In the old kingdom there was a group of ponies called the Nightmare Knights, who where charged with bringing nightmares to everypony so that they would understand danger. But in doing this they unleashed somthing no pony could ever of expected.
Long before the rise of Discord, the Alicorns were a race like anyother of the tribes, and they ruled all of Ponykind from the Alicorn consule, made up from the most powerful Alicorns of the time, and it was headed by the King and Queen.
One day two Alicorn brothers came before the consule, and pleaded their cases, the eldest brother stated that the time of sleep should be used to give ponies an escape from the harshness of the world to give them happiness. The younger brother beleived that sleep should be used to teach and warn ponies of what they should be fearful of so that they would be safe, and coutious and not put themselves in dangerous sitouatoins. So the Alicorn king charged each brother to bring what would come to be known as dreams and nightmares to everypony in the kingdom, and other time as the populatoin grew the brothers needed help; the elder sort the help of other alicorns whereas the younger sort the help of anypony who would and eventually they formed the Dream Casters and the Nightmare Knights.
But the brother of nightmares had a problem, the size of the pony populatoin far outnumbered that of his knights and since his ponies were not only Alicorns but also Pegasi, Earth and Unicorn ponies, he needed to find a way for them to travel over Equestria in moments, so he created the vale a relm that the Nightmare Knights could use to travel over Equestria in the blink of an eye. This action however would in future bring Equestria to the brink of destruction.
It was a warm summer’s day; Celestia’s great sun shone over New Canterlot, gently warming it with its unobstructed light. The wind was soft, carrying the scent of the trees and their flowers; their pollen covered Equestria in a hazy fog. The birds chirped their songs; all these natural elements added to the beauty of the great city, Canterlot, once made of towers of stone. And now, with the return of the Crystal Ponies, Canterlot was restored to its once great glory, as it was recorded in the scriptures of the past: the towers of crystal and shimmering steel made New Canterlot shine like the brightest star in the night sky, floating over the great mountain that lay at the heart of Equestria.
One place that was particularly stunning at this time of year was the Royal Gardens: it was in this garden that a young Alicorn mare was sitting in front of a group of even younger colts and fillies. Though the mare seemed to be only in the early adulthood of 25, her deep blue eyes revealed her hidden age, the age of a pony who had seen eons pass and possessed the stance and wisdom of one who had known the mountains when they were just mere hills. Her fur was a light blue and was well groomed, like her mane and tail, which was a curious color scheme: mainly pure white with a streak of black, like the darkest of Luna’s nights. The unnamed mare looked out on the small sea of faces gazing upon her; she cleared her throat to catch their full attention.
“Now,” she addressed, “Can anypony tell me where we are?” One colt that bore a distinctive Stetson hat, who was all too familiar to the Alicorn, raised his hoof and she nodded at him.
“Yes, Zap Apple?” acknowledged the Alicorn.
“We're in the statue garden ma’am,” replied the Stetson-wearing colt; the Alicornian mare smiled, “Indeed we are Zap, and can anypony tell me what's the name of the statue that is behind me?” she asked the gathered ponies.
They all looked past her at the statue of an Alicorn stallion with a broken horn, whose mane and tail were an indeterminate color. The statue was caught in a soft, but striking breeze, and the inanimate stallion looked to the east where the Sun had risen not 10 hours ago; a content smile was drawn on his face, and if somepony was to look closely enough, a stone tear could be seen half way down his cheek. The foals continued to look at the statue as if it was the greatest enigma they have ever seen in the history of everything; however, the mare didn’t turn to look at it: she had memorized every detail of its chiseled surface. She was there when it was made. Her history was bound to it. The foals reached a consensus, turned to the mare and shook their heads; the mare smiled.
“This statue, like all in this garden, represents something. In this case two things,” she remarked, and swiveled her head to scan each individual filly and colt, “This statue represents redemption and sacrifice, and like anot…” the mare ceased her speech; her audience wasn't ready to know about the statue's secret history. Her eyes drifted to the statue, where a recognizable and reformed, God of Chaos used to stand.
“Like all statues in the garden, this one is based on a pony, and the pony in question fought during the Nightmare Wars.” Before she could say anything else, a deep purple hoof shot up into the air.
“Yes, Aurora Sparkle?” acknowledged the Alicorn.
Aurora pushed herself to the front of the class. Up front, where everypony could see her, it became quickly apparent that Aurora was an Alicorn; she looked at the mare. “How do you know that?” asked Aurora. The filly Alicorn expressed a countenance which cried out for new knowledge. The matured Alicorn chuckled.
“Well I know because I was there,” affirmed the nameless Alicorn. Aurora looked upon her teacher with awe.
“But that means," Aurora paused, contemplating the possible age of the obviously older Alicornian mare, "You must be thousands and thousands of years old.” the young Alicorn registered, unbelieving.
The mare's face went dead pan at the unintended jab at her age. “No; not thousands and thousands. I’m only 1580 years old, and as I recall, your mother was there too, and she is older than I am.” stated the mare, to the young princess.
“Wait? That means you’re her? You’re Commander Moon Gazer! Commander of the Equestrian Army!” Aurora almost screamed with glee; the other foals began to get as giddy as the young princess, Aurora. Moon Gazer was well known throughout the Empire; she knew this, but she still hoped that not every pony would recognize her. Moon Gazer was about to try to contain the inevitable barrage of question from her young subjects when a voice cut through the crowd of murmuring foals and grabbed their attention.
“Now Aurora, what has your mother told you about how to treat others?” questioned Princess Celestia, as she casually trotted towards her niece.
Aurora gulped and turned to face her aunt. “Do unto others, as you’d have done unto you.” she replied.
Celestia looked gazed at the foal, her soft pink eyes temporarily quelling the shame the young Alicorn displayed. “So do you think it was right for you to drag Moon Gazer, who is a dear friend of our family, into the limelight? Would you like it if somepony did it to you?”
Aurora hung her head, and her ears flattened back on her neck in shame. “No,” she answered. Celestia placed her hoof on Aurora's chin, and pulled the young Alicorn's face up so they were eye to eye.
Celestia smiled at her niece. “So what should you say to Moon Gazer?” Celestia asked in a loving tone. Aurora turned from Celestia to Moon Gazer and apologized, “I’m sorry.”
Moon Gazer smiled at the young princess. “You’re forgiven... your Highness.” said Moon Gazer, followed by a bow. “Wonderful,” remarked Celestia, who then turned to the group of foals. “Now who would like to see the Armory before lunch?” One-by-one, each member of the group screamed in excitement and stampeded from the room; amazingly, they happened to depart in the right direction towards the Armory. Moon Gazer trotted beside Celestia, both equal in height and horn length.
Moon Gazer turned to her mentor and friend. “Thank you... my Princess.” acknowledged the Alicorn Commander. Celestia matched the Commander's gaze, and smiled. “Don’t mention it,” her countenance drooped, as if weighed down by her heavy heart, “I know today is a particularly tough day for you.” Celestia turned to look at the statue; Moon Gazer followed.
“Go on, talk to him. It will do you good, and you know he likes to listen.” assured the Princess.
Moon Gazer's eyes started to water: “But what if he can’t hear me anymore?” she asked, on the verge of tears.
Celestia draped her wing around the sniffling Alicorn. “Your voice found him in darkness once; it will again.” settled the Princess. With a smile, she gave a nuzzled the younger mare and began to search for the missing foals. But, before Celestia completely departed her friend, she momentarily turned back to Moon Gazer, and assured her despondent friend, “It was as much his victory as it was ours.”
Outside of the chamber, Moon Gazer heard the Royal Alicorn happily address the found foals, “Come, my little ponies. If we’re lucky, we’ll catch a guard sleeping on the job, and give him a good old scare!”
Moon Gazer disposed herself before the statue, contemplating what to say. After minutes of futile thought, Moon Gazer decided to wing it. “Hi.” she greeted; she mentally bucked herself. She imagined the living statue now, with a raised eyebrow and smiling at the nervousness of his female companion. Suddenly, Moon Gazer's thoughts clicked together like cogs in a clock; she knew what to say. “It's been a while since I’ve visited you, and I’m sorry about that. Running the entire Armed Forces is difficult and time consuming. I remember when I used to wonder how you ever managed to even run a single branch. It was always like clockwork with you, but then again you were always better at it than I was. I've been in this position for 1555 years; you’d think I’d have it down like Twilight and her teleporting; regrettably, I still make the odd mistake.”
Moon Gazer paused for a moment, chuckling slightly. “I have a new filing pony now... did I ever tell you that? He worked for 5 years to land the promotion! You should've seen his face when he walked into his new office for the first time: all that paperwork ready for him. You should've been there, we could've had a good laugh."
Again, Moon Gazer stifled a chuckle, which quickly disappeared: how could she laugh before the living statue, tempting her imprisoned friend with laughter, an action he may never experience again. “I can't get you out of my head; that’s why I’m here, for a little catch up session.” Moon Gazer stared at the statue, and hoped that a merciful deity could return the inanimate stone to the Land of the Living; she only wanted to speak to her friend again. But she knew he would never be free of his impenetrable prison; her friend would be forever forced to stare out onto the eastern horizon.
Moon Gazer sighed, saddened, and scanned the area: she needed somepony to talk to who could also talk back. To her disappointed realization, Moon Gazer found it was just her and the statue. Hopeless, the Alicorn fluttered up on the statue's plinth, and laid down, nestled between the two front hoofs of the inanimate stallion. “Why? I always had to ask myself: why us!” She screamed. Tears began to flow from her eyes; for 1555 years she had maintained her composure, no longer.
“Why did we have to be at the bucking epicenter of it?” Moon Gazer bawled to the stone, “Why not somepony else? Why us? We lost everything we cared about; I lost everything I cared about.”
Moon Gazer lifted her head towards the heavens; conveniently placed there, was the statue's head. “Why did I have to lose you?” asked the Alicorn, her question a whisper. Of course, it was all futile: she knew why her companion had been cruelly taken from her. Moon Gazer's memories drifted to that night; that Faust-forsaken night; that night where it was all set into motion.
It was a a cold and windy in the early night as 3 crystal air ships made their way southwards toward the nearly constructed Canterlot on their hulls where a painted a black shield with a demonic red skull on it, on each ship was printed a name the Defiance, Starlight and the largest of the 3 called Night Blade, they had been away for 3 months dealing with the civil war in the north fighting the evil sorcerer King Sombra who usurped the old king by killing him leaving his young daughter as a ward of Celestia who promptly put her in a stasis crystal until it was safe for her to return. The entire operation had been hush hush, off the books because since the end of the war with discord the nightmare knights had been very much in the public eye since they sacrificed a large portion of their number in the defense of the alicorn city of Celestro which once floated above Mt. Everpony now the great city was nothing but miles and miles of crystal caverns beneath the new capital Canterlot; so the full mobilization of this now elite force would not go unnoticed so the only ponies who knew about it was the princesses and those assigned to the mission.
The mission however was a failure, the knights fought valiantly to retake the crystal city but the false king put a curse on it and made the crystal empire disappear for a thousand years, but not before the fleet could combine their bombardment and obliterated the king, so not a complete loss. On the flight deck of the night blade a lone alicorn whose coat was as black as night with a mane and tail a deep dark blue, most of his body was covered in black armor which seemed to be a mix of metal and crystal, he stood there; his sappier eyes looking out into the inky night awaiting Princess Luna who wished to have a personal report on the mission, he looked forward to it.
He and Luna were good friends; she had been there for him after his father’s death, and she had been a friend of her father’s but he knew either wouldn't of minded being more but under law it was forbidden; a princess or prince could only wed or bed those of royal lines to maintain purity while avoiding inbreeding, so his father was out of the question regardless of the fact he was from one of great alicorn families; so he was wed to another, a unicorn from one of their great families; though his mother and father loved each other greatly she just wasn't Luna. Thinking of family had reminded him of something; it was one of his nephews birthdays soon, he couldn't recall the name but it was one of the unicorns the one who showed promise in magic, he suddenly remembered the colts name was Starswirl. What should he get him, a magical journal perhaps?
His musing was stopped when a pony politely coughed behind him; he turned to see a pink Pegasus mare, in a matching suit of amour was standing there, she saluted him. “Commander Night Shade sir, Princess Luna’s chariot is arriving.” She said.
Night Shade smiled happily looking forward to seeing his old friend. “Thank you captain Dash.” He said
The captain coughed again. “It’s Heartstrings now commander not Dash, got married before we shipped out.” She politely corrected her commander.
Night Shade nodded. “Apologies captain, I was unaware of that and congratulations.” he said while smiling.
“Not a problem sir.” The captain said and then gave another salute and she turned around and walked back down the flight deck.
Night Shade turned back toward the night and could see a black chariot heading toward the Night Blade, it swooped down over his head and landed lightly and Night Shade began to walk toward it just as Princess Luna disembarked from it her nebula like mane waved like a flag in the wind, she looked at him and smile and he bowed to her.
“Night Shade, my greatest friend; you need not bow to me ever, thou does know how I loathe it when thou does.” She said pulling him up into a hug, one that he gratefully returned, but remembering where they both where and pulled apart, and Night Shade swore he could see a faint blush on her cheeks.
He raised an eye brow at her. “Surely thou does know, that one also loathes when thou persists in talking in such monotone ways, and amongst friends; this shows poor manners indeed your highness” He winked at her, playfully as one would tease a friend at school. “Very well Night Shade, very well. You win this one.” Luna grumbled sticking her tong out at him. “Alas as much I would love to continue this, I am here on business.” She said her face becoming slightly more serious.
Night Shade nodded “Indeed you are, we shall conduct the report in my quarters, you must need to relax a bit after such a journey.” He said motioning his hoof for her to follow and she did, they walked together through the halls of hard black crystal, which to Luna’s surprise were very well lit; also to her surprise and curiosity a blue light would glow faintly around her hoof where she stood, and would stay for a short while as she walked away, it was quite beautiful to her. They stopped in front of a pair of large doors; Night Shade opened to door for Luna and she walked in and eyed the room. To her the room was quite simple, a comfy looking double bed, a sofa that sat next to a coffee table, a desk with a chair and a book case next to it and to the other side of the room was a door that led to a small wash room that had a shower and next to the door was a mannequin presumably for his amour and in the center of the room was a round table with a map of Equestria on it.
She moved into the room and examined the map but turned her head when she heard the click of the door closing to see Night Shade walking toward her, his amour glowing as it disassembled itself and floated across the room and reassembled itself on the mannequin, he walked past her and sat himself on a chair next to the coffee table. “Come, take a seat and I’ll begin my report.” Night Shade politely prompted and she did just that, and when she was comfortable she gave him a nod and he begun.
The report itself took 2 hours, she had listened to every word he said and was currently trying to think of cover story, the entire crystal empire goes missing ponies would ask questions; once he was finished she brought it up. “Have you thought of a cover story for this, Night Shade?” She asked him.
He nodded. “Yes, I think the Elements of Harmony would do nicely, though I think we should leave in the whole curse ordeal, it would make it more believable him being a sorcerer and all.” He sighed and Luna smiled and nodded to confirm her agreement.
“Very good.” She said, producing a scroll and pen from faust knows were and wrote a quick message and it puffed into a cloud of smoke and sparks and disappeared. “Your cover story will be ready and waiting for our sister when she wakes up, and now with that out of the way we can catch up.” She said with a warm smile, which he returned.
“Indeed, but no catch up session goes right without a drink.” He said and he levitated a bottle filled with a red liquid and two glasses on to the coffee table as he joined Luna on the sofa, he then opened the bottle and poured a small amount into each of the glasses and he set it down and picked up a glass with his magic while Luna did the same with hers and they tapped the glasses with a clink. “Cheers.” He said happily, taking a sip.
Luna winced as the liquid set her body on fire. “Griffon fire brandy.” She wheezed. “Rumored to be distilled from dragon blood, your father’s bottle isn't it?” She said; Night Shade nodded.
“Yes it is I found it when I moved into the quarters, hidden behind a book of the physiology of flight.” He said, looking at the bottle and smiling somewhat sadly, which Luna noticed.
“You still miss him don’t you?” She said and he turned his head to her.
“Yes, and I probably always will but I can deal with it.” He paused for a moment and took a sip of his drink. “How about you?” He asked.
She turned away from Night Shade and looked at the bottle. “Yes I do, though not in the same way, he will always be a dear friend to me. I learned long ago that, that’s all he could be, but as much as it hurt at the time we worked it out and became better friend for it, something I’m glad of is that he managed to move on.” She said kindly.
“Did you move on?” Night Shade asked taking another sip of the hellish brandy as Luna did the same.
“Yes and no, I managed to put it behind me and get on with my life and started to get back ‘on the scene’ as it were.” To which the motioned her hoofs in imaginary quotation marks. “But then the war started, and all the eligible stallions of ‘the blood’ ran off to fight in it, and none returned, so that left nothing for me to move on to, but I did all the same.” She said, she turned and looked Night Shade who was still looking at her with a soft expression.
She continued to look at Night Shade, her best friend and confidant for almost a millennia now and now began to view him in a different light, she had always liked him; but never in that way. She had always thought him handsome, kind, generous, loyal, honest, a good sense of humor and had a talent for making friends all things that she believed in very strongly as the wielder of half the elements of harmony it put him in a good light, but more importantly then that for her; he cared, he genuinely cared about her and she loved him for it. But only now had she realized that she did.
She felt her face soften and her body warm and she leaned forward towards him, and to her surprise he did the same, the came closer and closer until their lips met. It was a soft kiss at first, but it grew more passionate and they started to smack their lips together and their tongs fought each other for control, then the passion was too much to control and Luna threw her hoofs around Night Shade and brought his body against hers, his body was so hot adding to the heat of her own. Night Shade pushed Luna softly onto her back keeping the kiss as it grew deeper and stronger as he lowered himself onto her, but not to do what his body commanded just to hold this glorious moment, but it was not to last as they both were in need of air. The broke the kiss and panted together and looked into each other’s eyes with love until Luna felt something prodding her stomach and she looked down, and then back up and gave the blushing Night Shade an evil grin.
“Not on the sofa, stud” She said seductively running a hoof down his chest as she enveloped him with her magic and lifted him to the bed on his back, and fluttered her wings and hovered over and landed on him, standing over him and she pulled him into a deep kiss as she lowered herself onto him. She broke the kiss and gasped when she felt it happen and looked at Night Shade her friend and lover with a primal hunger in her eyes.
Night Shade however looked worried. “What about the law?” He asked, and Luna responded by lowering herself more giving a soft moan, and earning one from Night Shade; then her horn glowed its dark blue and he heard the lock on the door click, and she gave him a small kiss on the lips.
“I am the law now my love.” She said with a loving smile and she kissed him again.