Oh, how I longed to be able to make some sort of connection to them.

My relationship with my subjects has been...strained, to say the least.  They do not openly shun me, but I can feel the fear and distrust radiate from them.  They are wary of my presence in the kingdom.  Sadly, it is not hard to imagine why.  

Since my entrapment in the Moon stories have circulated of Nightmare Moon, a pony whose soul was  as black as her mane, and whose very presence suggested impending disaster.  An entire holiday had even been built up around fear of Nightmare Moon...fear of me.

Whenever I approached one of my subjects they would bow, not out of reverence, but out of trepidation of what I would do to them if they did not show deference.  When I speak they cower with the force of my voice, shying away from me.  I await the day my subjects gaze upon me with respect and love rather than fright and dubiety.

Regrettably, that day is not likely coming within the foreseeable future.  While I do wish that I could befriend my subjects I still prefer the company of books.  Books hold the knowledge of entire civilizations, record the power of mages of great ability, follow ponies of influence throughout their reign, all of it being knowledge that is at my beck and call.  My goal is to read every book in this library, and since my return I have gotten halfway to that goal.  

I added a few dozen novels atop of my pile, preparing to read throughout the Night.  It was only about seventy or eighty novels so I would likely be able to finish by the next day.  


While I was reading through a book entitled “Litigation’s Transfiguration Incantations” something out of the ordinary (at least for me) happened.  A small white filly approached me with caution and the slightest hint of curiosity.  She was not dressed in the garb of a royal messenger nor was she dressed in the “Junior Officer” honorary guard armor.  She had a book clutched close to her that wore the title of “Nightmare Moon: A Categorized List.”  How exactly do you categorize a living being into a list?

“Princess L-Lu-Luna?” She spoke rather tacitly.  

“What would you require of me?”  This was, surprisingly, the first time anypony had approached.   

“I have a question for you, Princess Luna...” Her confidence seemed to gain some momentum when she realized I wasn’t going to strike at her.

“Please, speak your mind.”

She hesitated a moment, obviously piecing together a way in which to coherently and concisely present her question.  Finally she asked, “What was it like?”

I had an inkling as to what she was asking but I wanted to build her confidence, as to convince her that I was not a threat.  Perhaps, if I was fortunate, I could befriend somepony today.  “I do not think I am quite positive what you mean.  Could you, my loyal subject, please elaborate?”  She drew back a bit, frightened by the power of my speech.  It would probably prove best to lower my volume a bit.  I had shed the use of the “Royal We” after a short time, but volume was still an aspect of my speech that I had trouble commanding. 

The young filly pulled herself together and rather nervously said, “I want to know what it was like to be Nightmare Moon.  I want to know what it was like to be trapped in the Moon for so long.  I want to know what happened that made you Nightmare Moon.  I want to know how you escaped the Moon.”  She grew more confident as she went along until finally she was able to meet my stare.  And by meet my stare I mean that her eyes happened to lock with mine at which point she nervously looked away.

“Why would one so young as yourself care?”

“I just love history...and the truth.” She said, adding on the last bit after a moment of hesitation.

If my endeavors to make peace with Equestria failed would it really matter if one pony knew the truth behind my dark past?  The question itself was simple enough, however the answer was long and rather vexing.  

“Time is needed to form a coherent answer to your question, my dear- I am quite sorry, but I do not know your name, young pony.” I said.

“My name is Rainfall, your majesty.”  

“Indeed.  Well, Rainfall, you shall meet me here at dusk tomorrow so that I have time to form a response to your question.  I bid you a good evening, young Rainfall.” I said.

“Goodbye your majesty, and I hope you have a great day- I mean Night!” Rainfall then proceeded to dash away tripping in the process.  Her lexicon of Nightmare Moon flew out of her hands and hid the ground with a sharp thud.  

I helped her to her feet and levitated the novel back into her arms.  “Now then; I have much work I must proceed to do, so please do excuse me.”  I received a polite bow in return.

___

I stood there raising the Moon, turning it ever so slightly, giving the illusion of a crescent.  I had lavished the sky with different shades of blue, indigo, black, purple, and so much more.  They all blended together so seamlessly, accentuating the Moon and the beauty that was the heavenly bodies.   As for the stars, I threw them every which-way creating constellations and left and right.  Some seemed to fade away while others smoldered and glowed so bright and elegantly.  The sheer beauty of the Night was lost on Equestria, though.

Even after the Nightmare Moon fiasco I still felt under-appreciated.  My sister did her best to make me feel wanted, but I knew the truth.  Ponies basked in the warmth of the sun and slept through the Night; a tapestry of eternal glory that was unfairly ignored.  These are feelings I have tried to repress, as they have led to trouble in the past, but it seems there is a follicle of truth in my jealousies.

I had been contemplating the young filly’s question and how I could best answer it.  The story itself would be easy to recount.  I had had a millennium to think over the tale.  Most of the books on the subject of Nightmare Moon are made up of fairy tales and legends anyway, so it would be good to inform at least one pony of the truth.  

As the Night dragged on I began to think more and more of the young filly.  She was not of nobility so who was she and I why was she so curious about my past?  No other pony had ever shown any type of interest in me, so why now?  She may have just been an aspiring historian, or perhaps, something much darker was at work here.

Either way, I still did not trust her.  I was not one prone to trust others.  At heart I was a conspiracy theorist, always on the look out for schemes and plots that threatened the delicate balance of things.  Of course, the only reason for that was because I was also a conspirator, and thus, knew the tricks of the trade.

___

I awaited on the top floor of the library skimming through the vast array of literature, working upon my abacus, trying to divulge the secrets encased in the leather bindings before me.  I never used my telekinetic abilities when reading, to do so would be to deprive myself of being able to feel the cool, leather-bound cover.  When a book was left in my hooves I could feel and hear the crackle of each turning page, I could smell the high as it rose off the pages.

I broke myself away from my reading when I saw the young filly, Rainfall, galloping towards me.  As she got closer to me she slowed her pace and became a bit more weary of were each hoof landed.  I suppose one feeble conversation is not enough to blast away years of dark legends and fairy tales.  It would have to be a slow process, similar to erosion, if I was to claim a friend.  Once she reached me she takes a very deep bow, although she has her eyes on me the entire time.  Even with her fears she seemed to show genuine excitement at the prospect of learning.

“Princess Luna, I’m ready to learn about the past.” said Rainfall.  My bad, I thought you were here to go treasure-hunting.

“Is that so?  I must warn you not everything in those books of yours are accurate Miss. Rainfall.” 

“Really?” She asked with an inquisitive tone.  “Well that’s weird, why wouldn’t Princess Celestia keep the books historically accurate?”

“My sister is quite busy.  She hasn’t had me around the last thousand years to raise the Moon.  It’s quite stressful to manage Equestria and nature.”  My reply came out in a steady tone, but in truth I did not believe a word of it.  Personally, I thought that she had filtered certain details out of the records to ensure I was not ostracized upon my return to Equestria.  It went swimmingly, considering that my subjects avoided me as much as possible.  

“Okie-dokie then.  So can you tell me about your history now, Princess Luna?”

“Why yes, of course I can.”  I coughed, preparing to begin the tale I had thought over the previous Night.  “It was over a millennium ago here on Equestria.  I was a young pony at the time, perhaps having aged a century or so, and my sister and I had just defeated Discord using our combined power.  I was left to guard him while my sister researched a way to permanently seal him away...”

___

I sat in the dank cellar, guarding the foul beast that had ailed our fair land for so long.  He was trapped.  My sister and I had placed him in a forcefield; something that could be used to hold him while Celestia tried to find where the Elements of Harmony were hidden.  Discord had hidden them away from Celestia and I, even made a riddle of where it was.

Instead of both of us playing around with him like foals, my sister and I combined our magic and subdued him temporarily.  We used our combined energy to create a forcefield to hold him.  It would not have last long, however.  Celestia had to solve Discords’ riddle, and she had to do it fast.

Discord, a behemoth of a chimera that threatened harmony itself.  He was a chaotic and treacherous being that took the form of a Draconqeuus.  Discord merely took the form he thought best represented chaos.  He was a spirit, a drifting entity that was from a metaphysical reality.  The creation of the Draconqeuus allowed for him to exist in the realm of Equestria using a body he found suitable.  

However, how he came to be and why he existed did not matter, he was threat.  A grand manipulator who brought entire cities to their knees with just a word.  Yet, with the snap of his fingers he could produce the same result with magic.  His actions were always so random, so asinine.  He was like a foal playing a game.

At the same time he was a genius.  His games were always so complex and twisted that it made one wonder what went on in Discord’s head.  Of course, that was probably the point wasn’t it?  

Celestia told me not to interact with him or risk being twisted around his finger like a string.  I did not plan on letting him deceive me, though.  I did not truly believe he could.  He sat in his cell quiet, and calm.  It was strange.  When we had first put the spell on him he was enraged.  It took all of Celestia’s strength to keep him pinned while I casted the spell.  It wouldn't even last.

“You know your just as important as her, right?”  So the Draconqeuus could speak after all.  I decided it would be best to ignore him.

I sat there in silence, with my eyes focused on Discord.  His gaze met mine momentarily.  It was disturbing to say the least.  I have seen rage, I have seen happiness, I have even seen insanity, but what I saw in his hypnotic sight was something new, something that should be feared.  The only word that I could think to use to even come close to describing what I saw within those disproportioned eyes was anarchy.  Untainted anarchy.  And as loathe as I am to admit this, it was not horrible, there was a peculiar elegance to that chaos.    

My reverie was broken when he spoke. “You don’t have to sit in Celestia’s shadow.”  Even stuck in his gaze I was able to scoff at the idea.

“In her shadow?  Hardly.  I am her equal, we rule together.  I watch the Night and she watches the day.”  I had little faith in my words.  Our subjects rejoiced in the warmth of her sunlight and receded into their homes when I brought out the impassioned splendor that is the Night.

“Ha ha ha!  That’s a laugh! Equals!?! P-a-lease Princess Luna, do not, and I mean do not, insult me!  You’re her shadow, quite literally.”  As he was speaking he conjured large bowl full of cotton candy.  He proceeded to pick out the candy and eat the bowl instead.  “I love the Night personally.  Why I would bring it about every... well every Night!   Or every day just to shake things up.  I wonder why Celestia can’t appreciate it like you and me?”

“Your attempts at trickery shall not work.  We are well aware of your methods.  Sister only wishes the best for us.”  I knew what Discord was doing, even then, but I could not keep the seed of doubt from growing.  

___

“Hold on a second Princess Luna,” Rainfall interjected while I was speaking.

“Why have I been interrupted!?!”  I boomed rather loudly.  I have always hated being interrupted.

Rainfall shrank back and asked in an almost inaudible voice, “If you knew he was trying to trick you then why were you jealous?”

Her question was a valid one, and one I had anticipated.  I sat back down, calm and serene once again.  “These feelings of jealousy had always been within me.  Discord’s comments just brought them to light I suppose.  Nothing, not even Discord, can control who we are; rather he or she just influences the feelings we have bottled up.  Our bones could be ground to dust.  That does not mean that our mind has been, though.  No, all decisions made are our own.  And my decision was to be jealous.  Now then, let us get back to the tale at hand.”

The young filly gave me an attentive stare and crossed her hooves in anticipation.  It certainly had not taken long for her to forget that I was a monster.

___


Discord continued to chatter away aimlessly, but I ignored his ramblings.  I did not want him to burrow any further into my skull than he already had.  I bided my time waiting for Celestia to appear and save the day.  All I felt was contempt at the thought of it.  Big, strong Celestia had to come help her poor, helpless little Luna.  I seethed with anger, anger that I now see was unfounded.  

Celestia arrived during the evening bearing the Elements of Harmony.  Apparently they were hidden inside of her mane the entire time.  Discord sat in his cell very quiet.  Than he began to laugh, at first quietly, but it grew into a loud booming laughter that echoed in the marble halls of the castle.  It was...discomforting to say the least.  

“Why do you laugh, devil?  You have lost.” Celestia said in a steady voiced that echoed her confidence.

“My dearest Celestia, why wouldn’t I laugh?  I have already planted the seed of chaos and soon it will grow.” Discord gave a twisted smile, as if he found the thought of an eternal prison humorous.

“This spell shall imprison you in stone permanently!” Celestia was not about to play into Discord’s game.  “Come sister, let us rid the world of this trickster!”

I stood by my sister’s side ready to support her while she performed the preparations.  A glowing aura began to surround us as our combined strength built upon itself.  Soon a large orb of light enshrouded the dark dungeon. As our magic became stronger and stronger Discord began to speak.

“I sure do hate the word permanently.  It’s such a serious word; and a boring one too.  When I come back, and believe me when I say “I will come back”, I think I’ll get rid of that word.  Replace it with another one.  Maybe something with a ‘k’ sound.  Oh, now you two have me planning, I hate planning, it’s so... un-chaotic.  One more thing before I depart, and this is a message to you Miss. Night.  Memento Luna, remember the Moon.”

With that final word Discord morphed into stone.  

___

“Wow, that wasn’t in any of the books...” Rainfall said.
“Celestia was too focused on the Elements to hear anything Discord said.  At the time I didn’t consider it important enough to tell anypony.  And now nopony trusts me enough to listen.  It's almost ironic”

“Oh, yeah, sorry Princess Luna.” Rainfall was bearing the apologies of all ponies not just herself in that statement.  It was a sweet sentiment.

“Tis’ nothing.  Let us continue this another time.  I have grown weary of my voice and wish to finish this fine assortment of literature.”

“Yeah, of course, Princess.  Goodbye.  And goodnight.”  She took a deep bow, her eyes steadily watching mine, and trotted away.  I would not call her a friend, but it seemed her fear of me was beginning to be replaced by curiosity.  And curiosity was good.  Very good.

> The Soul of an Artist
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I dwelled in the library, alone, throughout the Night, contemplating the decisions I had made.  My tale had brought up more bad memories than anything else.  It was quiet, the shelves of books stretched onwards giving an illusion of grandeur and endlessness.  In reality I would likely finish off the remaining novels within the year.  The torches provided dim light leaving the expanse of the arcane library dark and cryptic.  The pile of books next to me were esoteric and ancient.  Not quite as ancient as me, but ancient.  Nothing you would find a modern pony reading.

Night, which always reflected my passion, lay starless and black before me.  I usually took solace in the heavenly canvas, knowing that I could express my deepest feelings upon it in beautiful art and imagery.  At this moment. however, the very thought of its chilling darkness left me indifferent. 

I searched through the vast array of books not truly appreciating their glory.  My mind was occupied by thoughts of my subjects.  It was not only the fact that they did not love me but they did not trust my authority either.  It would be foalish of me to think that they saw me as equal to Celestia.  They bow in my presence, naturally, but they never take their eyes off of me for a moment.  

They do not trust that I can protect them or that I am even willing.  They do not trust that I will not betray Equestria again.  They do not trust that I will lower the Moon to make way for the dawn.  They do not trust that I love them.  They do not trust me, the Princess of the Night!

Some tremble at the very sight of me, petrified with fear.  I find it to be infuriating.  Any attempts I make at earning their trust are short-lived.  My addresses, whether they be cheerful or not, always seem to scatter my subjects.  	

It is hardly any different with the nobility.  The Night court is often awkward and full of pompous ponies who agree with anything I claim.  They fear I shall bring my wrath upon them if they do not agree with me!  Citizens hardly ever come to present their problems to the court fearing that I will unleash some sort of divine retribution.

Celestia says it is just a phase the kingdom is going through.  She says that Equestria needs to adjust to the return of the Moon.  She may be right, or maybe the kingdom does not want to adjust.  The whole of Equestria has prospered without my presence for a thousand years so what’s the point of me?  

I love my sister and I realize the effort she is making in trying to help me fit in, but I am not a foal.  I am not Princess Luna.  I am merely Luna.  I do not expect my subjects to trust me, they have no reason to.  I have done my best in trying to accelerate their credence of me, but to no avail.  I shall not stop trying, though.

A solution must exist.  They always do.  Celestia thinks it is mad for me to spend my time searching for a solution when one is destined to appear.  I prefer not to think so fatalistically.  I will find a way to gain the trust and faith of my subjects by any means necessary.  It will have to be through something other than the use of my diplomatic abilities however, as they are quite lacking.

All I am capable of doing is raising the Moon.  A feat which is not so unique.  In my absence Celestia was able to do this.  The only other thing unique to me is my mind.  I was endowed with a great intelligence that allows me to read over 30,000 words a minute (and comprehend them fully) and perform complicated mathematical equations mentally.  These are hardly attributes that garner the respect of modern ponies, though.

Maybe this filly, Rainfall, could help me.  She fears me, but is still courageous and curious enough to approach me.  Perhaps I could inquire with her as to what I should do to make the situation I am in less...abhorrent.  She could tell me what I was doing wrong, even steer me in the right direction.!

Yes, Rainfall would be perfect.  Maybe I could even befriend the young filly along the way.  That would be nice.  It has been a long time since I had felt the pleasures of friendship.  I looked forward to that...warmth.  It might even improve my social skills which had been less than commendable since my return from the Moon (obviously).

Celestia does her best to interact with me, fill the void left within me, but her schedule is hardly flexible.  She is incapable of understanding the loneliness I feel in my self-appointed exile, but she truly does try to be my friend.  She suggests I go to Galas and other such events in attempts to improve my image. I listened and attended them at first but most of the time they only served to make me seem uptight and pretentious.  

I am not the kind of pony who enjoys parties.  They are drab and tacky in most scenarios and the ponies are hardly any better.  The mares and stallions there are usually pompous and conceited.  I would much rather talk of history and science to scholars rather than listen to bombastic foals chatter on about the ‘hardships’ of their lives.

So I keep to my library trying to find a way to befriend the ‘common’ pony.  I have read through countless works on socialization, but most of them are outdated or non-applicable.  Others of this genre don’t take into consideration the formally evil nightmare ponies who turned away from malignant thoughts.  

In the end though, I will discover the factor needed to gain the respect of my kingdom and the warmth of friendship.

___

It was early dawn.  The library was oblivious to this fact.  The Royal Library was too deep inside the construct of the castle to feel the warmth of the morning.  I had spent my Night within the library, reading in the shadows of the past.  The only time I broke away from my studies was when I needed to lower the Moon and make way for the Sun.  

I had rested very little since my return to Equestria, instead using my time to dogmatically study the world through books.  If I am to earn the love of Equestria than I must remember one thing.  Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.   

I saw Rainfall heading towards me, she was rather early.  She was practically dashing.  Her white coat was slightly damp, it must have rained. “Hello young one; you are quite early.”

“I-I just wanted to catch up on some reading before we talked again Princess.  I didn’t really expect you to be here so early...”  Her voice trailed off.  Well, as long as we were both here I might as well continue my tale from the previous day.

“Indeed.  Let us continue with my tale-” 

“Wait, Princess Luna!  I have a question!”  

“What is your question?”  My voice came out sharper and harsher then I meant it to.  I really hated being interrupted.  I really should just use my pokerface when I deal with others. 

“Oh, it’s nothing, never-mind Princess...”  The young filly was a bit taken aback by the serrated edge of my voice.

“No, please ask your question.  I did not mean to convey such an unpleasant tone and apologize, I just resent being interrupted.”  Patience was never my strong suit.

Rainfall’s mood brightened up a bit after my apology and she proceeded to stand up tall, and ask me a question, “What was it like in the Moon?  Or on the Moon?  Or on something in the Moon?  However you were trapped there.”

“Please display patience, Rainfall, I will get to there eventually.”  I gave her a small smile, hoping she wouldn’t pick up on my hypocrisy.  “For now, let us pick up where we left off.”  

___

Equestria was at peace.  My sister would make the Sun rise and set and I would do the same for the Moon.  It was a golden age.  The ponies, no longer troubled by the chaos Discord created, were able to live their lives in relative safety without having to fear change.  Not to say the world was boring, change was present of course, there just wasn’t so much of it happening all at once in a bizarre order.  The seasons regularly gave way and people knew what to expect year round.  The changes we experienced were orderly, a controlled chaos as it were.

The people worshipped Celestia.  They prayed to her, thanking her for the warmth and crops that her sunlight provided.  I hardly ever received as much thanks as her.  The people bowed and rejoiced at the sight of my dear sister, calling her names such as, “Goddess of Light” and “Beacon of Hope.”  The sound of her very name brought joy to those who heard it.

I was not so equally loved.  The people bowed and showered me with praise, but it was all hollow.  They did not appreciate my Night.  They did not appreciate my Moon.  Some even felt I was unnecessary.  They criticized my graceful darkness as an icy smog that passed over Equestria and left nothing but bereavement in it’s wake.  To them my wondrous Moon was just a mirror that gave a mirage of light.  The stars were just miniature copies of the Sun, that tried to imitate it’s glory.  They did not fear me as they do now, but to them, I was little more than Celestia’s shadow.  I walked at her flank and was seen as more of a subordinate than an equal.  This did not please me.

My bitterness remained in incubation.  It grew out of my envy for the love my sister garnered.  At this time I held no plans of creating an eternal night, I was simply hurt by my subjects blatant disregard of something so exquisite and artistic as the Starry Night.  It made me miserable, I wanted to cut off my right ear!  I let none of this show outwardly, though; one of my many 'talents' is my ability to equip an excellent pokerface.

Princess Celestia was completely oblivious to my feelings, naturally.  She was caught up in running the government.  She held courts during the day, held parties and events, established guilds, and still managed to listen to the needs of her people.  I was in charge of all of those things at Night.  Everypony slept at Night however, and I was usually just left to explore the castle grounds.  

When Discord reigned he conjured up a castle in which he could reside.  He placed it within the city of Canterlot, which had been a simple trading center previous to his reign.  Shortly after erecting his castle he named it the capital city.  Surprisingly there was nothing abnormal about it. Well not at first glance anyways...

After the imprisonment of Discord Celestia and I took over the castle.  In those times I took to trying to discover secrets about the castle in which Celestia and I resided.  She, being caught up in running government, never thought that there could be secret passages in the halls of this castle.  I, having an abundance of free time, actively explored the grounds.  I stumbled upon many secrets.

Secret passages where everywhere, some of them not even leading anywhere!  At one time I found a passage in the kitchen that was activated at the pull of a lever disguised as a torch holder.  The passage led to a room full of bobble-manes, yes, bobble-manes.  

Another passage I found was much, much stranger.  It was at the top of one of the many watch towers and could be activated by stepping on a panel on the floor.  Once pressed this caused the wall to recede and reveal another watchtower.  The insane part is, however, that this particular watchtower was on the other side of the castle grounds!  

It was quite remarkable really.  My escapades became a nightly event, after I finished engraving my artistry on the sky of course.  One day I came across something incredible!  Something that rivaled even the enigmatic Elements of Harmony!  It was a rather odd thing as well.


___

I stopped my tale there and spoke to the filly, “Let us continue tomorrow, young one.  I’m sure you would like to finish the literature you came here for.”

“But why!?! It sounds like your getting to something good! Can you please keep going Luna, P-l-e-e-e-a-a-s-e.”  Rainfall was practically groveling at my hooves.

I felt a small grin begin to form on my face as I crafted a reply that I felt was sure to make the filly laugh.  “My dear: the Sun will rise and set today whether I finish my story or naught.  However, the Moon may not descend if you continue to defy me.”  The young filly’s eyes grew wide and she stood there for minute before the entirety of my joke dawned on her.

With a small pout she looked at me and said, “Okay Princess, I’ll see you tomorrow.”  With that she trotted away.
“Goodbye, Rainfall.”

It was cold and quiet.  The young filly had left the Royal Library long ago.  A messenger came to me.  He alerted me that Princess Celestia was lowering the Sun to make way for the pulchritude of my Night.  

I walked down the corridor towards the balcony that connected Celestia and I.  The balcony from which we controlled the movements of the Planets, and so much more.  The corridor itself was covered in artwork that mirrored our dual-personalities.  

One of the large passage’s walls was decorated in the brightest shades of red, reflecting the effulgence of the Sun.  Shimmering gemstones aligned the wall that, after time, faded from their bright red hue to a glimmering shade of yellow.  Torches were absent from the wall as it was bright enough all on its own.  This wall represented Celestia, naturally.

My wall was much darker.  There were royal shades of black aligning the expansive mass, that would slowly fade into purple, then dim to a hue of blue that was reminiscent of indigo.  Specks hid on the walls ranging from small to large, but all gave off the faint flicker of distant stars.  This served to illuminate the hallway in an eerie glow that would provoke only the soul of an artist.  Small swirls of a blueberry-type dye passed through the design in random patterns, adding to the resplendence of the mural and accentuating the other hues of blue.

These walls were not here by Discord’s creation.  No, my sister and I had installed them ourselves, each of us pouring our soul into the design, doing our best to project our intellect and soul onto the canvas.

I walked along, steadily heading towards the silhouette of my sister illuminated on the dimming twilight.  Creeping up to her slowly, I awaited the falling of the Sun.  She did not notice me standing behind due to her intense concentration and my uncanny ability at creeping.  I just stood behind her waiting for her to turn around until-

“Ah!”  Celestia fell back a step with a shriek.  “Oh, Luna, it’s just you...you frightened me.”  She inhaled deeply and attempted to regain her composure.  “You must really work work on your approach.  You may just scare me into bringing the Sun crashing down.”  She gave me a wry smile.

“It is not exactly difficult to sneak up on one so oblivious as yourself.  How has your day fared thus far, dear sister?”  Chatting with Celestia was always a nice addition to my otherwise, boring life.

Celestia looked deep in thought for a moment before she answered, “My day was fine, did you leave your cave today?”

That’s how she had described the Royal Library since my return.  She was not thrilled by my apparent disinterest in all things social.  Perhaps if she knew how hard it was to gain another’s trust she would sympathize.  At this time however she was incapable of understanding my dilemma.  “I did not leave the Royal Library today, sister.  There was a document I had to investigate to ensure it had some validity.”

“Do you never let yourself have any fun?” 

“Perhaps I enjoy reading, or is that too far-fetched?”  I curled my snout at her.

“At the speed you read you’ve probably read our entire library twice over!  All I’m saying is you need to interact a little, so that everyone will get used to you again.  Come to the party I’m hosting tomorrow evening and get to know some of the ponies there.” 

My mind was racing with ideas as to how I could avoid the party.  I did not want to be caught in a situation where, once again, I would stand in Celestia’s shadow.  I struggled, normally devising lies came easy to me, but the sudden suggestion came as a bit of a shock.  A clear and rather simple idea had just emerged in my head.  “I cannot attend your party, Celestia.  I have a prior engagement which demands my full and undivided attention.”

Celestia bore a hurt expression.  “Doing what exactly?”  

“I am enlightening a curious set of ponies.  I have been teaching ‘these’ ponies various bits of history from my era as to stock and broaden their minds.”  Every lie is somewhat rooted in the truth.

Celestia eyed me suspiciously and proceeded to say, “So you’re teaching a class.”  I gave a slight nod.  “Very well then.  You’ve just squirmed your way out of yet another party.  Goodnight Luna.”  She began to trot away.

“Every Night is good, Tia.  Sleep well.” 

Celestia stopped in her tracks.  She turned around and trotted back up to me.  "There is a party the day after tomorrow though."  I was about to protest before she cut me off with.  "And no excuses!  You have to socialize somehow, after all.  Whatever plans you have...you'll just have to reschedule them."  She turned and walked away.  

Many faces were made at Celestia's back on that evening.  Many, many faces indeed.  At least I would be free of attending some boring event the next day.

I silently thanked the young filly, Rainfall, who had helped me avoid attending a party.  I also knew my sister’s persistence as well.  It was more than likely that she would ask me to attend this party and others as well in the nearby future.  I would have to come up with a way to avoid all of them, but for now I averted my attention towards the sky.  

I loved the sky so much.  It was an article unto which I could express myself.  And, oh, did I express myself that Night...

First, I brushed over the sinking twilight engulfing it all in a shades of blue, hues of indigo, and shadows of black that none could ignore.  Next, I brought on the lighter cover of azure which blended into the blue seamlessly.  Afterwards I added the slightest hints of ebony, dotting it here and there for affect.  It was a glorious sight to witness.  The vividness of the colors swirled endlessly giving the illusion of miniature twisters.  The night was not yet complete, though.  I added in a color, that I had created myself, and which can only be described as, “Midnight.”  It evoked feelings of calmness and peace in those who witnessed it.  

Next I added the stars.  My guardians of darkness as I liked to call them.  They twinkled brightly when placed on the veiled silhouette of nightfall.  I arranged them in patterns one could only dream of.  They sparkled as if fracturing the light of the Sun itself.  The prize of my collection was, however, the North Star.  It shined brighter than any other in the sky.  It’s gleam guided weary travelers to their destination, an affect that was completely accidental.  Satisfied with my stars I moved on to the grand ‘attraction.’

The Moon.  I let it rise slowly, as if it were a fragile object.  It reflected the light of the Sun in a dim fashion which truly encapsulated the wonder and glory of the evening.  In it’s ascension it was perfection.  It was not only a representation of beauty, but a representation of what I strived to be.  It sat there, surrounded by loving and adoring subjects.  It garnered the attention of the stars and the sky, and for a short time was the center of the universe.  That is all I ever wanted.

To be loved by my subjects, to have them appreciate the Night, to have them know I am trustworthy.  I lay on that balcony throughout the Night watching the sky as it changed and evolved.  I wonder if I can do the same...
> Always in the Wrong 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


I was in the library awaiting Rainfall.  I noticed her blank, eggshell white flank in the corner of my eye.  She was walking towards me at an average speed.  It appeared she did not fear me anymore, her trot being loud and paced well.  As she sat by me she gave me a smile and an amiable nod.

“Hello, Princess Luna.  How are you today?”

“I am fine, dear.  Are you quite ready to hear more of my tale?”

Her eyes widened as I finished my question.  Her smile was blindingly bright, and seemed to stretch from one ear to the other.  Her eyes were sparkling as she said in a rather gleeful voice, “Oh, yes, please!  Please, please, please!  Oh Luna, you absolutely have to finish your story, it was going somewhere!  I want to know what you found!”  She was practically jumping at this point.  

I ignored that she had addressed me as Luna rather than Princess.  “Fine.  Then we shall begin.”  I smiled inwardly, knowing how interesting this part of my story was.


___

It had been a long and arduous day.  Celestia and I had been occupied helping the local guards contain the last remnants of the chaos creatures.  Chaos creatures being foul beings conjured by Discord; all of them had parts from several different animals.  Some were just corrupted forms of regular animals while others were new beings entirely.  When Discord had been in control they roamed rampant, spreading general disarray.  Capturing them was quite simple.  The difficulty came in deciding what to do with them.  

Some suggested we slay them, others thought we should keep them as exhibits in something called a ‘zoo.’  Even more suggested that we keep them as pets.  One idea, which I found particularly extreme, was that we should compel them to combat each other and then store them in tiny balls until we wanted them to fight something else.  I mean, we always knew Professor. Fern was insane, but battle animals?  That was just on a whole new level.  My sister and I found all of these solutions barbaric of course.  Our plan was to set them free in the Forested regions and cast an enchantment upon it to prevent escape.  

The enchantment would last for about a year, by which point most animals would have adapted to their new environment.  Though, if they came back in mass once the enchantment faded we decided that Professor. Fern’s idea was a good Plan B.  

Even though the idea was exceptional and practical it still took some time to convince the council.  Politicians make the worst listeners.  It took the entire night to show them our way was far superior to theirs.  After much bickering, and quite a bit of hard cider, Celestia convinced them to bow out.

My sister had to raise the Sun so I was left to perform the enchantment and whatnot.  It took approximately two hours for the Equestrian Militia and I to round up the animals and another three to cast the enchantment.  When I returned to the castle I was exhausted and headed straight for my room, too tired to search out secrets.  I admit that I might have been harboring some resentment towards Celestia for leaving me to cast the enchantment alone.

Upon reaching my room any sense of fatigue evaporated.  Some kind of strange aura was present.  It irradiated outwards in such powerful bursts that I could almost smell it.  The ripple of force was causing my eyes to water.  It filled the entire room with it’s presence, giving everything a diabolical tint.  I could barely move the vigor of the force was so awesome.  Yet, it did not stretch beyond the threshold of the doors.

With so much power it was not hard to locate the place in which it nested.  I marched forward at an agonizingly stagnant pace, inching closer to the point of origin.  My body was feeling the pressure as skin tightened around my form, and bones began to condense around my organs.  What could possibly give out this much power?  As I looked down I saw what had engulfed the entire room; a lens.

Before me lay a lens.  As I reached out to grasp it I felt that it’s power was decreasing exponentially.  My skin loosened, my ears popped, my bones didn’t feel so pressurized.  I was well-versed on enchantments and their extents and this item just served to baffle me.  Nothing could hold the sheer aggregate of power I felt permeating from this object.

I sat on my haunches and studied the item, it obviously wasn’t created by any pony of my age.  It was pitch black.  I do not just mean black like my flank or the sky, I mean black.  It was not an elegant black either, it was a severe, threatening black.  Intricate engravings covered the object, seeming to spell out a message in a language that even I was ignorant to.  On the back, there was a small note attached, written in ancient Equestrian, the contents of which, ignited a yelp within me.

Dear Luna,
Perhaps you will find enlightenment within my chambers.  Answers tend to be very plentiful there.
-The Library of the Night


I quickly tucked the lens away as I heard guards shuffling towards my room.

“Is everything alright Princess!?!” One of the two shouted as they burst into the room.

“Yes, yes, everything is quite alright.  I had a nightmare. That tis’ all.”  I used my Royal Canterlot voice to indicate that I was in no mood to chat.

The guards bowed and walked out shutting the door behind them.  As soon as they did I pulled the lens out and laid it against the table.  What was this thing I had?  How could my name be written in something so old?  What secrets would be revealed to me?  Who or what is the Library of the Night?  Why had the energy of the object dispersed when I neared it?

One of those guards had been unicorn.  Did he not feel the strange aura in the room.

Whatever it was, it obviously was not a prank.  The energy emanating from the lens had proven that.  The inscription on the back looked as old as the engravings, there was no clear sign that it had been added recently.  Yet, it had never been there before.  I had no idea what the Library of the Night was, but it apparently had ideas of me.  

It also was not the work of Discord.  The inscriptions outdated him, even.  Plus, his energy was usually much more distraught and mirthful.  This power just felt...strong.  Whatever this thing was, it was impossibly old.  The language could be Draconian, Slevenian, Gandolfian, even iverunoutofideasin.  

I then examined the lens of the lens.  It was a deep hue of brown, purple, and red.  It was reminiscent of mirror but it did not appear to reflect anything.  As I twisted it in my hoof it began to morph in color, jumping from brown, to red, to yellow, to blue.  Its imprint of primary colors implied that it was the origin, the start.  In a sense I suppose it was.  Well, it was for Nightmare Moon at least.

Then I did something bold and unusual, well, bold and unusual for me.  I brought the lens to my eye and peered through it, it revealed the most atypical of sights...


___


“We shall pick up another time Rainfall.”  I waved the young filly away with a hoof.  “I have some important reading to do.”  I hid a smirk.

“NOOOOO!  It’s getting so suspenseful, you have to keep going this time, please Princess, pleeeeeeeaaaaasssse!”  She was on the ground begging.

“Well alright, but you better not let any mare say that I am not kind.”  I winked at her.  She smiled at me with an expectant look in her eyes.  

“Well then as I was saying...”


___


Through the dispersal of light I saw the truth.  The lens revealed the truth about everything about the castle.  I could see the very construction of anything I viewed through the lens.  It revealed the presence of all manner of secrets from passages, to hidden rooms, to trinket chests, to things of an even more bizarre nature.  It was an x-ray of the entire castle, revealing every source of magic.

I was amazed to say the least.  I could not believe that such an item could reveal so much.  I was, of course, suspicious of its power.  How was it able to show so much?  I was a curious young mare, however, and soon any suspicion I felt was pushed aside.  

I began to scan the entirety of my room through the patterned lens.  Behind my desk there appeared to be some sort of staircase activated by a pressure plate masquerading as a doorstop.  My balcony was connected to a trap door that somehow led to the banquet hall (despite the fact that there was nothing under it).  Even my own bed concealed a secret.  Under it there was a closet in the floor, yes, a closet in the floor!

The true jewel lay within my mirror, however.  My mirror was one of the few items I had not placed in the room myself.  It was connected to the wall of my room and of a very voluminous size.  Gemstones ranging from diamonds to sapphires adorned the structure, giving it a radiant sense of beauty.  

The mirror hid something though.  According to the lens there was an elongated passage behind it.  This was something quite peculiar about the passage that I could not place my hoof on.  Something about it seemed to call to me, almost daring me to come towards it.  I approached the mirror slowly, cautious of what I would be facing.  

I raised a hoof and pressed on the thick, reflective glass.  Nothing happened.  I pressed harder.  Nothing happened.  I pushed even harder on the glass and still it did not budge.  This frustrated me more than it should have.  I reared up on my hind legs and brought my front two hooves down upon the mirror with as much might as I could muster.  The end result was my entire body aching as I lay in front of an unscathed mirror.  

So obviously, this was not ordinary glass.  Perhaps there was something special that needed to be done in order to open the mirror.  I looked through the lens again to check for any type of lever or pressure plate that needed to be activated.  There was none.  So I sat quietly looking at my own reflection in the mirror.  “Why do you not open?  Am I not worthy of you?  Am I, the Princess of the Moon, not loved?  What must we prove?” I whispered towards the mirror angrily.

The mirror stood still for a moment.  Then it proceeded to recede into the wall.  Slowly at first, then it began to quicken it’s pace.  I watched in slight disbelief as it moved back as if in response to my comments.  It revealed a hollow and dark passage.
That was rather convenient.  I began to trot down the length of the hall, without any sort of caution.  I was bluntly walking confident that the ancient structure, which I knew nothing about, was safe.  I let the excitement of discovering what lay in the hall overshadow my suspicions of the hall itself.

The hall bore the same strange engravings as the lens.  After a copious amount of walking I came towards the end of the impossible tunnel.  The walls began to funnel outwards, creating much more breathing room.  There, at the end of the tunnel lay something that was rather unexpected...a door.  

A black door that reflected the Night, having many paintings of stars and such on it’s framework.  I wondered what could possibly be behind it.  Some strange energy irradiated off of it, not necessarily an evil energy but a powerful one.  As I came closer I was prepared to open the door.  I was in for quite the surprise upon reaching it however.

The door’s handle was painted on.  I frowned at the door as if it could see me.  “What’s the point of placing a door here if it doesn’t have a handle!?!”  I tried to push the door open with my magic to see if it opened that way.  There was no response.  It appeared to be immune to magic so I tenderly raised a hoof to push it open.  As I brought my hoof to the door a painful shock ran through my body, igniting a yelp from within.

A cold silence rushed through the hall.  My blood ran cold as a coarse whisper echoed through the halls, “Why are you here?”  I fell back on my hooves, taking a couple paces back.

“Who said that!?!  Reveal yourself immediately!”  The whisper had frightened me.  It sounded so harsh and distant yet so cold and close at the same time.  Could it be coming from the black door?  No, it couldn’t be.  Or could it?  

“Why are you here?”  The voice repeated itself.

This time there was no doubt in my mind where the voice originated from.  I stared up at the door, slightly intrigued and very frightened by it’s self-awareness.  The ominous aura surrounding it was petrifying.  I swallowed down the knot forming in my throat and gave the door a reply.  “You are in my castle, not the other way around.  I demand that you tell me of your origins and of your presence here.”  My voice was calm, cool even.  However, inwardly I was little more than a frightened filly.

“That is incorrect.  Why are you here?”  

The door was not very impressed by me.  It seemed my best course of action would be to answer the question it posed to me and see where that led me.  As it was, my method of intimidation did not work well on the door.  Ha, I must have sounded insane.  I was trying to intimidate a door.  “Fine then.  I am here out of curiosity.”

“That is incorrect.  Why are you here?”

I was a bit taken aback.  Apparently there was a very specific answer the door wanted.  I thought long and hard about this.  Perhaps the answer was something relating to Discord since he did construct this castle.  “I am here because of Discord.”  I sighed.  “Is it something relating to Equestria?”

“That is incorrect.”

“So I take that to mean it is not in relation to Equestria?” 

“That is incorrect.”

“So it does relate to Equestria?”

“That is incorrect.”  

“You’re no help at all.”  

“That is incorrect. Why are you here?”  The impression I was getting of magical talking doors was not exactly fabulous right then.  Having analyzed every possible course of action I decided upon the most logical: guessing completely at random.

“I am here because of chaos.”

“That is incorrect.  Why are you here?”

“I am here because of Equestria.”

“That is incorrect.  Why are you here?”

"It think I bloody well know why I am here!"

"That is incorrect.  Why are you here?"

"You know I hate you, right?"

"That is incorrect.  Why are you here?"

This went on for much longer than I am proud of before I finally gave in and exited through the tunnel, leaving the door behind.  I walked back out of the passage and as I did the mirror closed behind me.  I was determined not to be defeated however, and planned on trying to find the key phrase in the library.  There had to be some sort of clue.

At that moment, however, I was tired.  Strangely so.  I lied down on my bed, fatigued, and decided that all of that could wait until the next Night came.  

But, there was one thing I wouldn’t do, and that was tell anypony about what I had found, including Celestia.  I suppose I wanted to find out for myself, be the hero for once.  Not be just another shadow. 


___


Rainfall yawned.  She must have been tired considering how late I had kept her the Night before.  “We shall pick up tomorrow, I have to tend to the Moon as of now.”

“Okay, Princess.”  Rainfall got up to leave but not before nuzzling my leg and saying, “Thanks for the story Princess Luna.”

She trotted away leaving me smiling inwardly.  It was nice to know that at least one of my subjects approved of me.  I headed towards the balcony to raise the Moon once again.  I had pulled another all-dayer today and would likely be feeling its effects this Night.  


___


I walked out in my jewel-incrusted equine dress.  I scanned the crowd for the familiar face of my sister.  As I searched I could not help but take in my surroundings.  There were decorations adorning the sizable foyer that were meant to make it seem even more impressive.  A table sat in the middle of the room that was home to some of the most lavish and expensive foods available.  The ponies in the room were all dressed in the most sumptuous and elegant garbs.  

Regrettably, their personalities were not as interesting as their dress.  They spoke of mundane things in eloquent voice and superior tones, but their facade did not deceive me.  They were simply pretentious.  It made me sick to view these ponies.  Even back in my own era I had always hated attending parties.  I found them to be full of foals and egotists.  Scattered here and there were a few egoists as well.

These ponies all made up the more prominent section of Equestria.  Meaning that I had to be kind and nod along as they spoke of how inadequate their staff was and other such trivial nonsense.  I had to greet several of these ponies who I found so abhorrent.  I was able to hold face, though; I was always good at hiding my emotions.  Well, except for that one time when I tried to take over Equestria and create Eternal Night.

Most of these ponies didn’t even respect me.  They saw me as Celestia’s inferior, not her equal.  They saw me as some kind of political joke, as some kind of passenger who was just along for the ride, insignificant in every sense of the word.  I was not worthy of them.  I, the Princess of the Night, was not worthy of these pompous foals!  

The few who did approach me usually just bowed and asked where my sister was.  Some did not even bow.  Any inquiry into what they needed was met with a polite refusal as they did not think I was ‘qualified’ to help them.  The nerve of a few of these air-heads astounds me.    

In the olden era I likely would have reprimanded those who did not address my position with a bow.  As Nightmare Moon I would have never let them see the light of day again.  Now, all I could do was hold my tongue and hope that these ponies would grow to respect me.

Not that I wanted the respect of stuck-up politicians.  No, they were not the ponies I cared about.  I wanted my subjects to respect me.  The common-pony.  And the only the only way to earn the faith of my subjects was to befriend their favorite politicians.  

And, as much as I hated to admit it, these blubber-heads were quite important to the community.  Many served on the court council with Celestia.  They usually bickered over petty positions and such but every once in a while they actually did something.  Most of the time that something was my sister’s idea.

These ‘somethings’ garnered respect among the ponies of Equestria.  It helped place the council in a very righteous light.  If ponies knew that most of the good things pumped out of the council chambers were Celestia’s idea and not ordinary ponies I think they would hardly appreciate these idiots so much.  

That is not to say that there are not any virtuous ponies on the council.  There were a select a few who truly did care about the good of Equestria and it’s people and usually they were rewarded for their good-heartedness with a promotion.  Some became judges, others became dukes, others handled defense, and some even served as advisors to Celestia and myself.  The problem with this reward system was that it sometimes left the council short of well-meaning ponies.  And of course by sometimes I mean all times.  

I continued to scurry through the crowd of ponies looking for my sister.  Eventually I spotted her surrounded by several of her closest advisors and a few ambassadors.  

“Ah, Celestia, there you are!  I have been seeking you out the entire night!”

“Hello my dear sister.  How are you enjoying the party?” 

“Oh, it’s just delightful.”  I rolled my eyes to imply sarcasm.

She either did not notice or pretended not to.  “Well that’s good, have you met with all of the royals?  Most are descendants of ponies you once knew.”  She gave me a smile. 

“Yes I know.  They are just as annoying as their progenitors.”  She gave a frown.  “Perhaps next time you invite me to a party you could show me the guest-list?”  I returned her annoyed frown.

“Perhaps we should take this conversation somewhere more...private.”  Celestia was not amused.  She turned to the advisor next to her, “Crescent, my sister and I are going to go converse in private.  Make sure no one misses me too much.”  

Crescent looked up at Celestia with a look of concern and said, “Of course Princess, is their anything else you may need?”

“No, that is all.”  With that Celestia led me to a (surprisingly) dimly lit part of the foyer.  She sat and stared at me a moment before saying, “Don’t be so gloom, Miss Moon!  I don’t like these parties any more than you do, but we have to keep up appearances in regard to the public.”

I was a bit ticked off at my sister’s comment.  I thought it insane that she was able to act so indifferently towards the attitudes of the other party-goers.  “These are hardly the ‘public.’  They are more like foals.  They just chatter on and on, talking of air-headed things!  From the council sessions I’ve seen you hold it appears that none of them have any Idea as to how a government should be run!  They’re, to put it simply, morons, Celestia.”

Celestia was a bit taken aback.  I had been doing a rather good job burying my feelings since the Elements of Harmony freed me, but now my feelings of disgust just poured out of me.  She took a moment to gather herself before saying in a quiet tone, unlike the one she normally used, “I know that.  I know they’re selfish and moronic.  Yet they are also capable of great things.  Their families have helped me keep Equestria peaceful in the years of your...absence...  To you they may appear pretentious and dumb, but times have changed Luna.  Canterlot is not as chaotic as it once was.”

I swallowed my tongue.  Even having studied this modern era, I still knew nothing about it.  The world was a mystery to me.  The way everyone acted was strange and rather and bizarre.  It was all as foreign to me as a polar bear is to the heat.  So much had changed in the time I had been gone.  Perhaps I was not ready for this world...

“I think that it would be best if we did not speak again tonight, Luna.  It seems you need some time to think.”  Celestia walked away with the slightest trace of disapproval on her face.

So I sat alone in a dimly lit corner of the room, contemplating.  It wouldn’t be the first time I was stuck in such a situation.  And it would likely not be the last  

> Luzear
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After the events of the previous Night I had poured myself into my books.  I did not want to face whatever personal issues I had.  Not yet, anyways.  I did not want to ask myself the question I most feared: was I to blame for my own exclusion from Equestria?

I was studying through my selection of literature, trying to unravel the secrets of modern mathematics.  The subject had managed to make incredible strides in my absence.  Through the work of several gifted ponies such as Alimedes and Ponarrchus new forms of mathematics have been discovered, ponyometry, trigoponyetry, algebray, being several notable examples.

While these mathematicians may have been geniuses when it came to numbers, they were not so adept at naming said fields.  I mean everything was just named for a really bad pun the creator happened to like.  Except statistics.  Thank heavens Clover the Clever was straight-forward.  

As I was gently clicking away on my abacus and concentrating on learning these new things, and forgetting old things, I became oblivious to my surroundings.  I did not notice the small white pony creeping towards me.  As I was completing my computations the pony’s hoof was inching forward, ready to grab me.

“Hi.”  I flew out of my seat and practically crashed into the ceiling.

“WHERE HAVE COME FROM AND WHY HAVE YOU INTRUDED UPON US!?!”  Strong emotions such as fright bring out my Royal Canterlot Voice.  After all, it makes me seem more imposing.  As soon as I saw the cowering form of Rainfall below me I regretted using the voice.  “Oh, I did not mean to scare you, young one.  Perhaps in the future you should not creep upon me as you did.”

Rainfall still hung low to the ground.  “Sorry Princess.  I thought it would get your attention.  I guess it worked a little too well...”  She wouldn’t meet my gaze.  “Will you please forgive me?”

I looked at her large sorrowful eyes and cowering form and sighed.  It is rather difficult to stay angry at such a pitiful sight.  Then I noticed something else.  Something I had not noticed before.  Her coat was disheveled, her mane bunching up wildly, her skin was unable to hide her ribcage, everything about her seemed to point towards a lack of proper care.  I would have to investigate this matter thoroughly.  I narrowed my eyes and replied, “Of course.  It would not be befitting of me to bear anger or contempt over such a minor inconvenience.  No matter how slightly inconvenient it is!  And trust me when I say, that was very, very, slightly inconvenient.  Unforgivably so, in fact.”

Rainfall had a blank look on her face.  “I think that might have been nonsense Princess.”  

“Nonsense!?!  I never speak nonsense!!!  Well, hardly never, anyways.”  All I received from Rainfall was a confused look.  Did nopony understand gibberish anymore?  “Anyways, how has your life faired thus far, young Rainfall?”  

“Oh, I’ve been okay I guess.”  She seemed to be a bit reserved about the subject.  “Can you continue telling me the story now, Princess?”

“Very well.  As I was saying yesterday...”


___


I was awakened by one of Celestia’s personal messengers the morning after discovering the lens.  He bore the symbol of the sun upon the crest which adorned his shoulder.  He had a look of pride in his eyes as he stood before me, preparing to deliver his message.

“Ahem.”  He cleared his throat.  “The Royal Princess, Princess Celestia, the Bringer of Light, the Goddess of the Sun, Righteous Embodiment of all Things Good, The Candle of Equestria, The-”

“Please get to the point.  I have to raise the Moon at some point during the day.”  While I did hate being interrupted I had no problem doing the interrupting.  

The messenger looked slightly annoyed but nodded.  “Princess Celestia wishes that you would join her in the council chambers immediately.”

“Fine then.  That will be all.”  The messenger hesitated a moment as if waiting for something.  I rolled my eyes and said, “Good job, by the way.”  The messenger puffed out his chest, bowed and trotted away.

As I groomed myself to appear presentable I noticed the lens sitting upon my nightstand.  It felt as if it was calling to me, urging me to come closer towards its energy.  The entire time I spent preparing myself I did not let my gaze stray from the item.  It seemed so small, so frail, yet it held so much raw power.  

There were more important matters to attend to first, though.  I exited my room and flew to the council chambers.  I did not want to walk, the idea of it made my hooves ache.  I had spent my entire Night crowding hordes of monsters into a forest, after all.

I walked into the council chamber to find it empty except for Celestia and I.  I gave her a nod “Hello Celestia.  I received your message.  What is it you wished to discuss?”

“Good day Luna!  I hope you slept well.  I need a favor.”  She gave me a warm and welcoming smile which I returned.  

“And this favor is?”

“I need you to travel to Mount. Carebina in the Everfree Forest.  There have been several reports of a dragon nesting in the mountain.  The residents of the nearby village don’t feel they’re able to handle it.  I have to hold another council session-”  She rolled her eyes with that last statement.  “-and that means I am unable to tend to the situation myself.  It is quite important that this issue be dealt with as rural villages are having a hard time growing their crops.  Thus, I am asking you to please handle it.”

I raised an eyebrow.  “Diplomacy is not exactly my strong point, Celestia.  You know that better than anypony.”

She gave me a long extended sigh.  “I realize that, but there is just no way around it.  You can take any of my advisors with you.  It could even improve your public image a little.  Not to sound rude or anything, but you aren’t exactly held in a high esteem in the public eye.”

I scoffed.  It was not as if I was unaware of how the public viewed me.  It irritated me to no end that she would bring this up.  That she would abuse an insecurity absolutely baffled me.  She, The Goddess of the Sun, would attack her own sister’s vulnerabilities.  

“Fine then.  I shall depart today, alone.  I shall get the dragon to leave.  I shall use diplomacy.  I shall be back.  I shall help Equestria.  And I will do this all during the day.  Because, in case you do not remember, I am nocturnal.  Now if you’ll excuse me I must be on my way.”

I was absolutely furious.  I stomped out of the room before Celestia could speak.  I marched out of Canterlot castle and took to the skies at a speed that only an alicorn could maintain.  I soared over Canterlot and just kept flying.  I planned on dispatching the threat quickly, coming back to the castle, and taking a nap.  

It would not be an easy feat convincing a dragon to leave it’s nest.  They are notorious for their greed and stubbornness.   The only chance I had at persuading it would have to be through trickery.  If it was clever that may lead to an issue, though.  

They have been known to love gemstones, perhaps a trade could be made.  This seemed the most likely course of action.  Although, that could just give rise to more greed, provoking the beast to attack me.  What a dreadful thought.

I decided it would be best to not formulate a plan until having a chance to sum up my opponent.  From what I knew about dragons, they were not a particularly nasty race, nor were they particularly kind.  They tended to be solitary in nature.

As I neared the area surrounding the mountain my vision began to be obscured by a thick, black haze.  It was too difficult to navigate my way through it by flight and I was forced to land.  

The view from ground level was quite astonishing.  The atmosphere suggested it was nighttime when in reality it was only midday.  An overwhelming aroma of burned flesh made it’s way through the breeze, causing irritation to my nose.   My eyes watered, making it hard to tell where the mountain was.  

I passed by what appeared to be a crop field.  Or at least what was left of it.  Most of the vegetation had been charred and suffocated by the haze, and the dead plants only served to lay there uselessly.  There were a few houses around the field, although I did not see any ponies nearby.   They were most likely hiding away, hoping for the smog to clear soon.  

I stumbled along, unsure of what direction I was heading in or where it would lead me.  I did my best to keep my senses alert and watched carefully.  I expected to arrive at my destination soon enough.  After all, how hard would it be to find a mountain surrounded by dense forestry?

The smog was slowly dampening my senses; I could feel my vision failing and my nose burning.  The lack of oxygen in the air caused my breaths to come out short and shallow.  My brain was beginning to lose function and my mind seemed distant and far away.  I kept walking though.  I was determined to reach my goal.

That was until I walked face-first into a tree.  The arboreal tower snapped me out of my dream-like state.  It and the slight clearing of the haze.  I recomposed myself and swept my gaze across my surroundings.  On every side of me there were vast amounts of trees.  I must have been in the Everfree forest.  The haze cleared out a bit within the woods, enough to allow me to breath at least.

The trees seemed different.  They were not the tall and solid oak trees I had grown up around.  No these trees were atrocious.  Their branches twisted downwards in a formation of gnarled twigs making it appear as if they were prepared to grab you at any moment.  The wooden rings on their outer layer were warped and perverted giving one an impression of insane and twisted hatred.  The leaves on the trees were all  darkened shades of gray and black contributing to the already terrifying presence.  The vast number of them evoked a feeling of loneliness, of weakness.  They caused one to feel surrounded, even.  These trees were representations of depravity and a corruption of beauty.  In short, these trees were evil.  This forest was evil.  Or, at least, that is how it appeared.

My smoke ridden mind could not properly think, it could do nothing but retard me.  I felt fear.  And I ran.  And ran.  And ran.  I ran until my legs were at risk to give way beneath me.  I fell to the ground exhausted from my fear, the lack of oxygen, and the dashing.  “Oh dear sister, why?  Why would you send me to die?” I did not have my wits about me.  Even though the smog had thinned out some within the forest, it had not very much.

I was splayed on the ground struck by fits of coughing, hardly able to breathe.  Then something rather extraordinary happened.  The hazy veil lifted before my eyes.  My breathing started to regulate, and I could feel my sanity starting to retake it’s position within my mind. 

I started to get up wondering where I was.  It was obvious from the dense woodlands I was somewhere within Everfree.  A place I had never been to, though.  I was in a clearing of some sort and there were ruins ahead of me.  I could not see Mount. Carebina through the thick foliage so decided to backtrack.

I scanned the ground looking for traces of the path I took, footprints, broken twigs, anything.  To my great surprise I found no visible traces that the forest had been disturbed.  Which is impossible.  How could I, in my almost comatose mindset, blundering through the woods, not leave a trail.  

Seeing there was not a way to backtrack I decided it would be best to keep on.  It would not serve me well to take to the skies and try to find my location considering how hard it was to see through the cloud of noxious gases.  Speaking of which, where was this cloud?  

Why had the haze cleared?  Why was this small area spared the agony that others faced?  What made this place special?  What is this place I was in?  

All of the factors plus my infinite curiosity led me to believe I only had two ways to get through this situation.  “I could either A: Sit in this clearing waiting for help or B:  Enter these ruins.”  As I weighted the two it became increasingly obvious that Plan B was far superior to Plan A.

I stared at the ruins for a moment.  They didn’t appear large from what I could see of them now but that could quickly change.  The Gothic architecture suggests that the ruins were built sometime ago.  However, even with the marble and stones apparent age they showed little evidence of weathering.  This was probably due to the thick vegetation protecting them.  That is what I told myself, anyways. 

I approached the large entrance door cautiously, unsure what type of magic or traps lay before me.  Opening the large doors revealed a set of stone stairs that descended downwards into the dirt.  I walk down the stairs slowly.  Absolutely nothing went awry.  My night-vision prevented me from slipping and other such accidents while enclosed in the relaxing embrace of the shadows.  

Continuing downwards revealed a small hallway which appeared to lead to a set of stairs going upwards.  I raised my eyebrow.  What point was there in descending only to ascend moments later?  I concluded that it was a measure to keep whatever lay ahead secret.

I ascended the stairs only to come upon a set of doors.  Repetition is key I suppose.  Upon opening the doors I beheld quite the sight.  In front of me stood a most unexpected sight.  I stared at...it...a moment before realizing where I was.  There in front of me was...


___

“Well that seems like a good stopping point.  Good day Rainfall.”  I smiled inwardly awaiting the young mare’s reaction.  I highly doubted she would approve of my story interruption.

“Wait, What!?!  You can’t stop now.  It’s RUDE to stop on a CLIFFHANGER.”  She yelled at such a volume that the librarian had to shush her.    

I gave a small, dignified laugh and stated clearly, “I was merely joking, Rainfall.  You should handle your emotions a bit better.”  She merely stared at me with another blank expression.  I took it to mean ‘What?’  

My bit of mirth was short lived as I took in her state once again.  Her figure spoke of frailty.  She still seemed disheveled and weak.  Her eyes were curious and happy, but also sad and injured.  I would have to actually investigate the matter soon.  

I gave a small cough.  “Now then.  As I was saying.  There in front of me was...


___

...Mount Carebina.  It towered before me.  The sight of it wasn’t the perplexing part of the situation.  What truly baffled me was how I had gotten there.  To my knowledge (which is rather vast) there was not any kind of entryway/ruins around the base of the mountain.  So what exactly had I entered?

I whipped around expecting some kind of witchery to be the root of this phenomenon.  That which lay before me, or rather that which did not, was peculiar to say the least.  The ruins which I had strayed through disappeared.  It had not been an illusion either.  It had been there and now it was gone.  

I could not believe the sight before me.  How could something just disappear without any sort of traces that it had been there in the first place.  It had to be some kind of a hallucination.  Yes, a hallucination created by the smog and the toxins it had infected me with.  Just the smog.  Or maybe something much grander was in effect.

Either way I had other duties right now.  I looked at the craggy edifice, in all of it’s might and mass.  It billowed puffs of menacing black fog that drained the life out of the air around me.  My eyes began to water once again and my throat became scratchy.  I looked for a way to reach the peak of the mountain, figuring that the dragon would be nesting at the top.

I knew it would be faster to fly to the summit, but the cloud made it impossible.  I racked my brain trying to think of spells that could aid me.  A simple spell could be used to redirect the wind momentarily, but it would take some concentration to keep it steadily clearing my path.  And I did not want to risk alerting the dragon to soon.  Perhaps I could ignite the haze, as it seemed to hold quite a few combustable substances.  No, that would probably harm the surrounding countryside.  Vegetation and conflagrations do not mix well.  Not to mention the resounding effects of a widespread explosion.  

An adept bubble shield could be used to cover me and keep toxins out of my lungs, while I simultaneously cast a purification spell to keep the oxygen inside the air-pocket from dying out.  This seemed the most viable solution and most appropriate considering the need for moderate stealth.  

I cast the twin spells and began to fly upwards taking care to always stay in view of the mountain-side.  It was fortunate I had decided not to bring any support, as it would have made traversing the mountain near impossible.  

With the use of the twin spells the flight went surprisingly well.  The spells themselves were simple enough as well.  Perhaps once I was back in Canterlot this could be expounded upon, maybe enough to create some sort of toxin ventilating technology.

Coming closer to the apex brought a distinct sound to my ears.  The sound seemed to originate from within the mountain and came off at irregular intervals.  Every so often it would be followed by a small tremor.  The sound was deep and harsh, akin to that of a pained growl.  

From what I could tell it had only been about ninety seconds to reach the crest.  I climbed over it and looked down.  Within the mountain a large crater had been dug, or, more accurately, ripped open.  It appeared as if something had crashed into the mountain and created a gargantuan hole.  It was not hard to figure out would could be the cause of the hole.  

In the middle of the rift was a sizable creature, draconic in nature.  It had large red-violet scales covering the length of it’s hide.  They bristled with every breath it took, reflecting the light of the sun (well they would have if you could actually have seen the sun).  The brute’s stomach was incrusted with a number of jewels and priceless baubles.  Spikes alined the spine of the dragon, each one the size of an earth pony.  The animal had a small overbite, though they could have been small by draconic proportions.  The teeth jutted out over it’s jaw, each one devilishly long and serrated.  

I shuddered knowing that I would most likely be fighting this demon.  I began to steadily hover towards the dragon, awaiting a miracle to take place.  As I came closer I noticed something, though.  There was a long gash running from the base of its neck down to the abdomen.  Bits of rock were scattered about, some deep inside the wound itself.

The dragon had managed to smash into the mountain.  He must have collided with the summit after a failed attempt at flying.  The dragon appeared to be suffering greatly.  It’s breathing was rapid and irregular and it’s limbs rested at it’s side unable to do anything.  This was beginning to look more like a job for a coroner than a princess.  

I felt pity for the beast.  Even one so mighty as it could not fight nature.  I thought of a proper way to address the dragon, assuming it could understand me.  How do you go about addressing death, exactly?  I gave a cough and said in my booming Royal Canterlot Voice, “Excuse us, but why hath thou trespassed upon our land: the fair Equestria?”

The beast’s yes shot open and it searched for the source of the noise.  The freezing gaze finally settled upon me.  “I did not expect to be visiting your land, and I apologize if my ‘visitare’ has upset you.” 

“Be that as it may, thy presence hath disturbed our subjects.  Crops and settlements have not been able to grow due to thy exhalation.  We wish for thee to leave without dispute, but we are prepared to defend our land if need be.”  I gave a confident look to the beast to make my message understood.

Even though I realized he would not live much longer I played the part of the foal as to gauge whether or not there was any reason to help this creature (Hey, Celestia was the element of kindness, not me!).  

He let loose a gruff noise which sounded as if it was a chuckle.  “Non aestuare.  I shall not breath here much longer.”  There was no sorrow in his voice, only acceptance.  The factual tone of his voice...it aroused pity from me.  I suppose I was more empathetic than I realized.  

It didn’t make much sense as to why a being so dominant and awesome would accept such a fate.  “That is quite unfortunate.  Is there anything we can do to ease thy suffering?”  My more reasonable side said not to offer anything to a species known to be greedy.

“Non agunt quasi.  I am no foal, dear Princess Luna.  Through my death your ‘Equestria’ shall survive.”

I flinched.  I had not told him my name.  “How do you know my name?”  My voice was far less piteous now.  

“Draconigenus sum.  Do you know much about my species?  I don’t suppose you would, no one truly does.  There are very few who don’t fear us, and very few in the future who won’t.  Perhaps you’re willing to learn Princess Luna?”  His eyes locked onto mine and I could see the wisdom clear in them.

I hesitated for a moment, still curious as to how he knew my name.  He must have sensed my hesitation.

“Indulgere me.  Let an ancient being feel worthy of his own grave!”  He coughed.

“F-f-fine.  pass unto us thy knowledge.”  I gave a curt bow.  “And please inform us of how you are privilege to our name.”  I was wary of the large beast.  He could still pose a threat, even in his weakened condition.  

He smiled weakly.  “Forte est spes tamen. Dragons are an archaic race, one that have existed for longer than even you ponies can remember.  So little is truly known of them.  The creatures of this world are too scared by our visage to even begin to know us.  We could teach your kind so much, yet you avoid us.  Even in death you fear me Luna!  And I have to ask why?  Ad quot punctom?”

It was a difficult question.  I could say it was because of all the stories I had heard as filly or that it was because of their imposing nature.  But in truth there is only one reason.  “We fear the knowledge in thine possession.  Thy race is only known by the maturity it possesses and the veil of mystery that shrouds it.  If thine knowledge is as powerful as we fear than it could shake the foundations of our country.  But if we study the ways of others we can learn from the mistakes of others.  We need to be open to change while respecting the past.”

His smile grew.  “Utinam te melius noris.  You’re quite intelligent, and courageous to have approached me in the first place.  I think I shall teach you about myself, or rather, my race.  I am draco emisarrius, or dragon.  Dragons are the concealed historians of the world, we perch upon a place and watch it grow.  We watch it from the day it rises to the day it falls.-”

“Wait, is that why you were here?”  I asked inquisitively.

“Valde bona, Luna!  Very good!”  His frame shivered in pain at the exclamation.  I took a step forward to comfort him.  He stopped me before I could however.

“No, that is quite alright my dear.  Yes, I have watched Equestria grow and change over the years and kept my presence unknown.  In it is not the first civilization that I have gazed upon, but it is the one I am most proud of.  I have watched the ponies here grow and create a government.  Your kind valued their relationships with each other above all else, and it payed off.  Through the countless disasters that have befallen Equestria throughout the ages, it has still survived.”

He seized up in another coughing fit before returning to his tale.
“Nothing seemed to be able to stop you ponies.  Not hate, nor strife, nor drought, nor starvation, nor threat of invasion.  Through it all Equestria survived.  In the dozens of places I have watched, never have any other countries shown the strength of character that you Equestrians possess.  There are always a few flaws though.”

I glanced at him with an expression of suspicion as to his last comment.  He ignored me and continued on.  “A government had been set up with your mother and father leading it.  They were unique in the sense that they were both quite powerful ponies.  Your mother was a pegasus with strong earth-pony lineage and your father was a unicorn.  They were gifted with enchanted regalia that granted them long life.  Regalia that your sister and you still dawn to this day.  Approximately a millennium into their rule your sister and you were born.  You were born alicorns with inherit abilities that made you quite powerful.” 

“A millennium?  Is your info infallible?  I have always been told that my sister and I had been birthed by the Moon and the sun.”

The dragon wore a grave look for a minute before continuing, “Tu, pauper rei.  Shortly after your birth your mother fell ill.  She did not last a month.  It drove your father mad.  He began to research the darker side of magic in attempts at trying to find a way to revive your mother.  This caused quite the strain on his mental capacity, naturally, leading him to abandon his duties to Equestria.  Without his guidance order began to fall apart in the kingdom.  The council did not take kindly to this and they elected to dethrone him, more as an act of mercy than as an act of hatred.  They offered him board in the castle but your father would not accept.  However, They feared that if he were to be left on his own he would be problematic so they attempted to assassinate him at the senate on the Rides of March.  Your father narrowly escaped being slaughtered.  He fled from the castle, leaving you and Celestia behind to be raised without him.  Quam tristis.  The council decided it would be best to raise you two under false pretenses to ensure the powers you possessed were put to good uses.”

My jaw had dropped to the ground in astonishment.  I could not even utilize my vocabulary after hearing that.  I swallowed my tongue and asked,  “Where did he go?  What happened next?”

“Patientia.  We shall reach that, eventually.  You two were being raised by the council under the pretense that you were divinity.  Immortal divinity.  Eventually you two reached an age were you were able to practice your skills.  You outclassed Celestia in magic ability, but her diplomacy was simply sublime.  Neither of you knew you could control the sun and Moon until Celestia and you reached adolescence.  That was when the council asked you two to attempt to perform the deed in hopes that you would succeed.”

“Yes, that is correct.  More than a decade ago they implored us to perform this feat.  It was their hope that we could help create an ideal equilibrium between day and Night.”  What did that have to do with anything though?

He gave a lengthy sigh and looked at me somberly.  “Res sunt vix adeo factorum innocens.  They wanted power, Luna.  They wanted you two to be able to manipulate the sun and Moon, the day and Night, light and darkness.  They wanted to use you and your sisters powers to take over the surrounding nations.  The council did not want the peaceful nation of Equestria, no, they wished to rule the world under one empire.  They lusted for power!  They almost succeeded with their plan had it not been for one major disturbance.”  His form was racked by another fit of coughing.

The timeline he had laid out for me meant that disturbance could only be one thing.  Since there was only one disturbance worth noting in the past thirty years.  “Wait, are thou implying that Discords’ appearance helped Equestria?”  It seemed Discord may have vanquished a problem after all.

He smiled.  “Luculentam mi, splendidi! In a way it was the appearance of Discord, but it was more so the actions of your father.  He had been in hiding for a decade, trying to find a way to prevent the council from achieving their goal of world domination.  He had watched you and Celestia age and did his best to make sure the council did not use you for their nefarious purposes nor corrupt your innocence.  He did not want your names attached to the council’s plot.  In fact he did not want it to be known that Equestria had ever been at the mercy of people as vile as the council.  He saw what threatened Equestria and racked his brain for years trying to think of a way to, literally, save the world.  In his insanity and blind love for Equestria and your sister and you he saw only one solution.  He knew an ancient spell, one that the world had not seen for many generations.  It was a spell, or more accurately a ritual, that when performed transformed the user.  It transfigured them into a powerful being, but at a price.  It required that the user release his soul, his essence, and let it be modified.  In other words it meant that the caster’s mortal form would perish.”

“Our father killed himself?  For the good of Equestria?”  It was already a big enough shock to learn I had a father but to learn that he had taken his own life in an attempt to save Equestria.  Well, it was quite a lot to take in.  And it was not as if this dragon would lie to me.  It was on its deathbed!  

He gave me a sympathetic stare before continuing.  “Sic mi Luna.  He executed the ritual and sacrificed himself.  In his insane and love-ridden mind he believed he could bring the council down and give power to your sister and you.”
“What if he was unable to control himself?  Did he have a plan in that event?”  Did Discord have my father fooled as well?

“He felt so much pride in his daughters, Luna of the Moon, and Celestia of the Sun.  He trusted that you two could stop whatever he became if the need arose.  He trusted you to do the right thing.”

My heart ached.  My heart ached for a pony I had never even met.  I wish I had been given a chance to meet one who held such values and had been willing to make such sacrifices.  He had given his body up to become a lich, knowing full-well that he would be destroyed in the process.  He loved Celestia, Equestria, and I so much that he was willing to die for it.  I shed a tear and simply said, “Ah.”

“Est Licuit Luna.  He gave up his life because he knew you and Celestia did not need him.  Do not cry.”  The giant beast gave me a reassuring look.  “His form slowly morphed into of relation to mine, only much smaller.  He held the appearance of a lizard and all sort of other beasts in one form.  He became a draconqeuus.”

I looked up.  Only one draconqeuus had been in Equestria in our time.  It could not be though.  It should not be.  It was simply inane.  A fantasy.  “Are you implying that o-our-no, are you implying that my father was Discord!?!”

He merely stared at me.  “Aperi cor tuum ad scientam.  Your father could not choose what he became.  The ritual did not allow such a thing.  It was simply thrust upon him.  He transformed into the being you know as Discord, who bore an entirely different personality than that of your father.  Discord was a being from the ether who held one goal at heart, a goal to ensue chaos where ever he went.  To him Equestria and the world were playthings; the toys of children that were his to mold.”

I collapsed upon the ground.  My father, who had such a noble goal at heart, was transfigured into Discord.  He was the cause of all the strife of the past times, yet he was my father.  One who only moments ago had seemed so virtuous and strong-willed now appeared in the distorted form of cruelty and psychopathy.  

“Equestria non reliquit patrem tuum.  Your father would not abandon you so easily though.  He had influence over Discord.  He could not directly control what he had become but he could nag it.  Your father knew he couldn’t stop Discord so he saw it as the next best thing.  When Discord first appeared do you remember what he did?”

I thought for a moment.  “He disbanded the Equestrian government!”  Had that been my father?

The dragon chuckled.  “Tantaque perseverantia.  Even in non-existence your father worked towards saving Equestria.  His success did come back to haunt him, though.  While that meant that the council could no longer plot it also meant that Discord had complete control.  But as I said earlier your father trusted you and Celestia.  He trusted that you two would stop Discord; the vile mongrel he had become.”

“Celestia and I trained for quite some time in preparation to battle Discord.  We beat Discord and managed to banish him to a prison of stone after a time of fighting.”  I realized that my companion likely knew this, but I did not want to play the role of the incompetent student in our conversation.

He coughed.  His voice came out in a ragged tone.  “Fiducia eius non fuit abhorrentes.  Yes you stopped him.  You had quite the conversation with him before his banishment, though.”

My gaze fell to the ground.  So he knew about that...

“Vos iduicari non potest super Sententia, Luna.  We all feel, my dear.  I shall not judge you upon your conversation with the draconqeuus.  What you make of that conversation is what truly matters, Luna.”  He coughed.  “You and Celestia began reforming the government as it had been before, but the people of Equestria begged Celestia and you to lead and guide them.  Celestia listened to their plight and created a new government where the council held less power and she and you led Equestria.”

I seethed in anger for a moment.  “No, they begged Celestia, not Celestia and I to lead.  My people cared nothing for me.  They do not respect me!”  My voice was loud, booming even.  I had kept those emotions bottled up for so long.  So long that it was a miracle I had not burst.

The dragon blinked and it seemed as if a tear glistened on his cheek.  “Non est, quia non indigemus.  That does not make you insignificant, Luna.  Your sister was always the diplomat  Is it truly so hard to believe that Equestria would take to her presence more than yours?  Your father loved his country even when it abandoned him, perhaps you should hold yourself to the same standard.  Non debent obligari.”  

My eyes locked onto the dragons and a thought crossed my mind.  My duty was to Equestria, not to their loyalty.  “You are right...”

He chuckled through the pain of his wound..  “Humilitas enim pulchrum, non?  Do not lose your values my dearest princess.  I have watched your cultivation and it would be a shame to watch you depart from this world.  Do not think for a moment that you do not matter.  As long as there is but one historian, nothing is forgotten. Historiam spectantium obonoxia.”

He quivered and his whole form shook in agony.  Another fit of coughing was followed by his shallow and irregular breaths.  I took a step forward and laid against him.  I did not want something such as this beast to perish in all of it’s magnificence and wisdom.  “What can I do to help you?  What must I do!?!”  I stared at him, eyes pleading.  

He gave a sad smile.  “Speciosa misericordia, non pereat in te fiat.  When you look upon me you feel empathy.  Do not lose this quality.  I shall pass on soon and you may mourn me; but do not ever think that I am gone.  I’ve watched you since birth and I shall not cease to do so after death.”  

“This is not fair.  I can help you.  Please let me help you!”  I tasted something warm and salty.  I was crying.  The tears ran down my cheeks matting my swarthy coat.  

“Omnis res habet tempore suo.  Death is merely the midpoint of my journey.”  Another cough racked his form.  “You have already helped this old wyvern enough.  You have allowed him to pass on his knowledge of history to another.  All I need now is for you to remember it.  Embrace it.  Learn from it.  If you can promise me that I shall die happy.”

“I-I-I promise.  You taught me so much yet you have not even told me your name.  Please tell me just one thing before you pass.  Who are you?”  I hadn’t known this dragon for long but I felt a connection to him.  I did not want Equestria to be ignorant of his existence.  Not when he was so well informed about ours.  It would nit be right.

The dragon inhaled deeply and mustered his remaining strength to give out one last verse.  “Sed ego praeterita referuntur.  I record history, I do not live it.  It would be best if I was kept in hidden to the world, Luna.  If you truly want to know, however, I shall tell you.  And only you.”  I nodded, not understanding but respecting his wish for privacy.  “Optime tunc.  I am known as Luzear the Ancient Tongue.”  He coughed and a spurt a blood erupted from his throat. 

I wrapped my hooves around one of his talons.  I only was only able to manage to get half-way around it, though.  “Luzear, I shall not forget you or our conversation anytime soon.  Rest now historian, rest quietly.”  I felt his breaths become more and more irregular and shallow.

He gave a pained gasp and gargled out a few final words.  “There is still one thing I must say Princess of the Night.  You will have a choice in the near future.  What you do will affect Equestria for a great deal of time, so I beseech you to choose wisely.”  He let out another cough and another spurt of blood.  “Most importantly you must know that you are not alone.  You shall never be alone as long as history survives.  Remember the Moon, dear Luna.  Memento Luna.”  The familiar words struck a blow to my psyche.  

His body quivered for a moment creating a tremor.  His breaths came out as short gasps as if clutching for air then ceased.  His silvery eyes glazed over and a cloud, not unlike the haze, filled his pupils.  He lay there ever so still.  Luzear the Ancient Tongue died that day and my happiness perished with him.  My happiness perished with a creature I had only known for twenty minutes.  It must sound so peculiar, yet, then it seemed so reasonable.  Even now I feel lasting scars from Luzear. 

Luzear’s body began to transfigure itself.  A light started to form around the base of his tail and it wrapped around his body slowly.  It did this until it fully enveloped his form in an aura of cold light.  It started to recede down the length of his form once again leaving whatever part of him it had come in contact with encased in crystal.  No not encased.  It was turning his anatomy into crystal.  I simply stared as Luzear was morphing into a crystal representation of his form.

This would explain why nopony was ever able to get their hands on the body of a dragon.  Their bodies transmuted into some crystalline substance, a change in their entire anatomy.

Eventually he was just a jeweled shell of his living being.  I lay against his figure and sobbed.  I sobbed for my father.  I sobbed for Equestria.  I sobbed for Luzear.  I sobbed for my subjects.  I sobbed for myself.  I laid there for the day, not willing to face the world.  I just laid on my crystalized memorial and wept for the world.  

Such an inexplicable sorrow was mine to bear.  Here I was lying, shedding tears over a creature that I known for only a few short hours.  What possessed me to do so?  Why did I cry for Luzear, or rather, why did I feel pain for him?  I did not want to grieve over him, yet I could not help but feel so hollow without his conscious present.

I believe it was then that I locked my heart away, trying to keep it from pain and sorrow.  It was then that I chose to do anything to hide from the pain.  Perhaps even become something I was not.


___

Rainfall sat across from me, gazing at me with an expression of mingled sympathy and sorrow.  She placed her hoof over mine reassuringly and said, “It’s okay, Princess Luna.  That was all so long ago.”  She gave me a melancholy smile which did little to ease my inner demons.

“I-I think that is enough for today, Rainfall.”  Reminiscing is not a pleasant experience for me.  It hurts to meditate upon the past, especially when you’re a part of it. 

Rainfall stared at me for a moment, bearing an expression of confusion.  “But it’s still pretty early.  I won’t be mad if you keep going.”  I suppose that even empathy could not extinguish the curiosity of a foal.  It might have been due to my innate ability to mask my emotions or it could be the young pony’s lust for knowledge.

“True, but it is not easy for me to relate things of such a personal and painful nature to others.”

“Then why are you telling me?”  Her question was innocent enough.  As well as a valid one.

I thought out a reply.  My past provided the inspiration I needed to inform Rainfall.  “History shouldn’t be swept away.  No matter how much it hurts, no matter what it means, history should never be concealed.  It should be cherished, it should be noticed, it should be acknowledged.  History is not a story meant to entertain, no, it is a past lifetime meant to inform.  We have to embrace it, love it, and, most importantly, learn from it.  So no matter how much sorrow and anguish I feel, no matter what is happening to those close to me, I shall never deny history from the legions of the intrigued.  To do otherwise would not only be offensive to the people of Equestria, but to a dear friend of mine.”

Rainfall looked at me for a moment.  She was hanging on every one of my words, contemplating what I meant.  Her pace of breath quickened as she listened to me and I could not help but notice each of her ribs protruding, almost completely exposed under her skin.  She bit her lip and looked as if she was about to say something, but decided against it and instead said,  “I see.  I-I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then, Princess Luna.”

I watched her get up and leave the library without a single book under her arm.  I did not wait to follow her.  I got out of my seat, determined to find out the small filly’s secret.  As I left the library hot on her trail I commanded a guard to tell my sister that I could not raise the Moon tonight.  

I crept through the castle until I saw her stop in the soup kitchen.  Was that her secret?  Being among the destitute?  No it had to be more than that.  Even in Equestria there were poor people, it was hardly something to feel ashamed of.

I took her brief stop to cast a transfiguration spell that would disguise me.  I turned my rain cloak inside-out and pulled it over my form.  I walked into the kitchen cautiously to see if I made any heads turn.  No one noticed me, so the disguise was working.  I had lost sight of my target, though.  

I searched the poverty-stricken sea trying to make out Rainfall.  It was difficult spotting somepony so small in such a vast array of ponies.  My gaze finally locked onto her.  She was sitting in the corner of the room with her back to the wall, eating the meager amount of food served to her.  I walked towards a table far enough away from her so that she would not notice me, but close enough so that I could keep a trained eye on her.

She sat there, eating gradually, for what seemed like hours.  She sat in silence with a look of lassitude evident upon her features.  Eventually she concluded her refection and quietly brought her tray to a designated station.  She kept half a roll.

She walked out of the kitchen and off of the castle grounds while I followed silently behind her, taking care not to draw her attention.  She increased the speed of her pace when we entered Canterlot.  She turned many a corner and crossed several paths, with a very determined trot.  She seemed quite confident in her navigational abilities.  

Eventually we reached the eastern edge of Canterlot.  Nothing laid outside the walls except Paradise Grove.  She could not possibly be heading there could she?  No it was far to dangerous for her to enter it alone.  

Undaunted, Rainfall simply walked into Paradis Grove.  I had to withhold a gasp.  I followed her path through the forest closely, worried about here well-being.  She had not taken one of the designated paths into the forest yet her hoofsteps were steady.  The surrounding nature did not bear any marks that Rainfall had faltered in her route, either.  She seemed to know exactly where she was going and how to get there.  

Eventually her hoofprints disappeared into a large brush.  I forced my way through the brush blindly hoping I was on the right track.  I ended up finding myself in some sort of clearing.  I looked around to gather my bearings and saw Rainfall’s hoofprints once again.  Apparently she navigated the terrain much better than I.

I followed the trail of prints with my gaze and let my eyes rest upon an opening in the trees, a glade.  I went through and came upon a marvel that would be hard to match.  

Rainfall sat on a the ground ahead of me, hovering over a pony who was was splayed upon the ground in an unnaturally inanimate fashion.  Rainfall had her hoof on the motionless pony and was shedding tears that soaked through her white coat and hit the ground, decomposing into nutrients for the hungry terrain.  The glade was eerily quiet and flat with a few odd-standing arboreal entities here and there.  Vines hung off of them seeming to grasp at the ground.

The pony Rainfall leaned on was a unicorn, who very much resembled the filly.  Her coat was a luminescent white that caused the light that shined on it to refract.  Her mane was a flowing vessel of azure.  It flowed down the length of her form gently, giving the illusion that it was alive.  

I approached Rainfall stealthily until I stood near her.  I assumed the mare was akin to Rainfall and I opened my mouth to speak to the young filly, who was still unaware of my presence.  “Rainfall...”

The filly gasped and turned around unable to shield her tears from my view.  “Pr-pr-Princess Luna!  What are you doing here!?!  Why are you dressed like that?”

“You seemed in pain, Rainfall.  I came here to check on you.  I became worried when I spotted you heading into Everfree Forest.  Why are you here?  Who is this mare?”

Rainfall turned away, tears glistening on her cheeks.  “She’s my mother.”  Rainfall had to hold back her sobs to form coherent sentences.

“I’m so sorry Rainfall.  I understand the pain you feel, but you cannot stay out here.  It is far to dangerous a place for someone as young as you to be.”

Rainfall gave me a dejected glare.  “Y-you don’t understand.  I can’t leave.  I can’t just leave her here!  She needs me.  That’s what she tells me.”  She sobbed once again.

“I don’t understand dear.  Why can’t you leave?”  

A cold cill passed up the length of my spine and the grass bent in a aberrant breeze.  “That would be because of me.”  

> Paradise
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I swiveled around to try and locate the source of the voice.  I saw nothing but the grass and trees.  I stayed tense; if I had learned one thing in my time it was that our innate instincts warnings were to be heeded.

“You’re not even facing in the right direction.”  The voice echoed behind me once again.  

I swiveled again.  Something about the voice seemed off.  Besides the fact that it was disembodied and demonic, I mean.  “Show yourself, vile beast!  We are not to be toyed with!”  

“Come now.  If I revealed myself that easily where would the drama be?  The suspense?  But if you insist upon it I suppose I shall have to...”  It was distant yet eerily close.

The forest began to shake, the wind becoming more powerful and causing the grass to sway in an atypical manner.  The trees started to reel, slowly at first, but then they started to whip back and forth viciously.  A strange light appeared in the middle of the glade.  It scurried around, sketching a shape out against the dark background of the forest.  

The guise shared vague similarities with that of a pony.  The wind began to twist around the radiant sketch, making it appear all the more brilliant.  The chilly Night air rushed across the grassy clearing adding slight frost to that which it passed over.  The vines from the tree began to extend, like the tendrils of the mighty kraken, climbing towards the mystifying starlight mare.  As the cold wind cut through the air it unleashed a shrill and intense shriek.  It was as if a savage beast were screeching into the sky, yearning for blood.  The whole of nature appeared to be bending around this figure, empowering its birth.  

Then it all ceased as quickly as it had begun.   An empyrean character appeared before me.  An alicorn stood before me.  Her coat started from her head as a light green which gently faded into a browning orange as it came to a stop at her tail.  Her mane bore streaks of the seasons.  Reds, and greens, speckled whites, and fading browns marked the entirety of her long, free-flowing mane.  Her cutie mark was that of a twig snapping as a single leaflet hung onto it.  It seemed to move and breath as if it were alive.  And perhaps it was.  She held herself regally, poised in a way that showed her grace and beauty.  Her body was mostly transparent, though.  The only thing that could really qualify as real were her eyes.

Her eyes were a piercing shade of icy blue that contrasted with her rather placid colors.  Her pupils were dilated to the point where you could almost peer into her soul.  They spoke of animosity and resentment.  The bitterness and putrid vile within them caused my very soul to solidify.   Seeing such a thing in nature almost caused me to break my composure. 

My mind worked at an increased pace trying to decipher what I was beholding.  It was obviously in relation to an alicorn.  Maybe it was a distant relative?  No, only Celestia and I were alicorns.  Could this be some sort of druid?  No, their order has long since been extinct.  Perhaps a spirit of the Forest?  No, this place is far too disorderly to have any kind of guardian.  

Whatever this being was, it was to be looked upon with caution.  I calmed myself and took on an expression of perfect calm, while in reality my heart was drumming against my chest at an impossible pace.

“Does my appearance frighten you?  Am I truly that intimidating?”  I kept my calm and cool exterior, but listened carefully to the voice, terror filling the corners of my mind.  “You cannot conceal yourself from me.  Even if you do not show it outwardly, I can feel the fear emanating from you.  I can smell it.  Perhaps I shall be able to enjoy myself tonight after all!  You shall provide me sufficient entertainment for tonight.”  The amount of emphasis put on the word entertainment led me to believe we were not going to doing magic tricks.  

I Rainfall towards me with a hoof and took a small step back.  Whatever this thing was, it was definitely malevolent.  I crouched slightly, preparing to unleash a barrage of magic against the beast.  Then I remembered a lesson Celestia had given me upon my return: diplomacy first, violence second.  I cleared my throat and said, “Actually, my young companion and I will be leaving.  We have much to do.  So if you will please excuse us.”

The apparition seemed to fade out for a moment then reappear.  It wore a smile that did little to mask it’s sinister intentions.  What did this thing want with us?  What could this ethos of the forest want with us?

“It wasn’t so much an offer as it was an indication of your future.  And I think that ‘your’ companion would much rather stay here with me.  I am akin to her after all.”

I looked down at Rainfall who up until this time had remained still and quiet.  I inched myself to her and guided my muzzle down to her in order to ask in a whisper, “What does she mean, Rainfall?”

Rainfall stared at the ground.  

I bit my lip.  What was Rainfall hiding?  Who was this spirit?  Why does she resemble an alicorn?  Who was that dead mare on the glade (besides being Rainfall’s mother)? 

“Yes that is quite right.  What do I mean?  Perhaps Rainfall here does not even know herself.”  It gave Rainfall a twisted smile then looked at me once again.  “And you.”  I stared into its ice-blue eyes.  “You have stepped onto my territory in a barbaric attempt at taking it over.  That is an act of war, and I do not take to kindly to acts of war.”  Its voice was dripping with sardonicism.  “So I suggest you prepare yourself, pony!  Because right now I am so very, very hungry!”  	

I would have to question Rainfall and this spirit later as it seemed quite anxious at the moment.  This thing obviously did not know who I was.  Otherwise it likely would have addressed me as Luna or Princess.  That could be an advantage.  Perhaps if I introduced myself in a dramatic fashion I could instill a bit of fear in the ominous presence.  Ha, instill fear in a ghost.  That’s a laugh.  Sadly, it was all I had to work with as far as advantages were concerned.  

I reared back on my hind legs and let forth a surge of lighting from behind me.  It illuminated me against the background of the pitch-black sky (sister was never very creative when it came to creating nighttime).  At the same time I released my cloak which proceeded to transform into a camp of bats.  My eyes were glowing with a stream of magic that encased my entire body and began to leech off the ground in a dark flurry of violet.  My wings expanded, feathers hardly visible in the darkness.  They still served make me seem more formidable.  My cutie mark twinkled in the light.  

The ground began to lose color near me as I poured more magic into my spell.  The entire glade became covered in frost.  I used a variation of a common spell to make my voice sound loud and foreboding.  “Behold!  We are Luna!  Princess of the Night, Raiser of Planets, Mistress of the Skies, Slayer of Nightmares!”

The spirit grinned maniacally, and cackled as if I had told a joke.  “How so very fortunate for me!  Not only do I get to feed, but on a Princess no less!  The power you discharge is so...succulent.  This will be a meal I shall savor!  For a few seconds anyways.”  

I fell back to all four hooves but did not let my appearance fade, nor let my voice lose it’s thunderous quality.  “Who art thou to talk of us in such a manner!?!”  

The spirit faded and reappeared again with a face of mock shame.  It seemed to become a bit more solid the longer we chatted.  “Oh, yes.  How very rude of me to not have introduced myself sooner.  I am the voice that whispers you, urging you to perform unspeakable acts.  I am the force that drives you to suffering.  I am the force that feeds upon the essence of your glorious hatred; germinating from it like a seed.  I am your sorrows, your fears, your rage.  I am that which lusts after a non-existent quintessence.  I am that which guides your nightmares.  I am that which shuns both the Night and the Day.  I am that which shall absorb this world.  I am...well frankly, I do not know who I am besides all that.  I am the embodiment of this forest, so I suppose you can call me after it.”  It never raised its voice, not once, as it spoke.  That was what truly terrified me.  

I recomposed myself once again.  I seemed to be doing that quite a lot recently...  So, this being was Paradise Grove then?  Well that was one question answered.  Now to move to the next.  “And what are your plans?”

“We have spoken enough, pony.  I grow weary of your questions.  En Garde!”  The spirit charged towards Rainfall and I, but I had prepared myself.  I drew Rainfall even closer towards me and unleashed a teleportation spell.  

We landed somewhere in Paradise Grove.  I had tried to teleport the both of us out of the forest but some kind of energy kept me locked within the forest.  Rainfall and I were still trapped with this monster.  We would have to find somewhere to hide so that I could properly assess the situation.  Perhaps I could question Rainfall as well.

“Hide and seek is it?  One of my favorite games.  I am ever so good at it.  Especially when the playing field is MY forest.”
	
I gathered myself and took my bearings of the surrounding area.  There was some brush nearby, perhaps that could make suitable arrangements?  No, this spirit exercised quite the control over the elements, so it would not be hard to blow simple brush away.  We could hide in the trees; maybe then it would overlook us.  No, again it was in control of the elements.  I could cast a camouflage spell on the two of us.  This seemed like a good option, but I still had no idea the extent of Paradise’s power.  If it could control the vegetation it might also be able to feel it.  Which would render camouflage redundant.

My eyes then fell upon a cave.  Perfect.  It was not a part of the forest.  I shuffled in urging Rainfall to come along.  She had her gaze fixed onto the ground as if there was some unknown point that only she could see.  We traveled to a point deep in the cave and sat down.  I turned to Rainfall, who seemed surprisingly unaffected by the ordeal, and asked, “What exactly does your mother have to do with all this?”

Her ears dropped and she gave me a dejected look.  “I don’t want to talk about her...”

“Why not?”  I was confused by Rainfall’s response.  Logically, there was but a few ways out of this scenario.  And the more information I had the better.  

“I-I-I just can’t, okay?”  Tears began forming in her eyes.  She was shaking.

I placed a hoof around her much smaller form and shushed her.  “Do not fret, Rainfall.  It will all be alright.  I promise.  Would you like me to tell you the next part of my tale?”  

I didn’t know what that being was.  I didn’t know what it wanted with us.  I didn’t know how it came to be.  I didn’t know what the dead mare had to do with anything.  All I knew was that this filly was upset.  My friend was upset.  That I could not stand for.

“O-o-okay Princess.”  She sniffled.  “I’d love to hear it.”  She leaned against me.  I pulled her into a tight hug.

“Well then let us begin...”


___


When I woke up I was laying on Luzear.  He was still crystal.  He was still dead.  I stared at him for a moment more.  I could not cry, though.  I was out of tears.

I looked towards the sky.  The black haze which had disturbed the atmosphere was gone.  I suppose Luzear’s death did hold some good fortune.  I took to the skies void of emotion.  The world was cruel and unfair.  Luzear had to die.  My subjects did not love me.  The Night was ignored.  The world should expect no less from me.

The dark seed which had originally just been a pang of jealousy sprouted within me and blossomed at an extreme pace.  I could feel myself ebbing away and I didn’t even care.  No, actually, I embraced the darkness.  I took comfort in it.  I knew then that I could not expect the world to bend to me.  I could not expect it to love me.  I must force it upon it’s knees if I were to achieve anything.  

I took to the skies and flew towards Canterlot.  On the way I heard several voices shouting praise such as, “Oh, thank you Celestia!  You have saved our livelihood!”  Some were so bold as to shout at me and say things such as, “Princess Luna!  Please thank your sister for us all!”  It just fed the void within my core.  There were many who shouted praise for I, Luna, but in my bitterness I drowned them out.

I kept flying, my entire body boiled by the strong forces of hatred.  I arrived at Canterlot within a few hours.  It was twilight so I knew exactly where my sister would be.  I trotted towards the balcony/observatory where my sister was.  I crept forwards while trying to decide what I wanted to say.

I reached the balcony and saw my sister standing against the sky, her mane flowing freely, and her horn glowing in determination.  She was raising the Moon.  I came up behind her and coughed loudly, so that my presence would be known.  

My sister’s horn ceased to glow and she turned towards me.  Her eyes widened in surprise upon seeing me.  “Luna!  You’re back!”  She dashed over to me and nuzzled my neck.  I did not return the gesture.

“Naturally.”  My tone was dry and cold.  

My sister brushed off my tone and spoke.  “What happened out there?”

“I got rid of the dragon.”  

She moved her analytical eye over me.  “That can’t be all.”

“Why not?”  

“You were gone for days!  The haze cleared soon after your departure but your whereabouts were unknown.  I sent multiple search parties looking for you, but they all became lost and ended up outside the forest.  Even the pegasi.”  Her voice was laced with concern.

“After I disposed of the dragon I became weary and rested.”

Celestia’s look of agitation did not cease but she held her tongue.  “Fair enough.  How exactly did you dispose of the dragon?  I’m sure my scouts would have seen a dragon flying away from Equestria.”  She thought for a moment before her eyes widened a bit.  “Oh, Luna...you didn’t kill it did you...?”

“No.  It had crashed into Mount Carebina and suffered a fatal wound.  When I arrived at the scene it was only moments away from death.”  

“Did it say anything to you, Luna?”  Celestia had a look of curiosity engraved on her visage.  

I did not wish to tell Celestia of the discussion I had with the dragon.  “No.  The beast could hardly breathe when I got there, let alone form sentences.”  The lie burned my throat.  It did not feel right to put a veil around Luzear as I did, but I liked knowing something my sister didn’t.

“I see.  That is quite unfortunate.”  She let out a sigh before continuing.  “That being you refer to as ‘beast’ was a living creature, Luna.  It was an intelligent being that could feel.  Do not act so cold and detached from the situation.”  Celestia’s tone bore just the slightest hint of annoyance.  Which in turn, annoyed me.

My rage threatened to unleash itself.  “You were not there.  You did not see what I saw.  Perhaps detaching helps me cope with a situation...  Did you ever think of that?  Hmm!?!”  

Celestia was not thrilled with my attitude.  “Maybe if you had gotten there sooner you could have eased it suffering.  It doesn’t sound like you are coping so much as you are just an apathetic witch!”

“Are you accusing me of slacking off!?!  I am Princess Luna!  My loyalty is to my subjects and Equestria.  I do not practice negligence.”  The last bit was hissed out.  I had lost control of this situation.

Celestia glared at me.  “You are right.  You are definitely not the type to neglect her duties.  But you’re the type to take it to the extreme.  I wonder if you really did find the dragon injured?  I wonder if it’s injury truly was from natural causes or if you just happened to find violence easier than diplomacy?”  Her words stung.  And the reaction to any sting is pain and aggression.  Or death if you have an allergic reaction.  

“You think hat I killed that...dragon?”  The thought dug into me like a needle.  “You claim that I have lied to you?  How dare you.  How dare you accuse me of an action so vulgar!  How dare you say that I enacted a murder out of a simple urge!  How dare you judge me!  I sat against the mongrel as it faded into death.  There was not much else I could do!”  

I was crouched down, unable to mask my fury.  My horn glowed with a threatening indigo light.  Our conversation was quickly escalating and there was no way of telling where it would go.

My sister’s was in a similar position.  She had to calm herself before saying, “Perhaps you should go to your room, Luna.  You look weary after your journey and in need of rest.”  She faked a tone of worry.  Or at least, that is how I saw it.  “I can raise the Moon tonight.  We can chat later...”  

I did not take to the idea very well.  “You cannot order me around, Celestia.  We are equals.  Your tricks in diplomacy are well known to me so do not ever think you can manipulate me.  I shall head to my room, but do not think it is due to your influence.”  I kept my eye on my sister and backed up until I felt myself hit the door... 

“I am Princess Luna!  I bear three of the Elements of Harmony!  I am loyal not just to Equestria, but to every living creature!  You would best do well to remember that, Celestia.”  I turned and pushed past the door with my telekinesis.

In that moment I had decided to hide the conversation I had with Luzear.  Instead I let my sister continue on, ignorant to the truth.  I did not feel that she deserved to know it in that moment.  That was a selfish error on my part really.  When Luzear said that the truth should not, and could not, be hidden, he spoke the truth.  It is a powerful thing that we must always look too...

I exited the observatory and stomped towards my room.  I cannot believe that my own sister thought I would murder another being.  Not only that, but she thought I did it out of indifference.  Or, perhaps she thought even worse.  Perhaps she thought I killed something for the pleasure of it.

The seed of darkness within me flourished.  My mind was filled with vile bile.  When I neared my room I felt a powerful aura vibrating from it.  

I flung the door open and headed towards the mirror.  I grabbed the lens and dashed down the hidden passage.  I ignored the long hall; I had one goal in mind, opening the black door.  I found just what I was looking for.  The door stood tall before me, glowing with it’s unique aura-sucking power.

“Why are you here?”  The question echoed through the hallway.

My fury blinded my thoughts.  This question was so vague, yet the door wanted so specific an answer.  In my heart of hearts I knew the answer though.  I was ready to answer.  

“I want knowledge.  I want respect.  I want power.  I want revenge.”

The door creaked and opened letting forth a gust of air as it did.  It’s decorative markings started to slide down the side of the door like paint.  They pooled together and moved into the shadows beyond the rim of the door.  I watched as the black door faded to that of a tattered wood frame.

I gulped and walked through the entryway.  I had not actually expected the door to open, just for it to merely repeat the phrase it had so many times before.  An abstract and shady tone pierced the extensive room.  In a gutteral voice that seemed to fade in and out of existence I heard a faint yet noticeable noise.  It said “Welcome Home.”  

I took a few tentative steps forward.  I kept my senses alert and stood at the ready to defend myself.  After all, I did want to become a victim of some sort of horrible trap.  However, no tragedy awaited me.

As I walked further into the abyss it seemed to become even darker.  Shadows danced across the walls, fading through the passage.  I was able to make out the features of the area.  Near me there was a solitary table with a note and a book atop of it.  I approached it, curiosity mingled with caution, and picked up the note.

Dear Luna,
I am glad you have finally joined me.  I was beginning to grow impatient.  If you look around you shall notice a large selection of books.  I can teach you a great many things.  You just have to be amenable to knowledge and vigilant.  
Yours eternally,
The Library of the Night

P.S.- I have lain a guide on the table in case you find yourself confused as to what to do.  Memento Luna...

I was stupefied.  How could that note have been here?  The black door had sealed off everything.  How could it be addressed to me?  It simply wasn’t possible.  Who or what was the Library of the Night, and what did it have to do with any of this?

It was rather dark in this room and for some odd reason my night-vision was not working.  I wished that the room would lighten up a bit.  Not a second after I thought that did the library react.  I looked around and the dark and recondite corners of the room began unveiling themselves to reveal shelves upon shelves of books.  I gaped as the entire room brightened before my eyes.

I did not question the library I just let my curiosity take over.  Books, after all, were my best friend.  

It appeared the supply of books was endless, stretching on for miles.  For me it was a dream.  An endless supply of knowledge lay before me, and I stood to learn so much.  Imagine the worlds of thought and imagination in this place.  Then I looked at the table again.

That one solitary book sat there and I figured I had to start somewhere.  I sat at the table and levitated the book towards me.  The title read, “Library of the Night: A Reference Guide.”  I opened it up to the table of contents.  A chapter was circled in a thick red paste that had coagulated.  It was not ink.  

Chapter 13: The Library of the Night - Page 89
How do I use it?
How does it work?
What are the limits?

I flipped to the specified page number and read.  According to the book all I had to do to get access to a volume was think of the name of the novel or a subject under which it falls and voice my want.  Then it would appear to me, along with several books that fall under a similar category.  This type of magic is unheard of.  It goes beyond simple voice recognition and is actually able to pick out the book you want without any sort of effort on your part.  I was doubtful to say the least.  

So, being the inquisitor I am, I naturally tested the claim.  “Please bring forth a copy of “Magic: The Basics.”  I waited and nothing happened.  I felt a bit smug in my knowledge of how impossible the novel’s claim was.  That was, until the entire library started rotating, that is.

The cloak of shade encasing the library began to fall away.  A creaking noise ripped the atmosphere and faint traces of dust appeared along the base of the walls.   Then the room began to gyrate around me as if I emitted my own gravity blister.  Walls gave way to shelves full of books.  The book shelves formed a semicircle around my position and just spun and spun and spun.  Eventually, they slowed down to reveal a new set a shelves in front of me. 

One of the books was pushed off the shelf and hit the floor with a soft thud.  I edged towards the hardback, mingled feelings of curiosity and dubiety inundating me.  I levitated the book upwards as I came closer.  It came up to eye level with it’s spine facing me.  I slowly spun it around in order to decipher the cover.  I feared what it would say.  The cover read: “Magic: The Basics.”  

I could not hold in a gasp this time.  I lost my control over the book, and it crashed into the shelf.  I could not believe that which I had beheld.  It just wasn’t possible.  It simply wasn’t possible.  How was it possible?  Magic of this sort would take an incredible amount of power.  No, an unreal amount of power.  

Still trembling, I noticed a slip peering out from the binding of the spine.  I levitated the note over to myself.  It flew at a rather inconsistent pace as I was still shaken by the my experience.  I grabbed the note with my hoof, unable to hold it steady with my magic.  The paper crinkled and cracked as it unraveled.

Dear Luna,
I would prefer if you actually appreciated what I offer rather than attempt destroy it.  So, perhaps we should try replaying this little scenario?
Yours eternally,
The Library of the Night


I stood clutching the note, frozen in time.  This place saw me hurl that book.  It knew what I had done.  It had constructed a way to communicate with me.  It was self-aware.  Where in the name of Tartarus was I?  What one place could do all of this?

No, this wasn’t a place.  Not at all.  Places cannot think.  Places cannot feel.  Places cannot see.  Places cannot speak.  Places are not intelligent.  Places are not sentient beings.  Where ever I was, it was not a place.  It was self-aware.  There was a nip in the air, which at first thought seemed to be a draft, but that was impossible.  There was no wind.  It was as if this...thing...was breathing.  This was a conscious being...  Magic such as this had to be ancient, there were no recordings of it in the Royal Library or the Private Archives...

I thought for a moment.  I had to tell Celestia of this place.  It was far too mysterious to keep hidden under-cloak.  Not anymore, at least.  I was not easy to frighten, but at that moment I was positively terrified.  I cocked my head, frantically searching for the door from which I had entered.  My eyes locked onto the tall wooden frame about thirty meters behind me.

I reared up and swiveled; I frantically galloped towards it.  There seemed to be another being with similar thoughts.  A dark shadow was passing through the room and bearing closer to the entryway.  I increased my pace.  The shadow did the same.  I tried using my horn to teleport towards the door, but I found that my magic had somehow been disabled.  In a desperate attempt I spread my wings in a wide arc, letting them flow freely.  I propelled them downwards and back and rocketed towards the door.

CRASH!!!


I sat, Dazed and Confused before a sizable, blackened door.  It was thick and heavy, bearing the same intricate marks as it had previously.  The clutches of the shadow had reached the door before me.  

I was trapped.  I was trapped in a living library, that seemed to be able to control shadows, disable magic, and cause things to mutate and shift.  Brilliant.  It was a masterful stroke on my part, coming into a hidden place without telling a soul.  Just pure genius on my part.  

What would become of me, then?  Would I be dinner for a library?  How ironic, considering how much knowledge I have been able consume due to libraries.  But I could not afford to think that way.

I stood, my body still aching from the force of impact, and inspected the door.  It was tall and black, that was not very helpful.  The knocker was a decoration and sat pasted onto the wall.  The door had no handles.  Correction: it had handles but they were painted on.  “That is quite an unpleasant, and rather unusual, joke.  I am not impressed Library of the Night.”  I spoke in a whisper, because my words had been more meant to calm my own nerves than actually meant to address the library.  My magic was still useless.  I found that now I could not even perform a simple flash spell.

I investigated the door for quite some time before I gave in.  If I was going to escape this place it would have to be through means other than forceful extraction.  The only other option I had was...diplomacy.

I turned back to face the enormous library.  It seemed ridiculous.  Her I was, about to reason with a library.  But this place had already proven itself capable of thought and understanding speech, so perhaps there was some hope.  I might even earn the respect of some other living-being.  “You wouldn’t mind if I left would you?”  I kept my tone calm and cool.

On the small table I had previously occupied a note appeared.  There was no flash of light, nor puff of smoke, it simply popped into existence.  I trotted towards it, trying to look graceful and tranquil, but angst had wrapped it’s mighty coils around me.  I was alert to say the least.  

I sat at the table and tried to levitate the note towards me.  It worked.  Apparently the only magic I could use was limited to levitation.  The Library of the Night had set it’s constraints and now I had to follow them.  I was not a Princess here.  No, I was merely a subject, a game.  The note unfolded with a short message.

Dear Luna,
I am a library.  Perhaps you should find your answers within books, not within doors.  Books are so much better at being doors than doors anyways.
Yours eternally,
The Library of the Night
P.S.- Memento Luna...
	
I slumped back.  The Library of the Night had me and I could do nothing to stop it.  All I could do was read. 


___
> A New Type of Canvas
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

													___

A harsh wind echoed in the distance.  “Princess Luna!!!  Where are you hiding, darling?  We could have so much fun if you just revealed yourself to me!”  The voice of Paradise sounded depraved and mad.

I held my breath for a moment.  The spirit was unaware as to the location of Rainfall and I, but that would not last long.  It sounded like it had been drawing closer when it had spoke.  

If we could somehow manage to stay concealed long enough, my sister might become suspicious as to my whereabouts.  That would take too long though.  I quite regret asking the guard to inform my sister of what would appear to be a scheduled absence.

So once again, I am alone.  No one would be able to come help me.  I would be stuck in this forest, accompanied by a deranged spirit.  How delightful.  No, I could not get bogged down by the problem.  I had to think of a solution.

We cannot exit the cave.  An action of such a nature would leave Rainfall and I exposed.  I could not battle the spirit head-on, as that would leave Rainfall unprotected.  Unless of course Rainfall was able to fight as well.  No, I could not ask one so young to help me undertake a feat so great.  I could transport a message straight to the castle, but that kind of magic could be easily traced.  And it was likely that Paradise had surrounded the forestland with some sort of shield.  What, then, could I do...

“Princess Luna?”  Rainfall lifted her head up to look me in the eye.

“Yes my dear?”  I kept my voice calm and under control.  After all, there was no point in provoking unnecessary anxiety in my companion.

“I know that there aren’t a lot of things we can do...I can see that.  You can leave, you know.  You can survive.  You don’t have to keep protecting me.”  There was no sorrow in her voice.  Just the sound of somber acceptance.  The sound of a true friend, I suppose.    A friend that I will protect. 

“No, my dear Rainfall, you are incorrect.  There is a reason Equestria has survived for so long.  We have thrived off of plentiful resources, skilled ponies and pegasi, magic, knowledge, weather manipulation, and stable government, true enough, but everything comes back to one simple quality.  Harmony.  It takes so many forms, friendship, love, respect, leadership, loyalty, honesty, kindness, bravery, generosity, laughter, magic, faith, family, guidance, peace, and so much more.  Abandoning you now would be to stomp upon that which has made us great.  Such a travesty would be an unacceptable portrayal of not only myself, but of the whole of Equestria.”  As I spoke my mind thought of the conversation I’d had so many years ago with Luzear.  My words now were not so dissimilar to his.  It seems that the old rapscallion left quite the impression.

Rainfall stared up into my eyes and nodded.  She was skinny and her body bore marks of severe negligence, but her eyes burned with a passion.  I saw something ignite within her soul right then.  A resolve sprung from within her, one that had seemed non-existent earlier.  “I’m ready then, Princess.”

I smiled, happy to see this little pony express a bit of spirit.  “That is excellent news.  We can only bide our time at the moment, however.  Perhaps I should just continue with my story?”  

The young pony seemed rather confused that I would want to continue with my story rather than dealing with the threat at hoof.  I did not want to tell her that I had no plan at hoof.  That would only serve to impair the situation further.  Instead the best option (at least from my view) would be to continue the story and craft a plan as I went along.

“But that...thing...is out there...  That’s kind-of important...”  

“I wonder how that being came to be?  It seemed to be rather familiar with you?  You wouldn’t know anything about it’s origins would you Rainfall?”  I immediately regretted my manipulation when I saw the hurt expression on Rainfall.  It seemed my social ineptitude had struck again.  I tend to lash out when under pressure.  However, this feeling was not fueled entirely by such petty emotions.  I also had a nagging suspicion that Rainfall knew something of this predicament.  Perhaps I could extract the information from her with a more tactful method.

She cringed at the implication.  The expression of confusion instantly replaced by that of a trapped animal.  “I-I-I just can’t say right now Princess...  I just can’t...  I don’t have the words to describe it...”  A tear dribbled down her cheek and the sheer amount of sorrow in her voice foreshadowed a deluge of anguish that could probably flood Paradise Grove.
“Nothing can truly stay hidden.  The past is a lesson we have to embrace in order to create a thriving future.  Concealing the truth, no matter how agonizing it is, can only cause more suffering.”  My mind diverged once again, thinking over how to get out of this situation.

Rainfall bit her lip.  “How about you finish your story first?  Like you said you would.”  

I had to let out a sigh.  She was quite bright.  My manipulative traps are usually complex enough to fool most ponies.  I suppose that Rainfall just needed time.  Which, inconveniently, was the one thing I was not privileged to.  

“Yes...the story.  So as I was saying before...”


___


I sighed and simply accepted what had come to me.  If I had to be trapped within a responsive being capable of thought, communication, and magic I would want it to be a library.  Perhaps I could even find a way out.  Perhaps I could learn how to escape from my captor through a gift from my captor.  How dramatic that would be!

“Library of the Night, please bring forth your selection of magical literature.”  The library responded.  The shelves once again spun around.  In a matter of moments I was faced with an entirely different section of novels.  It still seemed impossible.  

I scanned the titles of each novel and saw many I was not familiar with.  Which is surprising since I had read through the entire Royal Library forty-six over.  Some of the novels themselves were unique one-of-kind books such as diaries.  Diaries from necromancers and such that would only be found in the Private Archives.  Yet, somehow, this place had a copy.

The vast selection was quite unique.  While some of the titles may have been unknown to me the authors were not.  There were quite a few novels that claimed to be published by the ponies of legend.  

I was astonished to say the least.  I flipped up book after book, collecting a vast array.  I was ravenous.  I had already seen, first-hand, the abilities of this library and I had no reason to doubt that it’s sources were valid.

I levitated a stack of twenty to thirty books to the small rounded table and deposited myself onto the flooring.  I opened the first book which was entitled, “Sky Manipulators.”  The binding was thick and the crackling leather spoke of the age of the work.  I turned the page and began to read. 

It was approximately an hour before I had divested the stack of all of its intelligence.  Oh, and the knowledge it beheld was simply magnificent.  According to the book, I could do more than simply raise the Night.  I could control it.  I could choose what it’s appearance would take and other such things.  I could create constellations, not just move them around.

This astonished me to say the least.  There had been powerful groups of ponies before Celestia and I who had been able to raise and lower the Sun and Moon, mainly because they had to.  As far as any historic expertise was concerned, though, it would be impossible to choose what shape the Sun and Moon or what pattern the Night and Day took.  


The novel claimed that there was a simple process for alicorns of my power to imprint a manifesto of ourselves onto the Night sky.  It gave an instruction guide that would have scared most unicorns.  I even memorized the list.

-Before you even begin this process, detach yourself from your surroundings.  Clear your mind of any thoughts that may become a hinderance to this meditational magic.  

-Now that you have cleared your mind, imagine.  Yes, just imagine.  Dream of flowing streaks of color waving through the atmosphere.  Conjure beautiful nebulae to fill the darkening void.  Invent majesty to inhabit majesty.  Now then, use ctrl+s to save your imaginings.

-With your mind cleared and your imagination saved you are now ready to begin.  Harness your magic and let it circulate throughout your body.  It should be similar to water trickling down a stream.

-Now begin the traditional ritual of raising the Day or Night.

-Release your stored energy in a steady current of 44.4256 decibels MP. 

-Allow your body to absorb the exchange of radiation between the atmosphere and your magic.
Lock off the excess energy once the radiation levels have reached that of 12.5 MP.

-Contain all the excess energy now.  If you’re unable to contain it you will die.  Do not attempt this step unless you are highly aware of your own abilities and limits.  This step is integral to the entire spell and non-avoidable.  Be prepared.

-Next, unleash the fantasies of previous steps upon the night sky.  As you imagine the images you pictured earlier, slowly release your stored energy at a pace of 6.25 decibels MP.

The sky should now look as you pictured it.  Unless you died.  If you died, there is a chance you caused a slight case of magma rain.

I loved the idea of it.  Being able to not only raise and see the Night sky, but also be able to construct it would be divine.  I could, quite literally, impress my personality upon the stars!  

I could even share this book with Celestia!  Then my mind snapped back to the harsh realm of reality.  Celestia...  

The last words we had shared between one another were those of hatred and bitterness.  Guilt hit me hard, and the salty tang of sadness filled my throat.  I could feel my heart beginning to split at the mere thought of being away from Celestia.  I had been quite foalish hadn’t I?  

We had spent our whole lives together.  We had not had a mother, nor a father to grace our lives.  All we had had throughout the years was each other.  She had always been there for me, and I likewise.

Now I was trapped within a...thing...unable to contact her.  I wonder how long before she finally began to worry about me?  Probably not long, she had always been very forgiving and very concerned with the well-being of others.  

Perhaps I should be more forgiving like her...

My thoughts were interrupted by a dull thud behind me.  I looked over to see a book splayed upon the hardwood floor, dust burgeoning from it’s edges.  One glance at the cover and curiosity took over. 

I attempted to use magic to levitate the work towards me, but the book remained unmoved.  I loosed a sigh.  Apparently the Library of the Night was still against me wielding magic.  I walked over to the novel and picked it up with my hooves.  I was not used to doing things the earth-pony way, so my grip on the literature was loose and amateurish.  I brought the novel into the light.

“Spells of the Ages”  I read the title aloud.  The indentation where the author’s name should have rested was blank.  The spine bore no marks or indications that there was a publisher.  In-fact the entire novel appeared to be hand-crafted.  It was simple leather, with an ancient papyrus paper that held together quite well.  Turning the object over revealed little else.  The back of the book was leather.  It was blank.  Nothing much there.

The grade of leather used was rather atypical, though.  It was worn and beyond old, yet it held so firmly.  That may just because of how protective the Library of the Night appears to be of it’s novels.  

Besides that, though, there was some kind of power resonating from the book.  It was a mystifying force.  It was subtle and quaint, easy for me to accidentally overlook at first, but once my eyes locked onto it I was hooked.  It seemed to give off some kind of aroma that just drew me inwards; this aroma was different to that of a freshly opened novel.  No this scent was different, it was superior.  

I brought the novel to the table.  I placed it down on the wooden surface and tried to flip the page with magic.  As if by some sick command, a nasty current passed through the tip of my horn and down the length of my body. I quivered as I felt it pass through my mane, singing my form with tiny bristles of pain.  

I checked my form for any damage.  There appeared to be nothing visibly wrong with me.  all of my ribs were intact, my horn was free of cracks, my veins were not erupting out of body.  Everything was in order there.  So what had happened?  What had that sensation been?  Could the book have caused it?

I looked down at the weathered volume lain in-front of me.  I touched it with a hoof and attempted another spell.  Again the same shockwave vibrated throughout my body.  This one held much more severity, however, and knocked me to the ground.  I looked up, Dazed and Confused.

This book obviously did not react well with foreign magic.  Not that I would have been able to use it anyways considering that the library would not even allow me a simple levitation spell.  I placed a tentative hoof forward, hoped that magic was the reason I was getting burned, and prepared for another burn to consume me.  My confidence grew proportionally as my hoof edged closer, and I became a bit overconfident.  I held a triumphant hoof on the volume for a few seconds before-

Another shock ripped through me.  “Ouch!  You are a rather obstinate book, aren’t you?”  As I finished my thoughts a small parchment landed on my snout.  A solid sneeze caused it to float off of my nose and fix itself on the ground.  I looked down upon the scroll and read the contents.

Dear Luna,
Perhaps you should ask one’s permission before trying to take that which does not belong to you...
Yours eternally,
The Library of the Night

“You may imprison me here, but do not mock me!”  If I was to be trapped within this place I would be so with my dignity.  Then I noticed the small P.S. note at the bottom of the scroll.

P.S.- Does not everything wished to be respected?  Do you not wish for the respect of your subjects?  Do you not wish for the respect of your sister?  Then give out that which you wish to receive.

I frowned.  It was hard to believe that a book was alive, let alone that it strived for respect.  Of course, I was in a magical library that was able to think, communicate, inhibit magic, and house impossible literature, so maybe, just maybe, I could extend the boundaries of reason and logic a little.

“Excuse me, Spells of the Ages?  Would you please allow me to access the information you hold so closely?”  It took all of my willpower not to roll my eyes, but I managed to remain calm and await an answer(If one came).

The book flipped open.  I edged forward to read the contents of the page, but the moment I neared the novel it snapped shut.  I blinked away dust and stared at the weathered leather.  I ground my teeth together and asked through gritted teeth, “Pretty please???”  

The book once again flipped open.  “Thank you, thank you very much.”  I looked at the contents of the page.  The folio that looked back up at me documented a spell entitled, “Nocte Aeterni.”  I brushed through the pages quickly, reading, preparing, empowering my mind.  I sat there for hours soaking up the wisdom contained within the literature housed in the “Magic” section of the Library of the Night.

My worry for my well-being had been replaced by a lust for knowledge.  A lust for knowledge that would grant me that which had eluded me for so, very, very, long.  Support.  Whether it be in the form of love, respect, discipline, humility, submission, I did not care.  I just wanted the world to know me.  It is strange how forgetful we are, is it not?  

At some point in time, I don’t quite recall when, another note appeared before me.  

Dear Luna,
It is getting rather late.  Perhaps you should exit and tend to the world.  You’ve learned quite a bit from me this past night haven’t you?  We should do this again quite soon.  If you would be so kind as to twirl around you will see that your exit has reappeared.
Yours Eternally,
The Library of the Night

I turned around slowly.  Sure enough, the black door had dissipated and been replaced with a small wooden frame.  I walked towards it and pushed open.  It slid open with a loud creak that resounded throughout the impossible hallway.  

I walked towards a distant light and found myself right where it all began; I stood, erect, in a moonlit room.

I looked upon the sky.  It appeared to be nearing evening.  On the verge of twilight, even.  It was time for me to raise the Moon.  I left my room casually, hoping that my absence had not been noted.  I was in luck, the stallions who defended my room did not even glance at me as I walked by.  So it could not have been more than a day since I had last seen my sister.

I headed off towards the balcony from which my sister and I usually raised and lowered the Sun and the Moon, respectively.  I walked onto the balcony to see that I was alone.  I glanced around, trying to locate any signs of a recent presence.  My gaze locked onto a note that was tacked onto one of the enclosing walls.

Luna,
I apologize for my harsh words earlier.  It was unfair of me to say such things, but you must understand the position I am in.  Since Discord has been overthrown it has been rather difficult helping Equestria recover.  Know that if I lashed out at you it was not due to any true feelings, merely shadows of my darker side.  Anyways, I will be absent from Canterlot for three days.  Happenings have occurred that have forced me into a position where I must check-up on certain aspects of the kingdom.  You will have to tend to Canterlot and the skies during said absence... I truly am sorry, Luna.
Love,
Celestia


I simply stared at the note for a few moments.  This was an interesting turn of events.  For three days I would be free to test out the spells I had learned in the Library of the Night.  Free to test them without anypony getting in my way.  I had time to work out a schedule, even.  Good.

I cleared my mind of all distractions.  I concentrated my magic into my horn and let it flow in a continuous stream throughout my body.  I relaxed further and intertwined my magic with that of the Moon’s.  As more and more of its vitality poured into me I prepared myself to entrap it.  

As soon as I felt the radiation levels of conflicting magic peak I spread out my dark tendrils and created a net in order to contain and restrain the energy.  Then I let my imagination run free.

I could create constellations of dragons, mares, wizards, lizards, and nebulae of color and shape, asteroids of size and durability, stars of brightness and wonderment, I brushed cool blues across the canvas.  I created all of it.  I added all of it to that which was already there.  I contributed to the beauty that is Night.  Its immense and immeasurable beauty was within my grasp.  I could mold it to fit any constraint I wished!  But why restrain it?

I released absolutely everything that Night.  My entire soul was poured onto my dark canvas.  I blended shades of azure, blue, black, violet, white, and even faint red into a conglomerate that would set the stage for my next stroke.  I placed shot clouds of dust and gas in every direction, swirling them all into one central point.  Some have taken to calling these nebulae.  

Then, I threw in some roughage.  I hurled comets of unparalleled proportions through the air, watching as they cast bits of light here and there.  Next, the stars.  Stars are simply sensational, are they not?  I gently placed them in respected spaces throughout the sky, creating constellations and guiding lights.  Their brilliant twinkle is always able to transcend the foreign side of the Moon and nestle into my heart.

I took care to form one constellation in particular.  One I did not want to disappear.  One I would not, and will not, let disappear.  I place its bits at strategized points so that everyone within view of the Night can see it.  A symbol of hope and truth in a world filled with despair and ambiguity.  A picture of a dragon, encased in a crystal shell.  I place that constellation more for myself than anypony else.  A way to reassure myself that he is, indeed, watching over me.

The wonder of it all!  Freedom.  So much freedom.  Control of color, control of shade, control of shape, freedom to exercise my will, so much power was placed before me.  My jurisdiction was literally touching the stars.  Those stars, those lights in the sky, those heavenly bodies that seem so immeasurably vast and important, were at my hooves.  And I loved every moment of it.

I sat proud of my accomplishment, proud of what I had made.  I flew up to the tallest tower of the castle and perched there watching Canterlot.  I watched my city and my citizens.  I watched the way they live.  I watched the way they handle themselves.

I stared around myself.  Nopony has even acknowledged the break of Nightfall, let alone appreciated its beauty.  They all just trotted along unaware of the effort I had exerted.  They ignored my beautiful Night.  They ignored me.  They did not respect me.  They did not care for me.  To them I was merely there.  A tolerated presence at best.  

They wander about and chat with each other, all of them unaware to that which is going on around them.  The rich idly walk by the less fortunate, with their noses turned upwards.  They haughtily speak of matters which hold no relevance.  They laugh at the anguish of those around them.  All of them claim to want to help their fellow pony yet they refuse to dirty their hooves in the process.  They are scum.  True scum.

The beggars and the poverty-stricken lay about unwilling to help themselves.  They look around and blame everything but themselves.  I see some try to back others into corners and divest them of their belongings.  Others sit on the street corners, hustling those who walk by, wearing false smirks.  They are scum.

I cringe in disgust at their blatant disregard for their fellow pony.  It was not right.  I would not allow them all to be so cruel and unjust to each other.  Equestria was based on better values than that.  Far better values.  Values Luzear said we had been based on.

I flew back down to my balcony and headed back into the castle.  I would force these ponies to notice the Night.  I would force them to see me.  I would force them to respect me.  I would force them to love me.  

More importantly though, I would force them to account for themselves.  I would make them judge the way in which they live.  I would make make them account for their dishonorable and repulsive actions.  

Equestria would be a land that I could be proud of.  A land that my sister could be proud of.  The land which Luzear had described.  With these thoughts in mind I headed towards my room and the Library of the Night, determined to find an answer within the enigmatic texts.  

Something snapped within me that day, and I was left an empty shell of what I had once been.  The flourishing seed of darkness which had inhabited me now owned me.  I was on a mission to control Equestria.  To make it ‘better.’

I barged into my room and through the mirror, heading steadily towards the black door.  The wooden was that which lay before, though.  It put up no resistance and let me through instantly.  It was there that I began to plot.  I would sit there, in my library, researching a solution to a problem that only I had perceived.  

I looked through novel after novel trying to find something, anything that could help the situation.  Nothing yielded the results I sought and I began to lose hope.  What would happen to Equestria if I could not protect it from itself?  After hours of endless searching exhaustion took a firm hold on me.

I collapsed to the ground, sobbing.  What could I do?  What could I do to protect Equestria?  What could I do to protect this sacred and virtuous land from those who wished to harm it?  What could I do to preserve that which Luzear claimed Equestria to be?

A scroll drifted onto my nose.  I wiped the tears away from my cheeks to look at it.  

Dear Luna,
Do not cry my dear, the solution to your problem is quite simple really.  You have shown you can control the Night sky, so why not exercise that same control over the rest of Equestria?  Use your power, use my knowledge.  Domineer control of Equestria and make its aesthetic beauty known to the world.  
We could brighten this shining land.  Your friend’s dying words claimed that Equestria was unique and special, and now you can prove those blessed words correct.  Study the vast array of literature that is shown before you.  Be my ally, my friend!  We could do so much together.
If you stay here under my tutelage I can promise that which nothing else offers: success and love.  My many subjects bear the wisdom of bygone centuries, and they are more than willing to listen to you, Luna.  They hold secrets which were locked away, secrets locked away by ponies who feared change.
So then, my dear Princess of the Night, what say you?  Do you want to leave your mark on history?  Do you want Equestria to live on?  Do you want your crystalline mentor to live on?  Then hear me now.	
Let the glory and elegance of Equestria shine upon the world.  Illuminate this land on the background of your Night!  Do not let the ponies here forget you!  You who brings salvation in the form of Night!  
Yours Eternally,
The Library of the Night

I lifted myself up from the ground.  “Library of the Night.  I am ready.  I shall study that which you offer and I shall make bring Equestria to even greater heights!”  I pulled novel after novel off the shelve, levitating them towards the small round table.  I sat at the desk and opened the first of many...

For thirty years I studied in the library diligently, ignoring many of the duties that 
befell me.  The only times I made my presence known to Equestria was during ceremonies and the raising and lowering of the Moon.  Besides that I was a recluse.  A dedicated recluse, but a recluse.

My sister worried for my well-being and often tried to communicate with me, but I never discussed anything with her.  My mind was determined upon one goal: giving a brighter future to Equestria.

I studied everything from black magic to history in the library, never once stopping to think.  I learned so many spells and incantations that had been lost for centuries.  The banks of knowledge I absorbed strengthened me in the physical sense, but left me unstable in my mental capacities.    

Throughout this time my only true companions were the Night sky and the Library of the Night.  No pony in Equestria knew of my intentions.  No pony knew that I was planning on ‘saving’ Equestria.

After so much time, though, I became ready.  I gathered my intellect and my powers and came up with a plan that would ensure ‘peace’ and ‘harmony.’


___

> The Night Before
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

												___

“That’s it?”  Rainfall sounded surprised.  

It did seem a bit unlikely in retrospect.  Yet it still happened.  “You must understand that the preceding events had affected me greatly.  The death of Luzear, the lack of recognition I received, the large amount of recognition Celestia received, the general chaos following Discord’s reign; all of these events led to my downfall.  My mind had been stressed to a point it could not handle and collapsed.  There was nothing else to it.”  

“But you seem so strong-willed, Princess.  It just doesn’t seem like you would be the type to let that type of stuff get to you...” 

I sighed.  “I’ve had a very long time to contemplate my actions and mull over my behavior.  At the time I was hollow and impressionable.  My innocence was destroyed in one deft motion by a chain of events and feelings I had no control over.  It was just too much for any one pony to process.  On top of it all the Library of the Night had adverse effects on me.”

Rainfall faked ignorance.  “What do you mean?  It was just an omnipotent library that had malevolent intentions, right?  How could it have urged you to do anything?”

I chuckled.  At least humor did not lose itself upon Rainfall in a time of crisis.  “It influenced me.  There was so much knowledge at my hooves, yet I was the only one able to appreciate it.  I learned so many things from those books that I was blind to everything outside of them.  I became obsessed with an ideal society.  A utopia I thought could be invented rather than grown.  In the end it did not end favorably for me.”  

Rainfall nodded.  “Okay.”

“Now then, where was I?  Ah yes...”


___

My body had undergone quite the change in thirty years time.  My mane which had originally been a flowing dark blue, was now a blossoming rose of starlight.  Even without wind it twisted and glided through the air as if it was of its own mindset.  It was of a color similar to that of the Night sky, but more translucent with faint shapes of constellations and stars here and there.

My eyes had evolved from a pale blue to a striking azure that bordered on teal.  They seemed dreamy at first glance, but that was a mask for the great mind that lay beneath them.  My eyes gave the impression of a perpetual void that craved knowledge.

My complexion had changed as well.  My coat used to be a inky blue, but has since darkened to that of a jet-black shade.  Each hair on my coat had small imperceptible sparks of magic that refracted any light that neared me, giving off an illusion of a Stygian aura encircling my being.

The vestment I was endowed with changed throughout the years as well.  The tiara I had worn in youth had originally just borne a small gemstone of onyx within the crest, but overtime I had added several accessories.  The onyx was embedded within the center of the tiara and surrounded by sapphires and jet.  The edges of the crown had been fine-tuned to a sharp point in order to accentuate the rounded edges of the gemstones.  My boots had silver lining wrapped around them, near the groove of my hoof.  This lining shimmered when exposed to any sort of light and went well with my mane.  A cloak was draped across one side of my form by a set of shoulder-straps.  It was a sharp black shade, and the edges scraped across the ground.  

The only thing that was truly comparable to the old me was my cutie mark.  It was still a crescent moon imprinted onto the background of a purple, gaseous cloud.  This transformation, while much more elegant, was not for the better.  It was the putrid development of bleak and vile emotions I had kept festering within my soul.

My sister was comfortable believing my strange and exponential growth was due to some kind of puberty.  I knew better of course.  My outward appearance had changed so vastly in order to keep up with my inner maturation.  I had studied the books housed in the Library of the Night for thirty long years, preparing and planning.  

As my erudition grew so did my power.  It had evolved to house the knowledge stored within me.  What I had become was a vacuum.  My body was merely a vacant channel capable of processing and producing vast amounts of energy.  

I was so much more than I had been thirty years ago.  I was so much more than Luna.  I had carried the lessons of Luzear and the library with me, carefully crafting a plan so that I could bring ‘peace’ to Equestria.  

After thirty years of intense training and manipulation I had perfected a plan.  A plan that I would unleash on Equestria on the changing of seasons.  

Every year we hold a celebration to welcome the coming of Spring.  When Winter ends and the first smudges of Spring fade in, every pony celebrates.  Not only does it represent the planting season for the many farmers of Equestria, but it also represented the general time at which Discord’s reign faltered.  For three decades my sister and I had partaken in this celebration.  We align the Moon and the sun so that they face each other, which in turn creates a rare celestial form.  A celestial form commonly known as an eclipse.  We would switch alternate between solar and lunar eclipses each year because we could.  This year happened to be a solar eclipse. 

During the eclipse I would go along with what most expected of me.  I would raise the Moon and keep it poised in front of the sun.  Then I would simply leave it there.  I would not lower it to make way for the broadening beams of sunlight.  No, I would let sit in the sky as a testament to my will.  It would be a symbol of the days to come, the peace that would spread throughout Equestria.

The looming threat of eternal Night would force the ponies of Equestria to see me.  It would shed light on me.  They could not ignore me after such an event.  Nor would they be able to ignore their putrid selves.

Then I would enforce a new regime.  I would overthrow the Equestrian government and create a new one that befit my ideals.  I planned for a government that listened to the needs of it’s people and reacted accordingly, a government that would not judge those based on outwards appearance, a government that took the ideas of the common-pony and built upon them, a government that would base itself upon the finding of knowledge, a government based on harmony.  I wanted to lead said government.  I expected that some would try to resist my ideas, but I did not want the corruption that had been inbred into the streets of Canterlot to continue.  My mind was fixed on the idea of reform, and I was a rather stubborn individual...

It was the day before the ceremony and I trotted towards the balcony preparing myself to raise the Moon one last time before my plan came to fruition.  I came upon my sister, doing her part and lowering the sun.  She stood erect against the fading orange of twilight.  Celestia’s coat was a shining white, radiating warmth and a sense of hope.  Her eyes were kind and marvelous.  They gleamed as brightly as the celestial body she had claimed stake to.  Her posture spoke of confidence and determination, hardly showing any signs of stress or age.  Her vibrantly colored mane lazily flew behind her, accentuating her other features even further.  To summarize, she appeared majestic.

She was transfixed on the falling sun and unable to sense my approach.  I gave a dignified cough to alert her to my presence.  She turned around and smiled.

“Hello Luna!  I did not see you coming.”  She was practically irradiating sunlight.

“Hello Tia.”  My voice came out a bit colder than I meant it to.

“Luna, what’s wrong?  You sound a bit...”  She struggled a bit coming up with an accurate way to describe my mood.  After an awkward period of silence she finished her thought, “...wretched.” 

I sighed.  While keeping secrets was something I was quite adept at, I still did not feel comfortable keeping Celestia in the dark.  We were sisters after all...but the ends justify the means.  

“That is preposterous.  How could I be anything but jubilant with the oncoming celebration?”  I decided it would be best to mask my darker thoughts with sarcasm.  Humor makes such a wonderful shield after-all.

Celestia gave a slight frown.  “I know you aren’t exactly the most social pony in Equestria, but today is special don’t you think?  Today marks the thirtieth anniversary of when we imprisoned Discord.”  She gave a slight pause and looked at me.  After a realizing that I was still not going to speak she continued.  “You remember him right?  About yay high...”  She lifted her hoof a high above the ground.  “...Dragon-eagle-lion-pony-bat-goat thingy that bathed Equestria in chaos and destroyed our country.”  She gave me a broad smile.

I stood and stared blankly at my sister for a moment.  “Yes, I remember Discord.”  My tone was dry and I did my best to reinforce the idea that we should drop the subject of Discord.

I had never actually informed Celestia of what Luzear had told me all those years ago.  She was unaware that Discord had actually been a transfigured ether-based being who used our father as a tool.  She wasn’t aware that we had even had a father, actually.  I also hadn’t told her that Equestria had been stricken by a corrupt government and that Discord’s appearance had served to dismantle it.

Perhaps one day I could casually slip it into a conversation.  If we would still be talking after today...


___

Rainfall placed a hoof on my flank to indicate that she wanted me to stop.  

“What is it my dear?”  I asked her, while warily looking around incase Everfree had found us.

“I thought you said that history shouldn’t be hidden.”  

“I did.”  I saw where the young pony was going but let her continue on anyway.

“So why didn’t you tell Princess Celestia about all of that stuff?”

I bit my lip.  Not even I truly understand the motives behind my actions.  I had proclaimed that I wanted to follow the teachings of Luzear, but I had ignored his most important rule.  Before I could begin Rainfall spoke up again.

“Is it because you loved her, and didn’t want to hurt her?”  Rainfall looked at me expectantly awaiting an answer.

I looked away from the young filly, unable to meet her gaze.  “No, It was not due to love, the love in my heart had long since perished by that point.  What used to be love had devolved into a calculating bitterness.”  

Rainfall looked at me again and simply asked, “If it wasn’t because of love, then why?”

“Because I was always jealous of Celestia.”  Rainfall looked at me, confusion evident on her features.  I gave a long-winded sigh and continued.  “All of my life I had shared everything with Celestia.  We had shared the same toys, the same friends, the same enemies, the same political positions even.  But ponies always liked her better.  She was a charismatic diplomat with a kind heart, while I was just a shadowy bookworm with an attitude issue.  They only ever saw her.  I was always viewed as Celestia’s shadow.  I was somepony insignificant who just happened to be in her presence.  We were never really co-regents of Equestria.  No, I was just her free-roaming pet.”  Revulsion climbed up my throat at the word pet.  The worst part was that nothing had really changed in a thousand years.  Nothing but my age.

I swallowed down my feelings and continued.  “I liked knowing something she did not (and still do).  I liked knowing about our history and being able to finally show her up.  It was a delicious sensation, similar to the tingling ecstasy one gets from knowledge.  I was able to bear insight about the Library of the Night and our history and it felt great.”

Rainfall looked at me again.  “Have you told her anything since you came back from the Moon?”  Her tone of voice was innocent enough.  She must have been oblivious to the discomfort this caused me.

“No.”  My voice was the essence of cool, the epitome of calm.  

“Really?  Then what’s changed since a thousand years ago?”

“I have.”

“If you’ve changed then how come you’ve never told anypony about any of this?”  She sounded suspicious.

“I am telling you are I not, Rainfall?”  It is hard to trump non-sensical logic.

The young filly’s appetite seemed to be sated for the time being.  “Yeah, I guess you are, huh?  But why am I the only one you’ve told?  I bet your sister would love to know.”

“Celestia and my relationship, while regenerating, is still strained, at best.  It is difficult for the two of us to communicate, considering the rather substantial gap of time we spent apart.  As for the rest of the Equestrian population...”  I paused and took a sharp intake of breath.  “None of them have ever inquired as to my history.  They actively avoid me, for fear that I will unleash my wrath upon them.”

Rainfall lifted a hoof to her chin, thinking over my words.  “So...I was the only one brave enough to ask you?”  I nodded.  “Wow, so I guess that means I’m the bravest pony in all of Canterlot!  Maybe even Equestria!”  Her smile practically broke the dimensions of her face.  It practically broke the dimensions of the universe.  She did a small twirl and ended by giving herself a high-hoof.

“Yes I suppose you are.”  It was nice to see the young filly filled with zeal.  And rather astonishing.  

Even when faced with starvation, malevolent spirits, overwhelming sadness, and darkness this young filly was able to smile.  This, in turn, forced me to smile.  I could see why Luzear had praised Equestria so much.  

Rainfall stopped spinning and looked at me seriously for a moment.  She sat down instantly and eyed me intently.  Her previous bounce was replaced with a stiff face and back.  

“What’s wrong Rainfall?”  Her sudden change in demeanor was quite peculiar.

“Then that means your lonely, doesn’t it?”  She looked at me seriously.  

I returned the expression.  Something seemed off about her, but my instinct could be wrong.  Or maybe...was that concern?  “Of course.  I have always been lonely.”  

I was given a sympathetic stare by Rainfall.  “Well I’m really sorry about that Princess.”

I smiled at her.  “It is quite alright my dear.  I could have all the friends in the world and I would still be lonely.  That is just my curse.  Let us just continue with the story and-”

I was cut off as the filly jumped at me, pulling me into an hug.  Her fore-legs were not quite long enough to wrap around me, but she managed by gripping my neck in a chokehold.  “You’re wrong Princess Luna.  As long as you have at least one friend you’ll never be lonely.  And I’m going to be that one friend.”  

I looked down at the filly.  Quite extraordinary, indeed.  I coughed once, garnering the attention of the young filly holding me.  “You are quite right...friend.”  I stroked her mane and smiled down at her.  “Now, perhaps we could continue our little story.”

She looked up at me expectantly and nodded.

“Wonderful.  As I was saying before...”


___

I stared at Celestia.  She opened her mouth and addressed the issue of Discord once again.  “You act so reserved whenever I bring him up sister.  Perhaps you need to adopt a lighter mood.  It might even make you appear less...horrifyingly frightening.”

“I hardly see this as a time to celebrate Tia.  Tomorrow marks an anniversary.  An anniversary commending the change of an era.  In my eyes that is something that commands a solemn respect, not a gleeful celebration.”

“You’re far too serious Luna!  Let loose a bit.  Enjoy the world.”  Celestia was still smiling brightly at me.

I turned my gaze towards her and our eyes met.  “I seek knowledge Tia.  I seek power to maintain Equestria.  Everypony else may avert their attention and enjoy themselves, but I am not at the luxury to do so.”  

Celestia merely gave me a pitiful look.  Her smile was replaced with that of a doleful frown.  “You can’t possibly believe that, Luna.  We aren’t the only ones who care for Equestria you know.  The armada is at our backs as well as the many supporting forces surrounding the nation.  And the common pony protects the nation itself.  Not to mention the council...”

My mind broke away from our conversation at the mention of the council.  I had never really trusted the council.  It was hard to after having learned of the original council’s nefarious ways.  Even if Celestia’s reforms had brought on new members and such it was hard to fully consign my trust to the council.  To me, they would always be a symbol of the dark underside of Equestria.  In fact, part of my plan was to disband the council upon my ascension.

I brought my thoughts back to Celestia’s speech once again.  “...So all I’m saying is that you should be happy Luna.  Just have fun at the celebration with me today.  Get some perspective.  Find a friend.  Converse with some of your subjects.  Maybe even meet somepony special.”  She paused a moment.  “Just do something besides think for once.”

“Perhaps I will Tia.  Perhaps I will...”  I let the last words reverberate off of my tongue to create a soft echo.  The echo emitted always felt hollow and cold.  It served to unnerve those around me, sometimes it even caused them to shudder.  Fear is such a wonderful tool.  “Perhaps I will...act.”

Celestia shook a bit.  “I hate it when you do that, you know.  It’s just so... ominous.”  She began to walk away, her mane’s elegant form not losing any grace as it moved with her.  “Goodnight Luna.”

I smiled, having gotten the desired effect.  I rather enjoyed casting the enchantment.  It served a rather unique purpose in interrogations.  It keeps the victim honest.  Lies are hard to maintain when intimidated.  That was not to say that it revealed the truth.  It merely put a few holes in the victims story.  The spell itself was of my own creation.  I developed it after some studying. 

I watched Celestia walk away and said, “All Nights are superb, Celestia.  All Nights.”  Celestia simply looked at me as she trotted off.  I loosed a small chuckle when she was out of sight.  

I turned my attentions towards the skies.  I began to raise the Moon in its usual form and focused on making this last Night as beautiful as possible.  I poured the entirety of my magic into the sky allowing my creativity to guide my actions.  In the end what was left of my burning passion became the sky.  Having honed my abilities over thirty years it was much more glorious than the Night I had produced so long ago.

I gazed upon it in wonderment.  The Night was so glorious, so magnificent, yet no-pony ever gave it a second glance.  They slept, oblivious to everything I represented.  They walked along in a blissful ignorance, happily forsaking that which controls the tides.  Forsaking that which shed light upon the darkness.

Soon they would not be able to ignore it, though.  Soon they would be subjected to an eternal Night, whether they wished for it or not.  Everything was in place the way it should be.  Everything would go off without a hitch. I went over the plan one last time inside of my head, to finalize details and recap my main points.  

First, Celestia would raise the sun.  I would position my Moon in front of it to create the eclipse.  Ponies would ‘ooohhh’ and ‘awwww’ at the spectacle we created then the celebration would start.  I would attend the celebration by Celestia’s side and would show no outward signs of my plans.  

Second, the royal horn would blow to announce the ending of the eclipse.  My sister would let me take the lead and lower the Moon to unleash Spring upon the land.  I would pretend to comply, but then leave the Moon stationary.  Confusion would ensue.

Next my sister would likely inquire as to what the problem was.  I would then inform her, in as casual a tone as I could manage, that I would not be lowering the Moon.  Even more confusion would ensue.  Ponies would likely start to whisper around wondering if what I was doing was a part of the celebration.  

It was probable that my sister would express disbelief and ask me to elaborate upon my meaning.  That is when I would reveal my plan partially and talk of eternal Night.  I would use magic to make my form appear more intimidating and large at this point so that my sister did not overshadow me, as per usual.

Celestia would try to talk me down, but I would remain firm.  I would do my best to convince her that I knew best.  Even I had no idea as to how she would react.  Hopefully she would agree and it would end there.  However, I was not so foalish as to not plan out an alternative in case she disagreed with me.  

If it did come to worst case scenarios I believed that my thirty years of training would more than prepare me to face any challengers.  I could use my appearance, power, and voice to paralyze them with fear.  That would likely be enough to keep others from trying to attack me.  

Then I would use my magic to lower the sun and create an eternal Night.  I would reform the basis of government in Equestria and see to it that all the values I believed in were upheld.  

The plan seemed flawless at the time.  I was by-far the most powerful pony in Equestria, being that I was an alicorn, and that I had trained under the Library of the Night.  It was not likely that anypony would be able to stop me.  

That was how I expected my plan to go at least.  I patiently awaited the arrival of dawn and continued to go over my plan.  The entire Night seemed to go by in a blurry haze.
...

> A Long Time Coming
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

												...

Celestia stood tall on the podium and addressed the great number of ponies gathered below Canterlot Castle.  They were assembled in the courtyard and surrounding area.  There were so many they were practically on top of each other.  

“Greetings citizens of Equestria!”  Her voice reached the ears of ponies throughout Canterlot.  She was met with loud cheers and cries of excitement.

“We have gathered here today to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the Return of Harmony.”  More cheers resounded from the courtyard.  Celestia held up her hoof for silence before continuing.

“Thirty years ago my sister and I wielded the Elements of Harmony against evil.  We banished the draconqeuus Discord back to the Ether and restored Equestria to a state of harmony.”  She paused for a moment before continuing.  

“It was not just my sister and I who wielded the elements that day, however.  No, we were not nearly powerful enough to combat Discord, even with the Elements of Harmony.  It was through the united qualities of every Equestrian citizen that we were able to defeat him.  It was you all, ponies of Equestria, who gave us the magic we needed to succeed.”  The world was silent except for the breathing of the gathered ponies.

“And I just want to say thank you.  Thank you, for helping us make Equestria great!”  The crowd exploded in cheers and shouts of bliss.  Standing next to Celestia I was once again amazed by her abilities to command a crowd.  

“Now then, let us create the eclipse and celebrate!”  Even more jubilant roars and cheers rose out of the crowd.  Celestia gave me a wink and a nod.  Taking the cue I slid into my position on a nearby podium.  

We were both to stand on two podiums, one that bore the symbol of the sun, and one that bore the symbol of the Moon.  They sat an equal distance apart from the main platform Celestia had spoken from.  Both were about eight feet in diameter and sixteen to twenty feet off the ground.  They were tall enough so that the audience could see the cylindrical platforms and what they represented.

My sister and I walked over to our respective platforms and began the ritual (well technically we flew).  First she would raise the Sun then I would raise the Moon.  The sun was already out, considering it was mid-morning.  Celestia used her magic to help raise it into its position.  More cheers came from the crowd when the sun was into position.  

I was not to be showed up, though.  I started my presentation by releasing small clouds of starlight.  They hung in the air for a bit before dissipating and leaving behind faint twinkles.  Next I began to raise my Moon.  I brought it to attention steadily, but allowed for its pace to gradually increase in tempo.  

Nebulae formed around the celestial body as it rose from its position.  Colors and constellations streamed around, shooting in every direction; all of them exploding into smaller, more colorful versions of the original.  When the Moon was locked in place everything faded away.  The Moon was not yet in front of the sun, just near it.  I was to wait for Celestia’s signal before I completed the eclipse.

I looked to the crowd.  They did not cheer for me as they had for Celestia.  There was applause, of course, but it lacked...spirit.  A few of them gazed at the sky in vague interest but for the most part they simply focused on Celestia and the sun.  My jealousies boiled within me.  Celestia was the only one who seemed truly awed by what I had just done.

My presentation had obviously outdone Celestia’s yet here my subjects sat, disinterested.  Whatever anxious feelings I had towards abstaining from my plan disintegrated.  

Celestia coughed once, drawing the attention of the spectators.  “Now behold, the eclipse!!!”  As Celestia spoke she pointed a hoof skyward towards the sight.  She gave me a wink, indicating it was time for me to nudge the Moon an inch, placing it directly in front of the sun.

Everypony gasped at the sight of the eclipse.  It was simply marvelous; it was a perfect mixture of both light and dark, Night and Day, Moon and sun, intelligence and majesty.  

Celestia once again spoke to draw the attention of the onlookers.  “Now please, enjoy the festivities!”  With that the festival began, and the beginnings of my plan ensued.


...

I stood by my sister for very little of the festivities.  We kept on two different sides of the courtyard and hardly saw each other.  It was probably better that way.  Talking to her would only have made my plan more difficult.  

The celebration wasn’t remarkable in the slightest.  They went as one would expect.  Lots of hay.  Lots of drinks.  Lots of ponies getting slightly inebriated.  Lots of drunken, heart-felt confessions.  Lots of crying.  Lots of celebrating.  And then more drinks came, of course.

Some of the finer ponies would try to entrap my sister in a conversation.  But my sister has been attending parties and celebrations like these for years.  She knows how to avoid someone in a crowd.  

Once they fail to locate her or she brushes them off they turn to me.  They settle to speak to the other princess at the festival.  It was usually a horrible conversation that ensued, too.  

They usually start off with some offhand remark about my sister being busy then ask me how I am.  I grace them with a fake smile and talk of things which I do not really care for.  They then proceed to tell me about themselves whether I care or not.  Then, after they finish speaking they move on to locate somepony they know and the cycle begins anew with another pompous foal.

It was rather relieving when one of the guards tapped me on the shoulder and told me that Celestia and I were to come back to the podium.  I started to trot towards the thick wooden stage.  On my way there my sister appeared by my side.

“Hi, Luna!  How are you enjoying yourself?”  Celestia gave me a curious smile that simply glowed.

“I am enjoying this participation in merriment.  In the future I may be more open to it.”  I returned her smile with one of my own, although it was far less radiant.

“That is wonderful news, sister!  I only wish that we had more time to spend together during the celebration.”

“I am satisfied with the amount of communication we have shared.  I cannot always be in your shadow, you know.”  I gave her a playful shove.  Which proved rather difficult due to the giant crowd that was around us. 

She returned the shove with a telekinetic push of her own.  “I love this next part.  All of the ponies reaction is just magnificent, isn’t it?”  I kept silent, as the question was obviously rhetorical.  “Perhaps you could stay after you have lowered the Moon.  Even if it does disrupt your sleep schedule.  We’ll have much more time to talk then.”   

I gave her a smirk and nodded.  Little did she know what would happen next.  It seemed as if I had everypony fooled.  In mere minutes I would create an eternal Night.  It was all I could do not to laugh.

The royal guards pushed the crowd away from the stage as we got closer.  Celestia turned to me and said, “Let’s break a leg!”

“Will do, Tia.”

I climbed the stage.  It was much taller than I had originally thought.  I found myself out of breath upon reaching the summit.  When I reached the top I saw Celestia perched on her sun podium looking over to me with an amused expression.  “What is it?” I asked.

“You do know you have wings, right?”  She gave me a wry smile, and I felt a bit foalish.  I stretched my wings, grumbling.  I actually had forgotten I had those with the stress and whatnot.

I went over my plan once more in my head and waited for the royal horn to sound.  I held my breath, hardly able to hide the anticipation I was feeling.  I was quite sure that if anyone looked upon me then, they would see through my entire scheme.

Then a familiar piercing noise broke my train of thought...

DOOO-DAAAA-DOOO!!!

The sound the Royal Horn produced was always rather comical.  But it drew the crowd’s attention, which was its purpose.  The gathered audience stopped chatting and communicating.  An expectant silence fell over all of those in the immediate vicinity of the horn.  Soon the entire courtyard, and its surrounding areas, were silent.  Every soul looked to the stage expectantly, waiting for something amazing, something incredible.

Celestia and I were supposed to remain silent for this portion of the celebration.  The Royal Scribe, Falling Leaf, stood in the center of the stage and used a spell to increase the volume of his voice.  He was a light-green unicorn with a dark green mane.  His cutie mark was that of a silhouette of a pony against a background of a browning leaf.  He made a conscious effort to host charity events in the less fortunate areas of Equestria.  This made him quite popular.  He was a good politician, and more importantly a good pony.  I had already decided that he would be a part of my new regime.

“Hello citizens.  I am Falling Leaf, envoy of the Equestrian government and leader of its scribes.”  Most ponies in Equestria knew him, but it was tradition for the speaker to announce his title.  “We are gathered here to witness the change of seasons, the fall of Discord, and the implementation of Harmony.”  He took a moment to breath.

“Watch as Princess Luna, the Princess of the Night, Delegate of the Moon, the darker half of our royal leaders, lowers the Moon.”  He bowed out and gave a sideways glance at me.  Everypony turned their attention towards me.

I knew this was the definitive moment.  This was when every single pony in Equestria had their attention on me.  This was the moment where none of them could deny my existence.  This was the moment I enacted the first part of my plan.

I stood tall in front of the gathered ponies.  I lifted a hoof and watched as their eyes followed it expectantly.  I took a deep breath and focused.  I made it appear as if long tendrils of magic were encircling my form.  Lengthy, starry tendrils that appeared similar to the Night.  

I heard several ponies give out loud gasps as I let the tendrils slowly extend outwards, irradiating deep hues of purple and violet.  Then I let all of it go.  The Moon began to shake as if it were going to fall.  It vibrated; It appeared to vibrate, more accurately.

Then I let it all go.


___

“Wait, what do you mean you let it go?”  Rainfall asked.  

“I let all the illusionary magic I had shot into the air disintegrate.  I basically made everything disappear.  It was a grand illusion meant to elicit some confusion.”

“Why would you want to confuse them?  I thought you were trying to change the government.”  Rainfall was not satisfied with my answer.

“I reasoned that it would be easiest to take over the situation if everypony was dazed.  I could swoop in and appear more logical.”  

“I don’t understand.  What do you mean by ‘logical?’”  Rainfall sounded puzzled.

“I was no foal.  I figured that ponies would not likely take to the idea of an eternal Night instantaneously.  I thought that if I instituted a little confusion prior to the incident any explanation I gave would seem reasonable in comparison.  It would also serve to draw some more attention towards me.”

“Why did you need attention?”

I paused before answering.  “Because somepony had to pay attention to me.”

She merely gave me a confused look that said, elaborate, please.

“I was not popular.  That much you know.  If my plan was to succeed in the way that I wanted it to, I would need for everypony to be focused on me.  That is why I picked the festival to unleash eternal Night, for nopony could ignore me then.”

Rainfall stared at me for a moment.  Then she opened her mouth and said, “That’s brilliant, yet really depressing...”  Her voice faded off.  She even shed a tear.  Ha, a pony had shed a tear for me, that’s new.  Probably not a feeling I should get used to.

“Anyways let us continue on with my tale...”


___

The ensuing results of my performance left a gaping crowd.  At first they simply stared at me, wondering if something had gone wrong with the performance.  There were whispers throughout the masses, all of them confused.

The rangers who stood on the stage looked ahead with unfazed expressions.  They kept their composure, but their bodies shook a little bit.  They were right to anticipate something.

Falling Leaf and several other higher ranking members of the royal office looked at me, perplexed by my sudden conclusion.  None of them seemed to quite understand the situation.  Even Celestia looked to me, baffled.  Her expression was that of mixed apprehension and bewilderment.  I suppose it was a reserved suspicion. 

It was a few minutes before anyone worked up the courage to speak.  One of the few nobility addressed me in rather timid voice.  “E-e-excuse me Princess?  What seems to be the errr... problem?  With the Moon I mean...”

I gave pause for a moment.  I faced the crowd, cooled every emotion within myself, and gave as simplistic a reply as I could.  “There is no problem.  The Moon is where it should be.”  Confused chatter erupted from the crowd and even some of the rangers began to look uneasy.

Celestia turned to me.  “What do you mean, Princess Luna?”  

I did not turn to face my sister I just stood stock still and maintained my frigid demeanor.  “The Moon is where it should be.”  The confusion grew.  “From now on, that is where the Moon shall be.”  The ponies below me began to break out in anxious whispers. 

“I-I don’t understand, Luna.”  Celestia sounded shocked, to say the least.

“The Moon will stay in that position from this point forward.  Night will not end.”  I kept my tone casual to indicate my seriousness.

One pegasi managed to gather the courage to fly above the line of ponies and shout a question at me.  “You must be joking!?!”  I glared at the pony in question.  I let my icy eyes force him into submission.  The pegasi in question lowered himself back into the sea of ponies with a look a terror on his face.

Celestia yelled, “Luna!”  She stared at me in shock for a moment.  “You can’t be serious?  You have to lower the Moon, it’s tradition!  Why do you think we’re gathered here!?!”  

“Night will be eternal and unending.  Today I bring a new age to Equestria.”  I backed my words with a steely posture and unmoving expression.  It was best to reveal little and keep what I said short and concise.  “Today I...”  I was unable to continue speaking due to the volume the crowd had reached.  What had originally been whispers and mutters had erupted into shouting and bickering.  I stood a moment and gathered my energy.  The spell I was about to perform would be sure to gather their attention.

I stood on my hind legs for a moment.  I focused all of my energy into my horn and let the power flow throughout my body, using my extremities as beacons to unleash the energy.  I came down upon the ground with my front two hooves and yelled, “I AM TALKING!!!”  

A massive tremor passed through the streets.  A dark pulse vibrated from an epicenter (me), causing everything in the nearby vicinity to shake.  I could feel the power of my voice reverberating throughout my entire body.  

I even changed my form (slightly) to make myself more intimidating.  My dark  body cast an elongated shadow that passed over the entirety of Canterlot.  My mane had grown twice as long and shone twice as bright, only serving to highlight the outlines of my form.  I projected my cutie mark on the ‘background’ in a large formation.  My tiara had started to emit a dark aura which engulfed my form.  I cast an illusionary spell to make my eyes appear similar to those of a demon.  My entire body emanated pure and unrivaled power.

Everyone had fallen silent and simply stared at me.  The power that I felt at that moment was glorious.  Nothing quite rivals the feeling of complete power.  In fact, the only thing I have ever found to be remotely close to thrill of power is the feeling of complete control and domination.

“From this day forth there shall be an eternal Night.  The Moon will stand where it is right now, forevermore.  You will live in Moonlight, you will bathe in Moonlight, you will bask in Moonlight, you will sleep in Moonlight, you will work in Moonlight, you will die in Moonlight.”  I breathed and let the idea settle among the crowd.  “Not only that, but there shall be some reforms to our government.”  

The captain of the guard, Silverlight, spoke up.  “What sort of reforms, Miss Luna?”  His voice was full of apprehension.

I did not turn my head to look at him I merely continued looking into the distance.  “From now on we are no longer operating under our dual-monarchy system.  Nor will the armada exist.  Nor will the royal advisory board exist.  Nor will the council exist.”

Another pony spoke up.  “What do you mean they won’t exist?”  Her voice was fearful and weak.  

“They will cease to subsist.  They will be dissolved.  All of these departments will be broken down and used for fodder.  Fodder for a new regime, a new form of government.”

Celestia was next to speak up.  “I don’t think I understand, sister?  What could you possibly mean?”

It was proving rather difficult to get my points across so I had to resort to some more basic wordplay.  There was a chance what I said next would anger a few of the onlookers so I prepared my magic.  I was quite confident in my ability to handle any threats that came near me.

“The government we are currently using is ineffective.  Ponies remain sick, hungry, and nearly dead.  Corrupt officials fill the council halls, using their status to elevate their own personal welfare.  Royal guards take bribes and participate in basic sensual activities while on duty.  It’s complete debauchery and a perversion of the fundamental elements Equestria is based on.  I will not stand idly by as this grand nation is turned to filth.  That is not right.  So there will be changes!”

One of the council, Sparkling Rain, spoke up.  “You can’t possibly expect us to believe that you’re going to destroy our government, can you?”  She sounded repulsed by my words.

I turned to face her and drew a somber expression.  “Believe, or do not.  It is of no consequence to me whether you are aware of change.”  I faced the crowd and continued onwards with my speech. 

“From now there shall be no council.  I will personally hand-pick ponies from its ranks who will serve on my terms.  The royal guards shall be reformed; everypony among its ranks will be forced into a relative fitness and morality test to determine whether they are worthy of defending Equestria.  The idea of a dual-monarchy where my sister and I listen to the problems of each individual pony will also be dissolved.  Instead the entire idea of a monarchy will destroyed.  I will lead the land not as a queen or a princess, but as a singular body who controls every aspect of the state.  My sister will be my right-hoof helper.” 

It took a moment for the entirety of my words to pass its way through the minds of the gathered ponies.  Eventually, my words struck them, though.  There were murmurs throughout the entire crowd.  Some of fear, some of revolt, some of bewilderment, some even hoped it was all a joke.  

Celestia was merely staring at me for a moment.  “Luna...you can’t possibly- I mean you can’t seriously...what in the hay do you think you’re doing...?”  She looked visibly shaken by my words.  The flow of her mane stopped and it seemed normal for once.  

“I am leading Equestria back towards the light, Tia.”

“Luna, this is insane.  You-you do see that right?  We couldn’t possibly...I mean there is no way we could implement this...”  Her voice trailed off.  She obviously didn’t like addressing me in such a way.  

“I was not asking for your permission, Celestia.”  I lavished the speech with emphasis to reinforce my position.

“But we simply can’t change the way things have been for decades, Luna. It doesn’t make sense!!!”  Her voice was full of confusion.  I do not think my words had fully dawned on her.

I turned my full attention to her.  I let my entire presence reveal itself.  My body was tall, elegant, dark, starry, and as intimidating as a manticore.  And I let it show then.  I unfurled my long bat-like wings and let them beat against the small podium, creating a miniaturized hurricane of dust.  My horn was glowing intensely and disseminated my exceptionally powerful magic.  

“Change is inevitable, Celestia!  Do you dare oppose me!?!”  

She looked me in the eye.  “Luna, I cannot allow you to do this, I-I’m sorry.  You will stop this nonsense, NOW.”  Celestia voice was strong and determined, but her eyes betrayed her true feelings.  She was afraid.  Afraid for me.  Afraid of hurting tiny, little, helpless Luna.  I would not allow her, nor anypony, to pity me...

“No.  This ‘nonsense’ is the future.  If you are too obstinate to see that Equestria is falling then I shall not hesitate to crush you.”  It hurt saying such things to Celestia, but it was the way it had to be.  I could not show hesitation or kindness, lest I lose my dominance in the conversation.  

“I-I do not wish to fight you.  So I beg of you, Luna-  You must cease these insane actions.  Lower the Moon!  Please, Luna...just concede...”  

I stood my ground and glared at her, maintaining a look of icy hatred.  I did not make a noise and neither did the crowd.  They merely stared at the exchange between my sister and I, their faces devoid of anything but anticipation.  Eventually, Celestia got the message.  

Celestia’s lower lip quivered, but she did not renege on her statement.  “Very well then.  Guards, assemble!”  The guards looked to each other in confusion at first but quickly got ahold of themselves and moved into the phalanx formation.  “Prepare yourselves, Magical Squads.” 

The unicorns among the Royal Guard all stepped out of formation and bore looks of mixed determination and hesitancy.  “Now, please...subdue Princess Luna.”  Celestia’s voice came out in shambles on the last few words.  

I smirked as I saw each of the unicorns horns glow brightly.  They truly thought they could beat me.  “I shall not be broken so easily, Celestia.”  I threw my hoof to the side in an indolent manner.  Instantly all of the unicorns magic evaporated.  A few of them looked about in surprise as they saw their magic fail.  

Celestia looked a bit taken aback.  She knew that I was a powerful alicorn, of course, but for me to be able to subdue an entire blockade of magical guards with the flick of a hoof was shocking.  She regained her composure quite quickly though.  “Foot soldiers, restrain the Princess!”

The group of armored wardens came towards me.  I sent a dark blue blast of magic out of my horn that left them all on the ground winded.  I followed up by casting a spell I had learned from the library which increased the force of gravity.  Shouts of “I can’t move!” and “what’s happening!?” could be heard from the guards.  That and mingled cries of pain.

I looked at Celestia once again.  “If you wish to challenge me, Tia, then you shall face me, and you shall face me alone.”
“Release that infantry, Luna!  You’re harming them!”  She wore a look of concern for the pained ponies.

“Agree to my terms.”

“Luna!!!”

“Choose, Celestia.”

“They’re your subjects, Luna!  What are you doing!?!”

“I can apply more pressure.”

“Just let them go!”

“Only if you agree to keep this challenge for the whole of Equestria between us!”  

Celestia bit her lip.  I increased the pressure of the spell and more shouts of pain came from the guards.  “Fine, Luna, you win!  Just me and you.  Now let those ponies go!”  I complied.

The guard lifted themselves off the ground and sprinted in every direction, for fear that I would change my mind and entrap them again.  Pathetic.  None of them even attempted to help their ruler, they just ran.  The gathered audience tried to flee as well; they saw that this was escalating.  

“No pony shall leave these grounds!  You are all to bear witness to the glorious remaking of Equestria!”  I cast a long-range boundary spell to ensure my decree was followed.  Thick walls of shadow burst from the ground, heading for the skies.  They came from every direction, walling in everypony within Canterlot.  I did not want anypony to doubt my authority after I conquered my sister.

“Celestia!”  I screamed.

“What?”

“We do battle to decide who rightfully rules Equestria.  We do battle to determine what this government is, and forever shall be!  We do battle to find out who is weak and who is strong!  The outcome of this fight will decide the fate of everypony in Equestria!  Do you accept these terms?”  I spat the words out.  

“Please, Luna.  Please don’t do this.”  Celestia’s voice was broken and I could hear the misery spewing from within her soul.  It was almost enough to make me reconsider.  Almost.

“Do you accept these terms?”  My voice was wretched.  It was callous and savage.  Not the voice of a pony anymore, but the voice of a tyrant.

Celestia released a long sigh.  “Yes...”  Her voice trailed off.

“Then prepare yourself, sister!”

Celestia looked up at me.  “You’ve brought this upon yourself, then.”  She released a heavy sigh.  “En Garde!!!”

Celestia wasted no time in preparing herself.  She spread her wings out as far as they could.  Then with one powerful shove she launched herself at me.  And so it began.

I barely had time to evade the speedy assault as Celestia reached me within the space of a few seconds.  Her long, drill-like horn pierced the air where I had sat moments ago.  I hovered over her for less than a second before she turned her gaze upwards and spotted me.

Before she could propel herself towards me again I unleashed a dark haze to mask my presence.  I could not risk being impaled, now could I?  I flew away from my previous position.  As I did I could here the air cracking as Celestia flew through the spot I had inhabited only moments ago.  Excellent, she was likely puzzled as to where she was now.

I took advantage of the momentary break in combat to focus energy into my horn.  My next spell would shoot a concentrated beam if I used it correctly.  By the time I had completed my preparations for the spell Celestia had found her way out of the haze.

A black jet of violet shot out of my horn and was sighted on Celestia.  She barely had time to duck out of the way before the ray sliced through the thick pillar behind her.  I redirected the direction of the beam to follow her fleeing form.  She managed to elude it each time it got neared her, but only by the breadth of an inch.

Eventually, she found the space and time to create a rainbow-colored bubble to shield herself.  The beam struck against it uselessly.  Unfazed by this I let the beam evolve from its previous form and stick to the bubble.  Slowly the dark presence of it wrapped around the bubble.  The black aura made it impossible to see the inside of the bubble.  I let loose a burst of magic and the darkness surrounding the bubble constricted and shrunk. 

I could see the bubble being forcibly crushed, as well as any inhabitants within it.  There was an audible noise as the shield became smaller and smaller, obviously against the will of the pony who controlled it.  Even a shield created by the mighty Celestia could not withstand the enormous pressure of my magic.  There was a sickening crunch as the shield was compressed into oblivion.  

There were a few gasps among the crowded ponies, who obviously thought that was the end of the duel.  I knew better, though.  I felt the presence of the sun leave my improvised prison.  Celestia had managed to port out of her protective spell.

I looked around frantically trying to find any sign of her.  I did not want to give her any time to build up a magical entity.  I was worrying about the wrong aspect of my sister’s combat prowess, however.

Something big hit me in the side and I soared back, winded.  Celestia had charged me rather than charge herself.  As I fell through the air, attempting to recover from the force of impact, she was soaring towards me. 

I barely had time to recover before her shining horn came down upon me.  I formed a make-shift shield out of the particles in the air around me.  It absorbed most of the blow, but tremors of the dynamic strike vibrated throughout my body, causing me to pause for a moment.

Celestia capitalized on the opportunity and closed the distance between the ground and myself with a sharp blow of her front hooves.  I landed with no small amount of pain and could see her rocketing towards me at an unimaginably fast speed.

There was no time to duck out of the way or take to the air so I had to improvise.  Using my magic, I propelled my back hooves upwards to meet my sister.  She was moving fast and unable to pull away in time.  There was a resounding thud as her jaw met my back hooves.  She shot back a few feet.  

I flipped completely over and cast another spell.  Four tendrils extended out of the ground and shot towards my sister.  The tentacles were a pale red color, dotted with blue specks.  My distinctive dark blue magic surrounded the arms, though.  The only action she was able to manage was another bubble shield.  I anticipated the action however.  

The tendrils that were heading towards her were not purely offensive.  They were actually a complex spell I had read about in the Library of the Night.  If a spell were to be cast and the slender appendages were to connect with said spell then they would clasp onto the magic’s source.  From there they could drain the caster of their mana.  It could also attach to a pony directly.  This would leave them Dazed and Confused.  In other words, they would be vulnerable for a few minutes as their power recharged.  I found the spell in an ancient text entitled “Leechity Snicket’s A Series of Excellent Spells.” 

The tentacles pierced the shield, causing it to fall apart, and latched onto her.  From the way her face contorted it was obviously quite the surprise to her.  The appendages slowly worked their way up her flank and Celestia was growing visibly weaker as they got higher.

She worked up enough physical strength to speak.  “What is this magic!?!”

She struggled in vain to free herself from the lengthy tendrils.  Her horn gave off faint sparks, but they just seemed to encourage the monstrous energy-sappers.  Her face contorted in pain.  

“It’s my magic.  This is my power, Tia.  Behold what your dear little sister has accomplished!”  It felt wonderful to unleash my magic.  To show someone the knowledge I had been keeping.

“Agh!!!”  The tendrils had completely cloaked themselves around my sister.

“Come now!  I at least expected a challenge, Celestia.  I wanted to show you what I have learned.  How much I have grown!”  I loosed a wicked grin on the last sentence.

Celestia had been drained of her mana.  Her unicorn magic would be useless for the next few hours, maybe even days.  The tendrils released her and faded into the wind.  Celestia was left to fall to the cobblestone streets.  She caught herself midway and began to hover, though.  Her breaths came out as heavy pants, but a look a of pure determination was evident on her face.

I couldn’t help but laugh.  “Much better!”  Celestia glared at me.

I focused another blast of energy into my horn to launch at Celestia.  I discharged a large, black sphere towards her.  It moved fast and let a trail of starlight behind it’s position.  Celestia evaded the projectile.  She looked as if she was about to charge at me again until the projectile changed course and once again shot towards her.  She barely evaded the shade the second time around, as it came as a surprise.  

Once again, the projectile changed its course and rocketed towards Celestia.  This time it was faster than before.  She dodged it a third time.  This would continue for as long as I was able to keep the projectile in existence.  

This was a spell of my own creation.  As long as I focused my energy towards the sphere, no matter how minimal the amount of energy, it would follow its target.  I could also control the speed at which it progressed.

I focused my full attention on the orb and Celestia.  It was gradually increasing the speed at which it flew, but it could not keep up with Celestia.  Whenever I managed to get it close she would prance away or duck away.  I did not stress my magic, however, as Celestia was still recovering from her mana being drained.  It was inevitable that she would slip up and my aura sphere would reach her.

And once the sphere reached her...well that is best left unsaid...

I did not give Celestia enough credit, however.  She is quite brilliant.  As she saw the orb gaining on her inch by inch she drew herself closer to me.  I did not really notice, as my attention was more focused on formulating a way to once again trap Celestia.  

In my distraction I did not notice her slip behind me.  She rocketed towards me and grasped onto me.  She locked her hooves around me and made sure I couldn’t move.  

“Wha-” Was all I could manage to say. 

Celestia flipped me over during my confusion to face the giant glowing orb of death.  I struggled in vain to break free, she was much larger and stronger than me.  The sphere was rocketing towards us, too fast for me to change its direction again.  All I could do was cancel the spell and let the sphere evaporate.  That would, however, leave me at Celestia’s mercy.

I did not have any other course of action, unfortunately, so I canceled the effect of the sphere.  Celestia smirked.  She whispered a short little phrase into my ear, “Lets make this quick, eh?  We still have a festival to finish.”  She clasped her hooves around my wings pinning them as well.  Then she simply stopped flapping her wings.

We started to plummet towards the Royal Garden at an alarmingly fast pace.  The wind rushed around us and I did my best to break free of Celestia’s grip.  As the ground came closer and closer, Celestia loosened her grip more and more.  Once we were within six feet of the ground she released me and flew upwards saving herself.  I was not quite as quick.

I crashed into the ground and heard a crunch as gravity acted its will upon my body.  The best I had been able to do before landing was twist my body to cushion my fall with my wings.  It shielded my more vital internal organs but my wings were, however, obliterated.  

The pain in my body was immense.  I stood up with the support of magic.  I looked myself over.  My hooves, head, and flank were somewhat fine, due to my wings having absorbed the fall.  I looked at my wings and winced. One was twisted at an unusual angle that looked just to be dislocated.  While painful, that could be fixed.  The other did not look as if it would be quite so lucky.  It bent backwards at a sickening angle and attempts at moving or touching it left me cringing at an intense agony.

I looked up.  Celestia was hovering above me looking down with a somber expression.  “Do you concede now, Luna?”

“Never.”  The pain in my wings was unbearable.  My entire body ached and I was positive that more than a few bones had been broken.  But I would not lose this duel.  I could not lose this duel.  The very fate of Equestria rested upon me.  I could not let it succumb to the corruption it had already been subjected to.

“Just give in!  You’re broken!  Your wings are completely out of place.  Your body is covered in cuts and I’m sure you have more than a few broken bones!  just give up.  You made a mistake.  We all make mistakes, Luna.” 

I glared at her.  Then I did something that my sister, to this day, believes to be the dumbest, most insane action ever performed.  I focused all of my magical energy and let it flow through my body.  I let the entirety of my magic, of my essence, envelop me.  I released all of my aura and magic in one single stroke.  A strange mist surrounded me.  The mist was the color of the Night sky and had twinkles of stars and such in it.  It held the constellations I had created and it was full of life.  That mist was me, my mind, my magic, my darkness in the light.  

I absorbed all of it, breathing it in.  With as much focus as I could muster, I directed it towards my wings and midsection.  I felt my dislocated wing snap back into place and muffled a painful groan.  

My broken wing was an agony to heal, though.  I pooled my magic and concentrated on it.  First it snapped back into place, which left me screaming in pain.  Next I aligned the shattered remains of bone within my wing.  The pure and unadulterated stab of anguish that ripped through it stained my cheeks with tears.  I held the bones in place with magic.  

My eyes had flooded with tears.  Their saline tang burned the cuts on my face, but I could not help it.  I simply could not lose my ability to fly.  It was too big an advantage for Celestia.  I flapped the improvised wing once.  The pain was unimaginably horrible, but, it would work.  I allowed a small smirk to mark my features.

This was not a trick I had learned through my studies, no, this was the result of pure and unaltered willpower.  What I had learned may have contributed to my achievement, but no texts I had read had ever listed medicinal magic of this sort.  This was the result of decades of training.  This was the product of sheer passion.  My sister showed concern at my yelped pains, despite her being the cause. 

Celestia had just hovered there, watching me heal brace a broken bone through the use of magic.  A feat which was considered impossible at the time.  She was practically gaping at me.  I stared at her with as cold and icy an expression as I could assemble.  

“Do not mistake me for weak, Celestia!  I am much more powerful than you think!”  I coated my voice with magic to not only increase its volume, but to make it sound far deeper and resonating. 

I took to the skies and hovered parallel to her.  “Now, I once again say, prepare yourself!”


...

> A Dark End 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

												...

Celestia shot at me again.  This time I did not avoid it.  I cast a dark shield around myself.  Her horn hit the dark matter and made no noise.  I used the remaining energy of the barrier and pushed it forwards.  Celestia pulled away in time to avoid the strike.

Not a moment passed before she was next to me.  She reared up on her hooves, but I did not plan on fighting her close quarters.  I teleported and left a virulent chemical in my wake.  Celestia did her best to avoid breathing in the fumes, but not even she can conquer the air.

That was another spell I had learned in the Library of the Night.  It was from a book entitled “Great Escapes Volume II: Chemical Warfare.”  It allowed for a what would normally be a simple transport spell to become a weapon.  It had three main components that helped the user.  First, there was the teleportation part of the spell, which allowed for a quick escape.  Second, there was a chemical effect.  I shall explain its properties later.  The last component was smoke.  It ensured that the assailants would be in a state of confusion allowing for you to counter-attack or flee.

The chemical itself was magic-based.  It could only be created through the use of putative alchemy.  This is a rare form of magic in which the caster creates chemicals and potions with the sole use of magic.  It was a long-since forgotten branch of magic that I had dug up in my studies. 

The chemical could appear in liquid or gaseous forms.  In a liquid state it induced loss of magic and sometimes paralysis.  In the form of vapor it caused hallucinations and temporary blindness.  In a alicorn as powerful as Celestia, it would likely just leave her dazed for a minute.

Celestia coughed and spun around wildly.  It looked as if the chemical had the desired effect.  I levitated some of the loose cobblestone on the street and constructed a ball  of rock.  They all packed tightly together and created a medium sized ball.  I wrapped a magic tendril around two pillars to create an industrial-sized sling.  I pushed the ball of dense rock into the sling and released it, guiding it towards its target with a steady grip of magic.

Celestia recuperated in time to see the giant ball hurtling towards her.  I could not help but smile.  She tried to evade the massive stone, but there was simply no time.  The large boulder collided with her back legs and the sickening sounds of bones breaking could be heard.  She screamed in pain.  

I cringed at the noise.  I had not wanted to harm Celestia.  I had not wanted to hurt my dear sister.   There simply had been no choice, though.  She had given me no choice.  Besides, this movement was far grander than her.  This change was for the good of Equestria.  Or so I had deluded myself into thinking.

Celestia flew atop a column.  She was panting heavily and favoring her back right leg.  Her mane sat on her body and dragged downwards.  It still maintained its coloring, but it was disheveled and retained bits of dust and stone.  Her normally shining coat was dull and matted.  Sweat and blood were flowing down her sides, concocting some sort of pinkish paste that stained her flank.  

Her royal attire had been dented and damaged.  The attire she had worn had been ripped apart in places, some aligning with her wounds, others just having torn at the seam.  Her feathered wings were helping to keep her from falling over.  Her tiara was slanted off the tip of her head, its asymmetry rather annoying.  

Her face did not reflect any of her body’s sentiment though.  Determination was quite clearly evident on her features.  Her eyes were narrowed to those of slits.  Her mouth was creased at the edge, indicating a slight frown.  Her nostrils were flaring and her breathing was heavy but focused.  

“Luna, listen.  This is ridiculous.  You’re being ridiculous.  Just stop all of-”

“No, you listen, sister.  For years I have sat in your shadow.  For years I have watched as you received the adoration of the ponies of our fair country.  For years I have watched them bask in your Sun and ignore my Moon.  For years I have watched them all frolic in the brisk mornings of day and ignore the strikingly majestic Moonlight of Night.  And I say now, no more.”  Feelings of bitterness and hatred finally erupted.  After three decades of playing the reclusive shadow I could finally speak.

Celestia looked me right in the eye.  “Oh...Luna.  That’s not true...you know it isn’t.  The people of this land love you just as much as me.  Why else would you be a part of this festival?”

“Lies.  I am not so easily fooled Celestia.  It is not just you.  Equestria must change.  The council and royal armada are corrupt and putrid, un-befit of leading a country so marvelous as this one.”  The spit the words out, believing every last syllable to be true.

“That’s not true Luna.”  

“Oh, but my dear Tia, it is!  You cannot see it from your position within the ranks of bile, but Equestria is heading for a dark place.  An irredeemable pit of despair and debauchery.  We have to go to our roots.  We have to trace back to the very beginning of Equestria.  To times when this place was based on values of harmony!!!”  

Celestia shed a tear.  “Luna, you can’t force change.  It doesn’t work that way.  Please, you have to understand that!”

I glared at her and drained my voice of all emotion.  “Even change is susceptible to reform, Celestia.”  

My sister looked up at me and shed a few more tears.  “I see that there is no reasoning with you, then.”  

I felt a stab of pain within my heart.  I did not want to fight Celestia, but it was necessary.  Unless of course... “No, but perhaps you could join me, Tia?  You could aid me in making Equestria great again.  We could lead the world into a bright new age.  Our names would be forever imprinted on Equestrian history as the Princesses who wrought redemption upon the world.  Wouldn’t that be amazing?  What do you say to that, Tia?”  I added a loving little bit to the last word.  It was a bit difficult considering I was hovering before Celestia’s battered body using shattered wings while holding all of Canterlot hostage.

I was not foalish enough to delude myself, however.  I allowed a stream of magic to sneakily and gradually snake its way up the cracks of the pillar.  I was prepared to let the magic implode and crush the pillar.  That would cause the pillar to collapse underneath Celestia and provide a momentary distraction.  A distraction would allow me to perform a number of spells. 

“Luna, you don’t understand.  I don’t want to hurt you, but I will.  You will listen to reason even if I have to shove it through your thick skull with my own hoof!”  her voice was fueled by pure willpower.  

I reeled back a bit.  I was truly hoping that Celestia would listen to me then and there.  I did not need a co-regent, however.  
“Then you are no longer my sister, Celestia.  You are merely my enemy.  I shall restrain myself no more.”  I gave her a look which said, “That’s right!  There is more of this!”

“Let us finish this, then.”  Celestia looked solemn but nevertheless, resolute.  

I let my condensed magic expand against the walls of the pillar.  It collapsed rather quickly due to the intense pressure that had already been building up.  Celestia faltered in her step for only a moment as the pillar fell inwardly.  She lifted herself into the air, trying to avoid being brought to the ground.

I set up barrier above her.  She crashed into it.  Celestia tried to fly downwards.  Once again I set up a barrier.  This time it was under her.  She hit the barrier with her bad leg causing her to give out a loud yelp.  I then brought the two barriers closer together to tighten my grip on Celestia.  

She struggled against them, but I held her firmly between the two.  I created four more barriers to surround Celestia and created a box.  A big transparent box that trapped my sister.  It was all so easy.

“You lose, Tia.”  I allowed a bit of pride to slip into my voice.

Her battered form merely struggled against the walls of her prison.  “This isn’t...over.”  She spoke between ragged breaths.  Her face was in a grimace as the pain in her leg had obviously intensified.

“You’re no longer able to fight.  I believe those are the terms of a duel.  Equestria is mine now.”

She closed her eyes and it appeared as if she was intently focused.  Magical sparks flew off the tip of her horn.  Celestia was endeavoring to perform a spell of some sort.  Her magic likely wouldn’t recharge that quickly, though.  

“Such futile attempts.  I’ve drained you of your mana, so there is little merit in endeavoring towards using magic.”  

Celestia didn’t even acknowledge my words.  She just sat within her prison focusing intently.  Light sparkled around her horn, but it faded away quickly.

“You are just going to hurt yourself.  It is embarrassing.”

Celestia’s look of focus intensified and she crouched down even further, so much so that she was no longer favoring her bad leg.  Finally the accumulation of sparks surrounding her horn materialized.  Her horn glowed brightly for a second then she disappeared.

Apparently the effects of my spell had worn off.  Her magic had recharged and she had teleported out of her bubble.  I cursed myself for being overconfident and not having kept her magical prowess in check.

I looked around, desperately searching for the alicorn.  With her magic having regenerated I had to face the threat of long-range attacks.  After a moment of searching my analytical eye caught no trace of her.  I doubt she would try to charge at me again, considering her hoof was shattered.

I lurched back as a bolt of lighting struck next to me, leaving a crackling noise in its wake.  I looked up in time to spot Celestia levitated a set of clouds above me.  She flew around this select group of clouds to corral them in one place.  Then using her magic and hooves she released strikes of lighting and thunder.  Her face broke out in a grin and she yelled, “You’re about to be Thunderstruck!”

I soared trying to outrun the ominous clouds raining doom upon me.  But Celestia was much faster than myself and was always able to keep me within the radius of the storm-cloud.  

The bolts were all within a very close proximity, some close enough to make my hairs rise.  The only thing that separated me from the threatening electrical currents was a thin margin of speed.  The speed at which I was constantly flying began to take its toll on me.  My breaths were frequent and my heart rate had more than doubled.  The pain and anguish my fragmented wing was causing me was of astronomical proportions.  The only thing keeping it from contorting into an amorphous blob shape was my magic.  

I evaluated my options then.  This duel would soon come to an end if I stayed in my current position.  The speed at which the bolts struck did not give me time to prepare a proper spell, so anything I came up with would be improvised.  I could not fly straight past the radius of the cloud; when I tried a bolt of lighting blocked my path, or Celestia moved the cloud to follow me.  

Perhaps I could unleash another haze to mask myself?  No, Celestia probably wouldn’t fall for the same trick a second time.  If I could locate where she was in the storm, exactly, I could throw a simple spell at her to break her concentration.  I did not have time to search her out, though. 

My only other option was to head up and break the cloud barrier.  I shuddered at the very idea.  Celestia was quite intelligent when she needed to be.  There was no doubt that she had set some sort of trap in anticipation of my actions.  

I gulped down my fears and in one quick motion, steered my body upwards, narrowly avoiding a lighting strike as I did.  I twisted and turned through the atmosphere, ignoring the popping noise in my ear.  Bolts struck all around me creating loud crepitations.  I was quickly approaching the barrier of the clouds.  I braced myself for whatever lay in, or beyond the clouds.

I penetrated the line of clouds with no issues.  I landed lightly on the dense billow.  Once I stepped upon it I saw my sister, Celestia, Princess of the Sun.  She noticed me as well.

We stood there for a moment, gazing intently at each other.  Her back leg was bent slightly, and she used the tip of her right wing to keep herself stable.  Her mane, while still multi-colored, was dirty and bedraggled.  The hairs along her coat were dirty and stood on end.  Her dress had received even more abuse, now sporting a rip from the shoulder to the tail.  Celestia looked completely beaten to me.  Although, she probably thought the same about me.

I was the first one to make a move.  I created three saws out of magic and allowed them to rotate around me.  Their speed began to increase until they were little more than spinning blurbs of color.  I rushed at my sister with the balls still rotating around me.  She had lost her short-range advantage, which I was more than ‘find.’  

Celestia wasted no time in defending herself.  She conjured up a shield to deflect the bladed edges.  Her mana had only been recovered a short time ago, so her magic was still unstable.  Unstable and flimsy.  This led to her shield only absorbing a partial amount of my attack.

The initial saws disintegrated on impact with the shield, and I ended up tackling my sister.  I managed to position myself so that my shoulder connected to with her ribs.  She exhaled a large breath as she fell to the ‘ground.’  I stood over her.  

Suddenly she lashed out with her hooves and brought me to the ‘ground.’  We tussled on the soft clouds, landing a few blows on each other every so often.  More than once our little scuffle led us dangerously close to the edge of the cloud-platform.  

Celestia hooked me under my broken wing with hoof and pulled.  The pain was unimaginable.  Every fiber of my being screamed out STOP!  I could not help but yelp as Celestia tugged on the wing again.  She did not stop, though.  She just kept jerking on the wing, which eventually pulled me into submission.

She angled her body over mine and placed a hoof on my sternum.  She applied enough pressure so that I that couldn’t move, but not enough to prevent me from breathing.  She stared deeply into my eyes and said, “This is it.  I win, Luna.  Now concede, okay.  Just concede.”  

I desperately contemplated ways to elude defeat.  It looked as if Celestia truly had won.  She had me pinned under her entire weight, so I could not run.  She would be able to cancel any battle spells I attempted by touching my horn with hers (Double-negative effect).  I could not very well glare Celestia to death.  Then my eyes locked onto the cloud.  The beginnings of an idea began to form in my mind.  “No, I would prefer you do that!”

I used my one free back leg to kick out the cloud we were on.  The large mass Celestia and I stood on disappeared instantly.  We began to tumble through the air and towards the ground.  She did not lose her grip on me, however.  In fact she tightened it.  She even wrapped her wings around mine to keep me from flying.  She was trying to perform the same trick as before.

I had anticipated this, though.  I unleashed my next trick.  My mane started to grow outwardly and entangle both Celestia and I.  My mane retained its Night patterning and star markings, but it strengthened itself, becoming more protective and sturdy than reinforced steel.  This would allow me to take Celestia down with me.  Not only that, but she would cushion my fall.

This rather unique spell was one I had created on the spot.  I had adapted it off of a spell I knew which allowed me to reinforce the binding of any item.  It looked and felt rather odd to use my mane as a weapon, but it was quite effective.  And it was not every day you got to say you beat up a goddess with your hair.

We hit the ground with quite the impact.  As soon as we landed I revoked my spell and jumped away from Celestia.  The impact looked as if it had the desired effect.  I was relatively unharmed and Celestia was-  well Celestia was...

She was simply lying on the ground, her entire body weary with the battle.  Her wings were both bent at odd angles and her body was marked with cuts and contusions.  There was a rather large laceration from one of her knees to one of her hooves.

I stood over her, and glared down upon her.  I kept my voice calm and relaxed, knowing that there was nothing she could do now.  “Only I can win.”  I backed up a pace to give her breathing room.  

Celestia’s advantage over me had been her speed and strength.  As far as magical prowess was concerned, I was her superior.  And since she was now left battered and bruised with her magic weakened I was confident she could fight no more.  Really though, this duel was over before it ever began.

Celestia tried to stand only to fall to the ground again.  Even after having received such a brutal beating she still cared.  It was admirable that she was so willing to defend what I, at the time, thought was a corrupt government.

The ponies in the crowd (which I had ignored up until now) began to boo me.  How could they not understand my grand plan?  How could they not understand it was for Equestria that I challenged my own sister?

“Luna...-”  Celestia’s voice was pained and her breathing was heavy.  “I give you one last chance, dear sister.  Give up right now.  Please.”  She sounded desperate.

I scoffed.  “Why would I give up?  I have won!  Equestria is mine!  Eternal Night has been unleashed!  I am now the sole ruler of Equestria!  A position that none have achieved!  What reason could you possibly conjure up to make me give up any of that?”  I was jubilant.  Everything I had wanted for so long was within my grasp.  The moment was luscious, sweet, and absolutely glorious.

“Luna...will you concede?”  Her voice, so desperate, so deserving of pity, almost made me reconsider my entire plan.  Almost.

“No.”

“Then I’m sorry, Luna.”  Tears were streaming down her face freely.

“Sorry?  Sorry for what?”  Celestia merely stayed silent.  A few solitary tears fell down her cheeks.

Suddenly a small twister came into formation near me, pushing up dust and causing my eyes to water.  The twister was radiating a blinding light that warmed my skin.  It was as if the sun had descended upon the world.  The twister slowly began to shrink in size until it had dissipated completely.

In the wake of storm were six gemstones.  I recognized them immediately.  “The Elements of Harmony?”  I turned my head towards my sister with an inquisitive gaze.  What could she possibly hope to gain with the relics?

“I’m sorry its come to this Luna, but I can’t let you spread disharmony.”  Her tone was somber as the six gems surrounded her.

“You’re not serious, are you?  The Elements of Harmony?  You can’t possibly think those would work against me could you?  I represent half of them!”  Celestia did not falter in the slightest.  The gravity in her expression warned me to just how serious she was. 

The elements each began to glow.  First honesty, then kindness, then generosity, then laughter, then loyalty, then magic.  Each was glowing a bright white that rendered those who witnessed them sightless.  Then each of the six’s glow merged together and created a beam of light.  A beam of light which seemed to stretch into the depths of space.

Said beam launched itself in a spiraling formation forward.  It began to form a bright rainbow.  A perfect rainbow.  It flew towards me and I could do nothing.  I could not move.  The sight of such a harmonious being triggered some sort of paralysis within me.  The rainbow hit me with such force that I felt as if I should have been propelled backwards (I wasn’t of course).  

I felt the powers of the Element’s of Harmony worming their way within me.  It was then that I did something that would mark me as Nightmare Moon for centuries to come.  What did I do you ask?  I unleashed everything.  I embraced my darker magic and let loose everything I had learned in the past three decades.

My aura glowed a faint blue that spread throughout all of Canterlot.  Stones and rubble began to rise around me.  Tremors shook the earth beneath our hooves.  The skies of Canterlot turned a sickening black.  Dark smog began to erupt from the ground rising and occupying the atmosphere.  

My royal attire became transfigured and turned into a vile mockery of itself.  My tiara grew into a plate that covered my head.  My small saddle had grown to encompass the majority of my flank.  My boots, which normally just reached my hooves, rose to the heights of my knees and felt as if they were merging with my skin.  The entire regalia bore a black and starry, teal color pattern.  

My normally inky blue coat darkened and became a mixture between indigo and jet-black.  My Night based mane increased in length and flowed in every direction.  It seemed to be clutching onto the air, as if it desired to draw it inwards in order for it to be consumed.  It had representations of every celestial body in the sky, no, it engulfed them.  My eyes changed from that of sparkling teal ovals, to that of iridescent orbs emanating light.  My snout narrowed and my teeth lengthened, as if I were the Count himself.  I grew significantly taller, as tall as Celestia, even.

I released every spell I knew, all of my power, all of my will, and still, it was not enough.  The projection of the elements slowly consumed me.  I could feel my power being suppressed and my body fading away.  My mind even began to feel compressed.  The only thing I could hear was Celestia, as she whispered, “I’m so sorry.”

I drew in one final breath and managed to force one thing past the Elements of Harmony.  I achieved an opening from which to scream out a final phrase.  A few lasting words to mark my time there.  “Memento Luna!!!”


___

> The Ritual
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

												___

Rainfall’s mouth was agape.  Her eyes had widened to the point where her cheeks were hardly visible.  Her head was cocked slightly, and she let out a very high-pitched squeal.  “You fought Princess Celestia!?”  She didn’t even blink.  

“Yes I did.”  My reply came out in a matter-of-fact tone.  

“The duel I had with her was definitely not one of my finer moments. Knowing that I might have murdered my own sister still haunts me.  Guilt is dreadful on its own.  Even worse when it is triggered by family issues.  Family issues that had aged over centuries.”

“And you beat her too.”  Rainfall was silent for a moment.  “That’s friggin’ amazing.”

“No, I did not.  Were you not listening?”  I felt a bit annoyed.

“What do you mean?  She had to resort to using the Elements of Harmony to beat you.  If she didn’t have those she would have lost.”

I contemplated for a moment before answering.  Obviously the little unicorn was correct in assuming that I was the magical superior to my sister.  She had skipped over one major constraint, though.

“The elements simply embody the spirit of harmony, which in itself epitomizes the spirit of power.  She was the moral superior to myself, so she was able to wield the elements.  If I had tried to wield them I likely would have failed.  Her virtuous nature ensured the out come of our duel before it even began.”  

“But weren’t you fighting for Equestria too?  Wasn’t it your goal to make it all peaceful and stuff?”  She sounded more curious than confused.

“I did want to better Equestria, true enough, but my actions in achieving that goal were morally questionable.  I had snuck behind the backs of the Equestrian government, I lied and deceived, I was cruel at unnecessary times, I hoarded my knowledge out of cupidity, and I was callous and rude when a situation called for care and tact.  No matter who was the more powerful between Celestia and I, I would have always been forced to swallow the inhumane, acidic taste of defeat.  The shackles of envy and turpitude which had entrapped my essence for so long became an integral component of my ethics.  The conception of morality itself had been so twisted within the boundaries of my mind that I could not see beyond the realm of corruption.  For all my knowledge I was blind to the presence of dualism; Equestria would trail into the future, but it would suffer along the way.  It was a justified misery, a tribulation from which Equestria would propagate itself.  That is what Luzear implied a millennium ago when he said Equestria was remarkable.  It is not the values we hold that make us great, but the ability to maintain them.” 

“Okay.”  Rainfall still looked unsatisfied.  then she broke away on another tangent.  “If Celestia was able to use the Elements of Harmony on you the whole time, then why didn’t she as soon as the duel began?”  Rainfall cocked her head a bit as she spoke.

“Because she was merciful.”  Celestia had always been quite kind.  

“O-o-o-h, I get it now!  She wanted to give you a chance to change your mind and redeem yourself!  Is that right?”

I gave Rainfall a wide smile.  “That is correct.  Celestia is a big believer in clemency and second-chances.  She wanted to give me a chance.  She was willing to fight me in order to save me.  Even when I was on the brink of destroying her she gave me a chance.”

“How was she able to use the elements?  I mean, if the connection between you and your elements was broken- then how did she take control of them?”

“By showcasing what they symbolized.”  

Rainfall gave me a frown.  She was not pleased with my short answer.  I heaved a deep sigh.  “Celestia constantly called my plan insane during our ‘scuffle.’  She tried to reason with me, tried to convince me to stop, but never once did she try to sway me with lies.  Honesty.  She constantly offered me a way out, told me that we could work out these menial differences and that she would be lenient.  Kindness and Generosity.  She stayed true to Equestria and it’s ways, even when faced against her own sister.  Loyalty.  My distasteful insults were brushed off as mere jokes by her. Laughter, of sorts.  And then, of course, she was quite powerful.  Magic.  She represented the core of every element and used them.”

Rainfall blinked.  “Wow.  So that’s the story of how you got banished to the Moon.  Cool.”  She looked up at me then began to sweat.  “Well, I mean, it’s not cool you got banished to the Moon, it’s just that the-uhhh-story was errrhhhmmm...educational.”  She gave me a sheepish smile.

I gently patted her on the head with a hoof.  “It is fine, my dear.  I have come to terms with my past deeds and fully understand that my punishment was justified.  The alternatives would have been far worse.”

It sent a shiver down my spine to think of it.  The alternatives were death, being turned to stone, and the de-voiding.  I had truly been lucky that the Elements of Harmony simply imprisoned me in the Moon.  To be turned to stone and banished to the Ether would be horrid.  To be stuck within an insane and abysmal prison with those who shared my fate.  Those like Discord.  

Even graver would be to undergo the infamous de-voiding.  A process in which the Elements of Harmony drain you.  Not of your magic.  Not of your aptitude.  Not of your comprehension.  No, they drain you of your emotions.  Not just the negative ones such as hate and envy, but of every emotion.  They, quite literally, absorb your soul and leave you a husk of yourself.  Something that exists without motive, reason, basis, or purpose.  

I shrugged it off.  “Besides, if my history edifies another creature to moral or intellectual then perhaps it was not all for naught. It is quite-”  

“O-hhhhh I can just smell you now!  You’re just meat; sweaty, bloody, muscly, fatty, skeletal, watery, fleshy, tissued, raw, juicy, living, delicious meat.  I’m coming to gobble you up, so make yourselves pretty for me!”  

The hollow voice reverberated off the walls of the cave reminding Rainfall and I of the situation we were faced with.  I gritted my teeth as the little filly buried her head in my coat.  She was trembling with fear.  I could feel her tears soaking through my coat.  If there was one thing I hated, it was watching a friend cry.

“Rainfall, look at me.”  She continued sobbing into my coat, not even acknowledging my words.  I put my hooves on either side of her face and forced her head upwards.  “Rainfall, look at me.”  She suppressed a few sniffles and looked up at me expectantly. 

“I care little about what this being is or how powerful it is; anypony who instills fear within my subjects will undergo the deepest depths of perdition, courtesy of yours truly.”   I stared intently at Rainfall, waiting for some conformation that she understood.  Eventually, she nodded her head.

Then Rainfall backed away from me, rather sheepishly might I add.  “Princess.  There’s something I haven’t told you.”

I had figured as much by this point, considering the the way she had been acting, the lifeless mare on the grassy knoll, the way in which Rainfall hovered over said mare, and how closely the mare resembled Rainfall, but I kept my thoughts at bay and simply raised an eyebrow.  
“That mare out in the Paradise Grove.  That is-was my mother.”  She gulped down a knot in her throat.  

I positioned one of my wings around the young filly and gently placed my head overtop of hers.  I had deduced that the mare was akin to Rainfall, of course, but I couldn’t have been sure of how close a family member until she told me.  I drew a deep breath and said, “I am truly sorry Rainfall.  I-”

“That’s not all...”  Rainfall interjected.  I stared at her, confused.  “That thing out there, that creature calling itself ‘Paradise’, is my mother.  At least I think it is.”

I’m sure if my features were reflecting my feelings at that moment I would have been a humorous sight.  From what I had learned so far I had assumed that Rainfall’s mother had been unlucky enough to stumble upon the spirit, and that Rainfall had simply bore witness to her death at the hands of the spirit.  I stuttered out a few worlds to Rainfall, seeking clarification.  “Could you-would you please-what did-how...elaborate, please.”

Rainfall took in a large breath and spoke.  “Okay.  See, my mom and I lived in poverty for a while, and we were getting hungrier and hungrier each day.  We scavenged what we could, but it didn’t exactly shovel food into our mouths.  She realized we couldn’t live like that anymore.  So she took me to the edge of Paradise Grove.”

“Why was her first instinct to take the both of you here?  This place is dangerous, she must’ve known that.”  I tried to ask my question without insulting the filly’s mother.

“She had lived there for a while when she was younger, and she thought that we could live like that.”  Rainfall said, voice void of anything but hurt.

“Your mother lived in this accursed place!?  For what reason?”  To think that anypony would live here was beyond me.

“There was this one time, before I was born, where she got into some...trouble.”  Her tone suggested she did not want to speak about this ‘trouble.’

“Fine.  So what happened when she brought you to the forest?”

“She told me to wait where we were, on the edge of the forest.  She said she would be back.  She said after she got back that we wouldn’t need to worry anymore.  She said everything would be taken care of.  Then she walked into the forest.”

“I take it you didn’t stay put, though?”

For a moment Rainfall blushed and recoiled, but then she wore the same solemn expression as before.  “Nope.  I followed her.  Through thickets and brush, marking each one so I could find my way back.  she didn’t notice me because I was really quiet.  Then we reached that place you saw me in.  I saw her walk to the middle of the clearing.”  She looked hesitant.

I tightened my grip on her and said, “It is alright, my dear.  Whatever it is, I shall not judge you, nor your mother.”  I smiled at her to reinforce my statement.  I meant it as well.  

This seemed to give her the courage to speak.  “I saw her walk to the middle of the clearing.  She pulled a tome out of her saddle-bag.  She flipped to some page and then read it.  Then she started to do some weird stuff.”  Her tone changed to that of worry. 

My ears perked up at the mention of a tome.  In the softest tone I could manage I asked, “What exactly was she doing, dear?”  This was beginning to sound a bit like a ritual.  

Rainfall took a gulp.  “Really strange stuff.  Like she carved out a circle in the dirt with her hoof.  Then she got out some weird relics from her saddle-bags, like really old items, the kind you would only find in a museum.  I have no idea where she even got them, I hadn’t ever seen them before. She organized the relics in a pattern.  She laid down a cup in the center of the circle.  Then she did something really scary.”

“What did she do Rainfall?”  I did not like where this was heading.

Rainfall voice cracked and she held her breath for a second before answering.  “She formed this huge orb of magic around herself.  A weird, green orb.  This orb started to rotate and spin.  The wind got really fast and looked like it was molding the magic.  Then it started to compress.”

I let my face betray no indication, but inside I was a whirlwind of thoughts.  It was quite obvious that Rainfall’s mother had performed some kind of ritual, probably meaning to help her family.  And this tome Rainfall spoke of, where was it now?  It hadn’t been in the clearing, and the relics had been absent as well.  Perhaps Rainfall had removed them, but that seemed a little far-fetched.  So where had they gone?

My mind snapped back towards the filly as she continued.  “The spell was weird.  It took her a really long time to cast.  I mean it took her hours.  Finally she built up magic in her horn.  The strange thing was, it wasn’t her magic.  I mean her magic was normally this really dazzling plum color.  The magic on her horn was a really gross shade of green.  It looked like bile.  It also had these little dark green bubbles floating around in it.  This weird effect came over me, though.  It made me feel revolted at...well I’m not exactly sure what.  It is kinda hard to describe.  But it made me want to throw-up looking at it.”  She paused for a moment, old feelings resurfacing as she spoke.

I examined her words for a moment.  I believed I knew the spell she was referring to.  It was one that was well documented within the Canterlot Archives.  It was an ancient ritual that required the caster to gather several items as well as give themselves up to darker forces.  The spell was a summoning spell.  One that was forbidden to the ponies of Equestria due to the dangers it presented.  Nopony had cast it (that I knew of) since the age of Discord.  

The spell had to be performed within a certain range, so that explained the circle.  There was also a few items that needed to be gathered.  I was not positive as to what items had to be utilized in order to perform the ritual.  A cup, obviously, but what else?  I know I had read about the ritual somewhere in the Archives, but I could not place my hoof on it.  

Rainfall drew in a heavy breath and I heard her release a sigh a moment later.  “The green ‘magic’ surrounded her at a really slow pace.  It just started to cover her entire form in that weird, olive glow.  She didn’t stop it either; she just let it happen.  She closed her eyes and bowed her head.  It began to lift her into the air.  At least I think she closed her eyes.  Her mane just kind of fell around her and I couldn’t see her face anymore.  I didn’t get to see my mother’s face.  She kept ascending until she was about a quarter of the height of the tree-line.”  

Rainfall sniffled.  I brought her closer to me and only tightened the grip I had on her.  She gave me a weak smile and continued. “Then there was this bright flash, and I mean really bright, blindingly bright.  It ended, and my vision came back to me.  I kind of wish it hadn’t, though.”  The sadness emanating from her was overwhelming.

“When my vision came back I saw my mom, lying face-down in the grass with this tiny, green orb of light floating above her.  It just hovered there for a moment.  Then it began to take shape.  At first it was just an amorphous blob shape, but it started to look like a pony after a while.  Then it uh...”  She was looking for the right word to describe the process.

“Solidified?”  I offered helpfully.

“Yeah!”  Shouted Rainfall.  She quickly put her hooves over her mouth after realizing the volume at which she had spoken.  “I mean sorta.  It solidified into a pony, but it was a see-through pony.  Like it was a ghost or something.  It was that thing we ran from.”

“I see.  And you fled from the scene, I’m assuming?”  I asked the question in a monotone, thinking through a plan of escape in my head.

“Well not exactly...”  Rainfall began.  I looked at her.  Had she just sat there trying to remain hidden?  “I ran out into the clearing.”  I just gaped at her, astonished.  Bravery is one thing, but stupidity is another.  “I ran out and hugged my mom.  I was trying to wake her up.”  The filly looked down at her hooves and I felt a pang of sympathy.

“She didn’t get up, obviously.  But I couldn’t come to terms with the fact that she was...you know.  I still haven’t, not really.  I just kept pounding at her with my hooves, shaking her violently, screaming ‘WAKE UP.’  She just laid there, blankly staring westwards.  Her body was limp and just a deadweight.  Her mane just sat on the grass, splayed in every direction.”  Tears began to well up in the filly’s eyes and her voice cracked.  She buried her head in my flank, and I could scarcely make out her muffled sobs.

In pained me to listen.  This filly was probably my only friend in the world and now- now I could only let her weep into my coat.  I was a powerful alicorn goddess, yet not even I could raise the dead.  All I could do was provide a shoulder to cry on.  Oh, and prevent her from being eaten alive by a malevolent spirit that may or may not be her disembodied mother.  There was that, too.  

The sobs ceased and I looked down at my companion.  She was wiping her eyes with her hoof.  “So yeah.  The spirit was hovering over me and my mom.  It descended to my eye level and spoke to me.”  

Rainfall proceeded to imitate the sharp, cold voice of Everfree. “And who are you, exactly?  Doesn’t matter I’m famished, and I don’t really care.  Come here, let me sample you.  You’re not that powerful but I could always go for a sna-Hm?  It appears that mare over there knows you.  Oh, your her daughter!  How wonderful, I can devour an entire family!  Never done that before, should be fun...well for me anyways.  For you it will probably be the worst moment of your life.  Also the last.  Although, if you look at the upside it will be the last bad thing you experience...so there’s that...”

Rainfall let a shudder pass over her before continuing.  “She stared me down and licked her lips.  I couldn’t move I was just frozen in place.  I closed my eyes waiting for something to happen.  I just waited for death.  Nothing happened after a minute of waiting, so I opened my eyes.  The spirit just sat in front of me unmoving.  Her mouth was twisted up into a snarl.  She has thick fangs, that was the only thing about her that wasn’t transparent.  They were solid and stained with dark smudges.  It looked like she was trying to move, but some invisible force was holding her back.  Then I heard it, a noise so faint, yet so far-reaching, a whisper that spoke to me.  It said, ‘Run my darling, run.’  The voice was so mellifluous and melodious.  It reminded me of my mother, so I listened and ran, and ran, and ran, and ran until, finally, I reached the edge of the forest.  All while I was running I could here that evil spirit speaking to me.  The other voice spoke to me too, though.  It was so comforting.  Once I got out of the forest the voices stopped.”  Rainfall looked down at her hooves for a moment.

I nodded my head along as she spoke, trying to decipher several things at once.  It was becoming quite clear.  The spirit was a result of a mother’s want for her child to survive.  The mare had performed the ritual, hoping that in her new ‘powerful form’ she could keep her daughter taken care of.  The spirit was much too powerful for a simple poverty-stricken unicorn, however, and soon regained it’s own ability and traits.

The spirit was probably a dark being that came from the past.  It was likely from the pre-history age when disharmony was erupting everywhere.  Or perhaps it was like Discord, an ethereal being trapped in the infinite loop of the Ether.  Either way the unicorn who cast the spell had not been powerful enough to bring the spirit all the way over the barrier.  

This accounted for the strange translucent appearance of the being and it’s need to feast on effervescence and power.  It was stuck in the boundaries of Paradise Grove, at least until it was able to absorb the energy of something powerful.  Something like me.  Then it would be able to take full form and roam Equestria as Discord had. 

Strangely enough, this situation was playing out just as it had with Discord.  My father had done the same as Rainfall’s mother.  He had released a creature from the pits of the Ether to aid that which he loved.  Although my father had been much more aware of the outcome of his actions.  From Rainfall’s description it sounded as if her mother had expected to be able to control ‘Paradise.’

A thought struck me.  “Was this before or after you met me, Rainfall?”  I was starting to wonder if the filly had truly just been seeking knowledge when meeting me or if she had a plan in mind.  It did seem rather odd how the young filly had just happened to be in the library that late at night.  

“This was a few weeks before I met you...”  Her voice trailed off.  She was still focused on her memories.  Memories which could only bring about pain.

“Rainfall, what exactly did you do during that time.”

“I read and I studied non-stop.  I looked up everything about the ritual I saw.  I did my best to find some sort of clue as to what it was or how it could be reversed.  I never found anything helpful.  But I’m not gonna give up, I’ll find a way.”  The young filly’s voice was emblazoned with a resolution that supported her final statement.

“Did you only search in the Royal Library?”  I had no doubt the answer was yes.  A curt nod from her confirmed my thoughts.  

“Therein lies the problem.  The ritual in which your mother took part is dangerous and forbidden.  Any documentation on it would be in the archives, sealed away from the public.”  My words came out a bit a colder than I intended them to.

I did not like the idea of keeping secrets from my subjects, even dangerous ones.  From my perspective it is foolish to do so, it only leads to the same instance reoccurring.  We have to take the whole of history and place it within the grasp of every being, no matter how dark and twisted it is.  Only then can one truly learn from a mistake made.  

The archives to me were just that, a secret.  A secret that, while understandable, was still unbearable.  I had appealed to my sister and the council to make the locked archives public.  My sister listened to my request and said something along the lines of ‘Secrets are kept for a reason.  We can’t change what they are or how people think.  All we can do is make sure that no one finds them and uses them for nefarious purposes.’  The council said the same thing, except they hid their point under clever wording in an attempt to keep my ‘rage’ at bay.  

“After we get out of here can you help me undo this spell, princess?”  Rainfall’s words sliced through the silence.

I just laughed.  “My dear, I was planning on that all along!”  Rainfall perked up and gripped me in a tight hug.

“Really!?!  Yay!!!  So I’m going to get my mother back?”  I nodded to reassure the young filly.  In reality I had no idea.

This was a rather strange ritual, one that I had not seen before.  I had, of course, read about it in the library, the royal archives, and received some first-hand knowledge from Luzear, but none of that really helped.  There weren’t many incidents where a pony had actually performed the ritual.  I had no doubt that I could somehow stop ‘Paradise,’ but I had no idea as to what would happen afterwards.  

If I killed the spirit, would the souls it has taken be released?  Or would they simply evaporate along with the spirit?  If it was true that the event had taken place a few weeks ago, then why had the body of Rainfall’s mother not started decomposing?  What kept it from the forces of nature?  	

There was only one thing out there that could have kept the body of Rainfall’s mother from damage; the spirit was the only thing with those capabilities.  It needed the body.  But for what purpose did it need the body?

Wait, what if the spirit was not just incomplete, but non-existen?.  What if the essence of the being was still in the Ether and the thing I had seen was a proxy (of sorts), used to help ferry the being to Equestria?  And the body of Rainfall’s mother acted as a magical anchor (again, of sorts)!  That would explain why the body was still intact.  The caster of the spell had been too weak to complete the spell and was, therefore, in a purgatory state.  She was stuck between worlds.

The proxy was likely carrying the intellect and ability of the Ethereal being, just not the form.  That would explain the need to feed.  It would also explain why this thing had remained in Paradise Grove for the past few weeks.  It would need an appropriate amount of magical energy to enhance the strength behind the spell.  That way it could transport itself through the barrier and into Equestrian reality completely.  

“Princess Luna?”

“What my dear?”  I asked automatically, hardly listening to the filly.

“What’s going to happen now?”  The young filly did not look at me with fear.  Her expression just conveyed a genuine curiosity and sadness.

“Well, hopefully something brilliant.  Or even just regular-old good, really.  I would probably even settle for slightly above mediocre.  Hay, I would settle for mediocre.”  I looked at her confused expression.  I guess fillies aren’t ones for nonsensical humor.  

“But I digress.  Perhaps we should get back to the story I was telling you.”

“Yeah, that sounds good.  I’m kind of sick of talking about this...”

I sneezed.  Great, on top of it all, I, an immortal alicorn princess recovering from an elemental wound, who was facing an unknown foe of unknown power, was getting a cold.  “Yes, so as I was saying earlier...”


___

> Loose Plans
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

												___	

My entire body was aching.  It felt as if I had been torn apart by an incompetent workmen, who then asked his blind, hoof-less newborn to reassemble me.  I was on my stomach, all four of my hooves tucked underneath me.  I had a splitting headache which, in terms of pain, one could compare to a mallet being brought down on a skull.  My vision was blurry and I could not seem to make out my surroundings.  My ears were buzzing, making it hard to hear anything.  There was a burning sensation in my throat, my lips felt arid and chapped.  For some reason I was dizzy, similar to the feeling one gets after long-distance teleportation, only far more intense.

I tried to stand up, but to no avail.  My legs were numb and I fell back to the ground with a thud.  Further attempts yielded similar results.  So I resigned myself to laying on my side, legs lying uselessly next to me.  I laid there for an extended amount of time, unable to build up the energy to move.  I could not bring my self to sleep, though.  The fatigue would not allow it.  I fell into an uneasy trance. 

When I recovered from my stupor my senses had returned somewhat and I was not quite as disoriented.  I placed a tentative hoof on the ground.  Finding that it was strong enough to hold my weight I lifted myself up.  My headache had shrunk from a thunderous roar to a splitting growl, allowing me to meditate on my situation.  

Next I tried to get a general idea of where I was.  There are five questions essential to understanding any post-battle situation.  What has happened?  Where am I?  Am I wounded?  What should I do next?  Am I inebriated?  The last one I usually answered first.

What has happened?  I thought back.  I had been battling Celestia for Equestria.  She had gathered the Elements of Harmony.  She launched them at me and I had defended myself.  Then I blacked out.  Presumably I lost that scuffle.  

Where am I?  One glance at my surroundings and I knew exactly where I was.  Spreading in every direction was the rocky surface of the Moon, in all of it’s gray-sanded glory.  Above me was the free-flowing form of space, the ancient firmament containing entire planets full of knowledge, history, and life.  If I hadn’t been so busy trying to figure out where I was I might have stopped to appreciate it.

Am I wounded?  I looked over the whole of my body carefully, making sure there were no outstanding wounds.  To my surprise, I was unharmed.  The wounds I had sustained during the duel with Celestia were not even visible.  No, they were non-existent.  Even my shattered wing was in perfect condition, showing no signs of having ever been damaged.  

I gave my wings a few wary flaps, and found that I could not even detect a trace that they had been hurt.  The only thing off was my power.  There was something strange added to it.  Or more accurately, there was something lacking from it.  My connection with the Moon had been partially split.  I could feel it, but I couldn’t control it.

The Elements of Harmony took away my control.  They took away what made me special.  They removed the one thing I could actually count on to stand by me.  The worst part was that I knew my sister would be the one to raise the Moon from now on.  It would be another reason for ponies to revere her over me.  Of course, it didn’t much matter at that point.

I was on the Moon, and I was stuck.  How were the Elements of Harmony able to banish me to this place, and more importantly, how would I get back?  I could feel a barrier surrounding the entire Moon, cloaking it to make sure I was trapped.  For the moment it appeared I would be stuck.

I mulled over a plan in my head.  I could not break through the barrier created, the magic was simply too ancient and too powerful.  Perhaps my sister would liberate me?  No, she was merciful, not foolish.  The only thing I could do was wait; that, and plan my vengeance.  Also I could play with Moon rocks, so it would not be a completely abysmal experience.  

There was, however, one feeling that impeded upon me.  I was alone.  Alone on the Moon I held so close to my heart.  The celestial body which I thought made me unique and powerful only served to sever the ties I had made with my homely Equestria.  It was quite a cruel causticity in itself.  

I had been banished to the Moon, courtesy of the Elements of Harmony.  In truth, I did not understand why.  It seemed so odd.  I had been trying to bring Equestria into a golden age of harmony, only to be stopped by the Elements of Harmony.  

I was trapped and vulnerable.  I did not want Celestia to know, though.  So I created something using my magic.  It took several years to build up the energy required for the spell but I had plenty of time on my hooves.  So I made something grand.  I projected an image of a unicorns face on the surface of the Moon.  It was large enough so that whenever she raised the Moon, all of those viewing the sky would see it.  And they would not be able to ignore it so easily...  

It was my final message to her.  I wanted to show Equestria my mettle.  They would see the Mare in the Moon.  I wanted them to know exactly what I would do upon my return.  It meant that I was not finished.  It meant I was going to return.  It meant I had a plan.  It meant they should be afraid.  Because when I returned I would not be merciful, no, I would be an inexorable energy that yielded to none.  

I realized while I was there, that the ponies would not willingly submit to bettering themselves.  No, I would have to force it upon them.  I would have to be harsh in my rule, enforcing laws as best I could, even if it meant harming a few ponies.  The ends justify the means, after all.  

So I sat stewing in my bitterness and loneliness for years.  Soon those years turned into decades.  And those decades fated into centuries.  Centuries passed by one after another, until finally I came across an opportunity.  There was a chink in the armor of the barrier.  Small, but noticeable.  Something I could break through.  

So I prepared myself.  I came up with a plan and I poured my magic into a reservoir until it was powerful enough to break through the shield.  My perception of time had been quite distorted by this point, so I cannot say for sure how long it took me to charge my spell.

Eventually it was ready, though.  I launched the spell and myself at the chink in the armor.  Not only did my spell break through, but something seemed to amplify it.  Some kind of outside source seemed to increase the raw force of the spell, which in turn caused the entire barrier to shatter.  

And with that I headed towards Equestria...


___

“That’s it?” Rainfall asked with a hint of disbelief.

“My stay on the Moon was not exactly eventful.”

“But still, you must’ve done something besides wait.”  

“Well there were lots of rocks.  Sometimes I would rock watch.”    

“How did you not die of boredom?  I start to go crazy after like twenty minutes and your telling me you went a thousand years doing nothing.”  She seemed in a state of shock.

“Well, I could feel the Moon.” 

“You said that, before.  What do you mean?  Why is that Important?”  Her head was cocked to the side.  Amazing how a simple story could distract a foal from a horrendous situation.

“The Moon orbits our world at 2288 Miles Per Hour.  In case you are unaware, that is quite swift.  I could feel the Moon spinning beneath my feet.  I could feel it hurtling through the cosmos at a constant rate.  Every moment was fast-paced for me, Rainfall, every moment.”  I stared into Rainfall’s fuchsia eyes, taking care to emphasize every word.

“Wow!  So if we were there right now, we would be able to feel the Moon moving?”  Wonderful, she asked a question that prompts a scientific response.  Now I can explain the idea of a constant rate of speed to a foal.  Which will lead to incertitude.  Which will lead to frustration.  Which will lead to irritability.  

“Well, not exactly.  The only reason I could was because I was, in a technical term, attached to the Moon.  You would be moving at a constant rate of speed on par with the Moon.  You would not feel it as I did.”  I tried my best to explain in it a way which would not involve more questions.

“Okay, I think I understand now.  You’re just specialer than me.”  

“Exactly.  Though, I am not positive as to whether ‘specialer’ is a word.”  Humility is pointless.  It serves no purpose.  I have never backed away from my ability, nor do I plan to in the future.

We sat in silence for a while.  Rainfall rested against me while I kept watch on the entrance to the cave.  There was a dim light being cast into the cave indicating it would still be a few hours until the dawn broke through.  Most likely between the hours of 11:00 and 12:00 a.m. judging by the shadows dancing on the walls.  Either way my sister wouldn’t begin worrying about my absence until mid-afternoon.  Help was not going to come anytime soon.

I could attempt to escape, but I had no idea how deep into the forest we were.  Another route of escape would be a random teleportation, though that could just land us deeper inside the forest if a barrier had been placed around it (which it probably had).  And the physical strain teleportation has on fillies is harmful to their development.  Then again, so is death.  

We could walk deeper into the cave and hope it leads into some place familiar.  Rainfall is just a filly however, and that would just lead to me carrying an exhausted filly through a hazardous cave.  Absolutely nothing could go wrong with that right?  So that left one option.  I had to fight Paradise and hope that I bested it.   

The walls of the cave were smooth and have a regular pattern.  Stalagmites extended from the flooring of the cavern in large droves.  Stalactites hung down from the ceiling in a similar manner.  Some even manage to connect, creating natural columns.  It was quite an aesthetic, that brought feelings of wonderment.  

This wasn’t the most ideal location for a fight.  The cavern was vast for sure, but the various obstacles would make maneuvering difficult.  I would not be able to fly too high, due the stalactites, and there was always the risk of my wings being clipped while I hovered over a stalagmite.  So my advantage of flight was useless in this place.  I would only be able to rely on my magic in this cave.

My magic would not have any problems moving around the length of the cavern.  It would be able to easily glide around the various stones and such as it was quite potent.  I am not quite sure I want to face this being in a head-up duel, however.  I have little to no idea as to its abilities or skill-set, meaning I’m at a disadvantage.  Of course, Paradise had no idea as to my abilities, either.  

Although, taking the battle deeper into the cavern to a point where there was no light shining would give me an advantage.  My innate and unique night-vision would allow me to stalk the spirit while whatever illumination spell it cast would only allow it to see a few feet ahead of itself.  The problem lies in Rainfall, though.  I would need some way of protecting her while I fought the beast.  

Or I could take the battle outside into the small clearing near the cave.  That would give me room to perform aerodynamic maneuvering, but provide little cover from area-effect spells.  That also means that the spirit would be able to maneuver away from my spells, though.  No, I had spells that could be sneaky and effect it even if it is fast-moving.  If we went into the clearing I could tell Rainfall to hide in the thick forestry or the cavern.  

But the spirit had claimed it could feel the forest.  Although there had been no evidence to back up that claim I would not dismiss the possibility that there is some truth in it.  It had shown a bit of knowledge of the forest, perhaps it was the ethereal embodiment of...vegetation?  If that was true then the clearing may be a bad idea.  Too much foliage to work with.  

I let loose a sigh.  It seemed a head-on fight would be quite strenuous, considering that Paradise had apparent knowledge of the forest, and that I would have to account for Rainfall’s safety.  This would prove to be quite the challenge.  Maybe even more challenging then facing Celestia.

I try to suppress a tinge of excitement, but it is an obstinate sentiment.  Even in this situation, It is hard not to think about how invigorating a battle could be.  I had never truly faced a foe who pushed me into a corner, usually because of my excessive planning.  Not even Celestia can really match me for magical ability, although she does not need to.  She more than makes up for it in speed and tactful charm.    

So I am usually left without somepony to challenge my ability.  Perhaps this being could offer a confrontation worthy of my power.  The thought is intoxicating.  I cannot become lost in the moment, though, I have to focus on getting Rainfall out of here.  I have to focus on Rainfall and her deliverance to the warm embrace of sanctuary.  I had to make sure this half-formed Ethereal being didn’t manage to slip into the world at the same time.  Wait, this being was only half-formed and therefore limited. 

If my hypothesis was correct and this being is only able to manage to stay in Equestria through the power it wields or the anchor (Rainfall’s mother), then perhaps there is a way in which it could be slain.  I had perfected the spell which allowed me to drain others of their magic while entrapped on the Moon.  I had improved upon it, more accurately.  It now allowed the caster to benefit from the spell, similar to a leech.  I could use that spell to drain the being, Paradise, of it’s magic.  

That could actually work!  All I would need to do is divert the attention of Paradise towards myself and, in a manner similar to how I cast it on my sister, allow the spell to sneak towards her, and take hold.  Then my spell would do the rest of the work as the Ethereal being was slowly drained of it’s power and thus, it’s ability to manifest itself in Everfree Forest.  

This process would send the monstrosity back to the Ether, where it would not present a threat to anypony.  Although, I do wonder what it is a symbol of?  Most beings from the Ether represent a certain quality or trait.  The beings themselves are usually distortions of ponies who had an effect on society.  Ponies who usually represent some element of morality.

Either way, fighting an Ethereal being would prove to be quite interesting...

“Where are you, my little delicacies?  I grow so wary of this game.  I ask that you concede and stop.  Well, don’t stop, do the opposite please.  Move out of your hiding place and please make your presence known to me so that I might extract your power.  You’ll experience an excruciatingly nasty sensation then death.  So come on out then...well I see honesty is a waste.  I was just kidding!  In fact if you come out right now, I’ll give you lots of hugs and candy.  Or whatever the Hay you ponies like, I’m not a freakin’ mind reader!  But seriously, come see me.”

The sound of that voice is rather chilling, and always manages to send shivers up my spine.  I look at the young Rainfall lying against me.  She had woken up to hear this strange string of words.  Her face was devoid of expression for a moment.

“Princess, do you feel like the voice is getting closer?”  Her tone was questioning.  

“Not at all my dear.”  It was a lie.  I could feel the cold, frigid magic of the spirit edging closer towards us with every passing minute. 

“You don’t have to lie to make me feel better, Princess Luna.  Even my undeveloped magic can sense it getting closer.  What are we going to do?”  There was no fear in her voice.  Just the hollow echo of a question.

“I shall fight it, and you shall run.”  There it was.  My game plan, simplified to its most basic form.  

“Wait...you want me to leave you alone with that thing!?!”  It was more of an incredulous squeal than a question.

“Oh my dear little Rainfall.  Your young and your magic has not yet blossomed.  You would only serve to hinder me during the battle.  And it won’t be as if you aren’t assisting me; you shall relate a message to the royal guard alerting them to my situation.”  I gave her a pat on the head, hoping to reassure her that it would all go splendidly.

“That could take me hours, though!  By the time I managed to get anypony you’ll be...”  She stopped herself on the last bit, avoiding the obvious.

“Perhaps you should not doubt the capabilities of your Princess of the Night?  I am a grand tactician when it comes to matters of this nature.  My battle spells are unmatched and unheard of!  There is nary a pony in Equestria who could even comprehend their complex patterns and initiative.  So you may be correct in assuming the battle will be completed upon your return, but do not assume I will not place as the victor!”  Each word I spoke resonated deeply within me.  As far as capability went, I was the best sorceress to have graced the world in ages!  

Rainfall gave me a beaming smile that nearly blinded me.  “My bad, princess.  Sometimes I forget I’m talking to Nightmare Moon, the epitome of the dark arts.”  Her smirk looked quite innocent, but her eyes betrayed a hint of doubt.  I felt her shiver again.  I used a bit of magic to warm up the cave.  She settled in comfortably.

“Do not fear for me.  If this creature, Paradise, is destined to slay me then the most I can do is protect you, my loyal subject.”  

“But Princess Luna, I don’t want to lose you.  I don’t want to lose you like I lost my mother.  I don’t want to lose you.  I don’t want to be alone again.  I don’t want to ever be alone.  Not ever again.”  I could see small tears forming in the corners of her eyes.  She did not cry, however.  She had too much resolve for that.  Once again all I could do was comfort her.

“You are never alone, not while the Moon and the sun rise and set.  No, my sister and I will always watch over you, my little pony.  Always.  And I promise that if you do this one small favor for me I shall make sure you are never alone.  Just promise to take this message to the royal guards.  Okay?”  I was not exactly sure what else could be said.  It would be cruel to tell this filly that loneliness is just a part of existence.

She squirmed a bit, repositioning herself.  “Ok...”  All she was doing was staring down at the cave floor, clearly unhappy with our current arrangement. 

I looked around my surrounding one last time.  The hanging pillars of rock seemed so impossible.  How they just descended from the ceiling of the cave, twisting inwardly, until finally they reached their honed, formidable peak, was just so strikingly awe-inspiring and intriguing that those with a more reflective personality could not help but admire them.  These stalactites and stalagmites stood brave and tall, accounting for centuries of growth.  Some of them were most likely older than myself.  

Some might even be older than Paradise.

“Oh my dear little ponies, I think I’ve locked onto your scent now!  Why, yes, I definitely have. Just the faintest trace of a warmth spell...how foolish of you to cast a spell while I roamed about.  I would expect much better tactical planning from a princess.  I shall be upon the two of you in a matter of minutes now, so please make yourselves as palatable as possible.  Perhaps you have some oregano?  Maybe a tad of hayseed?  Not to impose or anything, but I really want my first meal in who knows how many years to be tasty.  Well actually, just scratch all of that, it would probably prove difficult for you to put spices on your soul...so maybe you could think happy thoughts?  I always have had a sweet tooth.  Then again it would probably be hard to think happy thoughts while contemplating imminent doom...so perhaps you could think neutral thoughts.  Just as long as they aren’t bitter I’ll be fine.  So to recap, think happy thoughts while I slowly devour your mortal souls.  Also try not to think angry thoughts.  Spicy food doesn’t sit well with me, not at all.”

So it not only wanted to devour our power, but our souls as well.  It must use the fuel of a pony’s life-force to contain their raw magical energy until it is stable enough to be absorbed safely.  Or maybe it just liked soul-food.   If the former were correct then it could prove to be an advantage.

If I could not manage to best this being with my raw magical force then, perhaps, after it started to extract my aura I could retaliate.  I would allow the being to extract my magic from me and go along with its plan.  I could then shatter all connections with my state of being.  I could end my own life.  The result would, of course, leave me dead, but if the magical energy didn’t have any sort of tether than it would burst.  It would implode in a rather grand moment, leaving the spirit to have to deal with the initial blast.  Likely it would be vaporized.  I am quite powerful, after all.  

It would also destroy a prodigious amount of forestry and maybe even a bit of the land near Canterlot.  This would be a last resort, naturally.  I would fight with the spirit until my absolute limit had been reached.  Which, if my assumptions about my opponent were correct, was entirely possible.  

My mind wandered once again to the more enjoyable side of this experience.  I would finally be able to face an opponent worthy of my magical prowess.  Perhaps they would prove to be my equal!  I could finally show my true mettle against an adversary of unknown origins and capabilities.  

Nothing would be held back.  Absolutely nothing.  Both of us would have intent to kill, and that intent would show.  I could feel the predator within me slowly coming to life.  It all felt so natural and so right.  Or maybe it was the feeling of the prey?  Actually, I think I was a predator who has been forced to become the prey!  How thrilling.

Either way, this creature would not make it past me without opposition.  I would fight it with everything I had.  I would die for my subjects if need be.  I would-

“Alright I’m a little lost now, but I think I am honing in on you.  Yes, you’re in some sort of cave.  Oh dear, I hate caves.  So damp and wretched.  So I am going to ask you to leave your erm...quarters...and come out into the open woods.  It is quite refreshing, after all!  Just to feel the grass tickling your hooves and the wind blowing through your mane. I mean, fields of ecstasy are coursing through me!  Of course, they would if they could; I don’t technically exist yet.  So I guess I’m just assuming it feels good.  Same goes for the muggy cave comments I made.  Really wherever I eat you you’ll be the same so, you know, all up to you.  And If you haven’t guessed by now, I am right outside the cave, soooooooo- if you need a minute or so to prepare I get it.  There is absolutely no rush.  Unless you don’t come out, in which case I’ll forcibly extract you using ancient magic that no living soul has borne witness to in centuries.  Then I’ll tear you in half with said magic as your friend stares on helplessly, knowing that she faces the same fate.  But, you know, whatever, I’m a nice malevolent spirit so I’ll give you two minutes.  Does that sound doable?  No response then?  I will just assume that means you heard and understand everything I just said.  Well anyways, I will see you soon- eh?”

I felt another unnatural shiver pass down my spine.  I had dealt with threats similar to this before, most notable among them being Discord, but there was something off-putting about the way this being spoke.  Its formation of words and Its tone was incredibly casual.  It spoke as if it were having tea at an associates abode. 

Rainfall must have been thinking along the same lines as I could feel a similar shiver pass through her body.  “It’s bad enough it’s gonna kill us, but does it really have to mock us too?”  Her tone of voice implied that it was a rhetorical question.

“You know the plan Rainfall.  We go out there.  I engage the being as quickly as possible and you make a mad dash for the woods.  Get out of the forest and head straight for Canterlot castle.  Inform a palace guard to let you through to my sister’s chamber.  If he is obstinate utter the phrase, ‘by the wishes of the Moonlit’ and he should let you pass.”  I inhaled deeply for a moment before continuing.  I doubted that anypony would take Rainfall seriously considering she was a foal.  I just had to make sure she had the chance to escape the forest.

“Once inside you shall be led to a set of twin doors.  Go into the one bearing engravings of sunlight and other such things.  If my sister is not in there then inquire as to the whereabouts of Shining Armor, captain of the royal guard.  He should be able to tell you her absolute location.  He’ll most likely lead you straight to her.”  Shining Armor was a steadfast subject as far as loyalty was concerned.

“While in the presence of my sister and possibly Shining Armor recount the events of our encounter with this spirit.  Tell them exactly where this place is.  Just make a note of surrounding land marks as you flee okay?  I don’t know exactly how far out from the castle we are, but do your best Rainfall, I believe in you.”

“But Princess...How do I know where Canterlot is?  I mean, how do I know I’ll remember this location?  How do I-”  I placed my hoof over her mouth to prevent her from speaking.

“Some things are simply out of our control, young Rainfall.  I cannot expect more out of you than possible, nor can I expect less out of this spirit than possible.  Some things are simply cut and dry, black and white, paper-thin, cardboard matters.  All we have to guide us now is pure, unadulterated luck.”  I rub my wing over her back as I speak to calm her down.  “Just try to remember this place, okay?”

There actually is a spell I can cast to permanently inscribe the image of the location we habituated in the young filly’s mind.  I do not want to risk such a thing, though.  It would be unjust and spiteful towards her.  If something were to go wrong in my confrontation with ‘Everfree’ then I would not want the young filly to have such knowledge placed in her head permanently, filling her with extraneous guilt, knowing that her speed was the cause of Princess Luna’s death.  

“Now then, let us emerge from this cave, tall and proud, young Rainfall.  If this is to be my last moment in Equestria than I shall not let them say I was stripped of my dignity, shall I?  If I am to walk out there now, it will be in a glorious moment, one you shall speak of for ages, my dear little pony.”  My voice reverberated in the traditional volume of the ‘Royal Canterlot Voice.’  It felt good to finally be able to use my old language.  Even in this setting.

I stood slowly and began to pace towards the shining light of the morning Moon, very aware of the petite filly on my right, struggling to keep up with my trot.  She tripped herself up a few times but eventually managed a half gallop/half trot that looked quite elegant.  

I had mixed feelings about what awaited me, but I knew it would be nothing like when I combatted Celestia.  No, this thing has the intent to kill.  Also it seems to like sadistic and mindless chatter.  A facet that is quite frightening by itself, not only to mention its implications of insanity.  Or at least, the facade of insanity.

There are only three components necessary for absolute chaos to ensue: power, insanity, and yearning.  Those three things do not mix together very well.  Paradise seemed to be the most proficient in insanity and yearning.  Power remained to be seen.     

“Come now, young Rainfall, history awaits us.”
> Menacing Spirits are Tough to Kill
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I stood up and walked towards the entrance of the cave.  The patter of hooves behind me indicated Rainfall was doing the same.

Seeing the cave I wondered, how old is it exactly?  This cave I used as cover has probably sat here for a long time.  What is it waiting for?  It sits still, and inanimate, serving no visible purpose.  So why does it exist?  What is the point of it?  

What is the point of the columns of stone erupting from the ground and surrounding me?  Do they sit here in order to force me outwards?  Are they meant to shield me?  Or do they simply serve no purpose at all?  

Strange the thoughts that race through one’s mind when they edge towards the precipice of war.  Suddenly, there is so much to cogitate, so much to take note of, so much to love.  Yet, there is no time. 

How foolish of us all to ignore the beauty in the universe until it is all we have left.  How vapid and moronic of us to be oblivious to ground beneath our hooves, or the sky above our heads, or the trees lining the corners of our eyes!  Perhaps if I prove adept enough to endure this trial I can bring a bit of this natural philosophy into my life.

Or perhaps I am just trying to justify a situation in which there is only chaos.  After all, the idea of growth through adversity is rather controversial.  

“Maybe we should start making history wait on us,” Rainfall offered in regards to my past statement. 

Her interjection interrupted my methodology of thought.  I gave her a grim smirk to indicate my understanding.  “Remember, Rainfall, run, just run.”  She just nodded along.  

We reached the entrance of the cave without interruption.  We walked out into the forest clearing to find nothing was askew.  Excluding the horrid swathe of dread that shrouded Rainfall and I.  There was a slight nip in the air, causing my breath to come out as vapor.

In that moment there was only the sights and sounds of the forest.  The mutant trees stretching outwardly, attempting to grasp any being that crossed their path.  The bushes whispered to each other, rustling, telling dark secrets that none would care to hear.  The wind was screaming, spitting out hate and tortured words.  Even the grass seemed different.  It sat hunched over the ground in raggedy patches, struggling to keep itself upright.  

There were the sounds of animals in the distance, hunting, stalking, and creeping.  All of them were monstrosities, deemed unfit for Equestria by my sister and I.  They brooded and begrudgingly adapted to their environment, taking any chance to cause trouble in Equestria.  

Timber-wolves howled in the distance, their vociferate cries lashing through the trees and slowing to an echo upon reaching the clearing.  The faint cackle of a cockatrice could be heard as it slunk its way through the shrubbery, each scale scraping together and merging seamlessly with it’s rooster-like head, and it’s mortal glare.  Even the mighty basilisk, which in reality was no more than twelve hoof-lengths long, could be spotted by the trail of passionate venom, scorching everything in its path.  

Not every thing here victimized the innocent however.  Vivid and vibrant toucans filled the trees, gracing the air with their beauty and displacing the general aura of malevolence.  Crickets chirped the songs of their people, drowning out every noise in the area.  The sight of rabbits and bunnies, and chipmunks and monkeys was rather reassuring as well.  I cannot let myself be fooled however.  Here, everything is prey.

Several minutes passed with absolutely nothing happening.  Then several more.  Then more.  It seemed this Paradise being may have just been feigning knowledge of our location in order to draw us out.  For a moment it seemed like a joke.  It all seemed like a very elaborate, savage bluff.  Yes perhaps it was just a bluff.

“Princess, where is Paradise?”  Rainfall’s voice was hardly a whisper.  It reached out tentatively and was rather trepidatious.  

I had no idea and was just as anxious as Rainfall.  This spirit, Paradise- was it toying with us?  Was it manifesting itself, or perhaps preparing some sort of enchantment?  Either way, staying within the open grounds was not a wise idea.
“It is most likely formulating a battle plan while hiding, Rainfall.  It is up against the Princess of the Moon after all!”  My tone did not betray what I truly felt.  Lying was easy, second-hand for me.  

“You’re probably right, Princess,” Rainfall said.

Tis’ better to offer a lie and receive pardon, rather than offer nothing and receive perdition.  

I could feel something, though.  Something out of place.  Something unusual.  Something wrong.  “Rainfall, run.”  Whatever it was that was out there, it was gaining strength, and it was gaining it rapidly.

“But Princes-”

“RUN!!!”  I amplified the ‘Royal Canterlot Voice’ ten-fold and unleashed it.  I do not dare take my eyes off of the growing power-source.

I heard Rainfall utter a gasp and dash away, plowing through the woods.  It was better she be absent for the events that were to follow.  Whatever they would be.  I knew I had read about a power similar to this one, but I cannot quite recall its name...

In the corner of my eye I see it.  A draining spell being shot at me in the form of a beam.  Paradise was trying to end this duel before it even began.  This was no average draining beam, though. one was able to deduce that by simply looking at it.  Draining spells are usually characterized by their luminescent blue coloration and corkscrew formation.  

This particular one happened to feature the corkscrew form, but it was of a burgundy-red coloration.  Emanating off the beam was a dark presence which took form in black bubbles.  It was as if some kind of microscopic germ organism had wrapped itself around the beam billions of times.  It was shooting at me at quite the speed as well.  

Most ponies would dodge a drain spell and retaliate from a better position, but I had discovered a much better way to deal with these types of casters years ago.  

I brought up a shield.  It laid itself out in front of me in thick, layered scales of purple and midnight.  If one were to look upon it from the outside it would most likely look like a plated crest, maybe even comparable to dragon hide.  

The drainage spell kept on its path, intent upon smashing into my shield.  I whispered a soft incantation and a thin line of crimson mist began to connect my shield to my horn.  This lasted for a good second until the mist had drained out of my horn and dug itself into the shield.  

A moment passed in silent anticipation.  The only sound that pierced the Night now was the steady rhythm of the beam as it split the air around it.  The corkscrew hit the shield with an unnecessary amount of force.  The casing supporting the plated shield cracked, from each crack an impure glow emitted.  If I had not planned for this moment I might have been afraid.  Inevitably the shield burst, and with it the corkscrew beam.

A shade appeared a few yards in front of the mouth of the cave.  It was the green spirit labeled as Paradise no doubt, but a red mist shrouded its translucent figure.  The being appeared to be struggling against it, as it fizzled in and out of existence.  Small bursts of dirt erupted from the ground near it, leaving clumps of misplaced flowers and grass lying about.


“Ugh, what... have you done!?”  The creature slumped to the ground apparently distraught.  It’s face was contorted in pain and malice.

“I laced my barrier spell with a corrupted speck of magic, poisoning the entirety of what you absorbed.”  It seemed like I had already won this battle.  What a pity, I might have gotten some joy out of a good spar.

“I see.  You displaced the shield from yourself, breaking the link, yet still maintaining the barrier.  An act like that would take tremendous power.  Then to be able to corrupt the spell itself...remarkable.  Rather tactical as well.  Sending in a ‘poisoned pawn’ to lower the defenses was a masterful stroke.  I shall so enjoy indulging in the facets of your pneuma.”  Paradise spoke as if it hadn’t just absorbed poison.  It spoke as if this was a game.  A game that was just leading up to dinner.

This creature was devilish.  It was a threat.  It needed to be destroyed, obliterated, demolished, vaporized, atomized, annihilated, wrecked, devastated, exterminated, terminated, massacred, slaughtered, it needed to be killed; whatever this thing was it should not have existed.

Black roots erupted from the ground and wrapped around the creature.  They were gnarled with the dirt and grime of centuries past, and they were backed by thorns, each one representing an aspect of harmony.  I increase the pressure on the roots and they tighten around the form of the green necromancer, allowing the thorns to dig into its skin.  

I cast an anti-teleportation barrier around the area, making sure to cut off its only possible escape route.

I focused the energy in my body to a singular point: my horn.  Instantly a dark aura began to materialize around it.  I could feel the power pulsating as it coursed through my body.  Small bursts of wind stretched outwards from my hooves, pushing the grass further towards the ground with each ripple.  The trees around me began to sway in the tracks of the vigor.  My ears popped as the pressure intensified and gravity seemed to be the only thing immune to my concentration.

The wind battered my face and my eyes began to water as I struggled to keep them open.  Even the stoic cave seemed to be bending to the power I was radiating.  Dimensions seemed to fade away and my grasp on reality became dim as I slipped deeper into the realm of pure magic.  

Finally I unleashed the energy in a condensed beam that scorched the ground and left steam in its wake.  It ripped torrents through the air, sending shockwaves in every direction.  Even if Rainfall didn’t reach Canterlot in time it was likely my sister felt the raw power I had just evinced in the name of Equestria.

The beam shined a brilliant shade of indigo with faint traces of black here and there.  It flew in a straight line, intent on its target.  A target which was splayed upon the ground, still struggling with the pain of the mist and the force of the vines.  Each movement only caused the thorns to dig that much deeper, though.

The beam struck its intended target with a resounding BADA-BOOM!  The vapor in the air seems to condensate, as a thick billow of fog appeared.  I just laid on the ground for a moment, temporarily drained from the exertion.  My mind was ablaze with thoughts of situational priority.

I get up slowly, unsure of my footing.  It appears my legs didn’t become ash in the explosion.  So that was nice.  I allow myself a minute of rest before doing anything else.  Then I cast a spell to clear the fog.

The sight that awaited me was...unexpected to say the least.  The ground was ablaze.  Flames shot forth from the edges of the clearing, stopping at the lining of the trees.  Some grass that had been in the meadowy clearing was dead now, just dust in the wind.  The ground itself has even been seared, silica-like glass had formed where there had once been calm, average dirt.  

But that was not what truly surprised me.  Not more than five meters away from me stood a pony.  If you could even call it that.  A disheveled and dismembered version of the Paradise projection stood before me, smiling maniacally and glaring at me with intense unblinking eyes.  

Her flank and extremities had been scorched, a partial part of them burned away to reveal cracked bone and muscle.  Her mane, which had been long and flowing was plucked and devoid of its previous sheen.  What had once been a serene and beautiful spring-and-fall patterned fur and mane hung in loose clumps of root.  Half of the mare’s face was cloaked by her drooping mane preventing me from seeing what lies in those twisted eyes.  Paradise front right leg was...well I plainly don’t know how to describe it; the skin and fur were gone, all that lay there were the skeletal structure and muscles.  Technically, it shouldn’t even work.  

This...being...was managing to walk with just the singed remains of muscle and bone!  The cutie mark it had worn earlier, had morphed as well.  It had grown from its non-threatening plinth into a something more...something iniquitous and depraved.  The symbol, the one we call a cutie-mark, had changed into that of a vine twisting itself around the silhouette of a screaming pony.

“Oh my...that was delightful.  So much raw power.  In a mortal no less!  I think if I had not had an anchor I would have been decimated.  Well, I shall not underestimate you again...Princess Luna, was it?”  The being’s tone of voice was casual as if it had not just been blasted by a pressurized beam who’s power was comparable to the that of the sun.

This thing obviously wasn’t a pony.  It was a creature from the Ether, not one that had been banished there.  But what creature was it?  Which of the ethereal beings was this one?  Obviously it was a quite powerful one, but that was hardly a start.  There was only one way to figure out what that thing was.  I started to store power in my horn once again.

“What are you exactly?  I can see you’re no pony, nor are you any beast that inhabits this land.  Therefore you’re a being of the Ether.  But what are you?”  My voice was casual.  I masked my emotions.  My tone was serious, but perfectly calm.  It did not bear the surprise that I felt towards Paradise’s condition.  

The ‘thing’ took a momentary pause.  “How do you know I’m not of this world?!  What do you know of your past that could possibly exclude me from this world!?!”  My only response was to reel back.  How could this being possibly be from Equestria?  It shared no qualities similar to the ponies of today.  No this was trickery of some sort, it had to be.  “Thats right, Luna!  I was not grown from the pits of the Ether, no I was raised in the loam of this world.  It bears the prints of my existence upon it.  Just look at this forest, for example!”

“I see through your fabrication, abomination.”

“You seemed so powerful, so intelligent.  Surely you did not get that way by being close-minded?  I am this forest.  I am what guides it, I am the presence in the trees, I am the wind which sends shivers up your spine and whispers in your ear, I am the grass that teases your hooves, I am the soil which absorbs your body upon death.”

That was even more absurd.  This being was Paradise Grove?  It simply was not possible.  Although, that would explain why this place is so haunting and dreadful.  It would have to be thought on later, though.  I currently had to save Equestria.

“What you claim means little to me.  You pose a threat to my world, Equestria, and my subjects.  I suggest you prepare yourself, monster!”  I felt confident enough in my ability, and I knew that my blast had some effect at least.  This would give Rainfall the time she needed to run through the forest.  Perhaps this would even buy Celestia enough time to gather the Elements of Harmony and rush to this location.       

“Fine then, I suppose dinner can wait just a bit.  Behold, Princess Luna of Equestria,  the powers I, The Leech of the Planet, posses!”  

It rushed at me, not even giving me a moment to breath.  I casted a spell which teleported me directly above my opponent while leaving a duplicate in my place.  It was a substitution spell.  A very underused, and very unheard of spell.  I had read about it in a book in the library called ‘Illusion and Delusion.”  

My attacker didn’t seem to notice, giving me a chance to prepare my next spell.  I started to gather my energy in a glacial beam when I receive a sudden and unexpected strike.  I hurdle towards the ground, Dazed and Confused.  I could see a long vine whip had emerged from the trees and smacked me.   

I flip around midway through my collision course and create a platform.  Another spell I learned in the library: from a book called ‘Alternatives to Flying.’  I landed on my hooves with a great collision, which caused me no end of pain.  I leaned into the crash, however, in order to get a basis for my next move. 

I leaned inwards and pushed off the platform, spreading my wings in the process, thus becoming a rocket.  I mutter an incantation which is in theory supposed to strengthen your horn and sharpen it.  It was some new-fangled charm that hadn’t been completely tested.  I soared through the air aiming myself at the standing position of Paradise.  As for the abomination, it just stood there watching me curiously as I folded my wings inward and dove towards her, prepared to impale her against my horn.  

Then it waved a hoof idly, created a shielding of vines and other shrubbery from thin air, and yawned.  I hardly had anytime to react.  I cast the same platform spell as before, only I rubberized the base magic material this time, giving it a trampoline effect.  I hit and soared upwards.  My eyes were watering with the pressure of the wind.

Still I managed to create another rubberized plate from which to propel myself.  I hit it and rocketed downwards towards the spot behind the vinery.  Sure enough, the beast sat there, staring back at me.  It was hard to make out the face of the beast from that height, but I could see that her expression was that of general amusement.  

Once I got close enough she ported away (my earlier barrier had faded).  Again I created a rubberized plate and sought out my target.  This would continue on for several minutes.  A tad boring, but it gave me a moment to think.

It was obvious that Paradise was just attempting to tire me out with constant back and forth.  A plan began to formulate in my mind.  Perhaps I could make use of a rather peculiar combat spell I had learned in the library.  One I never really thought I would need.  I gathered energy into a telekinetic field, preparing to unleash it on my opponent and myself.

I focused my eyes into narrowed slits, focused on Paradise, who was on the ground and staring up at me.  Instantly I saw her smug expression change to one of curious apprehension.  So my charm had worked.  Her eyes were wide open at this point and staring into mine.

The spell I had cast was considered useless.  It was powerful, but strange, so most ponies either forgot about it or cast it aside as pointless.  It had shrunk into a state of non-existence over the past one-thousand years, especially.  The spell, once cast, caused the caster and victim to both go into a state of mesmerization.  

Now illusionary spells dabbling in mesmerization are not rare, in fact they are common-place in confrontations.  They are, however, considerably weak.  After all, you can’t really control another when they can match you for willpower or strength.  But this charm was different, it was far more powerful, but at a price.  It affected both the target and caster.  So both the magician and the enemy would be brought into a state of conscious unconsciousness.  

That was the reason most ponies disregarded the spell in formal duels.  What use was a spell that made the caster to become a zombie?  In this situation, however, it would prove quite useful.  I was already on track to collide with the creature, and now it wouldn’t be able to avoid me nor I it. 

I searched the features of the beings face in my hypnotic state, trying to delve into its mind.  I could see the understanding in its eyes.  Lurking just behind the pupils was an intelligent mind, capable of complex moves and gambits.  I also felt curiosity emanating from it.  And hunger, an unrelenting and voracious hunger.  

The influx of energy from the telekinetic field drew the wind inwards.  That might effect the weather in nearby areas.  That could possibly lead weather teams to investigate, which could possibly lead to some kind of information being spread.  That was just hopeful thinking, though.  Nopony in their right mind would brave the dangers of Paradise Grove looking for the source of a weather disturbance.  

Grove.  Groves are basically tiny forests.  Forest...forest, forest, forest.  Trees are in forests.  There are leaves on trees, right?  I love leaves, especially in Fall.  They fall to the ground and I step on them.  They make such satisfying crunching noises, and the scent in the air just makes it all so extraordinarily gorgeous.  Gorgeous, now there is a word that I love to hear.  It has so many synonyms: Resplendent, spectacular, magnificent, sumptuous, opulent, superb, wonderful, grand...

My mind seems to be straying...funny, I had never expected to be hypnotized, especially not by means of my own magic.  It proved rather difficult to focus when hypnotized, though I know not why.  Wasn’t there something I was supposed to be focused on?  Something of an urgent nature if I am to heed the yelling in the back of my skull.  

Wait my mind is...I can feel something...something critical, crucial, serious, salient.  Why am I using so many synonymous words?  This thing was of an inescapable and grave nature.  But what was it?  What was so important that I have to...move?

Actually, where am I?  Who am I?  Wait, I know that.  I am Luna.  And I’m at the clearing, in front of the cave, in the woods, on my country, on the world, adjacent to my Moon.  There was something else with me too.  Something sour that didn’t belong.

A sharp impact brings me to my senses.  I looked ahead and my eyes were just in front of the being, the creature, the monstrosity, the ‘thing.’  My horn hit exactly what I had been aiming aiming for.  I had impaled her at the base of her horn and managed to strike into the cerebral cortex of the monster.

I gasped.  There is always an initial shock after coming out of a comatose state of being, always.  I stare into the lifeless sockets of the creature.  It was dead, a husk bearing the image of personality.  Yes, it was a dead being.  A very, very dead being.  Yet, something felt off.

Those eyes which had held so much knowledge upon last seeing them now looked so afraid.  No, if there was one thing Paradise had not expressed it was fear.  This was definitely some sort of trick.  I extracted my horn from the body and jumped away just in time to watch it dissolve into a puddle of potentially harmful green semifluid matter.

I heard the clapping of hooves near me.  I swirl around to find that the creature is clapping its green hooves together with its hind-legs crossed over its lap.  It would almost look natural if the figure in question was not clapping with one burned hoof and one skeletal hoof, hovering over the ground unnaturally, glowing faintly, smirking in a maniacal manner which conveyed its rather grotesque intentions, and translucent.  Completely normal besides all of that, though.

“That was quite the show.  Your use of the ancient Mesmer, Franz Anton’s, spell was intriguing to say the least.  If it had not been for my vast reserves of willed-energy and knowledge of hypnotism I would have been skewered.  Odd word isn’t that one? Skewered...skewered, skewered, skewered, skewered, skewered, oh my, that is such a fun word to say!  Perhaps I shall make you into a kabob in order to get a chance to repeat the word.  Anyways let us get back to my original point.  That was an impressive display-”

“How did you manage to substitute yourself!?  If I remember correctly we were locked in a rather strenuous fit of back and forth.”  My interruption appeared to irritate the spirit as it wore a mask of vexation.

“That was an impressive display that prompted me to rationally assess the situation.  It was my hope that I could just defeat you through raw use of my power and regular dueling measures.  It appears that, to my never-ending frustration, you are in possession of a brain.  You’re a threat, a minimal one, but a threat nonetheless.  Therefore, I am forced to try.  So now it is my turn to tell you to prepare yourself Princess Luna.  Vigilas!  Or “on your guard!” to the Dragon People.”  
> Insalting and Whatnot
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thick, lengthy vines erupted from the ground and shot towards me.  I took to the air, managing to avoid the crushing force of the whips.  I ascended, into the clouds, where the vines could not reach.  Hopefully I would buy myself a few minutes before Paradise caught on.  My body was immediately flooded by the sensation of sharp knives scraping across it.  

I felt the warm impression of blood upon my cheeks.  I turned around on the spot, actively searching for something that could possibly harm me.  There was nothing around me that could deal such damage, though.  I was alone in the sky, high above the field of battle.  I cast a bubble shield around myself to try and make sense of it all.  

There was something wrong with my shield, though.  The world outside of it seemed distorted and broken.  It was almost as if the air itself were whipping around, attacking my barrier.  Ah, I see.

The wind was pounding against the shell of my shield, scraping the outer layers of the plating, trying to cut through.  It wanted to find me.The wind was trying to attack me.  It was being manipulated by the beast.  Quite an interesting move.  And a rather intelligent one.

Controlling the wind was an interesting strategy.  You are utilizing an invisible force, something nopony would think to look for when being attacked.  We are visual creatures who mainly identify threats that we can visualize.  When the force or attack was hidden by misdirection or just veiled we tend to become clumsy and frustrated.  That is what made illusionists so dangerous.

I produced a banishment spell on the tip of my horn and charged it as much as physically possible.  Hopefully the small implosion of power would create a vacuum and dry out any summoning magic that resided outside the walls of the bubble.  I opened a rift on a side of the bubble and shot the spell out.  I hastily closed the bubble and awaited what I hoped would give me an escape route.  Nothing happened.

This led to more than one revelation.  

The first thing conveyed by the wind was how powerful this being truly was.  It commanded the forces of the world, it didn’t simply summon the vines or summon these wind blades.  No, it controlled them. this thing was an elemental seamstress!  The second fact divulged was just how trapped I was.  This wind was inescapable, I would either have to fly back into the battlefield or be ripped apart.

“Oh, you’re not leaving just yet.  There is still so much we have to “discuss.”  Perhaps you should just face me, eh?  Or haven’t you realized yet?  I am this forest.  Everything within it is at my mercy.  Do not come here, present such magnificent and delectable power, than expect some sort of pardon!  This forest is my forest, this land is my land, this body is my body, so do not expect to be able to limit my capabilities sorceress!”

So the being disliked my banishment spell.  My tentacle enthrallment spell would probably be a thrilling experience for it, then.  So maybe if I planned out a positional way to get this elemental drained of it’s magic and spirit I could cast a more permanent banishment along with the enthrallment.  That would propel the being to a place beyond the Ether, a place void of existence.  The Nullity. 

The idea is not exactly appealing, however.  Even creatures as despicable as this one needed to be treated with some amount of mercy.  And banishing this creature to that place would not be merciful.  

The Nullity was the final destination.  A place Celestia and I had found using the Elements of Harmony to imprison criminals indefinitely.  In technical terms it doesn’t even exist.  It takes up no space, weighs nothing, possesses nothing, yet it remains in a metaphysical form.  Its strings are attached to the backs of both Celestia and I.  We carry the weight of this horrid place, and the criminals who rest there.  

To my knowledge there have been few criminals who proved worthy of being sent to the Nullity.  Celestia and I are merciful, and even the cruelest of beings could not condemn somepony to nothingness without reason.  So the only ones who rest in the Nullity are those beyond redemption, beyond hope.  

As the wind slashed against my bubble in vertical arches I could see the hairline cracks forming.  Now the air in the bubble was not likely to last long so I had to turn my thoughts on how to escape.  I doubt that Paradise would simply let me teleport out; it was likely she placed ward charms to keep me contained within the area.  

Any attempts at escaping the wind, which now appeared to be carving patterns out of my bubble, would have to be done physically, not magically.  Meaning I would have to tolerate some intense pain if I were to reach the ground level of our little arena.  It was a rather thick of me to have come up here in the first place.  

Perhaps my bubble shield could be used to slowly move me towards the edge of the wind-field.  I put a grave amount of force onto the magical globule but to no avail.  My dome was stationary.  

There are two types of magic: sedentary and migrant magic.  Shields and barriers usually fell under the sedentary category.  Migrant magic consisted of teleportation, conjuration, matter-manipulation, etc.  Those two fell under two more categories: light magic and dark magic.  But I shall not go into such a deep subject right now.

That meant that I was basically being forced to fly downwards, cruel and unforgiving winds lashing across my body all the way.  Brilliant.  Just brilliant.

I bit my lip.  I felt the tepid, metallic taste of blood instantly rush into my mouth.  It hurts, but I find a certain...comfort...in the pain.  It is my sole companion in this duel, my only salvation in this moment of pure, unrefined strategic planning.  It was almost relaxing to think that I had an opponent who kept me on my toes.

I brace myself and curl my wings out to there full width.  I may be an immortal alicorn princess with a wing span that could stand against against a griffons, yet not even I can outrun the wind.  I let my magic falter for a moment and the bubble shield faded.  I hear the sharp sound of the wind breaking through the inner plating and I dive.  

I descended, snout pointed downwards, in hopes that I can just manage to get by this strange breeze.  The apathetic mistress of luck did not show me any kindness today, though.  I could feel the honed, serrated blades of wind scratching at my hide, marking me.  All I could do was bite my lip and pray that Rainfall reached Canterlot soon.  

Each graze dug deeper into my already inflamed skin, some ripping flesh away.  Though, that was the problem.  Only some of the cruel blasts were able to draw my blood.  In theory every blast should be of the same power if Paradise had boxed me in (as I believed it had).  It was holding back on some of the floggings.  It was toying with me, letting me know that I was easily removed, something it could obliterate at a glance.  No, no that was not it.  These were just mind games, meant to alarm me and threaten my mental stability.  

I finally reached the tree-line and could even see into the eyes of my nemesis.  She was smirking, a mirthful look drawn across her features.  Her large extended vines whipped at me, I avoided them narrowly.  Good, they were slow and easier to take on than the slashing wind.

But there was a problem, an issue if you will.  I could still feel the rigorous pounding of the gale upon my tanned flesh, digging ever deeper with its powerful lacerating bands.  I was at the same level as Paradise and her vines, yet I could still feel the wind.  

How was it possible?  Spells that affected the wind were always area-covering spells.  The wind was too wild to be manipulated accurately.  It could only be boxed in and used within set boundaries.  Otherwise it would harm the caster as well as the target.  It was that way whenever any attempt was made at manipulating a natural element directly.

I had passed the boundaries.  It did not matter then, though.  I had to fly back into the higher atmospheres, I could not face both the wind and the vines.  I flew upwards only to watch as a barrier formed a few yards above the tree-line.
This creature had me trapped, being pounded by both the earth and the sky.

What could I do, then...?

As the perverted gale scourged me, I could not help but notice one tiny facet of it.  There seemed to be something strange in the very composition of the air.  Perhaps the wind wasn’t being summoned as a weapon, but rather Paradise was willing it towards that extreme.  

Yes, I could smell it, a sulfur smell.  Something embedded deeply within the air.  It had released a chemical substance into the air, something that irritated the gale and could be held within certain parameters.  Something that wouldn’t be banish-able because it wasn’t summoned, rather, it was spread.  Yes, there was a substance that met all of those standards...

Digitalis Veneno, a rare and utterly fascinating powder.  It’s a pollen that grows in a now extinct wild flower called “Foxglove.”   The chemical, in small doses, could cause the breeze to slow and calm itself.  Ponies usually used it during weather events such as hurricanes to protect crops.  In higher doses it would cause the air itself to decompose, nitrogen would slowly dissipate and cause the the air to become violent.  There were also slight increases in Argon rates at that level, but they were irrelevant. 

Even though it was highly poisonous, it was used in heart medication.  

The flower in which the chemical was present was extinct, due to over-usage and various attempts at extreme farming.  If this were the case than a displacement spell could cause the stationary chemical to spread, beyond the constraints Paradise set and allow me some breathing room.  That still left one question: how had Paradise not succumbed to the enraged breeze as I had.

I calmed myself, preparing my energy and allowing it to surge through my veins and empower me.  I felt a cooling numbness spread over my wounds as the forces of the Night flowed through me.  In one quick burst I came to my full height, spread my wings and hooves wide, and shouted out the incantation that would, if I was lucky beyond all sane belief, displace the surrounding air.

Instantly I felt the breeze fade away.  All of it disintegrated around me as the chemical spread to the farthest reaches of the forest, perhaps even Equestria.  The chemical, being spread as it was, calmed the air and soothed winds which had been battering me.  So somepony could enjoy a nice stroll in the park as I battled for the fate of our world.  Yay.

The vines were, however, still persistent upon smashing me into dust, so I could not enjoy the gently flowing breeze.  I dodged under one, narrowly missing the thorny edges of it.  Paradise looked at me and blinked a few times.  

“Quite impressive that you knew how to displace my chemical as you did.  I didn’t realize you would be a botanist as well as a strategist.  But now that you dealt with the wind, I must ask a question; how do you feel about fire?”  The quaint tone and nonchalant attitude used as it spoke were intimidating to say the least.

A strange aura spread through the vines she had created.  The colorisation suggested it was a maintenance spell.  Once the vines erupted in flames that seemed a bit less likely, though.  Fire is something that not even unicorns were able to control.  it was too dangerous, too erratic, too temperamental, too unpredictable.  This creature, Paradise, was definitely no pony.  

One problem at a time, though...

I narrowly avoided contact with one of the flaming vines (I suppose they were more like roots, but roots can’t move like that).  How exactly did such contradictory elements coincide in any case?  I would have to make an study of this being once all of this was sorted out.  

Bah, this was not the time to be thinking about such things!  Now was the time to act!  Ha, never thought I would’ve gotten the chance to say that before.  Of course, I never thought I would be facing off against a half-demon mongrel in control of the elements who tended to go off on insane ramblings about feasting upon me until they had a mood swing and became serious.  Life is full of surprises I suppose.  

One of the painfully-searing appendages grazed the edge of one of my previous wounds.  I can only tell you of the pure anguish I was experiencing.  The wound itself seemed to have been cauterized.  It seems that Paradise thought it would be more appropriate if I burned to death rather than bled to death.  I was quick enough to cast a healing spell over my body, cooling the burn mark and leaving my flank momentarily numb.  It was not a completely restorative spell, merely a scan.  The field of Restoration was never my forte.  That is when I first noticed something wrong in my biological system.

All of my predominant and motor senses seemed to betray me.  My wings started to spasm folding in and outward, causing me lose elevation at random and ending with me nearer to the ground than I would have pleased.  My flank had, in sharp contrast, gone completely numb.  Not the pleasant and cooling numb of a healing spell, but the sharp, glacial biting numbness that comes with the feeling of banishment or near-death scenarios.  I brought my legs up towards my body out of some bizarre urge.  Every so often I could feel a stinging volt go through them, working its way up my spinal column.  My face felt stiff and I could not willingly move my features.  Well, I might have possessed the ability to.  I just couldn’t feel it if I did.  My vision was beginning to blur, with slow forms of grey appearing in the corners and working their way inwards towards my pupils.

It had not been enough to set the vines on fire Paradise had also poisoned them.    Well it might not be a poison in technical terms.  She could have enlaced the venomous substance with the thorns on the whip or the flames, which were technically serrated and therefore injecting devices.  That would mean that the whatever poison was in me right then was a venom, so, again, in technical terms, not a poison.  But that wasn’t really relevant then!

I could feel the numbness in my flank spreading from its origins in the cut.  This wasn’t a pleasurable situation I was in.  In fact, I would go as far to say it was less than satisfactory as far as fun is involved.  Dear Tartarus, was it not enough that Paradise had created some kind of mutant fire root/vine thingy?  Was the venom/poison really necessary as well?  

I could feel the toxin coursing through me, deadening my limbs and wings.  The roots of my wings started to feel tight and drowsy.  I would have to land.  I would have to be on ground level at the mercy of Paradise.  My vision blurred further.  I had to narrow my eyes to keep water from forming in the corners.

Perhaps a simple purification spell would solve the problem?  I cast the spell on myself, but to no avail.  No, obviously Paradise is smart enough to use a stronger bane.  I should not bother wasting energy on simplistic spells.  I strained myself, mentally, racking my vast encapsulation of herb knowledge in a futile attempt to identify the mystery poison which was paralyzing me.  

I could not think of a single herb that would fit the parameters of what I was suffering from.  It is true that there are several plants that can cause paralysis in concentrated amounts, none of them caused blurred vision and dizziness both.

I would just have to descend to ground level and figure it out from there.  I cast a rather dangerous shield spell around myself.  It would have to hold up for several minutes with no penetration and just let myself fall gently to the ground as the vines pounded against the shield.  I landed with no problems as the spell itself was rather complex and powerful, but draining (If it wasn’t I would use it far more often).  It required a bit of latent magic from the caster, but what was a bit of life force to an alicorn?

“Incredible.  You’re still trying to fight me after all of that.  Seriously, what is it with you mortals and surviving?  What do you find so enjoyable about it?  If it is just an assortment of activities such as this than why persist so?  Just lower your shield.  I mean you’ll succumb to the poison soon enough anyways.  Why not let me be happy and just let me eat you?  You could even help me prepare you before the poison kicks in!  Now, wouldn’t that be fun?  Well for me, at least.  And that would be half of us.  And from there you round up and- voila!  We’re both happy!  Yay!!!”  There was a momentary pause in the being’s speech, as if it actually expected something of me.  

“Come on you can do it!  I believe in you!  Just lower your shield and die.  Go team!  You can totally succumb to death like a normal not-idiotic pony!”

I could feel my clasp on reality fading inside my little bubble.  The ramblings of Paradise became more and more distant.  I could, or rather could not, feel my hooves slipping to the floor.  My vision was almost failing.  Paradise was saying something about stubbornness and mortality...and...and...something else about...Paradise.
Paradise...

Wait...Paradise.  There were two things this forest was known for: evil and the Poison Joke Flower.  It was one of the two places that actually still had the flower.  The other being Everfree Forest, of course.  Perhaps this “poison” was a figment of my imagination and affected my psyche rather than my physical state.  I had the chance to cast one last spell in this state of wretchedness, perhaps I could take advantage of the situation and hone in on the Poison Joke as my target during the purification spell.  Purification spells were usually much more powerful when you actually knew the poison you were fighting.  I let my horn shine its brilliant shade of blue, hoping it would not fail me this one last time.

In turn, if I honed in on the Poison Joke specifically while trying another banishment spell it would probably destroy the poison laced vines.  Of course that would only apply if Poison Joke was to blame.

Perhaps I could survive just a little longer.  Perhaps the nocturnal goddess of luck had not abandoned me yet.  Perhaps I was not abandoned to whatever cruel fate this creature had in store for me.  Perhaps I could see my sister, and the castle, and my subjects, and finish telling my story...

A warm sensation came over my entire body.  I could feel the wound from earlier reopening and some sort of residential energy emanate from it.  I could feel some kind of oddity removed; that biological tick I had noticed was no longer present.  I wasn’t affected by it anymore.

I was simply freed.  I got up both hooves and assessed the scenario I was in.  Vines lashed out against my improvised yet sturdy shield.  They would not break through anytime soon.  Although, if I my dispel theory was correct than the shield was unnecessary.  It would be an easy feat to saunter off and confront Paradise with my dark, magic sapping tendrils better known as the “Nightmare Charm.”  

It was a pet name given to the spell I had used on Celestia during the Nightmare Moon fiasco.  It caught on quickly and several prominent magicians tried to recreate the spell, although to no avail.  It was quite complicated.  It wasn’t likely any magician would be able to replicate the trick for another thousand years. 

Several books have been written on the subject as well: at length, might I add.  So many try to divulge the many secrets and constructs that go behind the spell and what possible applications it would have in Equestria.  They come close sometimes but they can never quite grasp the concept.  Of course, if any of them bothered to ask me I might actually tell them about the basic construction of the spell.  In other words, if they just freakin’ talked to me I might give em’ an answer!

Couldn’t get up in my feelings now, though.  Why was I having such trouble focusing?  I wouldn’t be able to cast the hex on Paradise until I was able to work around her protective vines and whatever else she had in store.  If I dealt my hand too soon it would just caution Paradise as to what a danger I actually posed.  That could be dangerous.

So for now I would dispel her vines.  If the Poison Joke in my veins reopened my wound when dispelled then it was likely that any of the chemical that was in the vines themselves would “banish” the vines.  In laypony’s terms it would kill the giant, flying roots.  Or It would do absolutely nothing.  

Either way I had to do something.  I had to take a chance.  I charged the purification spell and improved upon it’s basic qualities to recreate it’s affects on a wider range, thus making sure Paradise wouldn’t surprise me with Poison Joke again.  It may be an unpredictable weapon, but it was a dangerous one.

As the energy began to build up in my horn I let my shield die away gradually.  It was an attempt at fooling Paradise into thinking I was becoming weaker.  And maybe this thing would take a little time to gloat.  Alternatively if I appeared weak and helpless I might be treated justly (Although this did not seem like a very benevolent demon-spirit).  There was probably only a 4-5% chance of that, though.

“Oh, you’re losing your touch.  I can feel you fading away.  Your shield is peeling away like an onion and whatever spell you have charging up now will be completely useless!  Or something uppity like that.  I’m not good at gloating and insulting.  I am quite good at insalting, though.  Although, I’m not sure if some mortal like you would be familiar with the art of insalting.  It is quite a masterful sport I assure you.  Well it isn’t so much a sport as it is an activity involving salts and innards.  It can get pretty gross now that I mention it...anyways...your shield is bad and you shield feel bad...so there...”  

So much for mercy.  I guess that meant my ploy was working, or Paradise was indulging me, either way I didn’t pay much mind to the developing confusion of the situation.  I felt the spell I had been charging peak within my horn and in one fluid motion I withdrew my shield, let the energy extend to the tip of my horn, and unleashed everything I had.

For a moment there was nothing.  The vines stopped moving, Paradise stopped speaking, the wind ceased to whistle, I felt my regal mane come to a halt in its movement, even my thoughts seemed to cease.  Everything was at a standstill.  I don’t even think I was breathing.  

Then the vines receded back into the ground.  The flames which had marked them evaporated into the air, as if they were simply an illusion.  The ground vibrated around my hooves as the trailers calmly planted themselves within the ground from the same area they had originally emerged.  Dirt and silica fell into the gaping holes left as their recession reached completion.  

Paradise’s jaw was agape at the sight of her verdure minions defeat.  Well, at least it appeared her jaw was agape.  More accurately it was watching me with a piercing gaze and its mouth was open a few inches.  I doubted that Paradise had actually thought me capable of such an act of banishment.  I was quite sure that it was still busy underestimating me.

After a few moments it composed herself and proceeded to clap its hooves together.  Both sets, mind you.  It was still hovering over the battlefield in its same position.

“IMPOSSIBLY AMAZING!!!  You’ve managed to banish my elemental creations!  Not to mention it is an impossible feat, but you have also cured yourself of the poison I had implanted you with.  You’re quite special indeed!  I shall enjoy feasting upon your power ever so mu-”

“Please, cease speaking.  The polluted noise that is your voice has become an abhorrent and putrid sound that I cannot bear any longer.  I am not in the mood to be toyed with, nor do I find it appropriate in this situation.  I plan on ending this duel with you, mongrel.  Before you give me a fifth migraine.”  This creature was beginning to annoy me with the compliments and constant threat of devouring my immortal soul.  Was there a medical term for this.

The corners of Paradise’s mouth curled upwards and I thought I saw the beginnings of a raspberry.  The abomination quickly caught itself however, and turned it into a smile.  

“Fine, grumpy pants.  If you wanna die so bad, then I am more than slightly ecstatic to oblige.  Though, I am not quite jubilant.  I guess I’m just regular ole’ gleeful.  So...back to killing you I guess.” 
> One Problem at a Time
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A strange presence became apparent in front of Paradise.  A mass conglomerate of some green substance had appeared.  There had been no warning, no aura emanating from Paradise, the mucilage goop simply appeared.  It was globular in form, with texture comparable to a thick paste.  Not knowing its purpose, I took to the skies, avoiding tit altogether.  With nature no longer being an issue I was confident I had the advantage.  

The being teleported exactly to where I was and smashed a blunt object against my flank.  It had predicted where I was going to be perfectly.  I was sent spiraling downwards, managing to barely catch myself before Paradise charged at me, an insane passion burning within its eyes.  She brandished her skeletal hoof as if it were a weapon.

It had punched me.  Why a being powerful enough to command the elements of wind and fire resorted to such an unrefined approach was beyond..  Then I saw the edge of her weapon.  A strange aura surrounded it.  It was a dark aura.  Not the type of dark aura that surrounds my spells, but a more sinister darkness.

Even the air around the appendage was strange.  Almost as if it was bending inwards, towards the leg, being absorbed by some unseeable thing...

Stars above, I knew exactly what this thing was.  It wasn’t an elemental, or even a being summoned from Tartarus.  It was an Ethereal being, as I had suspected, but a rare and deranged one.  Even for the Ether.  One I had only read about in a book in the Library of the Night.  Paradise, this strangely temperamental monster, was an Ectoplasmic Phantasm.  

They were mythical monsters that feasted on the magic of ponies through the division of their cellular structure.  They would create small, controlled, dimensional rifts and bring living souls towards the rifts in order to eat away at their subconscious minds.  These rifts usually took the appearance of off-putting images, covered by an indescribable aura.

And the rift, in this case, was formed around Paradise’s blunt, skeletal leg.   So that would explain why the monster was charging at me flailing its limb wildly.  It also meant that one appendage was far more dangerous than any spell.  Once a being is sucked into the rift, they are left to rot there until a Ethereal Phantasm lent mercy.  The real question, though, was why I was not transported upon the first hit.  Had the creature held back in order to further toy with me?

This creature would just take me into some sort of distorted reality, and feed off of my mind, my power, my strength, my will, while all I would be able to do was suffer.  Paradise truly had been toying with me earlier; this was the Phantom’s true attempt at destroying me.  But, I would not make it an easy conquest.

I let my form fall into a nose dive, trying to gain enough speed to perform my next move.  I could see that Paradise was gaining on me, despite my increasing momentum and initial velocity.  Paradise was a few feet away from me, tailing on me, its leg outstretched and reaching for just one touch.  I could practically feel its maniacal smile and voracious eyes piercing through me.

I could tell that its full attention was on me by this point, which would hopefully help my little trap.  The earth was within reach.  I shut my eyes tight and cast my spell, hoping my magic would not fail me.  I felt a rush of nausea and faint tingling in my limbs.  My teleportation spell succeeded.  I opened my eyes and scanned my surroundings.  In the rushed manner in which I had cast the spell I could be anywhere within the battle field.  I had not had time to target a specific spot during my transversal.

About ten feet below me was Paradise, recovering from her collision with the ground.  She was Dazed and Confused for hardly a nano-second, but that was all I needed.  Brilliantly illuminated shackles enclosed around the form of Paradise.  A spiraling tendril, created from the ashes of burnt stars(in my minds eye, at least), wrapped around the form of the beast.  It extended up to the tip of its head and engulfed its horn.  This would serve to hold her magic at bay.  Only for a moment, though.  (Authors Note:  Fun Fact:  Well, Actually just Fact: In technical terms a moment is 90 seconds!)

By all extents and purposes I had restrained Everfree, the Phantom, mongrel, the soul-feaster, with simple aerobatic tricks.  I noted that I had to pour a significant amount of energy into the shackle which held her rift-torn, flesh-ridden, charred skeleton limb.  

The rift energy that it was emanating threatened to engulf my entire spell, which is an incredible feat.  I am quite powerful, after all.  As for the creature creating this destructive energy, it sat calmly, seemingly apathetic to its own vulnerability.  

“That wasn’t an intelligent move on my part, was it?  I should probably look where I’m going.”  
	
I was not quite prepared to unleash my final spell just yet, however.  I wanted to learn more about this Ethereal creature.  The library had not given me anything but myths on the subject.  Which is saying something when dealing with an omniscient library that had existed for all of time.  Perhaps I could reason with the creature as well.  There may be a chance to enrich the Canterlot Archives with crucial information, in case a being similar to this one were to come to the land of Equestria.  There was also the matter that it claimed to originate from Equestria.  That could not possibly be true...could it?

I bit my lip.  Once again it bled.  I was, and am, the type who draw courage from pain.  The throbbing sensation that passes through my lower lip is a comfort, something that reminds me of my mortality.  “I know what you are.”  My voice was low, and hardly a whisper.  It was a bit intimidating now that I knew what my opponent was.

“Say it.  Say it out loud.”  Its tone became shallow and more than a bit melodramatic.  The loud, thunderous boom which had encompassed it earlier was now a faint whisper.

“Vampire.”  

“Wait, what?  No, I ju-”

“You’re an Ectoplasmic Phantom, a Wraith of the Ether.  Your something that was born from the rift energy created by the Ether, and something that feasts upon those unlucky enough to be caught in the rift.  You’re a carnivore.”  This thing was putrid, despicable, disgusting, and in my mercy.  

I was actually hoping that my sister would arrive late so that I could torture this thing.  I wanted to make it suffer.  I wanted to show it what real pain was.  If any of the myths regarding Ectoplasmic Phantasms were true than it deserved it.  This thing should not have existed in the first place.

“A carnivore, indeed.  And I’ve already touched upon you once, Moon Princess.  You’re absolutely soaked in rift energy.  That one insignificant blow I dealt to you was not quite so insignificant.  Even now the restraints holding you to this reality are splitting.  A few more hits and...poof.  So in a word, HA-HA!”

I looked over my body.  Just as Paradise said there was a peculiar blemish on my flank, in the exact location I had been struck.  It was a small odorless, colorless, semitransparent spot marking my body.  I reached out to the strange thing, trying to grasp it with my magic.

I could not even locate it, let alone explain its presence on my being.  Was this rift energy?  Perhaps after all had been said and done it could studied (by me of course).  “Do you mean this small spot, this...inconsistency?”

“Oh, my dear Princess Luna of the Moon, it is sooooooooo much more than one tiny inconsistency.  You bear witness to something few to no mortals have ever seen before!  You are viewing the remnants of my kingdom!  That minuscule dot is a pathway to the rift!  A land with so much glory, a land bathed in insanity, a land soaked in the glory of pure madness, a region equated by not even the Ether, the place from which I come, and the place that will serve as your tomb.”  Its voice echoed with a hollow passion that suggested that this was a rehearsed speech.  One it had given more than once.

I was not, however, impressed.  “If you plan on engulfing my aura and transporting my entire being through a dimensional plane, than I suggest you use more energy than this.”  This thing that marked my body was not a threat.  If rift power was in anyway similar to my power (which it would have to be to transport me across dimensions) than this speck was giving off quite a low amount of energy.  

“Well, well.  It appears you’re capable of snarky comments as well as outdated magic.  Still, that shall not deter me from insalting you!  I meant eating you.  Or at least I think I did.  Maybe I meant dancing?  No, that wouldn’t make sense...erm...perhaps I meant inflate?  No, now I just sound insane.  Although I might inflate something a little later now that I’ve thought about it...did I already ask you if you could dance?”
	
Paradise’s inane ramblings were cut short by the increase of gravity around it.  I was a bit sick of hearing its chatter.  It would not kill something so powerful as Paradise, but it would be agonizing.  That was my goal at the time, to torture the thing.

I cast a simple cooling spell on the air.  I could not help but shiver at the effectiveness of the spell.  The temperature decreased at a rapid pace, allowing me to pluck moisture out of the air and form a spell.  My horn glowed brightly as a ball of icy blue light formed on the tip.  The color contradicted my normally dark color palette.

The ground around my hooves froze over and light bits of snow began to fall from the atmosphere below Paradise’s barrier.  If I had been more observant I may have wondered how Paradise was able to maintain the barrier when I had its magic restrained.  

A beam launched off the tip of my horn and headed straight towards Paradise.  The pace at which it moved was lightning fast; air was reduced to steam around the blindingly white streak of light.  A small swirl that looked appeared to be ice circled the beam, giving it a tint of blue.

It struck Paradise with a force.  The creature was kept in place by magical restraints, which were, unsurprisingly, frozen and fractured.  Paradise herself appeared to take the blunt of the energy, having no way to actually prevent the assault.  I could not see through the thick haze of icy steam that arose from the blast, but I imagined that the area of Paradise’s body that had been burned earlier were being chipped away by the force of the beam.

After the initial impact and following destruction, Paradise laid ahead of me, unable to move.  It stared up at me.  What had been left of its mane was now gone and it sat a bald monstrosity.  Marks of frostbite were evident all over its body, the entire left side of its face appeared to have frozen over.  Areas of it body that had exposed bone had been encased in ice.  Fitting that such a monstrous persona found itself an abomination...even when in the company of Nightmare Moon.  

Slowly the casings of ice broke away.  I saw Paradise’s leg twitch.  Its eye lid appeared to move behind the arctic skin.  In a matter of minutes I watched Paradise bring itself to a kneeling position.  The smile it had worn earlier had become perverted due to the affects of the glacial blast.  

The left side of the face had been frozen into a perverted half-grin that looked as if it where going to burst.  It was perturbing, to say the least.  The right side was masked with an indifferent frown.  My beam had not terminated the demon.  Which was quite, quite shocking.  To survive one full on blast from somepony of my strength was impossibly improbable.  To survive a second was inconceivable.  

“Well I must say that I don’t like this make-over.  It is just far too...frigid.  I’m amazed that you had the power to unleash yet another attack similar to the one from earlier.  Perhaps I should just stop being amazed, eh?  You’ve deduced what I am, that shows you are some sort of scholar, as well as a powerful magician.  You’re no ordinary pony, obviously.  There is probably something much more substantial I can deduce about you from this, isn’t there?  But in all honesty I would very much rather kill you at this moment in time.  So, unless you wish to speak, I do believe it is my turn to act, Miss Luna.”

Something seemed...off.  The comedic and sadistic edge which had been a part of Paradise’s regular rhetoric was gone.  Now its voice seemed cold and detached, the manner in which it held itself was elegant yet aloof, the insane eyes which had plagued me were now still and focused.  This being had changed.  Being erratic, volatile, and insane was one thing, but being able to completely alter your attitude to a state of pure indifference was borderline schizophrenic.

But the eye on the left half of its face was still fixed in that insane manner, throwing off any momentous effort it had pulled together.  Half of its face was fixed in that manic grin which screamed the very essence of instability.  The eye on the left half of her face had undergone some metamorphosis and was now a sickening shade of red as opposed to the azure it was earlier.   

The way in which it came at me was almost business-like.  It took a few firm steps which turned into a casual but determined stride.  I instinctually took a step to try and avoid contact with that skeletal limb.  I immediately felt my hoof sink into a thick, gooey paste.  

I whipped my head around in time to see the sickly-green globular substance that from earlier covering my hind leg.  I struggled against it, but that only seemed to make it spread up my hind leg faster.  It wasn’t long before all four of my hooves were drawn into the substance.

“Wh-What is this strange corporeality substance in which I am emerged!?”  I could hear the panic in my voice.  It seemed Paradise had as well for her contemptuous eyes seemed to flicker faintly for a moment.  

“That is a cog in my ‘broad strokes’ master plan.  It is a substance I created that will hold you steady while I transport you to the rift.  It will also repress any type of unicorn magic.  It filters through Equestrian magic regularly, making sure that any and all of those sub-atomic particles are smothered while remaining completely alive.”  Its response was a deadpan, as if my imminent death and the creation of a new element capable of such things were simple and second-nature.

I could feel all four of my legs held firmly by the strange sub-solid substance.  I tried repetitively to repeal the effects of the green slime, but to no avail.  My magic had truly been subdued.

I glanced forward and saw a beast, slightly bigger than myself, body marred with scars, burns, and freezer burns, the wings of the creature were frozen in place, the pinions irreparable.  What had once been a green flank and autumn mane were just tatters, like a torn cloak.  The beast looked upon me, eyes void of anything but hunger, each pace this being took closer left my mind moving that much faster.  Everfree’s purposeful walk only caused me frustration.  

My legs were constrained by the slime, not to mention my magic.  The slime only reached up to the kneecaps of each of my legs.  I flap my wings furiously against the ground attempting to break away.  Nothing.  My strength was not enough.  How I wish I had spent more time exercising my physical attributes rather than my mental ones.

Still I flapped my wings harder against the ground, and I could feel it.  I could feel my life and strain I was under and I knew, that was something I am not willing to give up just yet.  I could hear the clop of my opponents hooves.  I did not want to die.  I still had a purpose in this world.

I still had a story to tell.  I had history to pass on.  I had a monster to slay.  I could not leave until those deeds were done.  So then what could I do?  What was there left to do but flap my wings in a panicked fury, living on a blind faith that adrenaline would give me enough strength to break away.

My wings beat so fast against the ground I could feel my heartbeat.  There was an slip-up.  Some of the slime loosened.  Quickly more of it shot up my leg to compensate and restrain the pinion on my wings, but it is too late.  A good amount of the slime fell away and I sailed through the air distancing myself from the flood of goop.

Some slime still endured and remained on my legs, restraining them to nothingness while I was air-born.  I look down on Paradise to see it stare up at me in a supercilious fashion.  Ironic, considering I was literally looking down on it.  Then it happened.

Then something unfortunate happened.  The slime on my legs scurried up the length of my spine in one fluid motions.  It covered my wings before I had the chance to blink.  In an instant it solidified, sending me hurdling towards the earth.  Luckily, the fall was not so high as to injure me.  Double luckily, I had the fortitude of an earth-pony.  It was nice being an alicorn.

I landed with an unimpressive thud.  I waited for the slime to switch places, once again, but it never happened.  My wings remained clipped.  I did, however, have full control over my legs and hooves, which was a relief.  My magic was still being suppressed, though.  Hopefully that was a temporary affect.  Another sensation came over me.  I turned my head to stare at the source: my wings.  The thick, adhesive slime had hardened, becoming a semipermanent part of my wings.

Paradise turned to me.  I got up.  “You will not be rid of me so easily, mongrel!”  I spit the words out, well aware of how vulnerable I was in this situation.  

A small, self-satisfied smile crossed Paradise’s face.  Instantly the remains of six creatures erupted from the ground.  They put themselves together as if they were a jigsaw puzzle.  Upon their...completion...I could see that they were ponies.

“These are my pets.  My un-dead sextuplet.  All six were once powerful ponies who I defeated in combat and...enjoyed.  All of them expressed abilities of a similar magnitude to yours.  Let us see if you can defeat all six, shall we?”  Its voice had a sardonic ring to it.  

So this Paradise being could summon as well?  That did not bode well.  Wonderful, I was now faced against an unbelievably powerful Ethereal demon that may have killed off some of the most powerful ponies to ever live.  Also I was facing said ponies.  Just splendid...

“I would rather be sure of your capabilities, Miss Luna.  Let us see if you’re resourceful without magic and flight.”  In a hazy flash the skeletal golems caught ablaze.

The fire was bright and prominent on all six.  Each wore a different color: violet, white and purple, orange, red, pink and yellow, and pinker.  They surrounded me, making a small circle that kept me boxed in between them.

One problem at a time...

> A Lesson on Mesmerism
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Six thralls.  All of them ponies.  Decomposed ponies.  Three were unicorns, two were pegasi, and one was an earth pony.  They formed a semicircle around me and I could not help but feel trapped.  Trapped by ponies who were likely my subjects at one time.

Both my wings and my magic were subdued, but I had full control over my legs.  I suppose there had not been enough slime to condense over both the pinions on my wings and my legs.  So, that meant all I could do to take control of the situation was flee.  

There was no possibility that I would be able to overpower six ponies at once without the use of my magic.  I blew away a clump of hair dangling in front of my face..  It no longer bore the image of the Night sky.  Now it is was a lifeless cobalt.  It had lost the lifelike qualities it usually wore and instead hung off my head, sterile and drab.

Contusions, cuts, bruises, lesions, burns, and the rift mark were all present on my skin.  My tail was hanging limply, dragging through the dirt, picking up the minuscule silica particles, and lifting them into the wind.  My boots had lost there normal sheen, having been dirtied by battle.  

I looked to be the type of mare who would retreat.  The one who would make a tactical decision to flee from confrontation in order to survive.  I looked weak, wretched even.  But I had a purpose.  And that is all one ever truly needs to carry on.

I stood, my legs ached with the impact of the fall, but still I stood tall.  I was a head taller than each of the skeletal golems, individually.  I swallowed the sense of trepidation clawing its way up my throat and looked to those ponies.  No, former ponies. Now, now they were just puppets, drones created for a singular purpose.  Paradise summoned them to produce a trenchant effect upon my mind.  They were there to screw with me.

I stared at the creatures for a brief moment, weighing my options.  To my left there was a gap between one of the pegasi and unicorns that could serve to let me escape this little circle.  To my right was the earth pony, sitting in solitude, though, I thought it best to avoid him.  He appeared quite strong, his bones being thick and large.

Dead ahead of me were the two remaining unicorns and one pegasi.  The unicorns stood side to side, evidently corroborating with each other.  The pegasus floated above them, poised in an attack position, completely at the ready.  The fact they were consumed by ethereal flames was just a little threatening as well.  Just a little bit.  

My best course of action would be to make a mad dash for the aperture on my left.  The circle closed a bit more.  My opening shrinks with it.  Freedom became just a bit more distant with it.  I remained calm despite the menace presented by the inexorable golems.  It was to better to be faced against them rather than faced against Paradise.  I feigned to the right, trying to trick the earth-pony golem.

Instantly, he made a quick move forward as if trying to grasp at me.  He extended his arms outwards and opened his mouth wide.  I could see two long, slivers of white protruding from the mouth of the golem.  Apparently this pony had been of a vampiric nature in his lifetime.  

I instinctively hurdle to the left, my feint having successfully confused the unicorn, but not having fooled the pegasus.  I ended up clashing my shoulder against the pegasus while her unicorn companion watched with, what I can only assume was, incredulity.  The pegasus was surprisingly muscular and the wings she possessed were, no doubt, an advantage.

Still I managed to throw the pegasus into the oncoming group of three golems, momentarily confusing them.  The burns I sustained from the struggle were easily ignored.  I took a step back.  As I did I saw the unicorn I had neglected earlier charging some sort of spell while her jaw clicked.  I recognized the spell almost immediately as a paralyzation charm.  It would only take her a half-minute to charge the spell completely.

At the same time the vampiric earth-pony charged at me.  It was no surprise that he moved at a slightly faster speed than myself.  Vampiric ponies had often been described as possessing supernatural strengths.  I probably would have been surprised by the existence of vampires had it not been for the library.  Still the knowledge was of little comfort.   

In an instant he was upon me attempting to bring his front hooves down on me.  I rolled under his form in order to trip him at the hind-legs.  The heat that radiated off of his form was unlike anything I had ever felt before.  The flames felt as if they pierced more than just my skin, more than just the outer layers.  He fell into a short stumble as I made contact with him, but regained his footing rather nimbly.  

Once again he pounced on me, this time ignoring any type of dramatic flair.  Out of the corner of my eye I could see that the unicorn had completed her charm and was now taking aim.  In one brazen move I wrenched my entire body into the earth-pony, and spun him into my grip.  It was obviously an unexpected move for me to grab him as he just did not react.

However, there was a rationale for hugging a vampire.  Well, one rather than attempting suicide.  The paralyzation spell had been fired at me, but I my impromptu mediocre plan came into affect then.  I released the earth-pony and lightly shoved him, unbalancing him enough so that he could not gain his footing in time to avoid the spell.

It struck the beast dead in its chest.  It fell to the ground, toppling over like a weighted stone.  His entire body was frozen in the off balance position.  It would have been comical had it been under different circumstances.  It was good the earth-pony was down, it appeared to have been the strongest of the lot.  And the most vicious.

The ablaze unicorn showed no signs of having even noticed her folly.  Her complete attention was on me.  She was focused on me.  Too focused...the piercing stare I was affixed with paralyzed me.  My senses dulled, and in their place was a strange sense of emptiness and enervation. 

The unicorn was trying to lace me into an elaborate and vexing hypnotism spell.  Dammit!  If I had my magic I could easily reverse the effects of her spell!  Now I would have to rely on sheer will-power to over-power this spell.  A feat which was basically impossible.

The only good side to semi-psychotic reality manipulation is that once this thrall delves into my mind I should, in theory, be able to draw some sort of information from her mind.  Perhaps that could give more information on Paradise, break this mare’s connection with me, and give me the means to save my own life.  

I was in a black haze.  My vision was always good in the dark, but it appeared that my surroundings were in fact, black.  A unicorn appeared ahead of me.  She looked large and imposing, towering over my peculiarly small stature.  She took a step towards me.  I braced myself and held my ground.

This type of hypnotism was advanced and complex, but easily disrupted.  All the spell required to be broken was to find a flaw in the reality.  Not a flaw like the fact that I was too small to be me, but a flaw as in a crack in the spell.  An inconsistency in the environment.  Hopefully that wouldn’t prove too hard judging by the relative absurdity of the setting.  Likely this pony had made some kind of crucial error on my mental biology.

I had never actually experienced or performed this spell myself (surprisingly), so any attempts at escape would only be guided by my readings.  The only downside to these escape attempts was that you were still trapped in the reality created by the sorceress.  In other words, I wasn’t a player so much as pawn.    

The giant pony took another step towards me; instinct took over and I took three steps back.  The giant form lunged at me, leaving me only a minimal amount of time to avoid the strike.  I leapt above the sight of the lunge, intending to fly over the giant pony.  This was an excellent method of escape, and likely it would have worked too, had I been in possession of wings...

I ended up crashing onto the head of the beast.  Apparently it didn’t like that, as it immediately whipped upwards in an attempt at knocking me off of it’s head.  I clung to the ears of the creature and held on for dear life.  I was lacking my usual strength and spell-casting ability, however, and was dislodged (or rather, flung) from my position on the massive form.  

My impact with the surface of the black haze was met with no sound or collision vibrations.  My eyes spun, but I gathered myself nonetheless.  I hadn’t been able to fly over the creature.  I couldn’t fly.  I didn’t have wings.  And there was the flaw.  This was going to be an easier than I had premised.

I focused intensely on the flaw, duly noting the details of my wings in my mind.  My eyes were hardly slits I was creatively thinking so much.  To my surprise, no strange feelings overcame my body.  I blinked my eyes open and stared around the area in a forlorn frustration.  Nothing had changed.

The haze was still present, the gargantuan unicorn was still collecting itself a small distance away, my vision still claimed the area was black, and my wings still didn’t exist.  But how could that be?  I had found the flaw, the error in the computations of the zombified unicorn.  

So why had I not crashed back into reality and through the personality of this golem?  I checked myself over and was met with quite a shock.  It was true that I didn’t have wings, but that was not the only difference.

My coat was now a dull tannish-brown, all of the flowing hair which had once been my flank now reduced to a rug of coarse and matted fur.  My cutie mark had changed from the symbol of a Moon to that of a fork and a knife.  My tail and mane were no longer flowing with starlight and mysticism, instead they were a restrained shade of beige that would humble sand.  

I glanced down at my hooves.  The caps of my knees were rough and patchy.  Tufts of hair stuck out in every direction, showing either a lack of aptitude or willingness on part of the groomer.  My hooves, which were usually a lighter shade of azure that contrasted well with my coat, were now brown.  I was not wearing my boots.

They were plain and simple brown hooves.  They did not bear the marks of history.  They did not show the underlying spirit of the Night that lived within me.  They did not bear the grooves left by a thousand years of wandering the Moon.  They did not demonstrate Luna.

No, these were the hooves of a farm pony.  Worn, but not marked by battle or hardship.  These were the hooves of a pony who lived simply.  They were the hooves of a mare who had settled upon simplicity and basic happiness, rather than daring adventures.

This was truly a stroke of brilliance on part of the caster.  To change my entire being in order to avoid my finding a flaw in my original body.  Simply brilliant.  In fact the idea sounded quite familiar.  I believed there was a mention of some mare who had conjured up the idea.  What was her name?

My thought process was broken by a loud growl.  I looked up in time to see the monster charge me.  I tried casting a spell, but I had momentarily forgot I was an earth-pony.  The beast was upon me within moments.  My stupidity would now cost me my life.  Or rather my inability to sufficiently adapt.  

The beast pressed one hoof on top of the body I was inhabiting and stared down at me.  The hoof in question was far larger than mine and covered form from tail to the neck.  All it had to do was place a little pressure and my mind would be crushed.  Or whatever happens to ponies in psychosomatic battle scenarios.  

Still I could not absolve myself of my curiosity.  What was that pony’s name who had formed that idea and spell?  I could remember a little bit about her, but her name just seemed to escape me.  Something occurred to me just then.  

My encyclopedic knowledge of erm...knowledge was quite vast, and I would never, not ever, fail to recall the name of a pony.  Especially one who had made a contribution to a scientific field such as magic.  It was as if this knowledge was being suppressed purposefully. 

Then perhaps that was this pony.  Perhaps the illusionist was in fact whats-her-name!  That would make sense.  It would prove why the spell had that added flare and why I couldn’t remember that damned mare’s name.  I just had to think.  I just had to dig past the constraints and restrictions set and find my mind within this hazy prison of...my mind.  

The pressure on the hoof increased a little, once again bringing me back to reality.  Darn it, what was that mare’s name?

“Tangerine?”  My question was met with added pressure.

“Vinewhip!”  Once again my exclamation was met with pressure.  

“Shrubbery!?”  One thing I don’t like about mortal bodies: they breath so freakin’ much.  And pressure makes it so hard to breath.

“Moby Dick!”  I think these ribs are starting to crack.

“Earth Gossip?”  More pressure.  

“ZOSO?”  These regular ponies really feel pain.

“Ice Veins!!!”  Instantly the hoof started to- just add more pressure.  Dear Tartarus, this thing must’ve thought I was going to burst into candy.  

“Spell-binder?”  Maybe it was the lack of oxygen (or whatever you breath in black hazy dreamlands) but it seemed like the pressure eased up a bit.

“Hypnotizer?”  Again just the slightest feeling, but it was definitely there, a slight decrease in pressure.  And I thought I saw a glint of confusion in the beast’s eyes.  

“Sedater!”  Have you ever tried smothering yourself with a pillow and screaming HELP at the top of your lungs?  Well this was about the same predicament.  

“Tranquilize!?”  The pressure lightened significantly.  So the name had something to do with sedation.  

“Etherization.”  It was a familiar name now.  She had formed the college of Hypnotic related studies after all.  She was a co-founder of the Manehatten school: Sciences of the Mind.  This thing had been suppressing the name for some reason, leading me away from it.  There was a flaw there...maybe.

The monstrous pony began to shrink.  That did not mean it let the pressure on my chest decrease any.  It took mere seconds for it to become the size of a normal pony.  A unicorn in fact.  A grey-coated unicorn that fit well into the background.  

She opened her mouth slowly and spoke in a hollow voice that sounded like it had not been utilized in centuries.  

“That’s my name...”  Her voice trailed off and left the impression her statement had been a question.

“Yes, that is your name.  You’re a unicorn who has been enthralled by a malicious being.  You disappeared a long time ago.”  I had not the energy nor the time to ease her into the idea of her own death.

“What?  Where exactly are we?  Who are you?”  Her voice was light and dainty, words stringing together like a thin line of molasses.  

“There is a creature: Paradise.  It’s a vicious monster that has enthralled your body.  That body has cast a hypnotic spell on me.  I am currently trapped within the confines of my own mind and being tortured by you, or rather, a interpreted mosaic of your conscious personality.”  I tried to summarize the events as they had happened, although that proved difficult with the amount of pressure this unicorn was putting on my form.

“Perhaps if you stepped off of me I could explain better?”  The last bit was said with a cynical voice that was more than appropriate considering the situation.  

“Ah, yes, of course.”  The pressure on my chest was removed completely as the unicorn took a step back.  “So according to you I am currently being being strung along as a puppet?”  Her voice was not disbelieving surprisingly.  I expected just a bit of denial.  After all, this had to be a bit sudden.

“Yes, in a struggle against me, in fact.  One I am particularly eager to get back to.  Now I need to ask you a few ques-” 

“Just hold off for a minute.  You still haven’t said exactly who you are.”  The delicate voice took on a sharp overtone.  

“I am Princess Luna.  I am overseer of the Night and co-regent of Equestria.”  My voice leaked impatience.  It was rather unfortunate when a will-less pony had cast a spell on me, but now a living consciousness was keeping me captive.

“I take it that I’ve been gone for a while then, eh?  From the last that I can remember Equestria didn’t have centralized rulers, it was just a network of trade-routes and small encampments.”  She heaved a long sigh.  “So that means I’m dead, then?”  She looked down on me curiously.

I merely stared back up at her.  It’s hard to tell a pony they’re dying, but to tell them they’re dead is nigh impossible.  

She blinked a few times and released another sigh, though this one was far heavier.  “I can’t say it’s a surprise really.  What else would be my fate after being attacked by a creature and sucked into some other dimension?”  There was no element of sadness to her voice, which just made the scenario that much more gloomy.  

“Yes, and it is a fate bound to befall me if you do not assist me in overcoming the creature.”  I was really quite desperate at this point, my royal demeanor beginning to fall away similar to the way a cookie crumbles.  

“What will happen to me if I help you, though?  What happens if that creature dies?”  She looked me dead in the eye.

I could not tell this pony.  I could not tell her that the instant I vanquished the creature enthralling her that she would die.  True, her body was already dead, but it seemed her mind had carried on.  “I do not know.”  It was a lie.  

“Will my mind fade away, along with my enthralled body?”

“I don’t know.”  It hurt to lie, but the truth would burn so much worse.

“Please, don’t lie.  If I can help you survive than I am more than willing to.  I’m already dead physically, anyways.”  Her tone held a somber authority over me.

“That is quite noble of you.”  In truth, it was noble in comparison to the rest of pony-kind.  Even if there was no possibility of survival most would not choose to die, even if it meant another’s survival.

“Yeah.”  She glanced away.  She gave pause for a moment.  “Exactly how many years has it been since I was here?”  She, once again, was inquiring as to where she was.  The subtle way in which she did so proved her marvelous intellect. 

“I was born four-hundred and thirty-two years after your disappearance.  Since then it has been millennia.”  I could see her eyes visibly widen at this statement.

“You uh...you bear the age quite well,”  Was all she managed to sputter out.

“Thank you.  Now then, the first thing I need to know is how you came into contact with the creature.”  I stared at her for a few moments.

“Well according to you I disappeared.  That much is true.  I was out for a Midnight walk in the forest-”

“The large, aboding forest that had all the strange plants and animals, correct?”  I had to make sure it was Paradise Grove that she had been attacked in.  It might provide a reason as to why a rift wraith was bound to that particular area.  

“Yes, and a monster attacked me.”  She deadpanned.  I forgot important ponies dislike being interrupted.

“Was this creature able to speak?”  That was also a rather important question.

“Actually, now that you ask, it did manage to babble insane and inane nonsense for the duration of the time I spent trying to fend off its attacks.  So I suppose it was not so much a monster as some sort of demonic spirit.  Either way, its abilities far exceeded my own and it had me subdued in less than an hour.”  There it was.

“That is all I needed to hear, thank you.  I do need another favor, however.”  It was going to be a difficult request to make.  It was inevitable that I have to ask the mare for help in getting me out of this entrapment of my own mind.  

Sadly that also had its own lasting effects.  As soon as this reality dissolved and I was brought back to control this mare would cease to exist.  She would be forcibly extracted and, in every sense of the word, “die.”  Something this expert hypnotist would, undoubtedly, be aware of.

“And what would that be?”  Her voice was silky.   

“I-I must ask that you erm...help me...”

“Help you what?”  Something about that delicate voice just made my heart combust.  Knowing what I would say next made that melted pile condense, shatter, and combust again.  

“I uh-Ahem”  The cough I let loose was very fake, but it is quite difficult asking somepony you consider a subject to kill themselves.  Finally the intellectual and practical side of my being bested the emotional side and I formed the words I needed.  

“Can you help me find a fault in the lining of my mind?” 

The expression on the mare’s face broke me.  Realization of reality.  Why did the helpful ones have to die.  It was always the helpful ones who died.  Always.

The reaction that immediately followed her expression was quite unexpected.  Laughter.  Not the nervous laughter of a courageous pony who is doubting themselves, but the debilitatingly hearty laughter that one only heard from an insanely happy pony who had just heard a good joke.  

“Princess Luna, nothing would delight me more.  But I must tell you, this is not your mind.”

I curled my nose upwards.  It probably was not noticeable from my position laying on the ground, though.  “What!?  Who else would this mind belong to!?!”  

All I received was a knowing smile from the pony above me.  The smile a teacher gives to a pupil.  “This place is riddled with faults, my dear.  And I can see them all.  Do you know why that is?”

“No, but you have not answered my question-”

“It is because I am looking through the eyes of the right pony,” continued the mare as if I had not interrupted her.  “You have to perceive the world from every angle, view all sides of an argument, soak up all the aspects of a problem, to be able to pinpoint the facet in which the solution is located.  Otherwise advanced mesmerism will consume you.”  She waved her hooves around to emphasize points.

It was quite obvious she was treating this like a lecture, something she had likely done many times.  “That is true, but I am afraid that I do not understand.  What exactly do you wish me to see?”  I stood up on my hooves and faced the mare.  I stumbled a bit.  This body was awkward.  Are all regular pony bodies this awkward to move?

The mare once again laughed, only this time it was right in my face.  “This is my mind, Princess Luna.  The enthralled form of myself used my rift-bound mind to trap you.  All you have to do is expand your vision.  Look at the world through my eyes.”  She paused for a moment to allow her eyes to connect with mine.  They were a deep hue of purple, a wonderful purple.  “Let me help you a little bit.”  

Her horn sparkled for a brief moment before a faint vapor wrapped around it.  A thin line began to trace through the black haze.  It reached me and struck me in between the eyes.  I could feel perspective magic flowing through my non-unicorn veins.  It is odd experiencing the effects of magic when you yourself posses none.  A very distant feeling.  Yet...warming.  Quite odd indeed.

The world around me began to fade away.  The black background turned into that of green orchards and sloped hills.  There were white cracks blanketing the ground everywhere.  Some were small others were large.  They exuded long streaks of light and were quite broad.  Whenever I diverted my attention to studying my mind became hazy.  They were flaws.

Flaws broad enough for a pony to slip through...  

> Rocks
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I stood motionless, unsure of whether I was back in reality or some kind of dream state.  My breaths caught in my throat with the thickening of every dull thud my heart beat out.  My wings felt preened of the dancing light which had guided my flight through the unicorn’s conscious mind.  My magic, which had so freely flowed through my body was suspended; it was held back, clotting as I slowly rotted.  It was all so...macabre.  

So it was reality, at least.  The thick slime from earlier still pinned my wings, as well as my magic.  To my right there was a mass of bones glowing with faint orange flames.  The vampiric pony I had seen earlier, I believe.   Still stuck in that odd position. 

Directly ahead of me were the skeletal remains of a unicorn, a faint violet flame providing hue to them.  The remains of Miss Etherization, visionary and leader of education, laid so unceremoniously on the ground.  At least her fate had finally been discovered.  

On my left the two pegasus and the other unicorns had just regained their composure.  The two pegasus were charging at me, flames flickering off of them as they flew.  The strange ethereal light left faint traces of its presence in the wind.  The unicorns were behind them weaving intense magic that was likely supporting the assault.  

How could I avoid this?  I was in a large, open clearing with a skeleton of a vampiric earth pony near me and singed ground around my hooves.  I could not make physical contact with these beings as that led to burns.  Plus, they had me outnumbered.  My gaze was momentarily drawn to the rift particle on my flank.  

I did not have magic nor flight, so what could I do?  My magic had beseeched me, leaving me alone to combat the minions of Paradise as it looked on.  The pegasus did several corkscrews and tricks.  Their perfect synchronization and teamwork suggested they were stunt fliers, perhaps even having worked together at some point.  Their movements looked similar to the tricks the Wonderbolts performed.  Strikingly so.  

I shot a glance over at the remains of the late Miss Etherization.  It was so unbefitting that one who had given her life so willingly for another lay so uncouth on the ground, skeletal remains falling in every direction.  Her skull sat in front of the pile, leaving a small impression on the dirt.

She did not give her life for me to die.  No, she gave her life so that I could live.  She did not become Dust in the Wind so that I could be pancaked between the enthralled remains of two grimy pegasi.  Her life was given in the hopes that I could escape these mongrels and end the beast that consumed her.  I would need a plan in order to scrape these scummy bones off my hoof.  One that didn’t involve magic or flight.

Behind me was the large cave that had given me refuge earlier.  IF I could make it to that cave it would be a slight, but still significant, advantage over my opponent.  My natural vision would allow me to see through the dark shadows of the cave while my opponents would only be able to see as far as the light of their other-worldly flames carried.  The stalagmites and stalactites in the cave would provide ample enough ways to trap the insidious beasts.  

There were several flaws with transporting myself to the cave, however.  First off, it was unlikely I would be able to run faster than these pegasus were flying, especially considering how close they had already managed to get.  The unicorns behind them were casting a spell of some sort, likely one that was detrimental to my health.

Even if I managed to outrun these mad creatures Paradise and its green ooze sat on guard behind me.  It was not likely it would allow its source of entertainment to pass it by so easily.  Or would it?  It was beginning to become hazy what its plot actually was.  

No, there was no time to run and avoid the obstacles.  I would have to stay in the clearing until opportunity showed itself to me.  I would have to face down two unicorns and two pegasi without the use of magic.  Also I could not make physical contact with the creatures lest they burn me once again.  

So the only tools I had were hooves, my mind, and lots of dirt.  A very large amount of dirt.  My only constraints while in combat were that I couldn’t leave the clearing, touch my opponents in any physical way, use magic, fly, or receive any beneficial environmental help.  So, in other words, I was attached to another object by an inclined plane, wrapped helically around an axis.  

The two pegasus were dangerously close now.  I could feel the wind rustle as they flew by (even with the chemical from earlier having been dispersed).  They both performed controlled corkscrews and crossed each others line of flight more than once.  Whether it was an attempt at being flashy or confusing me did not matter much.  

I tensed my back legs up ready to spring in any given direction.  There was little hope of avoiding the strike unless I deduced the method of attack before-hand.  At the speed in which they raced and the speed at which I hopped I would need to jump around a quarter of a second before they began their assault.  At the moment they were both next to each other, bonefied wings (somehow) carrying them through the air. 

How did they even do that without any sort of cartilage?   

While it had flare the maneuver they presented was rather simple.  They were going to break away at the last moment and close in on my either side of my flank.  A classic military move used by pegasi soldiers for centuries.  I jumped a precise half-second before the supposed break would occur.  

Some would probably refer to my success as blind luck, but in reality it was child's play.  My knowledge of Equestrian military tactics dates back to several books regarding the subject within the Canterlot Library.  Also skeletal thralls are rather unperceptive, being without feeling and whatnot, so most of the time they aren’t prone to cerebration.  A feign that was not ordered was not likely to occur to them.  

My jump left me airborne for an approximate two seconds before I landed on the ground a few feet in front of the skeletal pegasi.  They had both backed off the assault in time to avoid a collision with each other, but not to avoid faltering.  One had landed on the ground with a rather nasty thud while the other hovered a ways above the ground after having pulled up in a rather rushed manner.

I looked over to the other two unicorns.  To my great displeasure I could see they had finished building up their spell.  Apparently it was a conglomerate effort among the two.  How wonderfully sweet, perhaps worthy of a friendship report.  Well, it would be, if it was not a conglomerate effort at murdering me that is.  

The strength of the bolt they had prepared was too large.  There was no possible way I could avoid it before the initial blast.  The radius upon contact with the ground would obliterate anything within a good twelve feet.  

So I had failed after all.  I had not survived the onslaught.  All that effort resulting in nothing but loss. Failure is an experience that, on its own, is horrendous, but when coupled with the sacrifice of survival it is just plain abominable.  My thoughts turned skyward, towards the celestial body I had spent more than half my life on.

So large and so wonderful it was.  It sat there, a testament to my will.  I suppose Celestia would have to raise it each and everyday as she had done for so long.  Ha, and I was hoping to help relieve her of her work load.  What a bitter moment.  So glorious the Moon.  We should all make an effort to remember it...wait...

Memento Luna...


Remember the Moon.  There was something the Moon could do for me now.  Well, maybe.  Probably not.  But maybe.  I had spent so long traversing it that the innate magical connection I had shared with it had been strengthened.  Upon my return to Equestria molding it and the Night were simplistic in nature.  Mainly because the magic to control the celestial heavens rested not within the user’s inherit ability, but their connection with their astral sphere.  

Perhaps I could harness the energy of the Moon and create a sort of shield.  Something similar to the magic that affected my mane (although it lacked those wondrous qualities at the moment).  Yes, I could use that connection and create a shield, or rather a mist, that could encase me and perhaps protect me from this beam.  And it would not require the use of unicorn magic on my part, but astral manipulation instead!

I reached out to the Night.  It was not hard to form the connection.  I focused upon one image.  My eyes involuntarily shut as the image became more pronounced.  The image of a shield surrounding me, keeping me safe from the world, becoming a misty veil that wrapped around me.  I felt cold air arising around my hooves.  Hopefully it was not just my imagination.

I heard a blast, likely the bolt of energy being launched at me, and waited.  It was probably just a second, but that moment felt like a century.  Well, more like a minute than a century, but it’s the same difference really.  There was a hissing noise, similar to the sound of steam, then nothing.  

A strange sensation was going through my mane.  Each clump of hair was whipping around, some even striking my closed eyes and mouth.  A cold wind was beating on my back.  Wait, wind?

I opened my eyes.  I was no longer on the ground.  Instead I was flying through the air with quite the scene ahead of me.  The mist which had apparently wrapped around me was dissipating into the starlight while the ground around it had been seared by a lethal energy.  The two pegasi who had assaulted me were there as well.  

It appeared one of them had managed to extend himself outside the blast radius while the other had been struck by the blast of the energy bolt.  The remains of her corpse were charred, yet still they exuded that supernatural flame.  Three down, three left to subdue before I would have another chance at the game-master.  

I attempted extending my wings, but they were apparently still restrained by the slime because, well, they were still restrained by the slime.  I hit the ground on my side without even being able to use my wing to cushion the fall.  I heard a sickening crunch and a dull pained lashed through my side.  

I cracked a rib.  At least I was not dead.  I looked around trying to gather exactly where I was in the clearing.  To my surprise, and I am sure Paradise’s, great surprise I was just ahead the mouth of the cave.  In front of me stood Paradise, mouth hanging open just a centimeter at the sight of my “flight.”

The look on my adversary’s face was so intensely satisfying that I could not help but scream out a taunt.  “And that, my dear Paradise, is how I made the Moon-bounce!”  With that I rushed into the cave behind me...	


The cracked rib was not nearly as serious as I previously thought it would be.  In reality it would likely heal within a few weeks.  That was, unless Paradise pursued me into the cave.  Which, undoubtedly, it would.  

The look it had given me as I descended into the darkness was one of disbelief and, furthermore, surprise.  Though from what I had seen of this creature it found surprises entertaining.  Very entertaining, in fact.

I backed up into a corner and allowed my vision to set itself on the entrance to the cave.  Nothing would slip by me.  I nestled against the cold stone surface of the floor, embracing the darkness within.  There was a faint growl in the distance.  I heard footsteps beat against stone.  They were coming.

Three bursts of flame appeared at the entranceway of the cave.  The faint glow that irradiated off of them was off putting, but it allowed me the advantage.  They would only be able to see as far as the light allowed, and those flames of theirs were faint, very faint.  

Outside, I thought I could hear Paradise giving the command, “Find her.  Bring me her will.”

The three proceeded to split into two groups.  The remaining pegasus landed daintily and walked beside one of the unicorns towards my position while the other unicorn headed in the opposite direction.  Both unicorns cast a small illumination spells.  I backed up further, into a small den of stalagmites that furthered concealed me.

I did not blend in well with the cave when illuminated, but I was quite hard to spot in any sort of darkness.  Especially when my mane was not sparkling like a Hearths Warming Wreath.  I had not an inkling of what I could or would do next.  Everything seemed to kind of blur into a large mess now that I was given the chance to think upon events.  Most of my plans had been improvisations, and while they were good improvisations they were still improvisations.

Here was a chance to plan though.  Here I was in control.  This was my element. Even if I didn’t have the advantage of magic or flight I had the advantage of stealth.  A mastery of stealth is really quite essential to anypony who wants to be powerful.  Now in my seclusion I could come to a decision.

Would I try to avoid the searing gaze of these mongrels and attack them from behind?  If so, how would I go about damaging them?  Should I attempt to take on the two groups individually or once they met up?  Or, should I just walk out of the cave right then?  

The best course of action was obvious.  I would stow away and let the peering gaze of my stalkers pass over me, then I would follow behind them nimbly.  From there I could trace a path out and set a rockfall trap or even wield some of the pointed stones as weapons.  Perhaps I could find a large animal to annoy deeper inside the cave.  Obviously, it would be far easier to take on these two groups individually, starting with the two ponies closest to my position.  

The pegasus walked alongside the unicorn rather than fly, obviously trying to avoid being impaled by stalactites.  That could be used as an advantage.   A collapse of stones or my presence would force the pegasus into flight, thus putting her at another disadvantage.  The unicorns magic would be easily avoidable within the confined area.  

Of course, as soon as I presented myself I would be just as vulnerable as them.  Unless I found a loose stalagmite or low-hanging stalactite that was versatile enough to be wielded.  Summoners usually feel a partial part of what their thralls/golems experience.  

This was my chance to put Paradise through some serious pain.  That monster out there would suffer for consuming these ponies and using what was left as material for battle.  It would endure a great amount of torment by the end of this Night.
A great amount indeed...

The footsteps and slight illumination of a spell drew me out of my thoughts and brought me back to the world of the living.  I sat perfectly still, allowing for dust and dirt to collect on my flank.  I held my breath in an attempt to keep any shadow I cast from moving.  Doing such was agony on my rib, but it was a necessary means to a necessary end.  

The animated dead walked past me, their eyes searching all the wrong places.  Their gaze locked onto my position more than once, but there was not enough light for them to properly view me.  The unicorn locked eyes with me once, but she turned away and continued along with the pegasus.  

As they went forward I slowly crept out and searched my surroundings.  If I was to follow these two beasts without incident I would have to restrict my pace and stance to a crawl.  The cave tended to create an echo, something which could only be avoided by prevention.  Thus my pace was slow and my steps careful, perhaps resulting in my dragging behind the two skeletal things.  

It physically hurt to drag my body against the ground, but that seemed to be my only option unless I were to straddle the cave floor with my knees; hooves were simply to loud in this environment.  There were no outside sounds to provide a visor to the clopping of hooves.  The mutts ahead of me were oblivious to the sound their own hooves made, or more likely, they didn’t care.

Even so, I could not properly mask the sound of my hoofbeats under their hoofbeats.  That was far too complicated and would just result in my being discovered.  Then that would lead to my demise.  Then that stupid creature would absorb my essence.  Then, that would lead to further chaos once the creature took hold of my unique magic.

So I was reduced to slithering along a rock floor using my knees as traction.  My ribs cried out in protest, but their calls fell upon deaf ears.  I could hear something as I was following my stalkers (Obvious Irony is Obvious).  It was a faint dripping noise.  e Yes, we were coming upon a spring!  Or, at the very least, we were coming under one. 

I pulled myself to my hooves, and using the flowing sounds of the water as a silencer, paced instep with my targets.  The flaming aura surrounding the two mongrels was giving off an iridescent glow that reminded me faintly of my own mane.  Luckily my mane didn’t glow with its normal beauty, due to the binding my magic was suffering from.  

Slowly I gained ground on the two things.  Still, I had no real strategy as to attacking them.  All I could really do was stalk them until an opportunity in which to strike  presented itself.  Then I saw it: a slope!

A small indent with a hill leading upwards, an elevation that would give me the literal high ground on the creatures.  It was hidden from their sight.  It was on the outskirts of the illumination spell the unicorn had cast and was fairly inconspicuous.  Nevertheless it passed along their path, and if a cave-in where to happen to occur it was likely to originate from that sloped area.  

I allowed myself to deviate from the path I had set on in order to reach the area.  The dripping of the water was still audible, as was the footsteps of my quarry.  I made no such noises, however.  This was all a part of the game.  I have to make them think they have the advantage until the very last moment.  

The elevated area of the cave had a small hill carved into its side.  Well, it was not so much a hill as it was a steep indentation.  It was steep enough to go unnoticed by the untrained eye, but it was not so steep as to prevent ascension.  

I climbed up the side, taking care to not lose my footing lest I be discovered.  There were several crevices in which I could place my hooves so there was that.  If not for my night-vision and the faint flames of my targets I may have lost sight of them.  

Eventually I reached a point where the climb leveled off, leaving me along the sides of the wall and the large hollow.  I sped my pace up just a little bit in order to gain ground on my targets.  They were just below me now, and still searching.  Their gaze arched over me several times, never fully taking in the shadow I had become.

I took a false step.  I heard the crumble of rocks.  I looked down.  A few loose pebbles had made their way down the slope.  Both of the beings whose gaze I had attempted avoiding looked towards me and the slope.  I sunk deeper into the shadows and strategized.  

If the two had seen me, or heard me rather, than it would make sense they stay in their current positions and investigate the cause of alarm.  They would stay under that loose confection of rocks I had stepped on...  

If I found a fault and proper leverage I could probably cause a cave-in on them.  I scanned the various stalagmites around me, searching for one that could be wielded as a way to leverage the cluster of loose boulders onto my targets.  My gaze fell on a tall knife-like one that was thin at the bottom: easy to brake off, easy to wedge into a gap or rupture.  

I searched the ground for the fault first, considering that when I ripped the stalagmite out of the ground it would be rather...not quiet.  I found it just along the base, near where I had made my misstep.  I leapt towards the stalagmite and ripped it from the ground.  The resounding snap it made sure my cover wouldn’t last.  

Both of the suspicious mongrels stare penetrated me.  They saw through me now!  I could see the pegasus bracing herself to fly at me like a bullet while the unicorn appeared to be charging a spell.  A few of the sharper stalactites were being jerked out, probably to be used as daggers.  

I practically flew to the base of the fracture.  I inserted the thinner edge of the stalagmite into the narrow gap, forcing it further downwards until I heard a thud.  Then I pulled back, stalagmite gripped firmly between my teeth.  I felt another crumble under my feet and jumped back in time to avoid the avalanche.  

The supports of the adjoining cave wall crumbled away, releasing tall boulders to fly downwards towards my prey.  The pegasus had flown half the distance already, managing her way up the wall much easier than myself.  The unicorn had finally gotten a grip on all of her pointed stones.  They flew off the ceilings in a great bunch, pointing themselves towards me menacingly. 

None of that mattered as my boulders fell, though.  One thing one cannot prevent is a force of nature.  The pegasus was unable to break away in time.  A larger rock smashed into her right wing, knocking her off balance for a moment.  That moment resulted in her clutching to the edge of the caves walls as rock upon rock crashed down on her.  Finally she could take no more and fell.  She fell with and under the boulders.  

The unicorn attempted to flee as well, but was also trying to concentrate her spell.  A smaller, but still massive and dangerous, boulder she did not see fell on her hindquarters.  She fell to the ground.  No more rocks threatened her, though.  She just sat half-crushed under the boulder.  

Her horn still glowed, though.  What spell could she still be attempting to cast?  She couldn’t possibly have the energy to start a new spell so it had to be...uh-oh.

The stalactites I had ignored previously now became very apparent through all the dust.  They floated menacingly in the air, a strange ethereal glow surrounding them. They shot at me like minuscule rockets, forming long picks that humbled daggers.  At least they weren’t on fire, at least I was not being threatened by flaming stone picks of death.  Just regular ole’ stone picks of death.  

There were about half a dozen in all, though they were very threatening.  I expected the unicorn to shoot them one at a time but I was, unfortunately, wrong.  All were being hurled at once.  The only redeemable quality was that the unicorn would perish soon, leaving me six acerbic weapons.  They weren’t really acerbic.  I’d just like to think that they were.  If they talked I am sure they would probably be acerbic.  

The attack itself was, surprisingly, not hard to avoid.  Perhaps I had finally gotten used to the dexterity limits I was under, or perhaps the unicorn could not concentrate on the spell very well.  Either way a deft jump to the left and a quick pull into the contours of the shadows proved enough to elude the stalactites.

The weapons themselves bounced off the walls harmlessly and fell to flooring of the cave a next to my hooves.  The magic that held them ceased to do so.  Death had ended the struggle of the unicorn trying to overcome me.  So that was the last desperate attempt at defeating me, eh?  Well too bad because I had lots of rocks, my wits, and stealth.  

Enemies would do well to remember that I am practically invincible when I have the cloak of darkness and rocks.  If anything ever threatens my country or those within it, I will have lots of rocks waiting.  One thing Equestria is abundant in is rocks.

> Burns
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I turned towards the direction of the cave’s entrance.  There was only one enthralled golem left before I could once again face up to Paradise.  I had one of the several sharpened stalactites that had been shot at me held in my mouth, prepared to use it against the remaining unicorn.

Thats when I heard the sound of a mechanical galloping, the kind one hears when hooves are beating against  a surface at a regular rhythm.  I fled back into the shroud of the shadows.  A shape was taking form in the distance, the shape of the remaining mongrel.  

It must have heard the avalanche of rocks.  Of course, I’m pretty sure everypony in Equestria heard that.  Why do my strategies always involve loud noises?  Can nnot be silent just once?  Hopefully the unicorn would not notice me.

I was much better camouflaged now, anyways.  The dust and many bits of rock had stuck to my coat, giving it a shade of color similar to the background of the cave.  However, if this unicorn was under specific orders to search for me so it would be much more aware of the fallen rock wall than normal.

If she walked up the same path I did to search for the origin of the avalanche then the illumination spell would, no doubt, reveal my position.  Especially when she already knew I was there.  I would have to wait and see if she kept to the lower path or took the high road.  Perhaps I would be lucky and she would take the bottommost path.

From there, I was not entirely sure what I would do, but whatever it was, it had to be brilliant.  

I had to plan for the worst, though.  If my target took the high path I would have to face her head on, no avoiding that.  My only chance there would to be close the distance gap between us and take a stab at her with my weapon.  That would be sure to subdue the strange beast that died in such a pony-like manner. 

I could not make contact physically, though.  I would have to use a medium, such as my stalactite blade, and maintain my distance from the ethereal flames that burned like...flames.  The mongrel was edging closer.  I could see the galloping beast and the horrendous colorful glow it emanated.  I wanted nothing more than to crush that thing into dust with the force of my magic right then, but the world had decided to conspire against me at that time.

She was upon the scene where the paths twisted off into top and bottom.  She, like her comrades, took the road most traveled, thank Tartarus.  She moved cautiously along the lower pathway, taking care to eye every dot, every shadow, every trace, every corner.  This one was far more experienced a tracker than the other two.  

I watched as she edged closer to the area in which I crouched.  True, she was below me, but I did not want to risk being spotted.  I edged closer towards the precipice of the elevated area, preparing to cause a second avalanche on the unicorn if need be.  I did not need to be plagued by another magic user.

She walked over to the boulders and investigated.  She obviously spotted the torso of her companion, half buried under a mass of rocks, because she instantly put up her guard.  I just watched as she investigated the area, horn keeping the area illuminated the entire time.  

By some misfortune her illumination spell seemed to be more powerful than her companions.  It reached out slightly farther extending to my position amongst the cloak of dust and shadows.  By some other misfortune this pony happened to look up.  Her hollowed out eye sockets were just blank, a feral purpose was imprinted upon the face of this mongrel, burning with the passion of battle.  The locking of eyes lasted a moment, just one moment.  It was enough for me to decide that the only way I could bring the pony peace was to destroy it.  I would not give up on my subjects, even after their death.

I leapt off the edge of the overhang, stone dagger firmly gripped in my mouth.  My foe’s horn was aglow with the ominous traces of a magic counter.  I did not care, though.  This was my only course of action.  I had nothing else to do but hope I hit my target and that the fall wouldn’t cause my bones to shatter like glass.  

The air was rushing past me, pulling the bits of dust and rock out of my mane as I fell.  True, the fall was not from such a great height as to cause me death (as long as the beast broke my fall) but it would not be completely safe either.  I bent my body into a semi circle, extending the stony point outwards.  

My plan, well my improvisation, was to fall onto the mongrel with my blade and roll away.  I could not bear to receive more burns, and thus wanted to reduce the time I spent touching it.  It was unavoidable that I receive the burns if my plan succeeded of course, I just wanted to keep contact to a minimum.

I fell, and fell, and fell.  How I managed to stay upright while doing so is a mystery.  It was a feeling of complete adrenaline that caused me to leap.  there had been no planning, no preparation, no procedure for being spotted.  I had overestimated my stealth capabilities when I had the advantage, I suppose.  So if I died, perhaps it was punishment for a failure.  Perhaps it was just survival of the fittest.  

The beast was right under me, jaw fixed into a shut position.  I pulled my neck inwards inwards towards my torso and aimed my stone pick for the eye socket.  I aimed to destroy that infernal thing.  That thing which had once been a pony and was now merely a puppet in a game of cat and mouse.  I wanted to release the soul contained within those bones.

It was hard to tell if I hit my target.  All I could hear was crash as I released the pick and fell onto the fiery bones.  It burned my back, but I was able to swiftly, and deftly, roll away.  I fell onto the ground and got to my hooves a few feet from my target.  I felt like my skin had been seared but when I look across my back it bore no evidence ofhaving been touched by fire.  

I looked over to my stalker.  She was crumpled on the ground in a flaming pile of bone, similar to how her companions had been vanquished.  The pick pierced the eye as I had intended and it looked as if I had even broken one of things ribs when I crashed onto it.

That was it.  Now all that was left was to face up to Paradise with no magic and no wing-power.  What could possibly go wrong?  It was not likely that I would survive the encounter so I sat enamored with the idea of martyrdom.  Couldn’t be too bad; ponies would revere me and claim I was hero, possibly even forgetting the whole Nightmare Moon incident. 

Ah, well fate awaited me.  I lifted myself up and walked towards the entrance of the cave.  I didn’t even have a limp.  Flaming skeletons of powerful and possibly famous pre-celestial era ponies sure do make good cushions.  Perhaps I should I get one for my bedroom.

I walked back through the maze of stalactites and stalagmites, preparing myself for the inevitable confrontation as I neared closer to the opening of the cave.  Hopefully Celestia would reach me soon.  That is, if Rainfall managed to get to Canterlot in time...

Suddenly, a rush of wind went up my back.  Not a natural breeze in a cave, no, this was a powerful blast the one felt only when something is moving at a great speed near you.  I swiveled onto my back legs and pivoted my front legs so I could see behind myself.  

I had turned just in time to see a one-winged pegasus, half galloping, half flying towards me.  I recognized her immediately as the pegasus who I had trapped under the rockfall.  I had not a second to plan or meditate on this as the pegasus was upon me in a second.  

I rolled onto my back and pushed my hind-legs upwards and inwards as the mongrel leapt at me.  I caught her between the ribs and managed to kick her behind myself.  She tumbled in the air and hit the ground with a dull thud a few feet away.  They the heavens for earth-pony resolve and strength.

I got back onto my hooves a microsecond before my foe.  It wasn’t a quick enough recovery for me to capitalize on, though.  For a moment we stood in a crouched position, facing one another.  Then my opponent began to make slow movements to the left.  I, in retort, moved to the right.  We began to walk in a large circle, both of us, just waiting for the other to let their guard down.  

I studied the beast for a second.  Somehow it had survived the rockfall, but it had obviously sustained some injury during the event.  I looked to the monster’s back first.  Only one of its wings was present.  It probably got stuck under a rock, meaning the mongrel had to go on without it.  

There were hairline fractures on several of the bones and, although it was hard to tell, what appeared to be ripples in the Ethereal flame surrounding the beast.  One such fracture was located on the base of the skull, stretching from the left nostril to the right eye.  One leg was completely shattered by the looks of it.  This must have been one tough pony in life.  One that probably gave her life defending herself and Equestria against Paradise just I was doing today.  

Paradise would atone for this execrable sin...

I must slaughter my own ponies in order to preserve my life.  And my purpose in preserving my own life is to save my ponies.  I suppose this the droll comedy in which Paradise is partial to.  It would prove a rather difficult scenario to maneuver around.  

I know there is no possible way I will be able to avoid physical contact with my opponent in this situation.  I resigned myself to that.  So, how would I be able to physically gain an advantage over my foe?  Before I had further time to think on the situation my opponent charged.

She was a powerful pegasus, and she was quite speedy at that.  My reaction time might have dulled as well.  I was tackled to the ground in mere moments, the burning sensation passing through my body mingling well with the sheer force of the impact.  

The creature wasted no time in pinning me to the ground.  I felt like my skin was being seared off by a dragon.  The invisible flames were licking at me.  They burned worse than any ordinary fire.  The mongrel had her hindquarters over me with one leg on either side of my body.  She had one leg and hoof, the shattered hoof I believe, planted firmly on my chest insuring I couldn’t move in any direction.

The other hoof was raised in the air over me; I doubt she was intending to pat me on the back either.  Her ossified hoof was brought down forcefully upon my face.  She hit me directly in the eye.  She brought it up above her again.  And once again it fell upon my face, though, this time on my snout.  She kept on going, while I just started to black out.  The world was fading, the blows became lighter, my body felt far away, I could not even focus on the burns I was sustaining.  A metallic smell and the warm taste of blood brought me back to sensibility.  Pain was not only a comfort, but a friend now.

She began to raise her hoof in the air again to repeat the process, but I would intervene this time.  As I saw her hoof falling towards me once again.  I opened my mouth and caught the length of her leg in my mouth.  Looking down I could see the cracks that had formed on her bone from hitting me.  I would have hated to see how I looked right then. 

For a moment, we were deadlocked.  I could not move much and she only had her head free.  Slowly she opened her jaw and leaned her neck down.  The pace at which she did so could only be described as agonizingly stagnant.  

Was she really planning on biting me?  Her teeth were not particularly sharp, nor were they intact.  That probably had something to do with that rock slide.  I suppose they would get the job done with enough applied force, however. 

With as much force as I could I pulled my left hoof out from under me and shoved into my opponents foe, attempting to push her away.  She just clamped down on my foreleg.  It was...unpleasant.  And disgusting.  Enthralled skeletal golems of an ancient nature are surprisingly rich in ghost saliva. 

The situation was grim.  I could not stay in this position as my foe clearly had the upper hand.  The ethereal flames she emitted were a weighty burden upon me.  I could smell charred flesh and the burning sensation in my throat threatened to choke me.  I would not last long like this.  I could see blood flowing down my leg from where my opponent was biting me.

Of course the situation got worse.  The pegasus held its wing high above its head for a moment.  I could see it then; her wing was pointed on all ends, making it resemble a bat’s wings more than a pegasus.  She brought the wing coming down at me and I could not bring my right hoof up in time to stop it.

The very tip of the pinion pierced my shoulder.  It had been sharpened to a point.  Normal pegasi pinions are rounded.  All I could do to withstand the torment was bite down harder on the skeletal hoof, which would then retaliate by charring the inside of my mouth like a kabob.  When I brought my right hoof up to try and push the wing away, it did nothing.  

No, it did worse than nothing!  It served to put me through more pain.  Was that what my existence was then?  Where pain, sorrow, grief, failure, and hardship all I would ever face?  Was I constantly destined for failure?  My hoof fell to floor once more.

My eyes desperately searched out a way for me to elude my ill-fortuned fate.  The large cavern surrounding me was so big, so full, yet so empty.  Finally my gaze fell on a small boulder to my left.  I looked back at my foe.

To reach the rock I would need to remove my left fore-hoof from my opponents mouth.  That would give her the chance to take a bite out of me.  Unless, of course, I was quick enough in grabbing the rock.  Wait, how would I go about grabbing the rock?  I didn’t have magic to lift it.  What was it earth-ponies did to pick things up?

Ah, yes.  They cradle items.  I would grasp the stone in the cusp of my knee and use my remaining strength and bring it against my opponents head!  That should destroy my enemy.  Or at least incapacitate.  Or, with my luck, do nothing and annoy them.

I breathed heavily, preparing to enact my scheme.  That turned out to be a stupid idea with fire being shoved in my mouth.  I jerked my left leg away, expecting my foe to bite down harder when I tried to resist.  Surprisingly, my opponent let go rather easily.  Apparently they wanted to end this as much as I did.  I slapped my hoof around the edge of the rock and cradled it into the pocket of my knee.

I brought it upwards and inwards with everything I had.  At the same time the mongrel was attempting to take another bite out of me.  She did not get the chance.  My blow connected with the right eye socket, leaving visible traces of a blighting. 

The blow was enough to knock my opponent off balance.  I brought my two lower hooves under her off-balance side.  In a complete roundabout I ended up on top of my opponent, rock still clutched in-hoof.  My opponent was struggling, lashing out at me, but I did not bother with restraining her.  I just brought rock down on her skull.  I lifted it into the air and did so again.  And again.  And again.  

I don’t know how long it took: one blow, maybe twenty, but I just kept slamming the rock down on her until I could not physically exert the effort.  When I was finally done my opponent’s entire skull had caved-in.  Like her companions her bones had fallen loosely upon death.  That aura still surrounded her however.  I could still feel the burns.  I spit out a little blood left over from the struggle.  “You shall remain in your deadened state this time, cur!”  I threw the rock to the side.

I looked at my shoulder where the wing had penetrated it.  Only the tip of the wing had cut through, but it was serrated and long.  I gripped the pinion between both of my hooves, trying to ignore the pain that shot through my hooves and shoulder when I did so.  I pulled, at a very slow pace to make sure I did not rip anymore muscle upon getting it out.  

It did not come out easily.  The jagged edges were scraping against my shoulder blade, and had I not had such a high tolerance for pain and such resolve I may have given in.  Eventually I was able to get the wing out.  It crumbled to the ground as soon as I laid it down.

I stopped to catch my breath.  I could not let Paradise see me in such a weakened state, eh?  I took the moment to study the strange pinion on the mongrel pegasus.  It was pointed, but not naturally.  It appeared the bone had been shaved down.  The pegasus had been quick and agile, showing an incredible amount of speed and dexterity that rivaled some rather adept fliers.  

There were very few pegasus who’s existence would fit that description.  Well, there were very few stories of pegasus who’d fit that description.  In fact the only pegasi to ever have bladed pinions were members of the mythical Dream Guard.  The Dream Guard were a group of ponies obsessed with the well-being of Equestria (pre-celestial era) in ancient times.  

Members who joined had to make their own bodies into weapons; unicorns would sharpen their horns, pegasi would sharpen their wings, and earth ponies would shave down pockets in their own flesh in which they could store weapons.  This was centuries before a celestial controller graced the lands, back when crime was active and a group of unicorns called the Conglomerate all used their magic to raise and lower the Moon and Sun.  

The Dream Guard were meant to strike fear into the hearts of criminal.  If a criminal attempted escape or struggled, even a little, they were executed on command.  Those were different times then.  I would have to study my archival texts find out who these ponies were.  Maybe I could give them a proper rest.

Looking over my body presented a revelation.  The ethereal flames, which upon lesser contact with the vampiric earth pony and the other unicorn did nothing visibly, but now marks were visible across my body.  Small white flashes here and there, showing evidence that I had been burned along my entire underside and (probably) on the face.  

It was only extended contact with this flame that actually yielded results.  Strange.  Looking over my wings presented one other fact.  One long streak of the slime, from where the pinion of the Dream Guard’s wing had scraped across it, was not present.  An entire gap of the stuff was gone.

That was it.  “Fire.”  I needed fire to rid myself of the goop and, quite possibly, fight Paradise without dying.  Fire must loosen the sludge itself, then all that is required is a simple scrape to remove it.  I turned back towards the aged bones, but now the iridescent glow they emitted earlier was gone, replaced instead by a purple glow.  A very familiar glow.

“Wait, NO!!!”  I leapt forward but only ended up passing through air.  Where once there had been a Dream Guard there was now the cold floor of the cave.  Paradise had used a return spell.  Probably casted it once it realized all of its thralls had been defeated.

Or maybe...maybe it had been able to hear me through that thrall.  It wasn’t impossible.  Several spells had been developed to allow one to see and hear through other objects.  Maybe my sudden use of the word fire had scared it.  Perhaps it did not want me using the one thing it knew would stop the toxin.

I walked towards the entrance of the cave.  If all of this were true, as I was inclined to believe, then there was only one thing to do: wander around a clearing searching for the flaming bones of my ancestors while an elemental murderer from the Ether shoots strange and foreign spells at me.  It was foolproof.  

I came across the entrance of the cavern and quite a sight was awaiting me.  Paradise stood on ground level, simply glaring at me.  Its devilish slime was there splattered across the ground haphazardly.  Apparently its interest in the stuff had not faded.  It stared at me dangerously.  

“Quite an impressive feat.”  Its compliment was void of anything but menace.

“Not, really.  Your thralls were actually quite weak-minded.”  I was in no mood to share barbs with a monster at the moment, but any excuse to create a plan.

This slime appears to be quite maneuverable, but it telegraphs signals that it is about to move before it performs any action.  So as long as I was careful and there weren’t other complications I would be able to easily avoid it.  The slime wasn’t really what bothered me at that moment (although I did take note of it).  

In the center of the clearing, ahead of Paradise, lay the remains of six ponies (except for the earth-pony, which was still frozen in that queer position).  Right away I recognized them as the thralls I had fought previously.  None of them showed any signs of movement.  So, I suppose destroying the things did actually have an effect.  

“No, really.  I collected those remains over thousands of years, well before your time, whenever that may be.  I handpicked them out of all of my meals because of the strength and ability they showed.  You put them all to shame.  And without the use of your full power, might I add.”  The last bit was said while it cast a sardonic smile at me.  

“Truly, you are an impressive specimen.  Your understanding and comprehension skills are on par with your ability to strategize and improvise.  You used the environment around you as tool in fighting my thralls.  Even when you where faced with physical confrontation in the form of my final manageable pet you found a way.  You showed an unbeatable tolerance for intense pain.  Even with the flames on licking at your skin you still managed to subsist.”  It paused as if it expected me to respond with an expression of gratitude at the praise.  

“You were at an enormous disadvantage through the entire battle, yet somehow you pulled through.  You shall be a good doggie, one I can be...proud of...perhaps.”  Its tone was destitute of any emotion.  It spoke as if it was genuine fact.  There was no drive of passion, no force behind its voice, not even a breach of neutrality.  The epitome of true insanity is not in the act of emotion driven murder, but in the act of a murder performed out of indifference.  

Fear, passion, love, hate: ponies have philosophized that these are the root of both insanity and happiness.  No, the threshold between insanity and any emotion is non-existent- we in our own rights are insane.  Indifference is a catalyst for the rate of devastation.  It amplifies ideas of power and control...that is when we truly go mad.

“I am no creature’s pet!  I am the Princess of the Night, a defender of Equestria- and the harmony which it upholds, controller of the Moon, a powerful sage able to match Celestia, I am Luna.  You are a basis of instinct, a monster without purpose but to bring dissension!  You shall atone for your sins and perish in a veil of shadow.  In all regards, you shall be erased.” 	

Passion in its own right is partially insane.  But indifference is insanity itself...

> Just a Pawn
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You need not speak.  I only wished to give you some bit of pride in your final moments, but I see you are more inclined towards uttering obscenities.  Now be silent, whelp!!!”  Paradise sat down on its haunches and brushed its hoof through the air in a sweeping motion.  

There was no point in verbal retaliation.  There were no words left between our parties.  In the end, when all is reduced to a basis of instinct and insanity, what is left to be said?  When good and evil come to a head, there are no words left to depict the scene, no thoughts to be expressed.  No, the only thing applicable at that point is a bitter enmity.  One that only obliteration can solve.  

Paradise fired a chain of bolts at me, not relenting in its onslaught for even a moment.  The bolts were an unflawed white, with smaller bolts of energy being discharged from each larger one.  They curved in high arches before pointing downwards and forming a narrow slope towards me.  

I jerked to the side as the first barrage landed in the position I had occupied.  The initial vault to my right sent shockwaves through my body, my shoulder specifically, causing me no small amount of anguish.  Had it not been for the adrenaline and my tolerance I would been writhing around in pain.  The ground where the bolts hit was charred and ripped apart by the raw energy.  I could see another volley directly behind the previous one, already tracing out a path towards me.

I jumped forward, careful to avoid the haphazard forms of goop that covered the grounds (in rather unorganized splotches), but also focused on reaching the ethereal fires of the mangled bodies.  If I could access my magic and wings I could easily dispel the bolts and retaliate.  The bolts themselves were simplistic.  They weren’t unique, nor were they particularly powerful.

True the rate and power at which Paradise unleashed the bolts was impressive, but the simplicity present in the spell itself was strange.  A creature of this nature should be able to perform much higher level spells that deal vast amounts of damage.  Spells that would deal an indescribable amount of damage to me.  I should have been easily subdued...was this thing holding back? 

No, I couldn’t question things.  Paradise was a demented, twisted phantom that spread itself similar to a virus.  This was just a game to it.  Not even that, a distraction.  All I could do was survive.  That, and shove the fact that I survived down that abomination’s gullet.

I leapt over each strike of bolts.  Some landed behind me, others landed ahead of me, anticipating where I would be.  I had to move my hooves into some more awkward positions while running to avoid the slime that covered the thickets of grass, charred earth, and silica.  As I came closer and closer to the center of the clearing the bolts started coming down at a faster rate and with much more force.  They had less space to account for before reaching me.

The bolts themselves were even beginning to strategize.  One set came down a circular formation in order to surround me.  I managed to duck under it by a very thin margin as another line came rushing into the middle of the circle, demolishing the area I had occupied previously.  

The ooze was in a much more concentrated state around the center of the clearing.  There were some points in which I was forced to hop over the puddles of gunk.  There seemed to be no real pattern to the spreading of the substance.  Perhaps it emulated the capricious nature of its master. 

I was edging quite close to the flames.  If I kept up my current speed of travel and did not diverge in my route then I would likely reach them within a few seconds.  The reality that salvation sat just a few yards away kept me from thinking straight, from questioning why it was so simple.  Instead it pushed me to another process of thought within myself.

I leapt over another batch of the foul sludge when some of the arching bolts caught me off guard.  The landed a few inches from my left flank, leaving residential energy to shock me.  I stumbled for a moment and ended up tripping over my own hooves.  For a moment I fell, tucking my shoulder into a roll, and praying that I did not land in anything or get hit by another deluge of energized bullets.  

I failed in my attempt to save myself from the fall.  I hit the ground with a resounding thud, sending a shockwave to blast against my injured shoulder.  I flinched with the pain, but stood anyways.  I was so close to my targets now.  So very close.

None of the slime was within a yard of the skeletal remains themselves, reinforcing my theory that the flames they emitted repelled the sludge.  Perhaps I should not have placed my entire existence upon a theory, but this situation was precarious and losing ‘grace points,’ was not my gravest concern.  

Coming closer I noticed that the thralls had lost their sheen.  They seemed much less...ethereal in nature.  The flames they bore were still the same color, and still fire, but the ghostly glow they had contained was gone.

The bolts had stopped their assault upon me.  I suppose Paradise had no intentions of destroying its prized thralls, and it just wanted to salvage what it could from their wreckage.  Or, and this was much more likely, it was preparing another spell to launch at me.  Something more powerful than the bolt chain I had faced previously.  I had to act fast.

I leapt to the familiar spectrum of light emanating from the pegasus I had fought earlier.  I gripped the wing in between my jaw, ignoring the burning sensation I felt shoot through my mouth.  I drug the pointed pinion across the solidified substance that pinned my wings down (and my magic).  

Slowly I watched as...nothing happened.  The tip had not pierced the slime as I had expected.  I drug the pinion against it again.  Absolutely nothing happened.  Again and again I drug the pointed tip across the slime, my hope dwindling upon each touch.  finally I released the wing as the futility of the action, and pain of touching fire, dawned on me.  

A dry laugh echoed behind me.  I swiveled around to face Paradise.  “What is this deceitfulness?  Why was I not released upon my wielding of the flames?”

It stared at me for a moment, small creases formed alongside the sides of its mouth.  It was not so much a smile as it was a grim smirk.  The expression that crossed the face of the creature could almost be called supercilious.  Otherwise, it was quite void of emotion or any real trait.  

“You have given me no reason to do so, but I shall grace you with a reply.”  It put emphasis upon the sentence as if I should feel a hint of shame.  “You have stumbled upon my detailed and utterly ingenous trap.  I mean inenious.  I mean igenious.  Ingenious.  I ingenious- meant...dammit.  Moving on, I used your comprehension abilities and intelligence against you.  I have made you your own enemy.  As I stated, you have fallen into a trap.”  The beast sat still while it spoke, no emotion bleeding through its speech.  It could have been delivering an oration at a lecture on the growth rate of grass for all that it mattered.  

I backed up a bit, unsure of what would happen next.  Paradise’s voice broke out again.  “My dear, I am not going to let you simply walk away.”  A thick barrier formed behind me.  I was being herded into the center for some reason.

I was distraught to say the least.  Moments ago I had so much confidence in my wit, now, I had nothing.  Nothing but dirts and burning bones.  Useless burning bones.  At least I had dirt, right?  How had it even trapped me anyways?  What had I done wrong?

Seeing as this was probably my final chance to find out, I posed the question to my adversary.  “What trap would that be, exactly?  I am quite curious as to why these flames did not purge this filth from my wings.”  I had to take a moment to regain my composure.  Something about this...stuff...was beyond repellent.  

Paradise sat there unmoving, gaze unfaltering.  It was an image of pure terror next to the still frosted left side of its face.  A gruesome visage of passionate insanity upon indifferent insanity.  “You will experience the effects of my trap soon enough, and as for the flames, I would expect you would be able to solve that conundrum.  Or if you can’t I’ve been overestimating you.”  Apparently along with losing its sense of humor the monster lost its courtesy.

I ignored the response, finding it beyond unhelpful.  Instead I turned my attention to the ground that lay ahead of me.  The ground Paradise had not barred off from me.  This was the area of the clearing the slime inhabited.  That did not bode well for me in the slightest.    

With a loud noise, not so different from that of a flowing stream, the misshapen globs started to all come forward, thinning out in some areas and spreading in others in order to cover the entire space.  In one slow, but continuous, wave it edged towards my position.  Moments ago it had been so still, so calm.  I backed further against the barrier, desperately trying to find a weak point.  Nothing gave way.

So that had been Paradise’s trap.  It had lured me out of my cave with a false lead on how to gain my magic back.  From there it had made sure that I would be stuck between a barrier and its slime.  

However, that creates two new questions that had to be answered.  First, how had that streak of muck been removed from my wing, if not by means of fire?  Second, why was Paradise using the muck then?  It was obvious it had me at its mercy, so why would it possibly need the slime to destroy me?

The globular sweeper ahead of me pressed onwards, engulfing everything under it.  I calmed myself and searched around for some kind of solution.  All routes of escape were closed off to me.  All I had left was dirt and my wits.  Or just dirt if my wit failed once again.

Another problem to consider, what about the fire?  If not it, then what other force could have removed the substance that plagued me?  What had left that bare patch?  What other force was at work within those ancient bones?

What else had I seen within those remains that were gone now?  It could not be the bones themselves, or the calcium contained within them, as they were still present.  The only thing that I could think was missing was the ethereal glow.  That strange ghost effect that had touched the flames.  Wait...

What if it was rift energy?  Yes, yes that would account for it all.  Partial parts of the energy would have been shooting through those flames, it’s probably what kept the skeletons enthralled!  Small pockets might have opened that allowed for minimal discharge of rift energy.  

That small discharge shaved away at the slime on my wingspan.  The chances of it somehow attaching on the pinion of that pegasus’s wing were very slim.  Too slim in fact.  Perhaps that was the trap Paradise had intended.

That was the conclusion that Paradise had wanted me to reach.  That was what it had been waiting for.  It probably formulated the plan once it realized only one of its thralls was still capable for combat.  It manipulated a bit of its realm’s energy in order to dupe me.

Paradise had intended for me to notice the missing piece of slime in a hope that I would deduce exactly what I had; the fire had removed the ooze.  It was a crafty and rather brilliant plan that worked without a flaw.  Perhaps one that began even before I entered the cave!  

It had neither overestimated my ability nor had it underestimated my ability.  This was an impossibly astute observation made in a game in which, I, a brilliant strategist and master-planner, was just a pawn.  Even now the creature knew that I would be able to piece together the plot in hindsight.

This creature, Paradise, a phantom born into the Ether, was smart, and it was powerful.  If it was not stopped here and now, by me, it would escape into Equestria.  That would threaten everything I held dear.  That would threaten those who I was born to protect.  

No, I could not fail, there had to be a form of escape.  An extremely difficult form of escape, but a way.  There always was one in the past.  Never had a situation seemed so desperate or so...despondent.  Never have I been pushed into a confrontation with death in which there was not an alternate route.  Yet, it was still exhilarating.

I had my back pushed against the barrier Paradise had set.  I was on both my back legs with my front hooves splayed awkwardly ahead of me.  The slime I had so desperately avoided was at my heels now.  It pooled into the entire area around me, closing off all escape.  The only place left untouched by the disgusting ooze was the glowing remains of the thralls.  

I felt the peculiar sensation of the ooze as it clamped onto my hoof and moved upward.  I was locked into place now.  Locked into the thick of all of it.  There were no physical means by which I could escape, at least, not without super-strength.  

The slime progressed slowly up my body, but it appeared as if all of it was trying to engulf me.  As it passed over me I could feel it matting my fur against my body, holding me with an intense pressure.  All I could do was study it.  Study and learn how to fight it.

If I could access the energies of the rift removing it would be foal’s play.  There was no way to use the rift if one did not already have a connection to it, though.  If you were not a being of the Ether then access to the rift energies there were not attainable(Tartarus knows how many times I tried, though).  There wasn’t any rift energy left residing on the pinion of the pegasus, unfortunately.  

It was about midway up my flank before I noticed a spot.  A single spot that, in all sense of the words, was nothing.  Yet it was probably the most important piece of nothing in Equestria at this point.

There was a spot on my flank that the slime avoided completely.  A spot that did not look special upon a first glance.  No, a pony either had to focus on it or already know about that spot.  There was just a dot of a translucent mist touching my flank.  

A spot that had attached to my flank long ago when I first came into contact with Paradise.  Something that had burst forth at the same time as its arrival.  What was left on my flank was a bit of residential rift energy.  Not enough to cause any type of reaction, such as with the ethereal fires surrounding the bones, but enough to form a connection.  A connection that would not require the use of magic.

The slime was reaching my shoulder now, about the height of wounded shoulder.   Surprisingly it was not painful in the least.  In fact the warm slime had a soothing feeling on the wound.  I lifted my head higher as it progressed towards my neck and up the length of my legs.  I could not help but grit my teeth and shut my eyes against the sight.

I reached out to the minuscule, imperceptible speck of rift energy that had decided to cling to my coat.  I imagined a growth in the connection, an expansion.  Something that allowed easy transportation of energy from another world.  Perhaps now that I had a base I could reach the Ether.  I created a moment, an instant, one large explosion to disable the ooze all around me.  

I imagined that instant, ballooning into thousands more, linking me to the rifts potential.  And for a moment I glimpsed it.  The Ether, I mean.  I was able to see another worldly plane through the eyes of an insignificant microbe.  The sight shall forever be engraved upon my retinas. 

Purple clouds billowed across the sky, merging strangely with the subtle tones of red that painted the sky.  And I indeed mean ‘painted.’  The sky itself appeared to have been made in brush strokes, globular forms swaying in the atmosphere (I didn’t even know if there was an atmosphere).  

The ground itself was made of lines of color.  Bright shades of pink and yellow stretched outwards crossing each others paths and forming intricate shapes, some of which could only be seen from an aerial perspective.  They created slopes and hills, even plateaus!  Large shapes of different height and colors billowed from the ground forming an Ether version of a mountain.

Strands of deep purple, vibrant green, passionate red, and harmonious blue twine coursed through the air.  They flew in gusts of visible wind that pushed them in every direction.  Sometimes they formed interesting patterns in the air that boggled the mind. 

Some of the strange clouds were thunderous and black.  The raincloud was quite unusual though.  It poured a deluge of some orange liquid that I could only assume was the ‘water’ of this world.  

Then the connection broke.  I could feel a sharp snap as my form (whatever it was) was pulled into reality.  I breathed in only to find myself incapable of such an action.  My eyes snapped open to be met with darkness.  My night-vision kicked in within a moment and I saw the color of the slime pressed against my eyelids.  

So the ooze had taken over my form.  I had not achieved anything.  I would suffocate in a shell.  An empty, hollow shell of a prison that left me near asphyxiation.  The slime had solidified. Wait...no it had not.  It had hardened.

The slime itself no longer looked as alive.  There was no pulse within it, no visible life.  Instead it appeared dead, my blast of the rift seeming to have killed it.  So maybe that meant...

A spark flew by as the shell covering me ripped apart.

> Magic and Weights
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I soared high above the ground, letting the cool wind whip through my mane.  I came back down towards the Earth to hover a few feet above the ground.  Hardened batter fell off of me in crumbs.  The sudden burst of magic through my veins left my body momentarily numb, but it was more relieving than painful. My gaze was locked on Paradise.

All the slime had cracked upon my releasing the energy bolt.  It was a rather large flare considering the amount of time my magic had been repressed.  Apparently it had been condensing and building up while subdued.  The magic had not just faded away as one would expect it to.  Perhaps I could further delve into the matter.

It seemed likely that, according to the data I had collected, magic was just a volatile projection.  A science that used the unicorn (and to another extent pegasus and earth-pony) as medians in order to project itself.  It would make for quite an interesting debate once I was in contact with Celestia again...

All the slime broke away upon my initial release, not just the mass that had covered me.  The rift energy had not only frozen the stuff it had smothered it.  It was unable to move, unable to breathe.  It could not seem to push itself forward and continue to plague me.

While this was good for me it did spark a bit of self-resentment.  It would have proven so interesting to study the biological phenomenon.  The information a rift-based life form could reveal would have been astounding.  But instead of preserving the unique substance, I callously destroyed it.  Of course, I had been dying when I callously destroyed it, but I could have stunned it or something!  Or could I have?  Looking back it was all quite hazy.  I suppose partial asphyxiation does muddle up your brain just a little bit.

Well no point in sobbing over a spillage of calcium - lactose colostrum.  I turned my attention downwards towards the murderous abomination I was facing.  That was probably the thing I should be focusing on at this point. 

Paradise looked as shocked as its current condition would allow.  The left-side of its face was still encased in a thick layer of blue frost that prevented motion.  The left half of its mouth was still twisted into that sadistic grin, and what should have been the white of its eye was a dark shade of purple that seemed to glow in the Night.  The scarlet iris was piercing against the purplish colors.  The fact that there was no mane covering its head did not help it appear any less repulsive either.

The revolting twinkle that marked the left side of its mouth contrasted flawlessly with the pure shock and outrage emblazoned on the opposing side.  The azure pupil was retracted to the point where practically no color was visible.  The intense scowl born on the latter half of the face was deep and rigid, seemingly piercing through me.  The only adjective I could use to describe the image as a whole would be...insane.  The opposing mouths almost formed a sideways ‘Z.’  (So an N?)

It was a representation of two extremes.  A physical image that just showed our battle, the intensity of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object.  Yet I now held no doubts as to the extents of my opponents capabilities.  It appeared to be my equal on every plane.  This thing was my equal physically, mentally, and with my reputation, socially.  

It is a truly interesting feeling to find a nemesis.  The word itself sounds silly, foreign, even.  Something of a comical nature to be treated as such, yet here I was defending Equestria against a threat presented up to me in the form of insanity.  Was this what true conflict was?  A battle against the darker parts of our own minds?  

Was fighting reduced not to the extremes of good and evil, but to the extents of insanity and stability?  Then what foretell was I fighting for?  The well-being of the Equestrian citizenship true enough, but which side was that?  Was I a representation of insanity, defending something that casts me aside given the opportunity, or stability in keeping such a harmonic nation at peace?

I could not bear to ask myself these questions now, not when I was on the precipice of disaster.  I had to protect the Equestrian nation for now.  Questioning my own loyalty, at least for the time being, would only lead to this creature’s escape.  An action that I could not allow.  

I kept my gaze fixed upon the monstrosity like a trained hawk.  Now that I had access to my magic again I could properly fight the beast.  This would be a battle of the titans, indeed.  If a historian were present they would, no doubt, be eagerly recording every action of this rather colossal battle.  

As for Paradise itself, it seemed that the monster was still in shock at my escape.  Apparently harvesting the energy of a tiny speck of rift energy created when a short amount of contact was made between two beings is quite impressive.  Who knew.  I thought it best to take advantage of the moment.

I called upon some residential energy that had built up in my veins and forced it outwards in another forceful beam, a beam that took on the characteristics of a lightning bolt.  The surprise on Paradise’s faced turned into frustration as it quickly propelled itself into the air trying to avoid my attack.  

I followed the form intently until it began to build its own spell.  The constructions appeared to be that of some kind of plated shield.  A green shield appeared around Paradise.  I pressed my beam onwards towards the Ectoplasmic Phantasm, ignoring the fact that my beam would just be absorbed by the shield.  Perhaps I would get lucky and find a chink in the armor upon making contact.  

I immediately noticed a problem with the encounter when my beam was deflected off the shield and shot back at me.  I released the spell instantaneously and flew upwards in order to avoid the projectile.  The beam missed and headed farther downwards towards the ground creating a column of dust and smoke that left me wheezing and struggling for a fresh breath of air.

A burst of light shot through the thick layers of dust clearing them away.  A monstrous beam of pure energy climbed towards me, causing me to once again fly farther upwards in order to avoid it.  I pierced through the final layer of dust, and I saw another projectile hurtling towards me, although this one was of a more equine nature.

Paradise threw its hooves at me, skeletal one at the forefront, probably in another attempt at pulling me into the rift (it still looked silly doing it too).  A deft movement on my part allowed me to narrowly avoid being caught by its blunt and rather non-tactical attack.  I was above the beast for only a moment before I shot forward, trying to evade any more attack until I could find a spell to distance myself.  I began charging a teleportation spell when another idea struck me.  

I quit my focus on the teleportation spell and began another instead.  If Paradise wanted a hoof-hoof confrontation that is what it would get.  That is exactly what it would get! 

I followed along a path doing my best to truly evade Paradise, who’s attention was rapt with the chase.  Good, I did not need this being to think on why it was taking me so long to elude it.  If this plan was successful I could bring Paradise down in one fell swoop.

We circled the clearing several times, always making different patterns as I narrowly avoided strike after strike.  There was several times when Paradise focused a teleportation spell and ended up in front of me.  These usually resulted in myself only narrowly escaping the abomination.  

If I kept at the current pace I was right then, it would not be long before Paradise managed to catch me.  Of course, once it was able to do so what would happen?  What would happen once I was sucked into the rift?  The curiosity nearly made me stop and ask.  Perhaps I was insane after all.

Finally my spell was complete and ready for activation.  It was one I had never used in combat before, or even practiced for that matter, but it was relatively simple (just tedious to cast), so I was able to perform it easily.  As soon as I saw the chance, the moment when Paradise was just a hoof-length behind me and I could turn on the spot, I took hold of the situation.  

I flapped my right wing in a sharp motion while bringing my let wing inwards towards my flank.  The resulting...result left me facing the perversion of an alicorn.  This was not a ploy made out of insanity or desperateness.  No, this was an action performed out of planning.  I don’t know if I mentioned this but I find planning to be an absolute and undeniable “fun.”  

The spell I had charged was activated upon the very second I had performed the somersault.  A sharp cone formed in front of me, seeming to have appeared out of nothingness.  It was a brilliant gold that reflected the light of the Moon (which was just reflecting the light of the sun) very well.  

Paradise, who was surrounded by a thick aura of a sickly green light, diverged from the path it had taken as soon as the cone became visible.  I was not going to let it escape me, however.  I released the cone shape and it shot forward in a manner not so dissimilar from a firecracker. 

Paradise had been way to close to the origin of the cone, fortunately.  It only managed to avoid a partial part of the cone.  The serrated edges of the magical creation scraped across Paradise’s left side and a partial part of its wing.

Paradise cringed away from the cone and I seized the momentary opportunity.  I conjured up a rather controversial spell I had learned in the library that once activated could not be reversed.  The spell, or hex rather, took away the inherit magic ability of a select group for a short time.  Meaning that any magic unique to a certain group would be restrained in the individual affected.  

The spell was quite controversial at the time of its creation.  Many scholarly mages, fillyosophers, and gentle-ponies argued that it was inequine to take away the inherit abilities of a pony, whether it be a pegasus, unicorn, or earth-pony.  Also it hurt the victim a lot, one pegasus described the feeling as an unending agony that was a scourge against every nerve, vein, and bone in his body.  Eventually the spell itself was outlawed and every single text that held knowledge about it was destroyed~except for a spell-book in my Library of the Night. 

Personally, I thought the spell was simply splendid.

A small wisp of energy exited my horn and flowed slowly towards Paradise.  It was thin and misty strand of magic that was a dark hue of purple.  Small dots aligned throughout the stream were a much darker shade of purple.  The entire string of magic was translucent, giving it an eerie quality.  To describe it one could only use the term insidious.

The wispy string paced itself magnificently, not reaching Paradise a second before it moved away from the cone.  The aura instantly latched onto Paradise’s horn, the epicenter of all its magical potency.  Obviously I could not take away Paradise’s natural magic due to the amount of rift energy present.  To drain it of its magic I would need to be able to cast “Nightmare’s Charm.”

Both Paradise and I were paralyzed for a moment.  A blast of energy surged from my horn, traveling the length of the dark aura and dug itself into its horn.  For a second I just studied Paradies.  Its right eye twitched a few times, something I took to be an indication of pain.  Other than that I could see that it once again wore a mask of indifference.  

The immense pain and anguish the spell supposedly inflicted was to take effect quite soon.  Maybe even at that very moment.  This thing would suffer for a moment while the spell pin-pointed the exact area I wanted it to.  Paradise’s wings twitched once.

Rather suddenly its wings began to have coursing spasms as the dark vapor took hold of the nerves.  It came to the point where both of its wings had to be brought inwards and pressed against its torso.  I could see the abomination biting down on its lower lip ever so slightly as it stared at me.  

The tolerance for pain this thing exuded was simply astounding.  To think any one creature could stand its nervous system being ripped out of position and temporarily twisted into another was insane.  Was survival, mere hunger, truly why this mongrel was so determined to best me?  There had to be something else to it.  Nothing could withstand this without some type of motive.

The small volt of energy that had connected our horns started to recede.  It was moving at an agonizingly sluggish pace.  I watched as the bolt slowly retracted a petite, glowing orb of flowing light.  The light would switch color every so often from a soft sky-blue, to a cloud-like white, to a deep green.  

It was the embodiment of flight.  The strand of energy brought the light to my horn rather daintily.  I could feel my body absorb the energy and store it away, likely in a reserve of magic.  The dark vapor of energy that connected Paradise and my horns dissipated, fading into the darkness from which it came.

The wings crumpled at Paradise’s sides serving no further purpose.  It fell to the ground at a swift pace, barely managing to catch itself in a telekinetic grip before impact.  It lowered itself onto the ground as I recovered from the strain of such a taxing spell.

For the next few hours, days even, Paradise would be without flight as the physical ability to do so disappeared.  I had drained it of a pegasus’s natural magic.  It was an effect that would boost the fortitude and speed of my own flight techniques as well as hinder my opponent.  

Paradise did not look thrilled once back upon the ground.  Of course, that was likely due to the fact that it was not willingly grounded.  Or maybe it enjoyed the tortuous spell I had just cast, it could be an masochist for all I know.  Seriously, books do not inform us on what is pleasurable and what is not when interacting with a devilish monster.  Information that I, personally, think is very important.  

Paradise glowered at me for a moment.  “Such a strange spell.  You realize the risks of performing one of that nature don’t you?”  Paradise took my silence as a request to continue.

“Draining spells are like doors.  Once opened they can be entered and exited from either side.  If you chose to ground me for the remainder of our battle than that is how I shall remain.  If you think for one moment, however, that I would allow you an advantage without taking one myself than you’re a fool.”  It locked eyes with me for a moment.

I stared into those two strange eyes.  They looked to be two sides of a coin.  Their differences were insane, horrifying even.  On the left side is a frozen imprint of Paradise’s mood a few mere hours ago.  It is hazy, dark, putrid, sadistic, almost appearing esurient in nature.  The working eye was rigid, cold, and spoke of the planning and calculations that went on in Paradise’s mind.  They were so horrible, yet so entrancing...

I felt my stomach lurch.  My wings cracked to my sides whipping wind in every direction as they did so.  I felt cool wind whipping through my mane as I fell, waking me from my trance.  My horn glowed faintly as a telekinetic field formed a mitt under me.  

I rolled off the lining of my magic mitt and found myself standing upright, a few yards away from my foe.  It stood tall, gaze steady and unwavering, cold eyes foreshadowing what failure would bring upon me.  Those eyes...what was it about those eyes that was so...enchanting?

I found myself gliding into another stupor.  I shook my head (dear Tartarus that was painful) clearing away those hollowed slits.  Despite my continued efforts the thoughts and images lingered, pestering me with their very existence.  My mind was stuck in a perpetual loop; anytime I managed to rip my thoughts away from those eyes something would draw my attention back to them.  

“Mesmerism.  You’ve mesmerized me.”  My voice was hoarse.  It sounded scratchy and distant, almost chalky.

A fake tsk-tsk could be heard from Paradise.  “I would never partake in such a ineffectual waste of raw magical energy.  Mesmerism is a cheap trick, something that only the weak-willed would succumb to; you aren’t irresolute in the slightest.  Quite the contrary in fact.”  Its voice seemed to echo throughout my mind.  

“Then what, foretell, would this be?  Why are you within my head?”  Another pang shot through my body.  My nerves seemed to be receiving the wrong signals from my brain.  

Paradise gave a mirthless smirk.  “As I said earlier, a door can be entered or exited from either direction once ajar.  Rather than fight back against you, and your attempt at grounding me, I took the opportunity to implant myself within you.”  To prove its point the beast sat down and clapped its front hooves together.  The sound echoed throughout the recesses of mind, seemingly stretching out to reach every little aspect of my conscious.  

“Now everything I do will leave an imprint in your mind.  Every move I make will leave a resounding thud in your mind.  If I decide to do something like this-”  Its horn glowed for a faint moment.  A sudden sensation came over me.  

A sensation that I needed to wretch.  A splitting headache came over me, blurring my vision and causing a sudden bout of vertigo.  “-you won’t be able to do a thing.  I have dominion over you and this time there really is nothing you can do to beat me.  It’s rather humorous isn’t it?  You use a spell that was meant to give you more control over me, yet all it managed was to give me dominion over you.”  Paradise gave a derisive snort.

True I was in the grasps of some sort of sickening spell meant to cause agony, but I could not help but laugh at the mongrel.  I let loose a loud, mirthful laugh at a sickly, lugubrious situation.  This thing was kind of losing its touch.  I had already found a loophole in this new scenario it had concocted.  

Paradise stared at me with cold, unblinking eyes.  “Why do you show glee in your own demise?  You have not submitted to my earlier plans, so why do you express such jubilance?”  The tone sounded more curious then apprehensive.  

“I am laughing at you, loathsome swine!  The casing of your skull is quite dense, indeed!  You truly believe there to be no way out of this for myself?  You have so foolishly ‘implanted’ yourself in my mind, allowing me just as much an advantage as you.  I know every single spell, incantation, and charm your going to cast!”  My tone was a mixture of glee and malice, an odd combination when your intentions involve saving an entire nation by yourself.  

I pushed myself a step forward and brought my head upwards in order to meet Paradise’s eyes.  I would not even have to deal with the agonizing spell I was placed under for much longer.  If I created a large enough distraction in order to draw Paradise away, it would be forced to cancel whatever spell I was now suffering from.  

My horn began to kindle with that familiar dark aura, charging with the energy I needed for my next spell.  Large spears manifested in the air all around me.  They were coated in the indigo glow of my magic, serrated edges pointed directly at Paradise.  In a word- menacing.

The mongrels eye grew wide for a moment before setting into a normal size once again.  It set itself into a position similar to a prowling tiger (yes I’ve met a tiger before).  Paradise watched the spears and me with that indifferent expression, yet now, hidden where only the observant would see, was something strange.  Something new.  Confusion.

I had seen many emotions and expressions cross Paradise’s visage, but confusion had never been among them.  No, the strange creature seemed to always know exactly what it was doing, no matter how insane the action.  It had also known every spell I had performed, but obviously this one confused it.

Knowing the the approximate era that the spell fell out of use I would be able to establish a date line.  A line informing me of how far back Paradise’s knowledge stretched.  If its knowledge did not proceed any further back than the spell I was using now then usage of spells that only appeared before that time period would be best to use.   

Luckily this list included my ancient spell, the draining one so lovingly tokened “Nightmare’s Charm.”  Meaning, that I could still catch Paradise off-guard with it and take it down swiftly and decisively.  Sadly, nothing ever proved to be that painless for the Night.  

A shock went down my spine, reminding me of the being inflicting the torture spell on me.  I channeled a fair amount of energy into my horn, letting the soothing sensation of my magic course through my veins.  I am unable to fathom how earth-ponies and pegasi live without spellcraft.  

I released a current of energy, causing the spears to rocket towards Paradise at an alarming pace.  I ascended to the skies as they did so, feeling unsafe while in such close quarters with the vile creature.  Paradise tensed its body for a moment before hopping upwards, only slightly.

Then I felt the spell it was performing.  A telekinetic glove formed under Paradise and shot it skywards, thus avoiding the serrated edges of the spears.  Of course, something so simple as that would not avoid these peculiar spears.  The group of them curved upwards, all taking different directions but pushing towards one goal.  

Every single one of my spears was to converge on one, singular point.  In one stroke they would wipe out something that had been plaguing me for...hours.  Had it really only been hours?  I had been exposed to so much raw energy and magical prowess in such a short time.  It has been a while.

This being had dug itself a permanent place in my mind either way.  To face a creature so vile, yet at the same time so powerful, was intriguing.  This creature had tested my definition of the very word insane, causing me to question where the truth of insanity lies.  

Was insanity what I saw earlier: the sadistic joy Paradise took in matters of a most somber nature?  Or perhaps insanity was the lack thereof.  As I had seen from this newer side of Paradise indifference could be very...appalling. 

So what truly embodied madness?  Was it derision of pleasure from inflicting pain, a lack of sympathy- perhaps even apathy, or was it, perhaps, neither?  Does the personification of lunacy lie within curiosity?

The constant need to find a reason.  The overwhelming sensation to look for a solution to a problem that is irrelevant.  Maybe that is insanity.  Perhaps my search for a deeper reason behind such a deranged creature was destined to be futile.  For now I should focus on the situation at hoof.

Paradise caught itself in another mitt of telekinetic energy.  The speared staves followed it, resulting in Paradise, once again, launching itself in the opposite direction of the spears.  I could feel the torture spell that had invaded my mind lifting slightly.  Wonderful, that meant my spell was distracting Paradise.  

I charged more energy into my horn, preparing to create another set of magically enhanced weaponry to the fray.  Everfree’s many telekinetic spells echoed throughout my mind.  It was incredible, really.  The level it performed at was quite a marvelous spectacle.

Telekinesis on its own is a very basic and easy to manage spell.  Unicorns use it to carry luggage, eat, work machinery, etc.  There were only two constraints that bound telekinetic spells: weight and magical aptitude.  

Weight was applied on all objects and the results of a simple telekinesis spell varied based on the power of the caster.  Usually most unicorns found their limit to be little, if not the exact same as what they would be able to carry physically.  Magical aptitude also applies to all objects, but on a different scale.

Magical aptitude is, contrary to popular belief, not restricted to enchanted objects and unicorns.  Everything carries its own different level of magic that is measured on a different scale.  For example, if a unicorn were to lift up an earth-pony and a pegasus of the same weight on separate occasions the amount of stress put on the telekinetic field would differ based on magical aptitude.  

Based around that, and the general rules of magic, one finds it incredibly difficult to lift oneself up, as they are essentially using all of their power to lift all of their power.  It would be similar to standing in a bucket and trying to lift yourself up by the handle.  If Paradise is able to catch and throw itself as it was it would have to have some kind of detached energy cache.  Otherwise, the feat it was currently performing would be impossible.  

This detached energy cache was hidden from me, of course.  It seemed that Paradise had not used the reserve when invading my mind.  Intriguing, perhaps this was a part of its plan as well.  I would have to be vigilant.  

My spears were converging on Paradise’s position once again.  As per usual it caught itself in a telekinetic field and launched itself away from the projectiles.  Each time it did so I could feel the torture spell lift away slightly.  After the fifth repeat of this formula only a minuscule form of the spell was still active.  It was still working enough to cloud my mind somewhat but not enough to cause any physical agony.

The invading telekinetic spell was strong and left a heavy impression upon my mind.  The advantage to this was that I could not only feel when one of these spell was activating but I could also tell in which direction Paradise would be thrown.  If I positioned a portion of my spears right I would likely be able to trap the beast.

I focused energy into my horn, which produced an electric current that flowed through the shaft of half the spears.  They split off from the rest of the group and positioned themselves elsewhere, in preparation for Paradise’s arrival.  Either the beast did not notice or did not care about those half of the spears as it did not activate any new spells.

Paradise next field of energy hurled it exactly where I had placed the spears.  I watched as the mongrel flew headfirst towards it fate, all the while trying to charge up a spell.  In the recesses of my mind I felt a spell burst forth, one bearing a significant amount of power.  

Paradise came to a complete stop in the air, having balanced itself with the use a telekinetic burst.  I was able to feel that happen in my mind.  However what Paradise did next was surprise.  A cast-iron grip formed around my throat and limbs, holding me in place mid-air.  A sword magicked itself from thin air.  It bore engravings similar to the wounds Paradise now wore.

A barrier spell encased Paradise and I stopped my spears a few inches outside of the casing.  These three actions were lost to me, I had not sensed there presence in my mind before their apparent casting.  This likely meant that Paradise had just exhausted one of its energy reserve.  Normally that would be a good thing, but at the moment the executioner’s sword looming above me made it hard to appreciate.

I cast my spears in every direction, surrounding the entire barrier.  There was still one trick to these spears that Paradise was not aware of.  One that I could still use to my advantage.

> Survival
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Paradise allowed itself a small smirk and a contemptuous glance in my direction.  “It appears you’ve lost Miss Luna.  This barrier I have put up is quite resilient and I highly doubt these simple spears would be able to pierce it.  As for you, my telekinetic field has a firm hold on you, ensuring that you won’t flee while my blade...greets you.”  I doubted it was the type of greeting Hallmark made a card for.

I could not help but snicker.  Finally, I had an advantage!  And thanks to the overconfidence of this thing.  Was it really so egotistical that it didn’t prepare a back-up plan?  Did it truly think that it was the only player in this game, the only one of manipulating the enemy?

“Hear my words, inglorious filth!  You think far too highly of your own ability!”  I spat at it.  “You are unfamiliar with this spell I have cast, correct?”  I heard a sharp intake of breath at the comment.  So I was correct in my earlier assumption.  Wonderful.

“There is a reason for that, I assure you.  You see, this is an archaic spell fashioned far before your time.  It was banned by the unicorn council over two millennia ago due to its strange properties.  These spears drain the energy of anything they pass through.”  I paused for a moment to let Paradise process my words.  Its expression did not change.

“However, that is where the controversy of this spell emerges.  It doesn’t just drain magic.  It slaughters it.  This spell acts like kudzu, it spreads its energy over a substance, suffocating it slowly.  Then it leaves a hollow shell behind.  So if these spears touch any form of magic they destroy it.”  Paradise’s working pupil dilated.

I gave it a menacing glare, locking my eyes with its.  “This renders your barrier useless.  And if these spears were to hit you they would likely incapacitate your magic for a short time...That is, if they don’t kill you.”  

For a moment silence reigned.  Then Paradise’s sharp, frozen pitch permeated the air.  “Then it appears we are at a stalemate.”

“No, we are not.”  My confidence was replaced by a sense of duty now.

The mongrel peered at me questioningly for a moment unable to decipher what I meant.  “I don’t follow.  What ever do you mean?  It seems as if neither one of us has the advantage so I would assume that is a stalemate, no?”  I gave her a sad, but determined, smile.

“That would be true, if I had no cause.  However, this is about more then self-preservation.  My intent is not to rid of you to ensure my own survival.  It is to ensure the survival of Equestria.”  Paradise did not interrupt as I spoke.  It merely listened with narrowed eyes.

“I am fully prepared to sacrifice myself for this greater cause, for something more precious than my survival.  I do this for more than just base instinct, for more than just survival, for more than just a meal, for more than just honor.”  I probably would’ve died anyways, right?  “I do this in defense of the ideals in which Equestria represents.  Ideals that I will not allow to perish at your hands, beast!!!”  

Paradise simply stared at me, as if summing up what I had said.  It wasn’t until a complete moment had passed that its lips parted.  “I find you ponies to be so strange.  You all seem to be prone to sudden, sporadic changes in mood that simply baffle me.”  I narrowed my gaze for a moment, not exactly sure how to respond to what it had just said.  

Paradise simply continued on, the irony apparently lost on its intellect.  “One minute you are fighting me off in order to ensure your survival.  Now your combating me in hopes of keeping me from overtaking your precious nation and ideals.  You can’t have self-preservation and a hive-mind bundled into one package.”  I was about to protest its comparison of a hive-mind to Equestria but Paradise did not falter in its speech.

“I mean, seriously, it is insane how you all think.  And as for the supposed “ideals” that you represent-”  The intense glare I was getting from Paradise held me still, freezing me to my aerial position.

“-Complete and utter nonsense.  There are only three traits in which we take basis, in which we should take basis.  Survival, Instinct, and Subjugation.  That is all that matters in this kingdom.  Friendship, love, emotion...these matter not.”  The look in which I was affixed with was so hollow, so empty.  It was sickening to think that any being truly felt that way.

I had to swallow the lump in my throat down as my opponent once again surprised me.  I felt like retching, not because of any incantation or curse, but because of those words.  For any being to truly feel this way, for them to truly give up on everything decent, everything worthwhile, was disheartening.  Even if the creature were my enemy.  

What could have prompted such a desolate attitude?  What could have brought a creature to such despair, to such a desolate place, that their only thought was survival?  Is survival our purpose in this world?  Is the entirety of our existence exactly that?  Just an existence?

No.  No matter what answers exist to those questions, no matter the validity of my ideals, I have a purpose.  I represent something.  Even if I were perish upon this blood stained field in this Celestia-forsaken forest, I would not die.  I would be able to live on vicariously through the ideals I defended, the ideals that the pony community uphold.  

I gave Paradise a stony glare.  I hovered in place for a moment.  I drew my tongue outwards to wet my lips.  They were dry, chapped courtesy of the icy breeze that flowed through the Night.  One of the minuscule cracks splintered leaving another trail of blood to trace its way down my face.

My tongue tucked itself back into my throat as my words slipped past my throat, quiet, but powerful.  “Friendship, love, emotion...these things hold no survival value; rather they give value to survival.  Your existence is without purpose, without flourish, without life.  So I ask you, why live on as you do?  Why not give in to the next generation?”  I may have been a bit hopeful it would give up right then and there.  

A small chuckle escaped the monster, which slowly rose in pitch until it reached a rather loud crescendo.  “I serve a purpose.  My purpose is to be a predator.  I lurk, picking off ponies and other magically-inclined creatures like you.  I am a killer, a ripper, an absorbent feasting upon the energy you endow me with.”  A sadistic grin appeared  on Paradise’s face, one that fit in very well with the one emblazoned on its frost bitten left-face.   “Like you said earlier- a carnivore.”

“I am that which shall consume you before the day ends!  I am a nightmare from which you shall not awake!  I am the insanity you choose to hide from, come back to haunt you.  Witness my being now as you die!”  Strangely the color within Paradise’s eyes (even the deadened one) had drained and changed.

They had both faded from their respective colors and into a soft grey, a mysterious smoke that veiled what lay beneath.  Peering at them for too long brought up a feeling akin to those I had experienced when witnessing the rift.  They just lacked the colorful nature the rift possessed.  And the triangles.  There were lots of triangles in the rift.

It was clear what my fate was to be.  “If I am to die then I shall take sanctity in the knowledge that you have been brought with me.  Know now, mongrel, that these ideals you dismissed are your undoing.  Know that the knowledge this nation of insane foals possesses has been your downfall.  Now prepare yourself, cur!”  I charged more energy into the spell.

In my mind I could feel Paradise doing the same with its telekinetic grip.  I was to go down in flames, in defense for Equestria.  Strangely enough both Paradise and I were prey to a Nightmare.  I was prey to a beast grown in the Ether and Paradise was prey to a over zealous princess bent on proving her loyalty to her subjects.  What a droll fate for the both of us.

Well there were a few upsides to my predicament.  For one I would be saving countless lives by ridding the world of this inter-dimensional monster.  Maybe my sister would even erect a statue in my honor.  The only statue honoring me at the moment resided in my sisters room in Canterlot castle.  It was a bobble-head.  A nice bobble-head, but a bobble-head.

Maybe this statue could be life-sized and placed in the gardens!  Perhaps they could even move the life-size statue of Nightmare Moon out of the garden.  I really hated that statue.  The legs were too stubby and made me look chubby.  

I would have fired the sculptor but it turns out he was blind and only had one hoof in which to hold the chisel.  So instead I promoted him.  I mean if you can make a life-size statue while standing on your head and only using your one back-hoof you deserve a friggin’ medal.

They would probably hire him to do my new sculpture though, huh?  Gosh maybe they should just get me a bronze plate.  That would be so much easier.  Here I was thinking that a statue would be easy to memorialize me with, but noooooo-...Oh right I was about to die.  Forgot about that for a moment.

So this is how it would end, huh?  I would die defending Equestria from an Ectoplasmic Phantasm...a creature born in the Ether, one of immense evil.  A creature so evil that it drew power from the very word.  The goddess and mistress of the Night would kill a Nightmare and die by its hands.  How oddly fitting.

Or was this thing even evil?  Its words had been suggestive that its perception was limited, thus rendering Paradise incapable of deciding between good and evil.  Perhaps it was wrong of me to say that something was evil just because it was a predator.  

It is not my place to judge that which has been introduced into the world is it?  To call Paradise evil just because it requires magic to survive may be cruel.  Yet, I felt I knew what evil was, and I thought I had seen it deep within that beast.  I had seen a threat to my ideals.

This creature didn’t just survive, it used the bones and skills of my ancestors as a weapon.  That is a sacrilege of nature, defying death, not even allowing one’s victims to rest while situated in the grave.  It was a horrible act indeed.

Paradise also expressed a joy in the abominable acts it took part of.  A truly horrifying thing.  There was no question, this beast was not a mongrel, or an abomination, or even a beast.  No, this thing was a pure form of evil, something that just by existing disrupts the order established in the world.  

What I was doing was not only a service to my nation, but to nature.  I should take pride in being the demise of such an abhorrent entity.  Yes, that is what I shall tell myself.  That is what I had to tell myself.  Taking a life would never be easy, no matter what manner of life it was.

Paradise and I just pooled our respective energies for a moment, content to stare at each other.  I wondered if the same thoughts were flowing through its head.  Was it, perhaps, questioning my motives...and its own?  If it was it was surely going through the same process I was, only it was justifying itself and condemning me.  

After a few seconds we both just leveled off our spells.  Silence was the only thing permeating the air after that.  That deafening silence(Hooray for cliches)...

I could have cried out then, given out my last words to the world, but I didn’t.  There was no need...I was content.  Even if my fate were to be reduced to this.  Even though my fate was to die here I could feel it, stirring ever gently in my chest...

Peace.  I was at peace.  I was able to resign myself to my destiny because I knew it would not lead to my demise.  No, this would lead to something much better.  This action would allow me to become one with the ideals I represented.  

No longer would I defend them, I would symbolize them.  I would be that being foals regard as a hero.  The nation had already forgiven me for my past sins, more or less.  Now I would be able to forgive myself.  

I tightened the restraints upon my spears, preparing for the release.  Paradise did the same with its weapon and barrier.  

At that very moment a faint whisper penetrated my thoughts.  No, not a whisper a shout.  And a rather loud, obnoxious one at that.  

I turned my head to see a familiar figure far below me, sprinting through the clearing at her very fastest pace.  She was right next to the cave.  “No, stop, don’t do it!!!”  The pony screamed over and over.  Either she was shouting this at me or Paradise.  It was rather hard to tell if she meant to save the bloodthirsty monster or her faithful Defender of the Night.  

Yes, it required a great deal of deductive reasoning to deduce she meant me.  And dirt.  it required a lot of dirt.  But then again, what doesn’t require dirt anymore?

“Rainfall, what are you doing here!?!”  I screamed at the oncoming filly.  “Get out of here!!!”

She stared at me and screamed, “No, I can’t without you!!!  You can’t die yet...we haven’t finished our story!!!”  There was a reflective tint shining off of her, indicating flowing tears.

I winced at that.  For her to come back at all was foalish, but it was the sort of curiosity I normally encouraged in ponies.  Curiosity, a trait that I felt I embodied and I tried to teach to others, would be that which butchered this filly’s innocence.

There was no scenario in which blood would not be spilled now.  Whether it was mine, Paradise’s, or both of ours.  There was no possible outcome that would not scar this filly, no possible route that this situation could go that would have a positive affect on her mind.  

So now my defense of Equestria required not only a sacrifice on my part, but on this filly’s part.  My thoughts were broken when Paradise addressed the new presence.

“So I finally see the little filly again.  How are you today?”  If sardonicism could be liquified I would swear that Paradise’s tone was dripping with the substance.  

Rainfall quivered for a moment, whether from fear or anger I could not tell.  Perhaps it was both.  “You...I want...I...”  Her voice was full of pure, unadulterated hate.  hate one so young should not have to experience.  

Paradise’s face broke out into a wide smile as she heard Rainfall stutter.  “Your mother begged for mercy you know.  She was on her knees, pleading for her life...  You know what I did?  I ripped her apart, piece by piece, eating away at her magic as she was brought into the rift.”  

“...”  Rainfall began to shake rather violently.  “...Shut up...”  Her words were hardly audible.  Only a trained ear would have been able to make them out.  

Paradise’s grin grew.  She was enjoying this.  She was absorbed by this.  I had a chance.  A faint one, but a chance.  Very slowly and carefully I began to twist a few of the spears in my direction, slowly and carefully.  More specifically towards the blade above me and the telekinetic grips holding me.  

“What was that?  I couldn’t quite hear you.  As I was saying, your mother was screaming the entire time.  Horribly annoying.  A lot like yours only louder and strangely higher pitch.  She even said your name a few ti-”

“I said shut up!!!”  Rainfall was screaming.  She could have been foaming at the mouth.  The tears flowed freely down her face and she was shaking so much that I felt an earthquake was in order.  

Paradise gave her a mirthless smirk.  “Do you hate me?  Do you wish me harm?  I killed your mother and I’m about to kill your friend.  how does that make you feel, eh?  Because if I were you I would want revenge.”

The look on Rainfall’s face was enough to tell Paradise that she was correct in her assumption.  “Good.  Let the hate flow through you.  Let it guide you.  It’s the only thing in this world that can help you.”  The emotion present in Paradise’s voice earlier vanished, now replaced by an apathetic overtone.  

My spears tilted, just a little more and I might be able to survive this encounter unscathed.  Any feelings of ‘being at peace’ I had earlier vanished.  Who could possibly be at peace now?  I would have liked to interject then and tell Rainfall not to listen to Paradise, but this engagement was currently resulting in my salvation.  

Rainfall began to speak again, slur present, but starting to abide.  “...B-But wh-why did you...Why did you do it?”

Paradise stared at Rainfall again before another wide grin crossed its features.  Its voice came out as a faint, but harsh whisper.  “Reason is for madmen.”  With that its body contorted in laughter, a jolly laughter that sounded as if it had just followed some incredibly dirty joke.  

Rainfall stared for a moment.  She was obviously taken aback by the display.  I had no idea if she was even paying attention to me anymore.  “My mother used to tell me stuff.”

Paradise stopped laughing and her gaze narrowed at the young filly.  “...”  She was obviously expecting more from the young filly.

Rainfall’s head was hanging and her tears were dropping into the dirt.  Faint sniffles could be heard from her.  “She...she used to tell me that it was wrong to hate.  She told me that we should beat our enemies with love.  She told me that we should incapacitate them with love and tolerance.”

All that got was a scoff from Paradise.  “That is by far the most ridiculous thing I have ever-”

“And you know what?”  Interjected Rainfall, who now sat on the ground staring up at Paradise, “I’m going to love and tolerate you to death.”  Her eyes darted over to me.

The motion was not lost on Paradise who turned its head towards me in a rush.  It was too late though, I was ready.  

In one quick, successive burst I shot a portion of the spears towards my restraints while the majority of the spears bore down on Paradise.  Even if there was a chance to preserve myself I would still ensure Paradise’s demise.  I pressured the limits of the spell to garner as much speed from the spears rocketing at me as possible.

I could feel Paradise releasing the sword, bringing it down upon me.  I could not bare to stare upwards at the guillotine.  I could feel a rush of wind pass over the nape of my neck, no doubt created by the arcing motion of the weapon and the shear amount of energy it emitted.

The course of these events took place in the space of a breath, yet I was so aware of everything passing me by.  I could see the background of Paradise Grove outlining its greatest production of evil.  The forest itself was so calm, so remarkably peaceful.  

The battle that was ravishing this clearing was lost on the rest of the world.  We were small, hidden in a grove, between some mountains, east of Canterlot.  This place was home to such great evil, yet I could not stand to call something that appeared so serene grotesque and abhorrent.  

The perversion of nature that was Paradise was born of the Ether, merely introduced through the actual forest.  The forest itself was innocent, it did not bear a criminal, no, it merely housed one.  It was an accessory.  It wouldn’t be the first time something sinister lurked in the shadows of the grove.

In the corner of my eye I could see Rainfall looking up at me.  It was hard to tell at that distance, but her eyes almost seemed to be pleading with me.  They begged for me to survive.  They begged that I live to comfort her.

I could not fail Rainfall.  The tears that soaked her cheeks symbolized that which she had been forced to accept in such a short time.  The death of her mother, the release of a monster, knowledge of what hatred truly meant all grasped her; so young a filly should not be forced to face such ideas, especially not within the span of a day.

I could not force the added stress of losing a friend.  That would simply be unfair.  No this moment, this defining moment...I just couldn’t die yet.  

I was likely one of the only ponies who even knew Rainfall at this point.  Without a family, without friends...what would be her fate?  She would be cast into an orphanage, granted it would likely be a stable one, and grow-up with little to no help.  She would be a mental outcast, a hermit who distanced herself from others in order to avoid pain.

I would have to live.  Just for her.  Not for Equestria or my sister, but for Rainfall: the little filly without a home.  Besides, if I died I wouldn’t get to look at my beautiful Night.

> The Lesser of Two Evils
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I stared at Paradise, slowly exhaling the breath which had encompassed such a moment of definition.  The spears were not but a foot from my position.  The stars hanging in the sky were so bright at that moment.  So very, very bright...

Paradise looked intrigued as it saw that its barrier was, in fact, not going to defend it from my spears.  I suppose it had been living on the hopes that I had been bluffing.  Or not living.  I still wasn’t sure whether this monster was un-dead or just regular old un-un-dead.

The flames almost shot from Paradise’s eyes.  It appeared demonic, with its tongue flicking out spewing hateful words.  This new take on Paradise’s personality appeared to be rather...forceful.

I would even go so far as to call the new manner in which Paradise presented itself Mephistophelean.  Of course, the word itself comes from the ancient griffon tale of the necromancer, Faust, who reportedly sold himself to the embodiment of the demonic realm.

Well, it wasn’t so much a tale as it was a completely accurate depiction of everything that happened.  Celestia and I ended having to investigate a disturbance near the gates of Tartarus and found a certain griffon and satan sipping tea and trading stories (The tea tasted terrible in case you were wondering).  From there it went about like one would expect it to.                                                                                               

In the end Celestia and I subdued Faust, while his demonic companion retreated to wherever it had emerged from.  I wanted to banish him to my observatory prison as he was a brilliant astronomer and I wished to exchange notes with him.  Celestia thought of a much more creative way to punish him though.                                  

She and I utilized the elements and turned Faust into a dog.  A big one.  With three heads.  We renamed him Cerberus and set him to guard the gates of Tartarus.  Of course, we didn’t exactly think that through as Tartarus happens to be next to a little village that proudly owned, “The Largest Dog Biscuit Ever.”

Again, Cerberus reacted exactly as a dog would and everything went as one would expect.  Now that village has nothing to be proud of.  Except their name.  Their village’s name was simply marvelous and to this very day I remember the wonderfully insane name of the town: Gobbletorpon.  

Try saying that seven times fast!  Quite a fun place too.  Then again I think I hate fun...yup, I remember having fun once and it was horrible.  Oh yes, back to the story at hand...

“Die.”  The words were silently voiced by Paradise as it glared at me.  The look had transformed from demonic hatred to a detestation of my existence and those who had birthed me.

The spears were now within bread length of me, I prayed that my accuracy was not off.  It would be one thing to die at the hands of an enemy, but to literally fall upon your own spear would just be embarrassing.  My breath flowed outwards completely completing the moment...

The magic binding my telekinetic grips fell away as the spears zoomed past me.  I soared forwards as soon as the opportunity presented itself.  I felt a harsh tug on my magic and turned back in time to see one of my defensive spears had pierced the coating of Paradise’s magicked blade.

It was good to see the executioner’s weapon stayed.  The magic drained away from the apparition as the spell coating the spears took effect and the blade quickly evaporated.  

Then I felt it, or rather the lack of it.  In the back of mind there had been a royal amount of pressure enforced by the sheer amount of power Paradise possessed.  Now it was gone.  

That meant that either my spell had been broken or Paradise had found a way out of it (A one in a million chance).  The only way the spell could be broken was if I willed it or if the unicorn effected by the spell had problems with their magic.

There were very few ways a unicorn could lose their magic.  One, they could be drained of it (which my spears did tend to do).  Two, they could let it go, which would lead to vulnerability, and that simply seems unlikely from what I had seen of this being’s power-hungry disposition.  Lastly the effected target could die.  That was by far the most effective of the three.

I turned my head to stare at the spot Paradise had inhabited.  I saw the being held fast in the air, edges of my purple spears dug into its translucent form.  Some spears dug far enough to simply impale Paradise.  Others just sat piercing the tip of the skin.

Blood dripped from the open wounds, revealing the extent of the damage.  Each drop sparkled a faint shade orange, something that is very un-pony like.  Every drop reflected the shimmering light of the Moon, which was beginning to set as dawn drew closer.

There was a twitch on Paradise’s lip as it looked upon me, passion slowly fading from the ashen eyes.  A small trail of blood trickled down from its lower lip.  For a second I thought I saw contentment pass over those features, as if the terms of its fate were not unfavorable.

I released my spell and instantaneously my entire set of spears evaporated.  The second they did Paradise’s body fell, spiraling downward, plummeting in an uncontrolled, crude fashion towards the hungry soil.

There is no grace in death, no resounding crack of a whip.  We perish with a faint whisper, merely fading away as Dust in the Wind.  Even the greatest of us are not immune to this simple truth.  

I heard a dull thud indicating that the body had landed.  I slowly lowered myself, still cautious of Paradise.  I would not make the mistake of underestimating this being again. 

I hit the ground a few feet from Paradise.  It was sprawled out upon the grass, body grounding into the indent of dirt created by the fall.  Its front-hooves were crossed, as were its back-hooves.  

Wounds marked every visible part of its flesh.  There was no mane anymore, only scarring and clumps of hair from where they had been seared off.  In some places I noticed lesions so deep that the starling white of bone was visible.  

The spears had dug in to every possible part of the creature’s flank, creating a sickly pattern.  If one had not observed the events that had transpired they could just as easily assume that Paradise had been part of some satanic ritual sacrifice.  That would probably be preferable to having actually seen what led to the mangling of the beast’s body.  

The frostbitten area that marred the majority of the left-half of Paradise’s visage was no better for the wounds.  It was a literal mask, a memorial if you will, to the insanity that inhabited Paradise, and in a more indirect way it represented the possibility of insanity in us all.  If such a structured hunter and brilliant mind could succumb to this oddity then what couldn’t?  

Of course, that all depends on your definition of insanity.  Some may find Paradise’s various quirks endearing.  I will admit that insalting sounded rather interesting.

The smile still frozen to Paradise’s face was made rather sadistic blood forming around the edges began to congeal.  It also appeared that some blood had managed its way down the lining of the beast’s eye.  The rather peculiar result of these two mixing created an image of a bleeding smile.  

A crying smile...

“Princess!”  My stupor was broken as a young filly tackled me to the ground, gripping me in a rather tight bear hug.  

I returned the gesture embracing her smaller form with my wings and fore-hooves.  I still favored my injured shoulder, of course.  “Hello, my dear.”  I laid my chin upon her head.  

I could feel a faint wet sensation on the nape of my neck.  Great more blood...no, this did not carry the scent of blood.  I looked at the young filly on my shoulder.  

Her eyes were closed tightly and tears were falling freely from the corners.  I just held her closer.  There was nothing I could do at this point but comfort her.

After a moment of silence she spoke up.  “I’m so glad you’re okay...”  I could hear the relief in her voice.  Apparently I did have a friend in this world.

I loosened the hug a bit so that I could look at Rainfall.  “You still should not have come back.  It was very dangerous, and now Celestia doesn’t know about our predicament.  If I hadn’t won that duel then she would not know of that creature’s presence until it was too late.” 

Rainfall took a moment to wipe away her tears before replying.  “Actually I ran into a road a little ways away from the forest.  I found a caravan with some ponies in it.  I told them where I had just come from and told them the whole story.”  She emphasized each point with her hooves, taking extra care to make a wide arc on the word “whole.”

“I said that someone needed to go tell the princess at Canterlot,” continued Rainfall, “And they went pretty much the minute I said that.  I barely managed to keep them from taking me with them.  Ponies in Equestria are so hospitable.”  Rainfall ended the last line with a mock sneer.  

I looked the young filly up and down.  She had a fair amount of endurance if her tale held true.  “Then you proceeded to dash back here, I take it.  That is quite a lot of effort for one little filly.”  I gave her a smile that I felt encapsulated the word “enigmatic.”

A wide toothy grin is what I received in return.  That is, until Rainfall’s gaze strayed over my shoulder and fell on the limp form of Paradise.  I felt a cold shiver pass through the filly, which in turn set off another wave of pain in my shoulder.

I pulled back and used my wing to bar Rainfall’s field of vision.  “Do not look, Rainfall.  Your innocence may be preserved yet.”  I gave her a stern look to back my words.  

She stared up at me at me and posed a question.  “What was that...thing?”  Her eyes did not bear the curiosity I had seen present in them earlier.  No, they only bore fear now.  Fear of the unknown, a fear of the answer.

I thought for a moment.  What was Paradise.  True, it was an Ectoplasmic Phantasm, but reducing a creature to a species was disgraceful and immoral.  What had Paradise represented?  I let my smile drop from my face as I tried to think of terms in which I could explain the transpiring events to Rainfall.   

“That was a relic of the past.  Something that was present once but has no place in the now.  A creature that lives to survive.  Something based off instinct.”  I saw confusion on Rainfall’s face.

“It is something you shouldn’t worry about anymore.”  I said.

She stared at me for a moment before, my answer obviously not having sated her curiosity.  “Oh...I don’t think I get it, Luna.”

I let loose a sigh.  “Truthfully, I am also experiencing such feelings.  Some things are just never meant to be understood.”  Paradise had remained mysterious and cryptic until the end.  Motive was still a question as it seemed that Paradise had been prone to changing it quite often.

Perhaps what I had said had been true though.  Perhaps Paradise was just instinct, something that lived only to survive.  Something that existed because it had nothing else.

Rainfall lifted her head from my shoulder.  “That’s um...not what I meant.”  Rainfall’s voice came out as a whisper.  Very low, 
quiet, almost as if she was ashamed to of her thought.  

“Then what, my dear, did you mean to ask?”  I asked inquisitively.

“I meant I don’t understand why?  Why do all this?  Why hurt you?  Why do...that...to my mother?  Just why?”  I thought I heard a whimper, a certain pleading in Rainfall’s voice.

Again I sighed.  It was inevitable that the filly would have to be corrupted to some extent.  For me to have hoped that I could resolve the bastardization of this young filly was foalish.

She had already been exposed to enough to have certain thoughts roam into her head.  It was only natural that she have questions about the subject of death.  Or, I suppose when concerning Paradise, it was more the subject of depravity and wickedness.  

Explaining it would be hard.  And it wasn’t like my Night hadn’t been strenuous enough already.  For the third time I released a heavy sigh.  I didn’t have an answer, only a guess.  An educated one, based on my analysis of Paradise’s traits.

“To cause pain.  This was just a grand evil.  Just a monster bent upon torturing others.  The only reason it had was a sadistic compulsion, what it called ‘survival.’  Survival to it being the murder of others and feasting upon their natural magic.  The essence of their body, that which fuels their souls.  It was evil in every sense of the word.”  I stared at the Moon as I spoke.  

It was always a great comfort to me.  Whenever I found it especially difficult to cope with the reality of a situation I just drifted away to my Moon.  I let my soul rest upon it for a moment.

The Moon had been my only friend for a thousand years and for that reason I would always appreciate it.  It may be hard to believe that I had nothing to do on a giant orbiting space rock, but I couldn’t entertain myself while trapped upon the surface.  My magic was suppressed by the Elements of Harmony so all I could do was talk to the stars.  

Sometimes they would talk back too...

“Who are you to stake such claims about me?”  The voice pierced the cold air.

I spun around to face where my opponent was laying.  The wounded and battered form of Paradise was rising, although clumsily.  It stumbled as it worked its way to its feet, twice falling back to the ground.

Finally it managed to bring itself into a standing position.  The wind caused Paradise to sway dangerously.  Its eyes were both a gray color, slightly glazed over from the amount of blood loss.  

It took a tentative step forward, body still swaying dangerously with the gale.  Paradise had its working eye focused on me, a new emotion now gracing those features: determination.  It was an impossibility.  Even after having sustained numerous “mortal” wounds and having its sources of magic depleted it stood, striding towards its prey with confidence.  It was, in a rather curious sense, admirable.  

Rainfall just looked at Paradise, shock and horror being the only recognizable features on her face.  I instinctively took a step in front of her.  Paradise’s lips parted, indicating she was going to continue.

“This is the very worst wickedness, that we refuse to acknowledge the fervent evil within ourselves.  To deny what we are, to try and change that, is an act of treason.  Treason against that which bore us: the world.”  Its voice was hardly a whisper, yet I had no trouble in hearing what Paradise said.

There had been a sort of passion behind Paradise’s words.  These words were different from the deranged ramblings of earlier.  They rung a certain truth, as if only now was I seeing the true Paradise.  It was only now that it dropped the masquerade.

“You cannot mask what you are with boots of silk and masks of gold.  You are bound to evil, same as I.  You simply deny it.  You are a slave to fear, a pain that is only born of vice.”  Paradise’s voice was barely a stutter as it stumbled closer to us.

“My success, my misfortune, the dreary days of my life and the far brighter ones, everything has proved to me that, in the physicality and morality of the world, good blossoms from evil just as evil blooms from the scraps of good.  Many a great feat has been achieved in this world.  If that is the product of picking the lesser of two evils than so be it.”  I gave the speech in a clear-cut monotone.  Even in Paradise’s current condition I did not wish to risk letting my guard down.

“To pick between two apples of the same bushel is of no purpose.  Evil is the only absolute in this world, the only constant.  It holds no surprises, no trickery.  It is merely present.”  Paradise stumbled a few feet before me.  I backed a step away beckoning Rainfall to do the same.  

It was not necessary, however.  Paradise collapsed upon the ground, panting.  Its sides heaved heavily, wounds expanding and retracting as the breaths became rapid and shallow.  

I saw that Paradise’s gaze was still locked on me.  There was an old tradition in Equestria that a pony was to never die alone.  A tradition that beckoned others to surround the pony with friends and family.

Even if Paradise was not a friend, even if it was a putrid monster.  I could be the better of the two of us.  I could come to it, give it peace in its final moments.  Allow it to come to terms with the world It had been a part of.

I approached the mass, cautiously and slowly.  I gave Rainfall a look that meant ‘stay here.’  She did not need any suggestions to do so, though.  

I came to sit next to Paradise’s physique and sat upon the ground.  The creature looked up at me.  Then it spoke.  “This pleases me, you know.”  Paradise wasn’t my enemy then, just a sickly soul.  

“What does?”  I asked in a soft voice.

“Seeing you.”  After I gave the being a confused glance it clarified.  “You and I are so similar.  Powerful, untested, alone.  Yet, our paths have differed so much.”  

“It is not as if you had a choice in being a Ectoplasmic Phantasm.  Nor was it was not my choice to be born a Princess.”  I replied.

“That is not what I meant.”  A cough racked its form.  “We have become two apples of the same bushel.  Only one of us has been plagued by parasites.  Leaving the other to be plucked and used.  A victor, you, and a loser, me, as it were.”  Its tone did imply a certain sadness.

I attempted to comfort the dying (mare, stallion?), but it was to no avail.  Paradise continued after a moment.  “Yet it does not fill me with sadness, oddly enough.”  There was a tranquil overtone to the words that suggested a certain happiness.  

“Sometimes the world works in strange ways.”  I said back.  I rested my hoof on my foe’s hoof.  

“No, this is within reason.  It is nice to see that I am the lesser of two evils in this situation.  It does my heart good, knowing that I have met something more worthy than I of being called a monster.  You see the apple that survived, you, was sprayed with insecticide, poisoned by the world around you.  Life itself is not good or evil, merely a shelter for the two.  And now life itself is upon your shoulders, slowly poisoning you...the final evil...”  Paradise’s voice echoed into the distance.

I did not argue, I did not try to go against anything Paradise said.  A dying creature should be allowed a final word, no matter their crime.  Even a crime so harrowing as the abduction of another’s life.  

I just let my opponent’s breath fade off, becoming shallow and fast until finally it came to a complete stop.  I lifted myself from my place in the grass.  I walked back over to the young filly, Rainfall.

Rainfall herself was laying in the grass, head turned away from Paradise and I.  It was not until I rested a wing over her that she even looked about.  In those eyes all I was able to see was a young filly, dazed and confused by the situation she was shoved into.

I nudged her to her feet with my nose.  She rose without protest.  I began to lead us off towards the forest, but I was overwhelmed.

I collapsed to the ground in a fit of exhaustion.  All of my limbs ached and the pain of my wounds seemed to increase.  I suppose the adrenaline of the battle had worn off and I was left with the results: fatigue and pain.  

I landed on my uninjured shoulder rather awkwardly.  At least I landed on my uninjured shoulder, though.  I familiar tang of metal came upon my tongue.  I had bit my tongue.  Painful, but bearable all the same.  

I winced and looked to my right, able to see Rainfall running towards me.  Wait, when had she moved away from me?  

“Oh my gosh Princess!  Are you okay?  What happened?”  She sounded quite concerned.  I suppose I would too if I was in her position.  

“I am fine.”  I winced as I tried to get to my hooves.  The pain caused by my rib was much more noticeable now.  “I just lost my balance.  Let’s just leave this accursed place.” 

Rainfall put her hoof under my wing in attempt to help.  I let her continue if only to humor her.  I positioned my right hoof on the ground firmly.  I used it to leverage the rest of my body into a firm standing positioned.  I had to use my wings to properly balance myself, but I managed in the end.

It was then that I noticed a large welt on the side of Rainfall’s face.  “Where did that mark come from?  Did you injure yourself?”  I did not remember seeing that mark earlier, and I was a very observant pony.

Rainfall shifted from hoof to hoof nervously.  I looked at her for a moment, eyebrows raised.  She leaned down for a moment ears flat against her head. 

“Well no, not exactly.  You know just a moment ago when you fell?”  I gave a slight nod.  “Well,” She continued, “You kind of smacked me in the face with your wing on the way down...”  She gave a sheepish look.

If I could have brought my hoof to my face in order to express my own regret over the accident I would have.  “I apologize Rainfall.  My intentions were to regain my balance not fling you across a clearing.  I hope you can forgive me.”  I tried to bring myself into a bow, only to once again fall over.  

Rainfall happened to be under my wing when I fell.  We both fell onto the dust-covered ground.  The residue dust consisted of dirt, parts of Paradise, glass, bone, and more dirt.  

I landed on my face, dizzied by the second impact.  How was it I could fall twenty feet out of the air, launch myself in a “Moon Bounce,” handle landing on the back of a flaming skeleton, but I couldn’t coordinate myself towards doing something as simple as standing?

I looked around myself once on the ground, searching for Rainfall.  I did not see her anywhere.  “Rainfall, could you, perchance, inform me of your whereabouts?”  It was rather curious how she managed to disappear so often.  

The response I got was a few muffled groans and a bump on underside of my wing.  I turned my head to the appendage and lifted it.  Rainfall greeted me with a warm, amicable, smile.  “Hello!”  She exclaimed.  

I smiled back.  “Once again, I must apologize.”  I tried to place my leg around her shoulder.  The strain placed on my muscles proved too great however, and I only managed to give her a weak pat on the knee.

“You don’t have to apologize me, Princess!  I guess I kinda deserved it for standing right next to your wing like that.”  Her smile was quite infectious.  

Her smile suddenly died, though, and was instead replaced by a deep, thoughtful frown.  “Besides I have a scars that are a lot worse than that...”  I believed her.

I placed my wing over her back and drew her in closer.  I whispered lightly in her ear, “Do not fret, my dear.  You have an ally in me.”  I did my best impression of a reassuring smile.  They’re rather hard to do.

I started to rise to my hooves again, but the young Miss Rainfall stopped me.  “You’re too tired to walk around now, Princess.  Even I can see that.  I think we should rest here for a while.  Just until you get your strength back, that is.”  

I frowned.  I could not sit idly by!  I had to inform Celestia of Paradise!  I had to tell her of the creature’s summoning abilities and of my thoughts on its origins!  I had to devise a way in which we could defend against future threats of a similar nature!  There was far too much to do to sit and “rest.”

“I must once again apologize, Rainfall.  I cannot rest now.  No, there is still much to do yet, my young friend.”  I tried to rise to my hooves again.  “We must get to Canterlot!  Come now, you can ride upon my back-”  A sudden jolt of pain racked my entire body.  I fell back to the ground with a grunt of pain.  

“Sorry, Princess.  We’ll have to wait here.”  Rainfall did not sound very apologetic.

I let out a rather long winded sigh that likely sounded very odd.  “I suppose it can’t be helped.  Me and you are stuck here.”

“I think you mean ‘you and I,’ Princess.”  Rainfall corrected.

“Nobody likes a grammar shrewd, Rainfall.”  I exhaled viciously.  	

Rainfall simply shrugged.  Then she gave me a broad smile.  “Well you’ll never amount to anything if you don’t learn proper grammar and speech now.”  A small chuckle escaped the filly.

The young filly’s chuckles exploded into full-blown laughter after a few seconds.  And I was stuck there.  Listening to pony with a extremely high-pitched voice laugh at there own joke.  A very, very bad joke at that.  

I performed one last feat that dreary Night.  I pooled all of the power I had, all the power I could muster, into my hoof.  I slowly lifted it from the ground, determined to do one last thing before exhaustion took me.

Rainfall’s eyes were shut and watering from the laughter.  She was holding her gut and leaning against me, completely oblivious to everything around her.  This made her completely unaware of the large hoof that was shoved into her mouth.  She gave out a few sighs of protest, but I ignored them as I enjoyed the sweet sound of silence.  

“Goodnight Rainfall...”  I said as I drifted off to sleep, hoof still muffling the young filly.  All I heard in return was a few muffled snorts and grumbles.  It was such a wonderful moment.  

I drifted off to sleep peacefully that Night, able to ignore all the pain coursing through my body.  I would need to be well-rested for the following day, anyways.  The sun was already rising anyways.

> Nothing Ever Seems to Work Out
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In my dejected loneliness years ago I found a way to manipulate my dreams.  A rather interesting novel had taught me how to manipulate my own mind, allowing me to experience a sort of lucid dreaming.  I was able to shape the world around me and decide what happened in dreams.  It allowed free will in a dreamscape.

Ever since learning that little trick, the kingdom of dreams had been an escape, a refuge in which I could relax.  When I had been trapped on the Moon plotting vengeance and how I would go about retaking Equestria I usually played the plot I created over in my dreams.  I believe most of my dreams ended up ending with every single pony in chains and Celestia bowing to me.

Since I was “purified” by the elements my usage of this special ability has increased rather than decreased.  Because as it turns out, when you’re a moral, upstanding pony you actually care what others think of you.  And when ponies associate your name with Nightmare, well, it can be assumed that you are most likely to be subject to a rather inauspicious time.  

So dreams have been an escape for me over this long time.  They have been a place where I can pretend that my subjects do not fear me.  A place where I can truly speak to them, a way to come out to them.  

I attempted to do the same in that fit of sleep.  I found that I was unable to, though.  Well I was lucid, but I could not control my surroundings as I normally was able too.  

I sat, lucid and awake within my dream, attempting to manipulate my surroundings.  Absolutely nothing happened.  Of course, why should I expect this horrible day to ease up on me? So it looked like I would be subject to whatever dreams that were to plague me.  

And it turned out to be quite an ominous dream.  I was in a thick, black haze that refused to let up no matter what I attempted.  I took a step forward and plummeted about thirty feet.  Or maybe it was three...it’s always hard to tell in a dream.  Gravity tended to be non-existent in the land of dreams.

I landed on some rather sharp...somethings.  I curled my head around to look at the things digging into my skin.  The twisting caused the things to dig in a little bit deeper, but I withstood the irritation.  

I was laying on a large pile of bones.  Specifically pony bones.  Also there was pony blood.  And pony eyes.  Ew...what kind of sick-twisted do I have?

I made myself comfortable in the pit awaiting some further omen to appear.  This would not be the first time that I had experienced a bad omen through the realm of dreams.  In fact, before I learned to control my own mind as I had, they had been quite common for me.  

So I was not exactly frightened by the situation.  I learned to deal with a nightmare or two.  I just stared up at the top of the large pit I was trapped in, bored to no extent.

I had planned on building a grand and awesome palace this dream, but nope, apparently I just had to experience some kind of warning.  Usually they were far too cryptic to decipher anyways.  After a few minutes (in real time it was probably about a fraction of a second) I still sat in a the gory pile with no further warning.

“So is that it then?  I take it that this means somepony will get hurt then?  Well you’re a little late for that brain.  I have suffered multiple wounds physically and Rainfall will likely need trauma counseling after the amount of psychological strain she was placed under!”  I shouted into the foggy dreamscape.

It took me about a second to realize I was shouting at my own brain.  But in all fairness, the thing is capable of quite a serious amount of stupidity.  Also, if your anything like me and have learned to control your dreams, killed a demon, experienced a bad omen, and tried to maintain the innocence of somepony who has just witnessed murder, then you would know that your brain is, in fact, secretly a douche-pickle.  

So I sat there for the remainder of my dream, in a gory pit of pony parts.  Our perception of time is filtered in a dream world, it’s made to seem longer than it truly is.  We believe our dreams to last hours upon hours, when in fact, the average dream of a pony lasts approximately four seconds.  Or five if you’re lucky. 

However, a lot could happen in four seconds.  Quite a lot could happen in four seconds, indeed.  Especially if I was involved.

The rest of the dream was spent in that state, with no area of change, and I laid uncomfortably on a pile of ossified bone (of course, there really isn’t a bone that’s not ossified is there?  I probably should have rephrased that.).   Needless to say I was very grumpy.  It would be a long Night...or day...or whatever...

I was awoken by Rainfall.  “Uh, Princess...do you think you could wake up now?  Do you have the energy to go now?” Said the young filly in a kind voice.  She nudged me with her hoof.

Unlucky for her I was not a morning pony.  “WHO’S BRAIN IS HOST TO THE IDIOCY TO POKETH US!?!”  For a moment I let ye olde Royal Canterlot Speech slip out.  When I saw who had been the subject of it I immediately regretted my groggy decision.  

Rainfall stood for a moment mane and tail blown back in a rather comical way.  Her eyes were spinning and she had both of her fore-hooves pressed against her ears.  It would have been rather funny had their not been a small trickle of blood flowing from one of her ears.  Blood ruins everything.  

I was quite well-rested and had regained some energy.  I placed my right hoof on Rainfall’s shoulder, wincing at the pain it caused the wound in my shoulder.  “Oh dear.  I’m quite sorry about that.  I’m not used to sleeping in the rough, at least not anymore.”  Rainfall stared at me blankly for a moment.  “Rainfall?”  I asked a tad bit worried.  

She stared for a few moments before finally opening her mouth to respond.  “WHAT DID YOU SAY???”  The force of her yell was not quite as strong as mine, but I thought I saw a few trees sway.

“Dear, you’re speaking rather loudly.  How is your hearing?  Can you understand anything I’m saying?”  I asked Rainfall.  I made sure to emphasize every motion of my lip and tongue, hoping that she would at least be able to read them.  

Once again I received a blank stare from Rainfall.  “WHAT???” She shouted.  “WHY ARE YOU WHISPERING???”  
“You can’t hear a word I’m saying can you?  Just great.  Another pony struck deaf.  I should just have Celestia employ a law making it illegal to wake me up without ear plugs.  You think after the fifty-seventh time I would be used to it.”  I face-hoofed at my inability to learn from my mistakes.  Well, at least the mistakes I made in the morning.

I mainly wasn’t a morning pony because I was literally not a morning pony.  I mean, I am the Princess of the Night, so naturally I am Nocturnal.  Still, there seemed to always be some servant who had a hard time remembering that.  Really they should consider it fortunate that the only thing that ended up bleeding were their ears.  

A hoof brought me out of my self-berating speech.  Rainfall was poking me hard in the chest.  “Princess, I was only kidding.  Just calm down.  My hearing is fine.  See?”  She began showing me her ears.  

“Wait, what?”  It was more than a bit confusing.  Plus- “Your ears are bleeding, though.  How could they be bleeding if they aren’t injured?”  Unless, of course, the little unicorn had cast some sort of illusion spell.  But she seemed to young to be able to utilize magic.

Rainfall gave a nervous chuckle and said, “Well I may or may not have had some tomato juice on me.”  She must have seen my look of incredulity.  “I mean as a prank!  I didn’t want to make you scared, well, maybe a little.”  

I could not help but gawk at her.  “Well it was in poor taste.  I believe I have gone through quite enough in the past twenty-four hours.  I do not need knowledge of another deaf pony weighing down on me.”  

Rainfall smiled at me deviously.  “Another?”  Her tone betrayed a slight hint of joviality.  

I adopted a somber tone and serious gaze and said, “There is something you must know about me, Rainfall.”  She looked to me, curious with what I was about to say.  It appears my acting skills were not lost on her.

“I, your faithful ruler, have a secret.  A deep dark, terrible secret.  One that threatens any and every pony in Equestria.”  Her eyes widened.  I smiled inwardly.  “You see, whenever I am abruptly awakened by another pony I must do something.  Something horrible and dark...something that disgusts me.”  I adopted the most overly dramatic voice possible, something that would disgust any real actor, but suited my needs quite well.  “I must...I must...I must...” I left the phrase trailing off, acting my heart out.  

Rainfall’s eyes were dinner plates at this point.  After a short silence, which probably seemed a lot longer to her she whispered, “Wh-wha-what do you have to do?”  I looked her straight in the eyes and lifted myself to my feet so that I would be looking down upon her.  “Princess?”  

Using a grave tone I normally reserved for far more grim occasions I began, “I must...seek vengeance!”  And with that I curled one of wings over the filly and brought her close.  Her shrieks went unheard and unheeded as I viciously tickled her with my wings, causing her to laugh in a rather abundant...abundance.

After a little bit I released her from my retribution.  She rolled away from my grasp, in visible hysterics.  Her laughter was uncontrollable.  She rolled around on the ground for a moment before lying still rather suddenly.

It was about then that I turned around.  The bloody and mangled body of Paradise reminded me as to why we were in this clearing.  Rainfall and I needed to leave this place soon.  Before scavengers and predators caught the scent of food.  

Maybe if we found our way to Canterlot quick enough we would be able to get a carriage out to the body in time.  It would be helpful to examine the body of an Ethereal creature.  Especially one so menacing and mysterious as the Ectoplasmic Phantasm.  Before I could even think of that, however, I would need to make sure Rainfall and I made our ways back to the palace. 

I would also have to send a medical team and a carriage out to where Rainfall’s mother lay.  I had no idea at this point whether she was alive or dead.  Hopefully killing Paradise in the physical realm restored her soul back to her body.  On the other hand there was an equal chance that upon the death of Paradaise the anchor/host also passed.

Even if Rainfall’s mother was alive she wouldn’t be free to roam.  Not immediately at least.  She would be questioned as to how she came about a tome that held knowledge of such a summoning spell.  Again, this would all have to wait until Rainfall and I were back at the palace.  

I turned back to the young filly, who was now lying on the grass in ball, chest rising and falling as she breathed.  “Come Rainfall, I do believe it is nigh past time that we left this place.”  The little filly gave no response.  I frowned.  “Rainfall, please rise.  We need to leave this place.”

The filly still lay exactly where she was.  Her chest rose and fell at a rapid pace.  “Rainfall?” My tone was apprehensive and full of concern.  “Are you quite alright?”  I approached the young filly.  

My legs were aching, but I could walk.  Well, it was more like inching forward at an agonizing pace than it was walking, but it’s the same difference really.  I called out Rainfall’s name tentatively while I moved forward.  

There was no response...

I reached the young filly and that is when the sun alerted me to a spot just under Rainfall.  There was a small red pool forming under her torso and hooves.  I immediately flipped her on her side, fearing the worst.  

A large stone pierced the filly’s chest, obviously going quite deep.  I wasted no time.  I felt my hoof around until I felt a pulse.  Not the pulse indicating her life, no, I was looking for the pulse that indicated her magic.  It was faint but it was there.  I lifted the filly up into my arms, cradling her small form in the crook of my arms.  

I lowered my head to the wound, letting the tip of my horn touch where I had felt the pulse of magic.  A small spiral of indigo light came from my horn, passing into the filly’s body.  It tapped into her much smaller supply of magic.  

I let loose a few bursts of magic.  The magic a unicorn possesses is just as much an organ as the rest of their being.  Similar to how the lungs, heart, etc. are protected by the ribcage, the essential magic of a unicorn is protected by the supply of magic itself.  

And the life-force of a pony and their respective magic are directly linked as well.  So if I were to feed unicorn magic into Rainfall then that magic would protect itself by preserving the rest of the filly.  Meaning that it would keep her from bleeding out.  For a short time.  

This tactic could not replace actual medical care, however.  It would only prolong death until the injured pony could be taken to a hospital.  Hopefully if I flew fast enough I could get Rainfall to a proper hospital in time.  

However it appeared my efforts were failing.  Rainfall’s breathing became more rapid and shallow by the second.  She was too young...her magic was not powerful enough to ossify her immune system.

I grunted in effort as I poured more magic into the spell.  I could not let Rainfall die!  I would not let her die!  Even if it meant using the full brunt of my magic on a young filly I would not let my only friend die.

Rainfall’s body twitched.  “Princess Luna.  I can see mother...”  A slow gargle came from the filly’s throat.  A bit of blood flowed from her open mouth as she spoke.  Her eyelids were drooping as a glazed look came across them.  She was smiling.  

I opened my eyes surprised by the sudden speech.  I had been rather focused on the spell I was performing.  “No, do not say that my dear!  Do not say that!”  Her heartbeat faltered.  She was fading away.  

Rainfall did not, or perhaps could not, listen to me.  Her heartbeat became fainter, slowly dying away.  My spell was failing.  It was failing and I couldn’t do anything about it!  “You will not perish now!  Live, damn you!”  I poured more power into the spell.  The strain it yielded on my exhausted body meant nothing at this point.

Rainfall’s head turned slightly, falling away from the crook of my arm and onto my outer elbow.  Her eyes were distant and she had a strange smile on her face.  A smile one usually wore when they were reminiscing.  Blood dripped freely from her mouth, falling over my coat and pooling on the ground.  

“Mother...why do I feel so...cold?”  Rainfall’s voice wasn’t even a whisper.  It was hollow and meek.  I felt as if my horn were about to crack with the pressure I was applying.  The beating of her heart became even more faint.

Rainfall’s head slid further down and her heart stopped beating.  I desperately applied the spell, but it was no use.  Her reserves of magic had been emptied, she had bled out, physically, magically, and spiritually.  She had passed on.

“Live!  Come now, you have to live Rainfall! Please, just live!”  My shouts degraded into sobs as I clutched the young filly, bringing her closer.  “We still haven’t concluded our story...”  I whispered the words into the young filly’s blood-stained coat.                                    

I sat there, cradling the dead filly.  I had not absorbed any liquids in a good twenty hours so the effects of dehydration had taken their toll.  My sobs were silent, silent and dry.  It physically hurt as the tear ducts in my eyes worked to produce something from nothing.  

I cradled Rainfall, not caring of anything else.  The inner workings of my mind died away, sorrow taking over as I sat in my daze.  I could not bring myself to think, to work out how this happened.  In truth, I was not prepared to accept her passing as fact.

The still-flowing blood from the wound hurt my eyes and filled my mouth with the metallic tang of fresh blood, but I was not ready to pull away from Rainfall.  I wasn’t prepared to let her go yet.  No, I was determined to not let her go.

A slow clap pierced the air.  “Bravo.  That was a spectacular performance you just put on!”  I turned my gaze upward, focusing on the point from which the sound occurred.  

Standing on the other side of the clearing, past the corpse of Paradise, was a pallid white unicorn with a mangy coat and gaunt features.  Her azure mane was unkempt and hung low, clumps of dirt and twigs throughout it.  She might have been attractive had she been better groomed.  

For a second I was silent.  I was processing this new arrival as well as shoving away my grief (momentarily).  She seemed familiar but my mind was having an issue pinpointing who she might be.  For a second my mind was blank.

Then it clicked.  This was Rainfall’s mother.  This was the mare I had seen lying in the grove.  She was the one who had performed the ritual, the one who had started all of this.  She had also been the anchor for Paradise, the medium who kept the creature bound to this realm.

“I forgot how good it felt to kill something intelligent.  That rush, followed by the warm, pleasant knowledge that you single-handedly ended another’s future.  You took away everything they were and everything they ever would be.  What a great feel-”  The mare stood on her hind-legs, waving her front-hooves around for emphasis.

She stumbled a bit however, and ended up standing on all fours.  “Ugh.  This body is so clumsy!  And malnourished.  Next time I’ll invest in a better anchor, preferably one with less baggage.”  What I assumed to be Paradise made a rather rude gesture towards Rainfall and I.  I remained silent, simply cradling the filly and staring at the possessed mare.

Paradise took my silence as a flag to continue.  “As I was saying before,” continued Paradise, “Murder has such a wonderfully relaxing effect on the mind.  Especially when it is performed out of vengeance.  Then it’s simply a divine four-course meal!”  Paradise laughed a horrible, broken laugh.  It sounded like bones crunching against the surface of stone.  

I continued staring at the beast, unsure of how to react.  My mind seemed to be working out about a hundred different ways to kill the thing in front of me.  I could not, however, perform any of these fulfilling acts without killing Rainfall’s mother in the process.  If she wasn’t already dead, that is.

“I’ll admit.  After that little cretin distracted me yesterday and you killed me, I was a little bit lost.  For a minute there I was just dust floating on the wind.  It was rather fun letting myself blow into random things eyes, but that got old rather quickly.”  Apparently insanity was still an issue for Paradise, even in another’s body. 

“So I sought out what led me here in the first place.”  The anchor.  “And like a good pet she remained exactly where I left her.”  Paradise took a moment to pat herself, or rather her borrowed body, on the head.  “Well she was more like a good hat, really.  Pet would imply she did it willingly.”  The devious grin on Paradise’s face was...devious.

“After that I frolicked back here to find my body.  I only killed forty-eight things on the way over here too!  You would be so proud.”  The insanely wide smile present on Everfree’s face was unnaturally cheery.  A few strands of Paradise’s mane hung over its eyes, outlining the perfect portrait of a desperate insanity.

“My plan was to come back here and tend to my body, at least until I could reclaim it without dying again.  Once I arrived a few minutes ago I found out two things.  One, that you and my daughter were still here.”  

“This would allow me to enact my revenge.  And guess what?  My revenge is vindictive.  In a very grave, mean, vindictive way.  So I would be really scared right now.  Because the ‘v’ sound in vindictive is pretty scary.  You know how I know that?  Because I just used the word.  That’s right I know words.  So now you should be afraid of two things-”

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot about number two.  The second thing I learned upon coming back is that it has been at least a hundred years since I killed something intelligent.  So I decided to refresh my memory...and guess what?  Having died yesterday and having killed today I can safely say that it is much less detrimental to your health to kill rather than die.  It’s crazy, huh?”  Paradise adopted a jubilant grin at the end.  

Afterwards it dropped all expression completely.  Then added in a rather thoughtful tone, “I also learned that my body is kinda smelly, and really, really, dead.  Probably should just let that sucker go now that I think about it.”  It pointed towards what used to be its body, now just a mangled corpse on a clearing in a dark grove. 

I stared at Paradise for a moment.  I had not focused on anything the creature had said after one specific comment.  “You killed her.”

Paradise gave a small courtesy.  “And the circle gets the triangle.  Wait, that isn’t right...Circle gets the rectangle, perhaps?  Dodecagon?  Heptagon?  Pentagon, hexagon, octagon, line, rectangle, amorphous blob shape?  Ah now I remember: and the circle gets the sphere.”  The beast wore a proud expression for a moment then once again became dejected.  “Wait a minute...dammit.”

“You killed her.”  I said.  My tone was quiet but rather threatening.  

Paradise frowned.  “Yes, I believe we’ve established that.  Now then, can we please get back to me killing you.  I have things to do...well I don’t, really, but you’re rather bothersome and I really, really, hate this new body.  So let us jus-”  

“You killed her.”  I said.

“Oh, I think I broke you.  How unfortunate.  I’ll have to pick up a newer model of “Princess of the Night” at the next village I terrorize.”  Paradise laughed at its own joke.  

I sat in disbelief.  “You killed her because you could.  There was no reason to, no real motive, you just felt like killing.”  I stated out loud.  

Paradise eyed me for a moment.  “So now we have established two things.  I really have broken you, and you apparently don’t know any synonyms for the word kill.  See, I think we’re making progress.”  

I let my sorrow fuel the rest of my magic.  I used the last of my energy to start my final spell, the one to end it all.  My “Nightmare Charm.”  Paradise was too wrapped up in its own personal monologue to notice the dark tendrils that began to rise from the ground behind it.

I used a small levitation spell to dislodge some dirt from the ground.  I flung into the eyes of Rainfall’s mother.  In an instant Paradise was covering its eyes with one of its fore-hooves screeching.

“Did you seriously just throw dirt in my eye?  What is with you ponies and surviving?!  I mean seriously, can you not just let me kill you already!?!”  Paradise’s exasperated tone was a bit annoying, to say the least.  “Every time I try to kill one of you, I end up in a fight.  Why can’t you just be polite, roll over, and die!?!”  

The tendrils snapped around Paradise’s legs before it had a chance to react.  “What is touching me?”  Paradise spoke in a rather annoyed tone.  “I swear, if you are trying to not die again...”

“Nightmare’s Charm”  worked its way around the struggling spirit, or rather the host body.  The indigo tendrils wrapped around her spare frame twisting up its legs like small vines.  Upon reaching its midsection the tendrils dug inwards, holding Paradise tight.  	

My original theory had been that if I were to cast the charm and drain Paradise of all of its magic, and thus its presence, it would evaporate, traveling back to the depths of the Ether.  Or alternatively if I were to cast the spell upon the anchor (Rainfall’s mother) that tethered Paradise to the Equestrian realm then the same result would ensue.  I had no idea what would occur were I to do both at the same time.

Frankly, I did not care.  The only effect it would have would be to cause Paradise more trauma.  To me, that was not only acceptable collateral damage, but preferable collateral damage.  Any pain inflicted on this beast at this point was completely justified...necessary even.

It is truly amazing what rage and anger does to one.  It leads the good astray, making what were once protectors mercenaries and assassins.  It corrupts the morality of a being, causing them to believe that the just thing to do is inflict harm upon others.  

In the end, though, it is just a reminder.  A challenge, or rather a plaque, that evokes our true nature.  We try to shove away things we consider immoral and foul, going so far as to shun them, even reject their existence, but they still remain within us, awaiting the opportunity to strike out.  

And what a reminder vengeance is.  It is such an irresistible lust, a beckoning the likes of which we have almost no way of resisting.  There is some point in our lives that it calls us to us all.  Some ponies experience its temptation multiple times.  To me it is a test, though.

It is a way to examine my developing morality.  Yes, even I, a being over a thousand years old, am still growing.  I use feelings and emotions to gauge myself, to help me evaluate whether I am truly worthy of being called a ruler.  Usually I failed myself.

Emotion was not my forte...neither was mercy...

“In the name of the Ether!  What are these tortuous devices?  My magic feels so faint so far...as does my soul...”  Paradise was grimacing.  I increased the pressure of the spell.  It was a rather complex spell, as I had taken time to improve upon it during my time spent on the Moon.  I suppose I lied when I told Rainfall all I did was “rock watch.”

Now, the drainage part of the spell was complimented by a new addition: thorns.  Not just any thorns, but pointy thorns.  Of a pointy nature.  After performing the initial spell all one had to do to add said thorns was hone and sharpen the fine-pointed tips out of the magic being drained.  In other words you could torment your captive victim by prodding them with their own magic.  

Paradise could not struggle against the spell’s grip.  Nopony could, not even Celestia.  “I rather dislike this feeling I am experiencing.  Especially since I know exactly what it is.  I’m being murdered.  Again.  In the same place.  By the same pony.  I mean seriously, could you be any less original?”  Paradise sounded more exasperated than scared for its life.

“You killed her.”  I repeated.  My voice was shaky, quivering.  The rest of my body was as well.  I am quite adept at keeping my composure, but even I could not keep the sorrow and rage that comes with losing a loved one from affecting me.  

Paradise gave a long, sympathetic sigh.  “I know how hard it is to lose somepony you love, well actually just like, well actually just know, well actually have just eaten at some point in time.  But it has been ten minutes.  I think she would have wanted you to have moved on by now, dear.”  Everything was a joke in the end...wasn’t it?

When it all came down to it, when the curtain has fallen and everypony leaves the show you’re just a joke, a passing gimmick.  Is that what this being was reducing Rainfall to?  Was it truly degrading one whose future had such prospect (with proper guidance and tutelage of course)?

I would make it pay for that.  I would show it that this young filly had been, and was, no joke.  She was not a tool to be used for the purposes of comedy, nor a piece of meat intended to be prey to an insane monster.  No, I would not let anything reduce one of my subjects to that, especially not one close to me.  
> Not Quite In The Clear
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“What was her name?  Ribbon Gaze?  Crane Maul?  Trawl Paul?  Cave Paw?”  Paradise flicked its eyes up at me.  “Rainfall?”  I turned my head upwards.  “You know that chest wounds are quite painful.  Especially when they go upwards through the stomach.  Then they’re just downright abysmal.  The face she made was splendid, just splendid.  I won’t forget her face.  Well, until lunch at least.”  Paradise licked its lips as it moved its stolen eyes up and down my form.

I was shaking violently, similar to how Rainfall had been the previous Night.  My thoughts were hateful and turned towards the being that was completely at my mercy.  The thorns accessorizing my dark tendrils dug deeper into Paradise’s midsection.  A few pricks of blood began to flow down to the ground as the crushing force drove in a little deeper.

“You do not speak her name.”  My voice was a harsh whisper, hardly audible against the gusts of wind.  “You do not have the right to speak her name.  You who killed her shall not desecrate what she was.  I will not allow it.”  If I had been trembling anymore I would have caused a tremor.  

Paradise gave a vile smirk.  The pressure increased on the vines, causing the thorns to dig deeper into its loose skin.  Paradise winced, but continued smiling through the pain.

“I think she mumbled-ugh-” Paradise blanched as the thorns dug deeper.  “-Your name a couple times.  But you were too lost looking at my body, too lost in your own mind.  Then you lost her.  Kind of ironic when you think about-” Another wince and a grunt of pain plagued it.  “-it.”  Paradise let her sharp eyes pierce my own.  So sharp, but so empty...  “And more than a little funny!”  Paradise attempted a laugh, but with the pressure on her chest was only able to manage a strangulated chortle.

One sign of nervousness, frustration, or any other strong emotion in a pony is usually a small twitch on one of their appendages.  My entire body was twitching.  “Do you find the infliction of discomfort funny?  Is that how you see this world?  Do you like pain?  Then I shall show you pure agony!!!”  

I pressured the spell even more so, allowing it to continue at a rate fast enough so that Paradise would be subject to tremendous pain, but slow enough so that it would be able perceive its own fate.  I saw it grit its teeth through the smile, unwilling to show me any weakness.  Its eyes still bore into mine, but I am sure that mine had the same affect on its mind as its did on mine.  

Paradise brought out its tongue and licked its lips in a long circular motion.  “You’re filled with so much fury.  Uncontrolled, unbridled, unadulterated, fury.  You lust after blood, same as I.  You just don’t embrace it the same way I do.”  Paradise tilted its head to one side.  The pained smile, gaunt frame, mismanaged mane, and mad look in its eyes truly portrayed the insanity and sadistic nature it had shown me over the previous Night.

“You are mistaken if you believe us to be similar, foul creature.”  I said.  

“Am I really?”  Paradise’s response was quick, almost automatic.  The mask fell away leaving behind an expression of indifference.  “Yet our roles have switched have they-ugh-not?  It seems that I am in the position you once filled.  The captive, the one at the mercy of my captor.  And you are now the captor, a merciless brute who does not only plan to kill me but to torture me beforehand.  You call me insane for finding solace-ugh-in murder and torture, yet here you are finding comfort in the same exact thing.  So what, pray tell, is so different between you and I?”  The worn-out masquerade of insanity assumed its position upon its features once again.  

“In fact, I would say you are far worse then me.”  The strained grin grew even wider, despite the amount of pain the creature was undergoing.  “This is considering that I haven’t kil-ugh-led you once, and this will be the second time that you’ve killed me.  Simple math indicates you’re a monster.”  An attempt at laughter was made, but the increasing pressure on its chest only allowed for a few choked breaths.  

I took pause for a moment.  The logic behind what Paradise said did hold true, I was now in the position where I could show mercy, where I could give back.  But doing so would result in more death, more pain.  I could not just let this being off.  No, I had to do this, there was no choice.  

“Perhaps you are correct in your theory.”  I said eyes falling to the ground.  “Perhaps I am no different than you, a simple beast.  A monster who is bred to kill.  One based on instinct, one that only strives after survival.  But there is a key difference between us.”  Paradise raised its eyebrows, causing a few strands of its new mane to fall in front of its face.  

“I serve to ensure the survival of others- not only myself.  If I, a beast, am destined to be such then I am a beast at their disposal.  A loyal beast.”  Paradise still maintained the agonized grin.  “There will be no mercy for you, nor I.  We shall both die as mongrels, whether it be now or ten-thousand years from now.”

Paradise let out another quake of choked breaths.  “Exactly.  You and I are just slaves.  You to your pathetic ‘loyalty,’ and I to the truth of survival.  We are Beasts, created to fight for an unimportant cause.  so you see how redundant it all is don’t you?  Why murder, and blood-thirst, and torture are such intense, passionate sources of enjoyment?”  The creature winced but never gave a grunt through its impassioned speech.

I blinked once and looked up.  A allowed myself a small, sad smile.  Paradise smiled back and continued, “Such horrendous acts, committed for no apparent reason...that is why I love performing them.  They are, in truth, the ultimate forms of expression.  A baseless form of insanity that has no reason, requires no reason, in a world full of justification.  They are acts that don’t require the permission of a higher authority in a world which tries to control everything we do!  I do not require a reason to kill, I merely need to possess the means!”  Paradise spoke with a fire, one that had been nursed for centuries, maybe millennia.  

“It is not my purpose, nor is it a hobby, nor an art.  It is merely what it is: pain.  And it is beautiful...”  Paradise’s voice dragged off into the wind, which was slowly picking up.  Its pained smile had been replaced by a distant and experienced smirk.  It looked skyward as if the Moon would give it the answers it sought.

I gave a snort.  Paradise once again turned its attention towards me.  Only this time it bore a look of genuine curiosity.  “And what, exactly, are you laughing at-”  Another increase of pressure caused Paradise to wince.  It would not be much longer before the being was completely drained.  

“I laugh at you.  I laugh at your pathetic attempts to teach me.  If my actions are only out of a slavery to duty then so be it.  I can live with being a monster.  I have for a long time.  However, all I said before was that you and I are beyond mercy.  I did not say the same for the rest of Equestria.”  I said.

“What is your point?”  Paradise sneered at me, all the while maintaining a smile (quite the feat).

I looked up at Paradise, mane slightly disheveled from all prior events and wounds aching.  “You inhabit the body of somepony I am sworn to protect.  No, somepony I am enslaved to protect.  For them I show mercy, for them I allow life.”

I withdrew the thorns from my spell.  The minuscule river of blood flowing from each wound were damaging, but it was not so much lost blood as to cause serious injury or death.  The crushing weight of the tendrils lifted slightly so that they continued draining Paradise of its magic, but did not crush its stolen body.

Paradise blinked a few times.  “Wha-what are you doing!?!”  The weakness in its voice told me how dangerously low its magic was running.

I swallowed down the lump in my throat and rubbed a hoof over Rainfall’s mane.  “I am withdrawing the more lethal aspect of my spell.  Once again, you inhabit one of my subjects.  By threatening your body I threaten hers.  That is something I am not willing to do.  Besides, It would make you far too happy to know that you tormented another soul in your final moments.”  

Paradise blinked a few times.  It seemed to have trouble processing that I could possibly show mercy.  “You’re willing to give up your vengeful thoughts, just to save the wretch who summoned me in the first place?”  The corners of its mouth began to fall.  

“Yes I am.  If I am to be a slave to anything, then let it be my ponies.  I shall cast aside spiteful thoughts of a vindictive nature.  My motives give me base to protect my ponies, not harm them.  I shall not fall to your level.”  My voice was resolute.  I did not know Rainfall’s mother, nor was I sure she was even alive anymore, but that did not matter. 

Paradise was silent for a moment.  The frown on its face was quite intense.  The brows on its face were furrowed and its mane drug over half of its face. Short, fiery
breaths escaped its lungs.

“No.”  Was what eventually escaped its lips.  “You shall not defy destiny.  You shall not defy the base rules of survival, nor the aspects of reason.  You shall not be the lesser of two evils!  You shall not deny yourself revenge.  Kill me.  Come on!  Do it!  KILL ME!!!”  Paradise screamed the words, practically foaming at the mouth.  

I kept my stare solid and cold.  “I shall do no such thing.”  It went against every bone in my body to do this, but I could not lay waste to my subjects every time something as petty as revenge goaded me.  The tendrils began to withdraw, the final bits of Paradise were being drained away.

“YOU SHALL NOT DENY ME MY MADNESS!!!”  Paradise’s nostrils flared and its veins bulged.  Then in an instant the last of Paradise’s magic drained away.  It was done.  My tendrils released the body of Rainfall’s mother and she fell to the ground unceremoniously.  

I lifted myself out of my sitting position and stumbled over to the body on three legs as I was still using one to cradle Rainfall.  I had no energy left to cast a telekinetic spell.  I sat beside her mother’s body, which did not appear any worse for wear.  I could not think then, there was nothing left for me to express, I suppose.

A green light began to form above the body of the mare, small lines connecting it to her body snapping loose like cables.  It was a sphere.  A sphere of green light.  Perhaps the remains of Paradise.  Perhaps the remains of its power.  Who knew.  It would just be another mystery.  And that was alright.  sometimes the world needed mysteries-

In an instant so sudden, a voice pierced the air.  “Next time I will kill you.”  It was a low voice, harsh, but familiar.  “And I can guarantee you that it will not be a swift matter.  Au revoir, Miss Luna, au revoir.  Next time I shall take care to properly sate my appetite.”  

There was a pause for a moment, a second or two where the the orb just hovered there, illuminating the small clearing.  “Also you smell funny.”

The small green orb disappeared, presumably back to the Rift, carrying the vile being along with it.  I sat for a moment, cradling the lifeless body in my arms and staring at that mare, splayed across the grass.

Then I blacked out...

> Rest
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I awoke in darkness.  I attempted to bring my hoof to my eye to wipe away the ‘sand’ accumulating in my eyes.  I winced at the pain caused from attempting to bring my leg above shoulder level.  

Looking to the limb I saw a bandage wrapped around the shoulder and foreleg.  A rather bloodied bandage.  I paused for a moment, letting my brain catch up to the waking world.  

Then it all hit me, coming back to me in a rather quick flash.  The previous events that had plagued me: following Rainfall into the Paradise grove, stumbling upon the body of her mother, Paradise’s appearance, Rainfall’s death, Paradise’s death, and then darkness.  Not the warm embrace of the shadows, but the bone-chilling grip of empty darkness. 

I blinked away the darkness from my eyes, allowing my senses to take over.  My vision was blurred, and my head throbbed whenever I tried to focus on one point.  I just shut them tight and relied on my other senses.  

I felt around with my hooves in order to find out where I was.  The thing I was laying on was fluffy and comfortable, maybe an infirmary bed.  Though, if I was in an infirmary that would not explain the impenetrable darkness I was laying in.  

I could hear hoof-steps in the distance, quite a lot in fact.  I could make out the faint breaths of two other beings, muffled by a wall or maybe even a door.  Besides that there was no sound, no noise.  Not even a burst of wind.

I tried to reach out with my magic to feel around the rest of the room, but the waves of heat it sent through my horn informed me that it was not a good idea to try that.  I attempted to get to my hooves, but my legs begged to differ.  Trying to make my way out of the bed I found myself tripping over the edge and falling to the ground with a dull thud.

It was not but a second after I fell that the sound of doors being thrown open reached my ears.  I heard heavy hoof-steps leading up to me as well as the vibrations set off by the pony, or ponies, who were coming to my aid.  I felt a dull ache in my chest, a little reminder of my injured rib.  

“Your majesty!”  A voice shouted.  Presumably it belonged to a guard.  “Are you quite all right?”  

I opened my eyes and tried to focus on the source of the voice to confirm my thoughts (as well as my location).  The throbbing returned as soon as I attempted to focus on said pony’s face.  I winced away, shutting my eyes in pain.  I heard another hoof-step as I did.

“Your majesty?!”  The guard repeated.  He sounded quite worried.  

“I am fine,”  I lied, “I just fell out of my bed tis’ all.  If you would just help me back into it.  Also could you perhaps inform my sister that I am quite eager to speak to her?  I would be very appreciative.”  I kept my voice steady and calm.  Though in reality I was bit anxious to speak to Celestia about the events of the past.

“Yes your majesty!”  Two spirited voices answered in unison.  So there were two guards.  The two of them helped lift me into a (somewhat) angular position, where one supported my right side and the other guided my steps.  They deposited me unto my bed and I heard their hoof-steps as they departed from the room.

So apparently I was in my own room back at the castle.  I rooted myself back under the blankets, allowing them to be draped over the lower half of my body.  It was quite cozy, but then again, it was a room meant for a Princess so that wasn’t exactly surprising.  

A few minutes later I heard more hoof-steps, although these were far louder, each one leaving vibrations that reached me through the fluffy bed.  No doubt this was Celestia.  Or Queen Chrysalis.  But there was only like a 40% chance that would happen...again.  We haven’t been on the best of terms since poker-night.

I heard the doors opening and closing once again.  The sounds of steps coming closer to my bedside alerted me to the upcoming pony.  The temperature felt as if it had risen a few degrees upon the entrance of the new pony.  They couldn’t be standing more then a foot away.  There was no doubt this was Celestia.

A few seconds later and I was brought into a crushing embrace by a strong pair of legs.  I felt warm tears running down my shoulders and my breath caught in my chest.  “Tia...you’re...crushing me...”  I managed to choke out.  

All she did was pull me closer and tighter until I was sure I was going to pop.  She finally released me, however, and gently pulled herself away. “I-I’m sorry Luna...I had just thought that I had lost you...again.”  She pulled me into another hug, causing my eyes to bulge slightly.

I tried, and failed, to push her away with my limbs.  “I’m fine.  But I won’t be if you keep squeezing me!”  I returned the hug nonetheless.  “Now then, we have some things we need to discuss about what happened.”  

Celestia released her death-grip once again.  She coughed to clear her throat.  “Yes, perhaps you would like to hear the report that my guards filed before telling me what you experienced.”  I raised my eyebrows.  It probably looked more comical than anything else considering my eyes were still shut.  

Celestia was able to understand my misgivings nonetheless.  “It’s purely a formality.  Just a way to collaborate with what you and the other pony say.”  Celestia must have still sensed some misgivings as she continued.  “This is in no way an insult to you, dear sister.”  Said Celestia quickly.  For some reason, I still doubted that.

“Just get on with it, Tia.”  I said dryly.  My mood was rather poor due to my injuries, the death of one of my subjects, and every other little thing that had happened in the past. 

There was a moment of silence.  I could almost sense the worry irradiating from my beloved sister.  “Are you okay, Luna?  What is wrong with your eyes?  That wound on your shoulder looks nasty?  Do you need some time to recuperate before we discuss this?”  The tone of concern melted my heart.  

I could not be petty and foul just because of something such as my mood.  I’m sure Celestia had cancelled many appointments in her busy schedule just to see me on such a short notice.  Besides, I asked the question first.

I gave a long winded sigh, one that irritated my chest slightly.  In turn that irritated me.  “No, in fact I am not fine.  Quite a few events have transpired which have put me in a position that is contrary to the definition of the word.”  My voice rose against my will.  Sometimes it was just too difficult to hold my composure.  

A comforting hoof was placed atop of my own.  “At least you’re alive, Luna.”  Celestia’s voice was a happy whisper, but a doleful one as well.  A sort of forlorn jubilance.  That is the best term I could use to describe it as it is rather difficult to describe a compound created from the combination of contradictory elements. 

“Should I be, though?  I failed, Celestia.”  I said.

“Failed to do what, Luna?”  Celestia asked the question in a motherly tone.  

“I failed to protect those closest to me.”  I replied, voice cracking as I spoke.  I leaned my head away.  I did not want my sister, the benevolent sun goddess, to see me in my shame.  

Celestia merely remained quiet for a few seconds.  “I think it’s best if I read the report filed by my guards.”  Celestia coughed to clear her throat.  I could hear the crumpling of paper as the scroll was unraveled.  I smiled.

If one thing could ever cheer me up, it was that noise.  It may sound silly and even a bit strange, but it is a comfort to hear that noise.  When I had been younger I had been a bit of a black sheep among the nobles and Equestria in general.  

Unlike Celestia, I did not take so well to diplomats and the world of diplomacy.  The court system also found that it did better off with out me.  Apparently my policy of beheading everypony was not popular.  Nor was my follow-up that had trained Royal Guards member shove bamboo under criminals nails.  

The military kicked me out as well.  Apparently my advanced, advanced tactics were far too thought-out.  The one time I had been allowed to head a (fake) combat scenario I had overestimated the other commander and led my troops in circles for a few days.  We ended up too tired to even combat our opponents once we met them on the battlefield.  Luckily my strategizing skills have improved greatly since then.  

So all in all, I was basically a pariah.  My only purpose was to look pretty raising the Moon.  The council had no place for me, nor did the military, nor did the Maids Association of Equestria (I found out that bleach and ammonia do not mix well into a super cleaning agent.  They don’t mix well at all.).

So I took solace in the libraries, increasing my bank of knowledge, trying to find a purpose.  Most of the books in the Canterlot Royal Library were new at this time, only a few decades old or so.  It was quite fortunate.

The sounds and smells of the books were beautiful.  The knowledge each one held, the information it plucked straight from the head of the author, was astounding to say the least.  The imaginations of authors written down for me to soak up, to absorb.  It was wonderful.

In that time it was not insane to think that I started to react to books similar to how an addict reacts to a ‘fix.‘  I started taking them to diplomatic meetings and such, always acting the part of a detached filly.  Of course, I listened to what was said.  Just not until after I finished the novel I was engrossed in.

Needless to say it earned me quite the reputation for being a bookworm.  But that was quite alright.  At least I was not known as a secluded hermit with absolutely no talent.  The books I read were usually complex and advanced.  They made people think I was powerful.  

Celestia had always thought that I just brought the books to the meetings to intimidate others, or maybe catch them off guard.  I just liked reading in all honesty.  Eventually, I became so familiar with works of literature I could feel a page being turned a mile away.  And tell the genre of the novel.  Basically, I was such a bookworm that I built up a psychic connection with paper.

Celestia cleared her throat...  “ 

File #84017
Case: Homicide, Possible Treason
Equestrian Guard Investigative Services’ 
Homicide Division 

At approximately 16:00 hours nine ponies were found in Paradise Grove, in front a large cave.  Three of the ponies have been identified as Princess Luna, Flowing Wind, and November Rainfall.  Flowing Wind and Princess Luna were both found alive and rushed to infirmaries in Canterlot.  Flowing Wind suffered four broken ribs, several puncture wounds, and acute mind compression.  She is currently under an induced coma while she is recuperating.  She is stable and resting.  She will be brought in for further questioning soon.  November Rainfall was dead at the scene, a large stone rupturing her chest.  According to our records Flowing Wind was mother and guardian of November Rainfall.  Princess Luna was found, body scarred in several places, and covered burns and bruises.  She appears to have been in a fight.  An unidentified green substance was found on her coat and wings, test results are pending on toxicity.
Six unidentified remains were also found, but they had decomposed beyond recognition.  Perhaps scavengers had reached them.  They were surrounded by a strange fire that prevented us from touching the bodies.  A hazmat team was called immediately.  However, they still suffered a burning sensation on their skin.  Magic does not seem to effect the remains and we are currently trying to devise a way in which to transport the bodies.  We are still trying to determine the identities of said ponies.

The site itself looks similar to a battlefield.  The grass has been burned away by spells and fire.  Large craters have formed in the dirt were centralized beams have struck.  Due to the shear size of the craters, the strange conditions of the six remains, and evidence of Princess Luna having been in a fight, it is a strong possibility that the clearing was leveled by Princess Luna.  
From the evidence gathered my team and I have come to, what we believe, the most reasonable conclusion.  For some reason Princess Luna had been patrolling the Night, was protecting November Rainfall and her mother, Flowing Wind, from a bandit attack.  Specifically six bandits.  They did not take kindly to her though, and attacked her party, killing young Rainfall and injuring both Princess Luna and Flowing Wind.  In a desperate attempt to protect her subject and herself the Princess unleashed her power against the bandits, reducing them to bone and flames.  
We conclude that any and all action performed by the Princess (if this be the case) is justified.
- From the Desk of Lieutenant Corporal Private” 


I heard the familiar sound paper crumpling as Celestia rolled her scroll up again.  “About how much of that is accurate?”  

“How many bodies did you say they found?”  I asked. 

“What?”  Celestia replied, confused.  

“How many bodies did you say they found?”  I repeated.

“I know what you said, I’m asking what you could possibly mean.”  Said in a slightly annoyed tone.  Dear old Celestia.  

“I know what you said, but I’m asking how many bodies you found.”  I said in a voice that conveyed more than a slight bit of annoyance.

“And I told you.  Nine, including yours.  Six of the other eight were just decomposed remains. The other two were Flowing Wind, a poor mare trying to support her daughter and herself, and November Rainfall, the daughter of Flowing Wind,” Celestia’s voice cracked, “Who was found dead at the scene.”  

Only nine bodies.  The one body that truly mattered here, the one that held answers was gone.  Where exactly had the body of Paradise gone?  Where could it have possibly gone!?

“Only nine!?”  I exclaimed rather loudly.  “That can’t be right!  Are you absolutely sure?”  I said, any form of composure I had held melting away.  

What could possibly have collaborated with the being to make sure its body was not found?  What reason was there for hiding the body?  Who, or what, even knew that the battle had been taking place?  And what had been privy to knowledge of Paradise’s existence in the first place?

“Yes, only nine.”  Celestia said.  From the sound of shuffling hooves I could tell that my outburst may have caused her to break composure as well.  “Is that a problem!?”  She asked, voice a little bit more worrisome now.  

Unless, of course, Celestia was lying to me.  She wouldn’t do that, though.  Would she?  Perhaps she had found the body and claimed it in secret, hoping to protect her ponies from it and its secrets.  	

Maybe Celestia had feared the body, wondered where another alicorn could possibly have appeared from. That could have led her to lock it away, at least until she could study it.  That wouldn’t explain why she was hiding it from me, though.  So where, pray tell, had the carapace of the Ectoplasmic Phantasm gone?  

Celestia tapped me lightly on my hoof.  “What is it?”  She asked, concerned.  She was probably the only pony that could tell when I was thinking.  She was the only who would take the time to know me like that.  I knew she would never do anything of that nature to me.  She was simply better than that.

My should twitched and drew my hoof away from her.  “You’re missing one body.”  I said simply.  

There was a long, awkward pause.  Neither Celestia nor I dared break the silence that hung dark and heavy over the room.  Finally I heard an awkward cough as Celestia cleared her throat once again.  “What?”  Was all my sister seemed able to manage.

“You’re missing the body of the force behind all of this death and injury.”  I said, still unsure of how to begin talking about the events of the previous day.  That is, assuming that I had only been unconscious for one day.  

“Well that is...discomforting.  I would greatly appreciate it if you could make me a more  enlightened despot by informing as to what happened.  Or, at least, what you perceived to have happened.  Now then, when did this all begi-”

“What I perceived to have happened!?  What exactly are you implying with that, dear sister?”  I interjected.  

A hoof was placed atop of mine again.  “Absolutely nothing,” cooed Celestia.  “Now if you would please just tell me your side of the story.”

“My side of this tale happens to be the tale.” I said dryly.  It appeared that my word was not completely trusted, not even by my sister.  

The comforting hoof withdrew from its position atop of my own.  Celestia’s voice came out loud and strong as she spoke her next line.  “Luna, you must understand that just because of your position as royalty, you are not automatically right.  I shall consider what you say and cross check it with the facts, as well as several other ponies statements.  This isn’t like the old days, you know.  We’re not so far above the law anymore.”  

It was true.  Times had changed as far as law was concerned.  In the times that I had ruled centuries ago I had been able to judge a case as I saw fit.  Now I was forced to do all sorts of things.  For example, now I had to base any case judged off evidence.

It’s ridiculous, huh?  I mean why shouldn’t I be allowed to judge a case the moment I see the defendant?  I know whether or not they’re guilty just by looking at them.  That’s how courtrooms should work, after all!

“Luna, snap out of it.”  Celestia snapped me out of my abstractions.  I let my attention sift over to her.  “Good, now would you please tell me what happened to you that Night?  What other body were we supposed to find?”  The tone of worry was present in her voice again.

This time I was the one to clear my throat as I gathered my thoughts on what to say next.  “Yes, well it is a rather long tale.  I recommend you pull up a chair...It began a yesterday at approximately four o’clock when I followed young Rainfall into Paradise Grove and...”

I continued to recount the events of the previous day to Celestia who, for the most part, remained silent.  Occasionally she would interject with a question or to clarify a detail.  For the most part, however I spoke and she listened.  

The only details that I excluded from my retelling were those of my story to Rainfall.  I did not think it to be relevant.  I was hoping to discuss the possible implications of the affair of the missing body with Celestia, but apparently the council had other plans.  

As I completed my tale I was alerted to the noise of hooves shuffling, and the accompanying noise of the double doors to my bedroom opening and closing.  I heard a soft, rather light voice speak up.  “Your Majesty?”  

“What do you need, Secretariat?”  Asked Celestia in a kind, motherly voice.  

“Your presence is required in the council chambers.  They wish to pass new legislation and require your presence.”  Said the young filly.

“I see,” said Celestia thoughtfully.  “Thank you, Secretariat, I always like to know when to make my presence known.  You’re free to attend to your duties now.” 

“Yes, your majesty.”  Said Secretariat.  I heard the clopping of hooves and the opening and closing of the doors once again.  

As soon as the doors shut I heard Celestia release an exasperated sigh.  “I cannot bear another legislative meeting.  The last one involved me having to keep the council from passing a law that banned trees from Equestria.  I will come check on you again soon, Little Luny.”  I was about to protest the rather atrocious nickname until I felt Celestia pressing her muzzle against my cheek.  It was wonderful being back home.  

“I shall be expecting you, Tia.”  I said, happy to once again be in a familiar domain.  A lonely domain, but a familiar one.  

I heard the heavy thud of metal upon the floor, signaling Celestia’s departure.  The large double doors opened and there was a pause.  “I’m glad you’re alright, Luna.”  I heard Celestia whisper.  Then the doors shut.  

I could hear her hooves even through the large door.  She truly did enjoy making her presence known.  

Even her hoof-steps faded eventually, and I was left alone with my thoughts.  

Well, my thoughts, and my exhausted, aching body.  I had not quite recovered from the double bear hug Celestia had decided to bestow upon me.  And she was quite strong.  Quite strong indeed.  So instead of thinking over my predicament I chose to opt for a less enervating option.

I decided to take a nap.  The chat with Celestia had drained me, strangely enough.  The other pains in my body may have also contributed to my general sense of fatigue.  

I laid my head down upon the place, where I assumed my pillow was.  I felt around with my good hoof, trying to find the lip of the cover.  Of course, my one good hoof was still injured, just less so than the others.  

I pulled the lip to a higher position, letting the bedding drape over the upper half of my body.  The snug, fluffy duvet created a pocket of air that was quickly warmed by my natural body heat.  The pillow was plush and my head sunk deeply into it.

The need to sleep was insatiable.  It was simply an unquenchable thirst to escape to the world of dreams.  Some primal instinct erupted in me which told me to sleep.

It was not long before I was lost to the world of dreams...

> Utopia
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I awoke in my room.  I yawned once and slowly opened my eyes.  I tried to focus on the mirror on my vanity to test whether I would still suffer a headache.  Somepony had mercy upon me and I was able to gaze upon it without suffering an intense migraine.  

My muscles felt stiff and heavy.  My throat was dry and sore, as if I had just consumed sandpaper.  I coughed once, bracing myself against any possible pain the action would cause my ribs.

Extraordinarily enough, no pain struck me.  I was not doubled over in agony over the violent tremor that struck my body.  No, in fact, I did not even feel the injuries that would be effected.  I flipped my duvet and sheet over to reveal the rest of my body.

I scanned over my limbs and mid section, checking for any signs of damage.  There were none.  I looked to my shoulder to see the bandage still wrapped around it, but the painful wound was gone- or at least I could not feel it anymore.  I patted my midsection slowly, but could not find any traces of my cracked rib.  

I reached a tentative hoof upwards to perform a physical inspection of my horn.  There was absolutely no evidence of strain.  No hairline cracks, no bruising, no visible magic vessels were extruded or expelled.   

Which was simply impossible considering the amount of power I had exuded earlier.  There was no way that my horn would be able to heal so quickly having been injured so much.  Not even the regenerative abilities of an alicorn could possibly account for the strange, sudden recovery.  At least, not in two days.

Not just a recovery, but an improvement.  I felt better than I had before I had received the injuries.  My entire body felt completely rejuvenated.  And there was no explanation so far as to why.  

This was not the work of medical magic either, as there was no equipment in the room with me, nor was there any detection of a spell placed over me.  The only type of magic that I was effected by that moment, actually, was my own.  I was positively drenched in residual magic from my own reserves.  Quite strange.

It wasn’t the normal amount of magic I tended to release either, it was much more.  It was far more potent and in much higher concentrations.  I was practically oozing an aura of pure power.  An aura that I would not take on unless I was feeling the adrenaline of battle, or some other strenuous activity.

The only other pony who possessed this level of power besides myself was Celestia.  I lifted a hoof out of the bed and placed it onto the ground.  I tilted some weight on it to make sure it would hold, and once I was sure it was firm enough I placed my others hooves on the ground as well.

I found it quite easy to proceed after that.  My gait was the same as it had ever been and there were no physical anomalies otherwise.  Which just was not right.  I should have been stumbling around, pain nipping at my heels.  I trotted to the large double doors that marked the exit and entrance to my room.  

I reached out a telekinetic spell to the handles and pushed them open gently, not wanting to frighten the guards who were, no doubt, right outside my door.  The large black doors opened effortlessly.  I walked into the main corridor that separated the two parts of the castle.  

A loud gasp of shock and the clattering of weapons hitting the floor alerted me to my left.  Two Royal Guards stood in front of me, mouths agape.  Their eyes were practically bulging out of their heads.  

One of them turned tail and ran at that very moment.  I could hear her confused cries as she ran down the long hallway.  The speed at which she dashed would humble a Wonderbolt.  I looked to her companion with a raised eyebrow.

“Pr-Princess Luna?”  Was all that he managed to stutter.  

“Yes?”  I asked quizzically.  

“Yo-You’re alive!?”  He said.  

“Yes?”  I repeated.

“Bu-but- wha-just how?”  He was spluttering.

“Is there, perchance, something that I am missing here?  You seem rather...confused.”  I looked the guard up and down, hoping to decipher his thoughts.  

“You don’t know?”  There was a tint of surprise to his question.  His brow furrowed.

“I do not know what, exactly?”  I wasn’t in the mood to play guessing games.  He bit his lower lip.  There was a passing moment of silence.  “Soldier.”  I deadpanned.

“Ye-Yes, your majesty?”  He asked, voice hinting slight fear.  

“I expect an answer to my question, you know.”  I gave him a slight smile.  

He returned the smile, though his was far more nervous as his eyes darted between me and the ground.  “I-I don’t really know how to explain it, your majesty.  In fact, I don’t really know much myself.  About a week ago something weird happened.”  He scuffed the ground with his hoof.  He seemed to have trouble continuing on.  What would Celestia do to get him to talk?

“What is your name, soldier?”  I asked.

“My name is Razor Leaf, your majesty.”  He said, eyes glued to the ground.

I placed a hoof under his chin and forced his eyes to meet mine.  “Please, just call me Luna.”  I saw him tense up a bit when I said that.  That trick worked for Celestia, why couldn’t it work for me?

“Yes, your ma-Luna.”  Finished Razor Leaf.  

I smiled at him.  “Good.  Now then, I need you to tell me why my presence frightened you and your partner so much.”  I could see him visibly gulp.

“About a week ago, a few hours after the Princess came and spoke to you, a nurse went in to check on you.  She came to find your body hovering a few feet above the bed.  There was a powerful magical aura surrounding you.  Whenever anypony attempted to come close it would lash out and burn them.  Naturally we informed the Princess.  She rushed to your room and asked for privacy.  A few hours later she came out, looking quite desolate.  She told us all to go about our duties and ignore your current state.”  He gave a timid cough at the end of his speech.

“And that is the reason why your friend fled from me?”  I asked, a bit suspicious as to how any of that warranted a fearful reaction.

“Well, the Princess may have told us that you could possibly be sick with a rare alicorn flu.  She may have also said that it was highly contagious and killed any non-alicorns it came into contact with.  So we’ve all been avoiding you and your room.”  Seeing my gaping mouth he continued, “Only a little bit, though.”  There was a nervous chuckle.  He backed away a step. 

I smiled at Razor Leaf.  “Well I can tell you that I have no such flu and that I am quite safe to be around.  I appreciate the bravery in staying here despite suspicion of disease.  I would also like to thank you for gracing me with this information.  It has been quite helpful in increasing my understanding of the predicament I have been placed in.  Perhaps there will be a promotion awaiting you in the near future.”  With that I leaned down and gave him a small peck on the nose.

His cheeks saturated to a very bright hue of red.  He turned his head away and coughed again.  “Erm-I-uh-thank you, Prin-Luna.”  He stuttered to form a sentence.  It was rather adorable.  I turned and walked away laughing inwardly at my actions.

And that was exactly what Celestia would have done.  I made my way towards the throne room where the jester was likely to be.  Along the way I caught several glances from guards and others.  Some of astonishment.  Some of fear.  Some of disbelief.  Others just ran.  I suppose the only reason I didn’t teleport to my destination was to see the faces of my subjects.  I do enjoy a good laugh every once in a while.

If any of what the guard, Razor Leaf, said was true then it was most likely a hibernation function.  Alicorn bodies are gifted with an incredible regenerative ability, being able to heal from a wound at a pace five times faster than a normal pony.  However, if they are mortally injured or of the like then there bodies go into a sort of induced coma to increase the healing process further.  It was a rather unique ability that came from the fact that alicorns shared the blood of pegasi, unicorns, and earth-ponies.  

During this phase the alicorn’s magical aura wraps them in a shell to protect them.  Any beings that are not known by the alicorn as a friend are hit with attacks (not to say alicorns are invincible.  The function is purely regenerative).  This would account for why Celestia would possibly tell the guards that I had alicorn flu.  The only result of their approaching me would be a painful death or injury.  

Since Celestia and I are the only alicorns around anymore this means we not only have a rather exclusive regenerative ability, but are practically invulnerable to any form of illness or poison.  I must have succumbed to some type of infection while asleep and my body had just forced itself into the coma state to care for me.  I would have to talk to Celestia to confirm this, however.  

She had been the only one to examine me, according to Razor Leaf.  And she had led others away from me.  So it was imperative to find her.  While infection was the most likely cause for my cocoon state it was hardly ever that simple with me.  

I came to the large double doors that led into the throne.  I had no doubt that if Celestia was in the throne room she had heard about my sudden recovery.  If that were the case she would be waiting for me.  Or avoiding me if the guards told her I was in a bad mood.

I gripped the handles of the doors in my telekinesis and pushed hard on them.  They flew open and I walked into the throne room.  Celestia sat upon the throne, calm and serene, graceful as ever.  I ignored the gaping mouths of her personal guards.  

“Tia, I think we need to talk.”  

“Yes, I think you’re quite right.  You’ll have to give me a moment, though.  I’m busy right now.”  She said.  

I looked at her.  She was sitting on the throne mane flowing in non-existent wind, head pointed sky-ward.  “No, I do not believe you are.  Now if you would, sister, this is rather urgent.”  I said in as calm a tone as I could manage.

“Luna, I am clearly quite busy.  Another time please.”  Replied Celestia.

“What is it you are doing then, sister?  Perhaps I could be of some assistance.”  I said.

“Luna, be quiet, you’re breaking my concentration.”  

“You’re concentration on what exactly?”  I asked dryly.

“On doing this thing.”  She replied without missing a beat.  She was smirking.  If this was another ill-conceived joke then...well, I would not be very happy.

“On.  What.  Thing?”  I was met with silence.  “If you don’t come with me now I will be hard-pressed to talk about you.”  Celestia merely furrowed her brow.  “More specifically, your teenage years.  Even more specifically Star-Swirled the Bearded’s graduation party.  Even more specifically than that the part about the ‘jingling-bells.’”

Celestia nearly fell off her throne when I finished that last bit.  After a moment she recomposed herself.  “So Luna, where would you like to go for our little chat?”  Her teeth scraped against each other roughly, smile being quite forced.  

I smiled back at her, content with winning an exchange for once.  “Perhaps on the balcony with a nice cup of tea?”  

“That sounds wonderful.”  Said Celestia.  “Then perhaps you could attend the day court in my stead.  I find myself rather exhausted the past few days, what with the extra work load and having to care for you.” 	Well played, sister, well played.

But, if she was in the mood to joke then perhaps that was a good omen.  Perhaps that which had happened to me was not so dire.  We made our way side by side towards the balcony.  Celestia dismissed her bodyguards when we passed her room, telling them to wait within.  

It was a rather strange place to tell them to wait in, but now was not the time to question her personal choices.  As we traversed the long corridor, heavy silence hanging between us, our hoof-steps left heavy echoes.  Reaching the balcony, I allowed Celestia to open the large glass doors.  After all, I felt it only fair after being sentenced to day court.

As soon as the doors had been closed behind us I spoke.  “Tia, what in the name of Tartarus happened to me?  Was I truly in a cocoon state for an entire week?”  I asked.  What could have possibly prompted it?

Celestia swallowed.  “First off, language.  Secondly, yes you were.  Thirdly, it appears that your body was not able to naturally regenerate from one of your wounds,”  Said Celestia calmly.

“Exactly what was the mortal wound I suffered?”  I was a bit curious.  I had sustained numerous injuries during time spent battling Paradise, but none should have been life-threatening with proper treatment.  Especially not if I were in care of royal medical staff.

“Oh, just the blade wound you had suffered.  I wasn’t worried though, because I figured-”  Celestia began off-hoofedly.  

“Tia.” I interrupted.  

Celestia looked up at me.  “Yes, what is it Luna?”  

I stared at her unblinkingly.  The unspoken bond between us must have alerted her to something troubling me.  “I did not suffer any stab wounds.”  There was a long, drawn out pause.

“Don’t be preposterous.  Of course you did!  It was on the medical records and one of the wounds you came in with.”  She said.

“Did you see me when I first arrived?”  I said calmly.

“Well no...but-” 

“I didn’t suffer any stab wounds when fighting Paradise.”  I interjected.  

There was an extended silence, neither of us willing to put words to my predicament.  Celestia knew very well that the only way a wound I didn’t suffer could be mistakenly registered was through the medical staff.  And there was only one reason anypony would lie about a wound.

“Luna, you do know what you’re implying right now, don’t you?”  Celestia said, voice grave.  

I looked her dead in the eyes before speaking.  “Regrettably, I do.  Somepony attempted to kill me.”  Celestia looked away.  I continued, “Not only that but a pony who had access to my medical chart and the ability to change it.  As well as access to me personally.  That means we’re dealing with somepony in my service.  Or yours.”

More silence.  This news would undoubtedly hurt Celestia more than I.  She saw Equestria as a utopia, an incorruptible land.  For her to have to hear about this would be pure torture.  

A long sigh came from Celestia.  “I suppose even now we have those who seek to only cause harm.  I shall have an investigation launched.  And perhaps you should find a few trusted guards Luna.  Who knows if the perpetrator will make another attempt on your life.”  Her voice was sad and sounded as if it was burdened by an unimaginable sorrow.

I suppose it was hard for my sister to come to terms with the idea that her subjects could possibly be cruel.  She had lived long enough to see Equestria be a nation of great peace and harmony, an accepting land.  Or at least one that could be perceived as such.

To find out that anypony was capable of murder, especially one that was, arguably, treason, must have been a lot to accept.  But as long as morality has its place so does turpitude.  It was simply the way of things.  That was a lesson my sister never learned.  And moments like these made her pay dearly for it. 

We have to be willing to see the corruption and depravity in others as we are willing to see fault in ourselves.   Of course, in another sense this vision Celestia has of Equestria is also a boon.  While I view the world through closed windows as shady and threatening, she boldly walks into the overhanging light, inspiring those she meets.  I suppose that is what made her such a great ruler and diplomat: her ability to connect, to love. 

I found it better to draw away and avoid pain and sorrow.  I allowed myself to love and befriend, but only to an extent.  Everything was planned with my life, every means was to a justifiable end.  If I allowed myself to become to attached to ponies then the sting of betrayal would prove so much worse.  

“It would have to be after you left my room sister, seeing as how I was actually recovering then.”  I said.  

“Yes, and you were found exactly three hours later in that state, so that leaves a three hour window of opportunity.  Guards and nurses on duty at that time will have to be investigated.”  There was a pause.  “I can’t believe one of my little ponies would do this...”  Celestia slumped to the ground as she spoke.  

I draped my wing over her comfortingly.  “Trust is a hard thing to obtain.  Even harder to maintain.”  I could not help but be somber.  And I thought my subjects didn’t appreciate me before...

“I didn’t think a citizen of mine could be capable of such a thing.  I have worked to filter the vulgar and grotesque aspects of the world out of Equestria.  Have I failed, Luna?”  Asked Celestia voice cracking slightly.  

I used my wing to guide Celestia into an embrace.  I laid my hooves around her, attempting to comfort her.  “You have not failed, Tia.  No, you have attempted the impossible.  Purifying villainy is not an easy task when undertaken alone.  We cannot conquer the basic evils unaided.”  I said.  

Celestia pulled away from the hug.  Her features were solemn, yet somber.  “But I am not alone.  I have the honest ponies.”  Celestia was beginning to fall into “debate” mode as I liked to call it.  Basically she was trying to get some intellectual conversation and debate out of me.  It was how she coped with things. 

I sighed.  I wasn’t in the mood to debate about an attempt on my life.  “Honesty is such a lonely word.”  With that I turned and walked off.  This assassination business, while troublesome, was not my main priority.  

I had only one place in mind now: the morgue.

> Finding Closure 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I had to pull a few strings within the castle and use Celestia’s influence, but I managed to achieve something.  I was able to have the body of Rainfall buried in the Ceremonial Graveyard.  A place reserved for royalty, important politicians, close friends of royalty, and heroes.  

Rainfall fell into the latter category.  She had distracted Paradise, giving me time to survive.  She came back to me, even when it posed great risk to her well-being.  I thought it was only fair that I gave her a position that reflected those deeds. 

The wind flowed steadily and gently.  It moved through my mane, caressing the back of my neck as I stood over the grave plot.  It was interesting to look upon the world of the dead.  There were so many graves there, each marking another soul laid to rest.  

But who is it for?  For as far as the I could see I was the only one habituating the graveyard.  So, looking at all the lonely ponies, I wonder, where do they come from?  Where do they all belong?

Standing over the grave I read the small, grey headstone.  

Here lies November Rainfall
1058 - 1068 Celestial Era
Beloved Daughter and Royal Savior 
A True Hero

It is quite strange how events transpired.  I told Rainfall to run, to head towards Canterlot, attempting to keep her away from danger and death.  Yet she came back to the scene, unaware of what dangers lurked in the woods and not knowing whether I was still alive or not.  She had just been concerned for my well-being.

Something that I consider to be my job.  It is my job as a co-regent of Equestria to keep my citizens safe.  Yet, I was unable to save one, and in fact, she had to come to my aid.  What did that say about me?

Such a hollow pain is grief.  It seems to have so much substance but it is basic and uncomplicated.  Grief is just so simplistic.  There was a trigger that goaded a reaction out of you, in this instance the death of a friend, and it resulted in an intense pain that dug deeper than any physical wound.  

Grief is the reason I try to detach from others upon death.  I am immortal, forever existing while those I love wither away.  My dear little ponies can spend their entire lives with me, yet I cannot spend my entire life with them.  It is a cruelty to be sure.  

So, I have to find a way to detach from those I knew, if I let them affect me then I would be exactly like the grief I fear: hollow.  In this case there was only one way I could think to make peace with Rainfall.  There was only one final loose end to tie up with her.

Yet, there is another reason I cannot grieve for those lost.  That reason being that if I were to grieve, I would lose memory of that pony.  Grieving is just a form of coping, a way to help us forget about our dear ones.  I cannot cope or grieve Rainfall’s death because I do not want to forget her.  I don’t want to forget my hero.

I laid down next to the freshly lain dirt, grass tickling my flank as I did so.  The soil did itself was fresh and soft, even a bit wet.  Hard to imagine that a few feet under that surface lay a pony.  

“Hello.”  I spoke to the grave.  “I hope you like this spot.  I had to pull a lot of strings to get you here, you know.”  I allowed myself a sad smile.  “There is still one thing we haven’t done yet.”

“I would wager that you would be interested in hearing the conclusion to the tale we had been discussing for so long?”  There was merely a dead silence in response.  “I thought you would be excited.”  

I shuffled my front hooves to fit under my chest.  My wounds had completely healed in the week since my cocoon state.  An alicorn’s regenerative ability is apparently supplemented by the excess vitamins left over from the cocoon state.  This, in conjunction with the cocoon state itself, left me free of scars.  

“So, the elements had purged my mind of selfish, disharmonious thoughts and ideals and I had just reconciled with my sister.  Of course, there was a lot of other minor issues that still had to be dealt with before I would be fully accepted, but for the most part I was brought back into the world of Equestria...”


___

I trotted along beside my sister.  We were walking side by side through the halls of the new castle as she led me through all the new additions and whatnot.  Celestia was, as per her usual self, quite amicable and welcoming.  She acted as if the past had never happened for the most part.

It made me rather nervous that she was so helpful, though.  I felt like I deserved something more, some kind of punishment.  It did not seem just that I could walk back into Equestria after having threatened the peace it upheld.  

As we walked down the hallways I could not help but notice the glances that I received from passing servants and guards.  The attention displeased me to say the least.  Most of them distanced themselves and shared mixed whispers about “Nightmare Moon,” and “Did we take her prisoner?”  

Celestia either did not noticed or pretended not to.  She just kept leading me forwards through a seemingly endless number of hallways and corridors.  the strange thing was, all of the hallways looked the same.  They were all long, tall, and had the same statue placed the same distance apart down the length of the hallway.  

If one did not already have some knowledge of the structure it would be quite easy to get lost.  It could even prove to be a bit comical.  Maybe some group could even adapt it into a skit of some sort. 

Celestia came to a large set of double doors and stopped.  I stopped a moment after her, ending up an inch closer to the door.  She cocked her and looked at me with a warm smile on her face.  

“Come Luna, let me introduce you to the council.”  She said softly.  Oh dear Tartarus...

A group that knew that I had, at one point, despised them and attempted to destroy them was not likely to think very highly of me.  

Celestia must have seen my concern, however, as she gave me comforting nuzzle and whispered in my ear, “Come along, my little pony.”  She placed her hoof on my shoulder and gave a soft, tender nudge to guide me forward.  Such a warming touch.  Such a motherly one.  This was not the Celestia I left behind.

The large brass doors certainly did their job in announcing our entrance.  The resounding ring they gave as they moved alerted the entire room to our presence.  Every head in the council chamber turned on my sister and I as she led me to an empty chair next to a large throne-like one, which I assumed was hers.  I was expected...

I took my seat and kept quiet as each of the council members gaze washed over me.  There was some hushed whispering and narrowed eyes, but for the most part they were respectful.  That was not likely to last, though,

Celestia took her seat and cast a side-long glance at me.  There was an encouraging smile on her face and her eyes were soft.  Of course, a basilisk’s eyes are also quite soft(don’t ask). 

Celestia let loose one cough, one solitary cough, and the entire room fell ino a silence.  The eyes of every pony in the turned to her and the hushed conversations died away.  “As you all can see, I have brought a guest here today.  This is my sister Luna, better known as Princess Luna around a thousand years ago.  From here on out she shall be reinstated as my co-regent.”  A bit abrupt.  

For a moment all that could be heard was silence as my sister confirmed what several of the ponies likely suspected.  An uproar arose from the gathered ponies as some expressed confusion, apparently unaware that Celestia had a sister, and others expressed disgust at the idea of having Nightmare Moon as the co-head of state.  

Celestia stood up from her seat and banged a small wooden gavel she held in her magical grip against the table, sending a harsh bang echoing off the elegant walls.  Every pony in the room fell silent again.  All turned their heads and eyes to face Celestia simultaneously.  

“Now then,” Began Celestia, “I believe it would benefit all of you to hear me out rather than form opinions based on outdated stories and gossip.”  Was she insane?  She emphasized her words with a narrowing of the eyes and sharp frown.  The ponies in the chamber all took that to mean, ‘If you don’t listen to what I say I will bite your face off.  Then I will shove your firstborn child down your throat while making the rest of Equestria watch.’

Seeing that nopony was going to object she sat back down in her seat.  “I knew that you all would want to hear what I have to say.”  Celestia’s voice was delightfully innocent.  “This is not Nightmare Moon, as some of you seem to think.”  She glanced around the room.  A few ponies shifted uncomfortably in their chairs.  

“This pony next to me is, in fact, just Princess Luna, controller and guide of the Moon as well as my sister.”  There were some quiet chattering amongst the council as this new information was presented to them.  Celestia coughed once more for silence.  I swear, those noble-ponies talked more than a group of classroom foals.  

“She was, at one point in time, corrupted by the mysterious energy of the Nightmare.  Her body was made host to the strange and venal energy.  When the Nightmare took over her form it also gained control of her power, which did not lead to much good, as I’m sure you can imagine.  This new form was Nightmare Moon, the terrible monster that plagued Equestria.”  Finished Celestia.

Her speech surprised me to say the least.  From the way she spoke and addressed the council she made me seem like a victim.  Which was (and still is) as far from the truth as one can find themselves.  

There had been no “Nightmare” entity involved in any of my transgressions.  I worked completely alone on my plot, all misdeeds performed were of my own fault and to my own purpose.  Jealousy and resentment had been the causes for my betraying Equestria...so why was Celestia claiming differently?

Perhaps she created a lie in order to protect me from the council’s wrath.  But that did not sound like her, nor did it make any sense.  She could easily control the council from what I had seen, so why, exactly, would she spout such nonsense?  Unless, of course, she actually believed the fabrication.

“Wait, what!”  Yelled one of the council members.  “I thought this wasn’t Nightmare Moon!”  He and several others stared at me apprehensively.  And here it comes. 

“She isn’t,” cooed Celestia.  “She was purged of the dangerous Nightmare energy by the Elements of Harmony.  What is left now is my dear sister Luna, who will once again take up the duties of the Night.”  Celestia looked quite serene once again, as if that ended the entire meeting.

“But Princess, how do we know we can trust this...Luna?”  The question was presented by a grey-coated sitting pony across the table from Celestia and I.  “We have been given no valid reason as to why she should be placed in such an important role.”  

Celestia stared at the pony for a moment before replying.  “Luna watched over Equestria with me for many years before the Nightmare presence took her.  In that time there was never, not one, incident.  As for a reason, she is my sister, and she was, quite literally, born for the role.”  Celestia looked at the stallion with a smile and set of raised eyebrows that seemed to pose the question, ‘satisfied?.’  Celestia was crazy.  This couldn’t possibly work.

A mare rose from her seat near the stallion.  “That is all well and good Princess, but how do we know whether this pony is even capable of such a feat.  It has been a rather long time since she last controlled a celestial body has it not?”  There were several murmurs of agreement at the statement.  

Celestia looked as if she was about to reply to the question, but instead she looked to me.  She leaned over and asked me, “Can you still raise the Moon?  I mean a millennium is a long time.”  She stared at me for a moment, a weary look in her eyes. 

Personally, I found the fact she was even asking insulting.  I was the Princess of the Moon!  It would be a rather strange chain of events that caused me to lose control over my namesake.  

I also found it quite annoying that everypony in the room, excluding Celestia, kept referring to me as ‘this pony’ or ‘this...Luna.’  I had once been Princess and co-regent of Equestria.  Did that not warrant some kind of respect or deference?

I gulped my thoughts down, however and stood to face the mare who had posed the question.  “You will find that I am more than capable of any feat of magic, be it normal or celestial in nature.”  I looked the mare I directed my response towards dead in the eyes, keeping my eyes level.  “In fact, I am bound to the Moon.  We are attached physically, meaning that if I where unable to control it I would be incapacitated or expired right now.  Any foal who has studied magic should realize that.”  I only realized how jarring that last bit could have sounded after I had said it.

The mare looked at me for a moment.  “Fine, you can control it.  But how do we know the Nightmare energy won’t return and possess you again?  How can you ensure that Nightmare Moon is really gone, Princess Luna?”  She practically hissed the final words.  It seemed that I was making friends rather quickly.  Always a good sign.

I grated my teeth against each other.  Talking was always so difficult, especially when you were as unpopular as I.  “Well as my sister so eloquently phrased it a few seconds ago, I was purged of the Nightmare energy.  But if you are unaware of what purged means then I will be more than happy to be informative.  It is synonymous with words absolve, cleanse, and purify, and is defined as the ridding of a certain feeling, memory, or condition from somepony.  In most scenarios it is a cathartic release.  So does it really seem likely that the Nightmare energy would try to infect me after having already failed and likely been injured?”  The matter-of-fact tone of voice I used was causing the mare to visibly frown.  I must have sounded sure of myself.  

Apparently, my mouth was set upon making enemies with the council.  I mean, if I was going along with this “Nightmare energy” facade in order to play the part of the victim then why would I act like an arse?  If I was utilizing this ploy in order to gain favor then shouldn’t I actually play the victim?  Dumb mouth.  

The corners of the mare’s mouth twitched.  “I am quite aware of the meaning of purged, Princess.”  Her mouth was foaming just an teensy bit.  “But relapses aren’t exactly unheard of, are they?  I mean you could very well turn on us all right now!”  There were a few murmurs of agreement throughout the chamber.  

“I can personally guarantee that the energy will not possess her again, Summer Gale.  The Nightmare energy is only able to possess a pony once.”  Celestia interjected rather loudly, provoking silence...again.

The mare, apparently called Summer Gale, still looked unconvinced.  “How do we know this, though?  Who performed the study which gave us this info?  I think I speak for all of us when I say we should meet them, Don’t I?”  A horde of voices rose, the general consensus among them agreeing with Summer Gale and wishing to meet the researcher.  A few simply remained silent, appearing to be deep in thought.  Thinking was a good sign, I think.

Personally, I wanted to meet the pony who’s crackpot theory was keeping me from being locked into a dungeon right then too.  I would need to thank them in pony for helping me play the victim for these ponies.  Unless, of course, Celestia didn’t have a constituent to help to make sure her little lie was discovered.  

Another of the council members stood from his seat, this one having been among the silent.  “It would seem that the majority of us are in agreement here, your majesty.  We need to meet this researcher.”  It was a stallion.  Rare in Equestria.  His voice was deep and commanding, the voice of a natural born leader.  He was a tall earth-pony with a simple brown coat and simple brown hair.  His cutie mark was a pen breaking a sword.  He held quite the presence when he spoke.

Celestia looked to the stallion and gave a slight nod.  “It is an easy enough wish to grant, Grass Leaf.”  Were his parents blind or something?  He was brown.  “And would you look at that, here I am now.”  Celestia said in a unnecessarily high-pitched voice.  She gave Grass Leaf a small smirk.  A very self-satisfied smirk.

There was not a trace of sound as the council chewed on the information they had just received.  Apparently, their dear ruler, Princess Celestia, had conducted the magical study herself.  And it wasn’t as if they could question Celestia’s capabilities.  It was a rather ingenious ploy on her part.  One that would decisively end this little meeting.  I really shouldn’t doubt her.

“So then, does anypony have anymore objections to reinstating my sister?”  Celestia asked the question rather innocently.  She knew very well that nopony would object now.  Nopony really could considering that there was nothing to object to.  She truly was a master of diplomacy.  Or at the very least, very good at talking to idiots.  

Celestia had addressed the four major concerns about my return.  First, she had dispelled the idea that I was still Nightmare Moon, the vicious and cruel monster.  Second, she made it seem like I had little choice in whether I was possessed by the Nightmare energy (which doesn’t exist), thus making me a victim.  Third, she (and I) had addressed whether I was capable of performing my duties anymore.  Lastly, she had dispelled the argument that I could be corrupted again in a very impressive way.  

“Wonderful,” Said Celestia, “And I believe that concludes everything on the roster for today.  You are all dismissed.”  There was a loud shuffling of hooves as the crowd of ponies walked out of the room, some sullen and a bit irked, others pleased with the outcome of the council session.  

Grass Leaf gave Celestia a humble nod as he departed.  Celestia returned the gesture as well as a smile.  I took that to mean that she didn’t think everypony on the council was an incompetent buffoon.  

As soon as everypony had left Celestia turned to me.  She had a large goofy smile plastered on her face.  “Well that went well, didn’t it?”  

“Exceedingly so.  I must say, Tia, you are simply a genius when it comes to diplomacy!  Better than a thousand years ago even.  That Nightmare energy bit was quite ingenious if I must say so.”  I returned her grin with one of my own, though mine was not quite as wide.    

“Yes, well at least that foul force won’t be able to affect you again.”  Celestia said.

What?

Wait, did she actually believe that Nightmare energy nonsense she had spewed out?  Surely she didn’t...  “What do you mean, affect me...again?”  I thought it would be best to see what Celestia actually knew rather than what I thought she knew.  

Celestia peered at me for a moment, smile fading.  Then she gave a sigh.  “Yes, I suppose you wouldn’t know much about the energy, it probably repressed you to the point where you weren’t even capable of realizing it existed.”

Dear Tartarus...she actually believed the junk she was spewing out.  I thought she had lied in order to help me.  Instead I had found that she thought that all of those things had been the fault of an evil presence, one that had possessed me.  One that had possessed me against my will...

So if that were the case, then I would have to inform her of the truth.  Or at least I should have.  Instead I took a different path, one based on a single question?  What if the truth affected Celestia?  What if, when I told her it had been I, not some evil, that had assaulted her so long ago, that it had been I who refused to lower the Moon, that it had been I who had tried to take over Equestria a second time?  

No doubt she would become a little more suspicious of me.  It was then that I decided to keep, perhaps, just one secret.  Well, one more.

“What say you and I go and eat some dinner, Lulu?”  Asked Celestia with a wide smile once again visible on her visage.

I bit the inside of my lip.  While I would’ve loved to spend more time with my sister there was still one thing that had to be done.  There was still one loose matter to be tied up.  A matter of duty.  “Actually, I feel quite drained.  Perhaps you could lead me to my old quarters?”  

Celestia looked a little disheartened.  Her ears bent back a bit.  “Yes, of course.  I’m sure you must be quite tired after the events of today.  It can’t be easy being struck by the Elements of Harmony.  We can have a little more time together tomorrow.”  

Celestia began walking out of the room as I followed her, anxiety for what awaited me perturbing my mind.


___

I stood in my room.  It was the dead of Night and the only sounds were the soft patter of the guards hooves as they went their rounds.  My room had not changed one bit in the time that I had been away.  

Celestia had kept it maintained over the past millennium, in hopeful expectancy that I would one day return.  It was a testament to her undying love, her kindness.  If the kindness she had been showing me was any indication of how she had ruled in my absence then it would be easy to assume that she was a kind and benevolent ruler.  One that had grown quite a lot since I had last seen her.  

I stood in front of an old relic.  My large station mirror.  Upon walking into my room the first thing I had noted was that the lens was there.  Strange, but expected.  This was a new castle, yet I had a feeling that my mirror and that lens would appear.  I immediately grasped it within a telekinetic grip and put it to use, looking for the entry point to the passageway leading into the library.

I was not, however, looking to enter into the library.  No, I had a different reason for seeking it out.  My reason stemming from a sense of duty at this point, not a sense of personal want.  I did not seek out any sort of knowledge at this moment.  My motive was of a more sinister nature.

I found the entry-point, took an extended breath, and phased through the silver lining of the mirror.  The hallway was dark, unnaturally so.  Home again, home again.  Just like it had been in the previous times I had been there.

I willed myself down the hallway, memories of the many times I had gone this way filling my head.  The soft patter of my hooves on the ground lifted up century old dust.  The hallway began to expand from its narrow self and into a full blown corridor.  

This was an indication that I was nearing the door that lead to the library.  Whether it would be wood or obsidian, only fate knew.  I could not help but feel at home.    This place had been a sanctuary of respite for me.  This was the place I could head towards when I needed to rest.  

And as strange as it sounded I missed the company of the library itself.  For so long it had been my only friend, the only thing I could truly converse with.  It was the only place I expressed everything I felt.  The Library of the Night would always listen, and reply to me.  It knew me and loved me just the same.

And now I had to betray that friend.  I had to take away its purpose and repress the knowledge which it held.  It made me sick to even think about doing so, but there was simply no other option.  

My thoughts were interrupted as I ran head-long into a wall.  I shook the stars out of my eyes and focused my vision.  I looked at the cause to see not a wall, but a door.  A small, age-worn door, stood before me.  The dark oaken wood splintered and faded in several places, sometimes so much so it appeared bent. 

The spines of the door were rusted, the small bolts holding them into the structure tightened from oxidation.  They looked as if they had been painted at one point, but that had long since faded away.  The pointed edges were digging into the surface.  

The bottom of the door was scored along the middle, evidence of millenniums of abuse.  The dust that gathered in those scores spoke of the neglect it had seen in recent times.  I ran a booted hoof along the scores, feeling all those years as if I had been there to experience them.  I regretted that the Library of the Night was alone.  I felt for something that was of a non-pony nature.  How strange.  

There was a splinter in the center of the door stretching outwards from the frame, forming a pocket.  In that pocket lay a folded slip of paper.  It was the one thing that lay there that wasn’t worn with age.  No, the slip was not wrinkled and yellowed on the edges, it was white and beginning to open as if it had only recently been folded and placed.  

There was no doubt what it was or who it was meant for.  The only thing that was left to be known was what it said.  I lifted my hoof to slip rather than use my telekinesis.  I wanted to savor the feel of it.  I wanted to relish in the anticipation that came before finding out what my old friend had to say to me.  

I plucked the slip from its position, turning it over in my hoof, feeling the coarse edge of the paper.  I could feel the faint bulges of pressed ink through the thin sheet.  I wanted to stay like that, stay in that one moment before opening the page.  I wanted to dream I was back in time, studying a letter given to me by my only friend.

It had known, and I suppose still knew, me so well, would it really have been that hard for it to realize into my intentions?  No, it knew and I wondered, and feared, what it had to say.  It would have been so easy to ignore the note and proceed, living with the knowledge that this place was still with me.  Whether it was a blissful ignorance or not wouldn’t really matter.

But sadly, I was not allowed the privilege to do so.  Not after this place had been here for me during my time of need.  Even if it had been a factor in my corruption I still considered it a place of hope, a place and force I could call upon as something more than an ally.  It was something more than an accomplice or a conspirator, it was a friend.  A word I hardly was given to use.  And I did not want to lose one of the few friends I had left, but I could not ignore it, that would be a cruelty to the world.  

I peeled the corner of the sheet away to allow the twice folded paper to open up.  On the sheet were flowing streaks of ink.  Each line was painted in an elegant cursive that was simply magnificent.  The touch of the pen had not been so heavy as to smear, yet not so light as to fade.  It was a work of art that held a pristine dignity.  I feared the message behind this art.

It took a bit of courage to finally read the letter, and a significant amount of resolve.  The way in which I read the document was different.  I did not read as I normally did, speeding through novels and absorbing info, but steadily hanging onto each word.  Instead I went through each line with care and a soft touch, feeling the words.  I don’t think I’ll ever forget what that letter said, even in its simplicity:

Luna,
It has been a long time.  I’ve rather missed your presence here. it was ever so...marvelous.  Perhaps you could be so kind as to grace me with it again?  And with that, I do beckon you to enter my domain, my dear Princess of the Night. 
Forever Yours,
The Library of the Night


It sent a small tear sprawling down my cheek.  It hurt, it truly did.  Here I was, about to do what I intended to do, and yet my old friend was still so courteous and welcoming.  It did not make me doubt myself, though.  This had to be done, to protect those who couldn’t defend against their own ambitions.  

I pushed my way through the door, its steady creaking acting as music to my alert ears.  Despite its age and the creaking of the rust and wood the door opened quite smoothly, no doubt another courtesy of my old friend.  It only served to hurt me that this place was made so easy.  Even though the Library most likely knew of my intentions.  

I emerged into a faint darkness, one very different from that of the corridor or of a dungeon.  It was a comforting darkness, one that nurtured the soul.  It was the same kind of comfort I received from looking upon my Night sky, the same kind of comfort that only a friend could give.  

This eerie darkness put forth by the Library was the equivalent of a friendly embrace.  A gesture meant to warm me, to comfort me in this time.  Ha, even now my friend was sympathetic to me.  Even when it knew of its fate it still wanted to be there for me.  Don’t let anypony ever say that an omniscient Library with untold knowledge and evil powers can’t be a splendid friend.  

I kept walking forward, towards the center of the Library.  I spotted my round table there, solitary chair pulled out at an angle, beckoning me to sit.  I smiled, a somber smile, and trotted over to that familiar place.  Many a day and Night had been spent there, studying and researching the arcane mysteries and learning of history long-lost to the rest of the world.

I think I would have burst into tears right about then had it not been for the presence of another note, lying on the table.  This one was lain flat upon the table, edges leaning upwards towards the center.  Another message to me, one last word from my old life.  

I leaned over the table, hooves sliding across the familiar surface, worn down by the years of use it had received.  I placed a hoof on the paper, pulling it under my nose, preparing to read what would likely be the last thing I would ever receive from my friend.  I had to turn my head away, once again afraid of what the note said.  Of what the Library had to say to me.

It was difficult to bring my eyes down to the paper.  This letter was a bit lengthier than the one I has seen earlier, long cursive writing seeming to flow in columns as well as rows, as if organized into a graph.  I could not help but smile.  Such beautiful calligraphy.  And all of it was just for my benefit.

The letter itself was unforgettable.

My Dearest Friend,

In a way it is ironic; is it not?  Here we are, with your upcoming performance ahead.  A performance that will hurt us both, I, in a more physical way, and you, on a much deeper plane.  A performance you would be unable to give unless I had taught you how.  Yet, I still find myself prepared.

I awaited the day you returned fervently, in fact, I craved it.  Through the millennia that I have existed I have seen many a pony, and many a non-pony.  Kings, queens, dictators, princes, princesses, monsters, stallions, and mares have all passed through here in the past.  Yet none of them can compare to you, dear Luna.

None of their aspirations, their desires, stemmed from reasons such as yours.  None of them were so passionate or willing, none of them had your drive.  Where their weaknesses only served to hinder them, you worked past them, head held high.  You made your weaknesses bow to you.  How I wish every being were more like you!  

In the past others have strived to do the same as you.  Others have tried to do what you are about to.  However, I believe you are the only one who has claim to me in a such a way.  You are the only one who deserves to do this.  The only one I trust to do this.

Even now, knowing what I am to undergo, I do not wish a moment of it away.  I still crave your presence within me, to feel such a tender yet strong soul within this domain.  The torture that I am to be put through is nothing compared to you, my dear.  

I do not, and shall not, regret having known you.  No force, no power, no pain could possibly cause me to wish any differently.  Because, my dear, sweet, Luna, you are well worth the pain, and the hardship.  

And you better remember that.  
Forever (I Do Not Use The Word Lightly) Yours,
Your Library of the Night


My hooves shook for a moment, my mind going blank with pain.  My lip quivered and I felt a sharp pain within my chest.  I expected to be relieved.  Relieved that my friend did not think any less of me for having to do what came next.  Yet I found no relief within me.  Just sorrow and an undying anguish.  I stepped away from the table leaving the letter sitting upon it.

I shook my head a few times, trying to clear the pain away.  I still had a duty to my people.  I still had to do something for them.  I raised my head high, in honor of the Library, and began to charge my spell into my horn.  Energy surrounded me as a long, sharp wind started whipping through the air.  Dust lifted from its place on the ground, rising as the kinetic energy I released slowly forced it upwards.  

The room was ablaze with magic, but I let my eyes drop to the letter on the table.  I tried to keep the spell steady, but the the letter filled every corner of my mind, bringing a stabbing torture with it.  The torment loosened my concentration, resulting in a magical collapse, the aggregate of the spell falling back.  It backlashed, burning my skin and forcing me to my knees.  

The floor was soft, seeming to catch me as I fell.  The darkness that surrounded me seemed to close in, comforting me, trying to hold me.  It seemed so concerned with me.  I stood, knees feeling as if they would buckle under me.  Tears streamed down my muzzle.  My bones ached with the backlash of the spell.  It was quite a dangerous one.  

I turned my attentions toward the table, eyes blinded with the salty tang of lacrima.  The letter lay there, merely a blur to me.  I used a hoof to weakly wipe away the tears.  I gripped the letter telekinetically, pulling it towards me slowly.  I did not want to damage something so dear. 

I gripped the letter, having let it drop into my hooves, inhaling the scent of freshly lain ink.  There was a boxed outline on the edges of the white scroll, meant to direct the eye inwards.  In the bottom right corner were four little words, scrawled in a manner so different from the rest of the letter.  Those four little words simply read: It was a pleasure.

The tears came in an abundance then, urged to flow by a friend’s departing words.  It would have been so much easier if the place would fight back, choose to hate me.  But no, I was to lose a friend today, not an enemy.  On the day I returned to Equestria I had to lose my closest confidant and friend.  But it was always me in the end, wasn’t it?  It was always Luna who suffered.

I wanted to curl up in a ball and sob.  I wanted to lay there in the embrace of a friend, like I had in the past centuries.  But I knew I could not.  I could not give into what I wanted.  Not again.  I had to remain strong for my ponies, my country, my ideals.

I charged the spell again.  The dust around me lifted itself, scattering in every direction once again.  Wind appeared from nowhere.  The ground seemed to shake as my horn glowed a dark violet.  I closed my eyes, fearing that if they remained open I would lose my resolve.  

Small tendrils began to protrude from the flooring, propelled forwards and upwards by a dark force.  They grew into the air and latched onto their surroundings, wrapping around the darkness like kudzu.  I began to sweat with the effort of the spell.  The shear amount of power and concentration required for the spell was beyond insane.  

I was casting a variation of the “Nightmare Charm.”  One I had improvised within the Library of the Night so many years ago.  In this improvisation the draining stage of the spell took on a new meaning.  Instead of temporary drain that absorbed the power of another for a few hours, this absorbed the energy and made it a part of the caster.  It was basically a Necromancer’s spell.

The caster took on the power of their target, and the target themselves, and absorbed them.  They would hold them within themselves, trapping them in their mind to be used as a source of power.  Something to draw strength and knowledge from in future endeavors.  

It was a spell I never intended, nor thought, to use.  As I was immortal the spell essentially guaranteed that whomever I cast it upon would be robbed of something far more dear than their life: their freedom.  They would be a prisoner within the back of my mind for as long as I lived.  Which would be a long time.

And now...now I was doing that to a friend.  I was taking away everything that gave my Library purpose and meaning, locking its knowledge away.  And my reason for doing so?  I could not let anymore ponies stumble upon my friend, I could not let them be corrupted as I had.  Corrupted by their own ambition, their own want for disaster and power.  

I thought I felt something rub against my cheek, something similar to a nuzzle.  I felt a distant, almost mechanical voice whisper, “Goodbyes are not permanent.”  There was bang and flash.  A brilliant darkness swept across the entire room, my darkness this time.  Then, a moment later, it evaporated...

I laid still a second, feeling something soft and plush under me.  I opened my eyes.  A bed.  More specifically, my bed.  I lifted my head from the pillow it rested upon and looked to the dresser.  The lens was gone.  As was the mirror.  Now all that laid there was a wall.

I curled into a ball and sobbed, unleashing tears I had held for so long.  Were all my friends destined to leave me?  Was that the price of immortality, or of being Luna?  

> Epilogue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I lifted myself to stand above the grave.  Loose soil fell over my hooves as I did so, staining my coat.  “I suppose that concludes our business, young Rainfall.  My story ends there and starts again with you.”  My voice was quiet, void of passion.  I couldn’t stay, sadly.  I turned to leave the graveyard, trotting slowly and without purpose.  

“You abandon her just like that?”  The voice was piercingly sharp and punctured the air like a needle.  I turned my head to the look at the source of the discretion.

A dozen feet away stood a white mare.  The one from the woodlands.  A mare with a coat so blazingly white that it was a wonder I had not seen her earlier.  It was quite a surprise to see her there at that exact moment.  From what I had heard previously the mare had awoken from her comatose state and fled from the hospital.  She had feared interrogation.  Presumably she had left Canterlot.

I suppose the pony who filed that report did not take a mothers love into account.  Nor that she might not have the actual means to leave Canterlot.  From what I knew she and Rainfall had lived in poverty, only able to find the bare essentials while moving from one cheap building to the next.  

“Miss~” 

“Rainfall’s mother.”  Said the unicorn dryly.  Apparently she doesn’t like her name very much...

“Yes, well then I must inform you that there is currently an investigation revolving around the events that transpired.  And you are needed for questioning.” 

The unicorn looked towards me angrily.  Quite angrily.  “I don’t care about that!  But you cannot abandon my little girl just like that!  She adored you.  She absolutely adored you!  Everyday after she saw you she would come back to me cheerful and happy, raving to me about the stories you told her.  You will not just walk away from her like she didn’t matter!”  I could hear the pain in her voice.  Grief was a powerful poison.

“How do you feel right now?  Angry, sad, anguished, pained?  Do you feel as if a torrent of emotional torment is raging inside you?”  The look on the mare’s face was more than enough to reveal the truth.  

“What you feel now is grief.  A poison more powerful and venomous than anything physical.  You grieve for one death.”  I said.  “I am, however, immortal.”

“So what?”  Asked the sullen mare. 

“But you see, grief is also an antidote.  It works at us over time, helping us cope with our loved one’s death until, one day, we just forget them.  I do not want to forget those I have lost.  Because if I do, then I’ll slowly become hollow, my soul fading away as those closest to me perish.  And I would forget each one through that horrid poison you are contaminated with.  Until one, fateful day, where I lose myself completely and turn on my own ideals.  And that is why I cannot grieve your daughter.  That is why I cannot feel that hollow pain.  Instead I have to live as is.”  It was the truth.  I could not allow myself to cope.  I could not allow the pain to heal.

“But you can’t just walk away from her!  You can’t just say goodbye!”  Screamed the mare, voice broken and shattered.  “You can’t just leave her...I-I- can’t just say goodbye...”  

I looked at the mare and gave her a sad smile.  A sad, but hopeful one.  “A very wise friend once told me something.  Goodbyes are hardly permanent.”  

“Who exactly was this friend?”  Flowing Wind drooped to the ground, tears flowing down her cheeks and staining the earth.

“A recently deceased one.”  I turned my head forward.  “Your daughter shall always remain in my memory, as will you.”  With that I walked away, leaving the crying mare to her own faculties.  She would have to sort herself out. 

I could see the form of the castle on the horizon, outlined against the pale twilight.  I looked to the general direction of my room, thinking of those whom I had known.  Thinking of what had been lost.  And whether anything worth gaining had come from it.

Friendship is such a lonely word.  Such a solitary thought.  In its truest sense it provides us with a lasting bond, something enjoyable to live with.  Yet, one would have to be a fool to not realize the risks of such a hazardous bond: The grief that comes when that bond is broken.

Because, in the end, all friendships are broken.  Whether it be by the forces of time, betrayal, or the world, it will always die away.  Not to say you will forget about it, though.  No, quite the opposite.

It will become a part of you, for better or for worse.  It will influence you, drive you towards who and what you are.  All it is, all it comes down to when regarding friendship, is the challenge.  Can you, or can you not, survive it?  Whatever your answer is it will be  life-changing, I assure you.

Friendship is such a wonderful, horrible thing. I scraped up a bit of dirt with my hoof as I walked.  That was all I ever seemed to be left with in the end.  Dirt and wit.  A lonely pony’s companion.

The days that followed were plain and easy.  The attempt on my life was not repeated(immediately), though Celestia and I still remained cautious.  I managed to visit a few of Equestria’s towns and villages, even paying a visit to the Elements of Harmony on Nightmare Night.  It went about as one would expect, chaotic and strange, but ultimately an uplifting experience that made for some entertainment.  Though, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to look at chickens the same way.  By far the my greatest discovery was bubble wrap.  That stuff is quite incredible.

After a time I was accepted rather than tolerated.  I even managed to make a few friends within the nobility.  Though this didn’t change ponies view on sun versus Moon.  I was still Celestia’s inferior in the eyes of the nobility and my subjects. 

This time around I did not let that poison me, though.  As I said before, friendship affects us.  It changes us, molds us into what we are.  It takes our pathetic psyche and causes it to evolve into something...more.  Whether it ends well or not, nopony could know.  

The reason I bother to mention friendship is because I think the reason that I have grown past such venom is because of that young filly I met.  That one small filly who reached out, becoming my friend, even giving up her life in my defense.  She defended me, not my image, or my royal blood, but me.  She chose to be loyal to me.  That meant something in the end.

So what if I was considered Celestia’s inferior now?  With time opinions change, ponies grow, and new ideas come.  If one young, fearful filly was willing to lay down her life for me, then shouldn’t I, at the very least, honor her commitment?  

I will stand in my position, whatever it is, and watch over Equestria.  Not for myself, not for Celestia, not even for duty, but to protect spirits and values like that.  That is a promise I can keep.  

In the recent events I had tried to quantify life, trying to divulge what it meant.  Was it simply a matter of living as Paradise thought?  Surviving and rebelling?  Or was there perhaps some deeper purpose to it?  Were meaningful relationships the reason we all existed, why we were able to observe and investigate?

That is where my mistake lied.  I was trying to understand what life meant as a whole, not as a concept unique to each individual.  What we get out of this life, how we interpret what it throws at us, the structure of how we perceive are surroundings: these things are life.  

There is no glue holding life together, no concrete reason behind it.  We are forced, or at the very least, we think we are, to make our own rationale.  That is where our mistake lies as a race.  

When we define something, it becomes devoid of meaning.  When we solve a mystery it becomes common, unimportant.  We simply don’t have the capacity to care and nurture something that doesn’t provide a mystery of some sort.

If we were to discover a locked door leading to the of nature of existence, then we would care for it, oil the hinges, varnish the wood, polish the brass handle, all the while trying to find the key to that door.  However, once we discovered that key the door itself would become irrelevant to us, a passing fad as it were.  

We would leave the door, allowing it to rot away, hinges becoming stale and rusted, the shining wood fading and splintering, allowing the brass to dull and become compressed.  We would allow it to die away, thus killing the pathway.  And in the end it isn’t really about what lies on the other end, it is about how you got there and if you can get back.

It is my personal belief that in quantifying the mystery of life we would be depriving ourselves of the journey to the meaning, which, in my opinion, is a travesty in of itself!  We have to allow some mysteries to unravel themselves, to reveal their secrets in their own time.  Otherwise we might find that we are not mature enough to handle the truth hiding behind the frame.  

Only then will are studies lead to actual validity and majesty.

We have to have grown to the point where we don’t just pass through the door, we remember the door.  A day that is still a long time coming in my case.  But for now I will content myself with the mysteries that I have resolved.  Everything else will come in due time.

Everything.


		

> A short note to those who've read the entire story
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I realize a few of the story's points were left unaddressed, and I will remedy that at some point in time.  A point in time that has yet to be determined. The foremost unaddressed point being who attempted to kill Luna in the latter part of the story, as I did a poor job writing that.  I kind of glossed over whodunit, why this party had dun it, and how this party had dun it.  It was lazy of me to leave the story with such a gaping hole in it, and I apologize to the people who had to read that portion of the story.  Looking back, the entire ending seems a little rushed.  I may do some revisions.