//------------------------------// // Sinful Dreams (Luna) // Story: Aftermath of a Fallen Star // by Rated Ponystar //------------------------------// Aftermath of A Fallen Star By Rated Ponystar Formerly Edited by The Unnamed Pawn and Commander X5 Pre-Read/Edited by: Magic Man, Chaotic Note, Darth Link 22, and Grand_Moff_Pony Sinful Dreams (Luna’s POV) **** I wasn’t surprised by what I found when I entered the dream. The throne room of Canterlot was a room I had visited many times. It wasn’t as grand as the old throne room we had in the castle that lies in ruins in the Everfree Forest, but it had its charm. However, I hated the decorations this version adored. The once great glass windows that showed the morning, evening, dawn, and dusk had been replaced with different sets. The furthest left showed an armored earth pony, wielding a giant sword and shield, surrounded by what happened to be fallen enemies that consisted of griffins, dragons, changelings, zebras, and other non-pony creatures. Below it was a golden plate with one word: “Strength”. The furthest right showed a lone pegasi, on a single cloud, facing a giant storm that was shooting out lighting and window. Nearby clouds surrounding the pegasus could be seen scattering into nothing. Despite the odds, the pegasus stared at her danger without fear and looked ready to dive deep into the storm head first. The word below it was “Courage”. The nearest left showed a unicorn surrounded by books and scrolls, levitated by magic and sorcery as the stars swirled around him. He was dressed in robes that gave off the image of a master while nearby were other unicorns in smaller and simpler robes like apprentices. The word for this image was “Wisdom”. The final one, on the right, showed an army of ponies of all races. The unicorns leading forward with the earth ponies behind them and the pegasi soaring above. They marched as one, a single unit despite their huge numbers while wielding the flag of Equestria proudly in the air. Only instead of my sister and I circling each other with the sun and moon beside us, there was a new image. To my surprise it was not the symbol of the one whose dream I was invading, but rather a triquetra with each loop showing a horseshoe and wing on the bottom ones while the top loop held a horn. The word below this glass window was “Discipline”. I turned back towards the throne itself, now silver and white with red drapes instead of the blue ones we had. The final decorated window, right above the throne, showed all three pony races standing tall and holding their hooves in praise of the triquetra symbol I saw in the previous one, praising it as if it was Faust herself. It’s bright light was shining away darkened looking creatures that I soon recognized as the other races of the world such as griffins, changelings, and dragons. Strangely, there was no word below this image. “Unity,” answered a voice that alerted to me that the dreamer had arrived. “The three races working in what they are deemed best to do. Work in the nature that evolution has granted us through its blessing and become one. The earth ponies feed the nation, become the hammer and nail that keeps the structure of the nation in tact while preparing to use their great strength to crush Equestria’s enemies. The pegasi, masters of the sky and weather, creating the perfect heavenly atmosphere for us and the hellish ones for the other nations. All of nature under their control, who water, warm, and storm for the better of the nation. Facing the enemy head forth with no retreat. And finally, the unicorns. Great in intelligence and masters of magic. With guidance and wisdom, they lead the others and plan ahead in everything. Their mastery of arts creates a unique culture that outlasts all. The three working together as one. Everypony in their place. Lead by a single concept: Unity.” “And how is that any different from Harmony?” I asked, turning around as I saw Amadeus Blueblood slowly walked towards me without fear. “Unity is like a series of lines. Straight and unbroken. Everypony does what they are born to do for the sake of the nation from birth to death. Everypony worries not about their own selfish desires, but the well being of their fellow pony. They go forward without wavering or doubt. They are each a piece of something greater... something whole.” He then narrowed his eyes. “Harmony is like lines that go all over the place. They have no guidance. They choose what they want, even if it’s wrong. They care about themselves first before their nation. It’s chaotic with temporary peace. Harmony comes to an end at some point. Unity has no end.” “Yet Harmony grows from the strength of those individuals who work together for greater goals,” I countered. “Harmony allows new lines to come into play, creating new paths to be made and discovered. It allows paths that have ended to come together into a new path. New feelings and new directions open new ways of life. Everyone is happy for what they are and what they become. They learn to care for others and spread that care to all. Unity’s lines have no room for such things. It never changes. It follows the same path, but never rises to something greater.” “That is because there is no greater. And even if it was, it is better to stay to one ideal then to allow opposite to grow and weaken the balance.” “Is that why you ally yourself with the traditionalists to cause this chaos?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. “I only ally with them for mutual reasons. I happen to not care for their cause. I seek to give Equestria a new way of living. One that will have us be ‘dominate’ and not ‘equal’ to those who have taken advantage of our ‘friendship’ in the past or threaten us just by their nature alone. A world based on a single principal ideal. Not by princesses or gods or idealistic philosophies. But the binding truth that can help us grow and become better,” replied Amadeus as he walked past me, as if he was ignoring the fact that I was even there. “I thought by now the ship would be past your zone of dreamscaping. I suppose I should have taken the Dreamless Sleep Potion just to be sure.” Once again, I had cursed that potion. It had been created during my... Nightmare phase. I had easily entered the dreams of Celestia’s top generals, warriors, and mages during the war and gave them such horrible dreams they died in their sleep from terror alone. An alchemist countered that with a potion that put a barrier around one's mind when sleeping, preventing one from dreaming at all. My “return” saw the remaking of these potions. In public, it was to just help ponies sleep without nightmares. In reality, it was pushed by politicians and criminals who didn’t want me entering their minds to find out their plans and secrets. It hurt even more when regular ponies purchased them because they were afraid “Nightmare Moon” would steal their souls in their sleeps. It has lessened over the years, thankfully, due to my subjects trusting me. Yet would they trust me again if they learned what I have known in this vast conspiracy for so long? “If I hadn’t been focusing so hard to find you, I might have missed you,” I answered, turning around and glaring at him. “You might have fooled most with that sad mourning act when your wife died, but I wasn’t fooled for a second. I take it you had something to do with her death?” “It was necessary,” replied Amadeus with a sigh that I would have thought sounded regretful, but I knew better. “Your son and your wife. Dead by your manipulating,” I muttered, shaking my head. “You are a monster.” “If I’m a monster, then so are you,” said Amadeus, turning around with a smirk. “You have just as many sins in your soul as I do, Princess Luna. How many died in the Nightmare War that you brought upon Equestria that is rarely mentioned in actual books due to your sister’s wish to hide the fact that one of Equestria’s princesses was the cause of one of the bloodiest moments in our history?” “... I do not deny what I have done as Nightmare Moon was horrible... but I have changed,” I replied, closing my eyes. Even in dreams, we were playing the game. I knew he was looking for a way to hurt me. It’s how the game is done. Play your insults, your quips, your points of logic and find the opening you want. Then strike. “Really?” Amadeus smirked. “Because Twilight Sparkle’s death is as much your fault as it is my planning.” I flinched and cursed myself for doing so. My heart began to grow heavy, but I steeled it as quickly as I could. Trying to not be bothered by the image of Twilight’s eternal sleeping face that was a result of my... carelessness. “You could have told anypony,” continued Amadeus. “Celestia. Cadance. Her friends? Even Twilight herself. All you had to mention was that she was in danger of being killed based on word of mouth your spies heard. Instead, you sent a double agent to try to expose them while trying to find evidence of further involvement. Why?” I didn’t answer. I had no need to answer. That was the question Shining Armor had presented to me when he learned about Gallant Heart’s real mission that was ruined thanks to the stallion in front of me. I closed my eyes and remembered the reason I gave Shining Armor. The only one who knew why. He promised to never speak of it... but he made it clear that I was dead to him for my actions. It was a mistake to make Twilight an alicorn, destiny or not. She needed more time to adapt to being a leader. Learn more about politics and its way. My sister was too naive thinking she would be accepted when I could see the disaster. I warned her, but she didn’t listen and I went along with it. Twilight was so sheltered and saw the world is such an optomistic light that when the reality of ruling came she fell and shattered. I doubt few saw how broken she was in the first few months as a ruler. How her dreams and ideas that she had wanted to make Equestria better had help drive the country apart while faced with attacks by those who outright rejected her vision. Struggling so much from building the changeling nation to making her vision reality, combined with the pressure of the nobles, I feared the knowledge that they hated her so much to want to kill her would finally crack what little sanity she had left. I couldn’t trust Celestia with this as she was too protective with Twilight. She would make the real instigators go into hiding with her actions. I needed to keep it to a few. A small number, but even that number had been exposed by traitors. A thousand or so years ago, I could have taken Blueblood’s head, and the heads of his family, without anypony stopping me. Now I needed proof... and even finding proof in dreams was harder than normal. Before, I could have said I saw the ambitions of a rebellion before it even started in the psyche of a single pony and have them arrested. The “council” my sister so foolishly made to share power and duties with made it a quick law that anything in dreams was dismissed as ‘imaginative evidence’. An invasion of privacy they called it. Because of that law, every rapist, murderer, and criminal who dreamed of their evil deeds with pleasure was scot free because a few politicians were scared I’d find them dreaming of them cheating on their wives or making deals behind Celestia’s back. This new world disgusted me so much. Yet not as much as I disgusted myself. “You’re right,” I replied, lowering my head. “A part of Twilight’s death is on me. If I had told somepony instead of keeping it to myself, she might have lived. I will live with that for the rest of my life and when the time comes I will tell the world and accept whatever punishment.” I growled and lit my horn. “But that will not happen until I stop you. I know what you want, Amadeus Blueblood. You are lucky I vowed to never kill in the dreams of another living being again or you would die screaming in your sheets.” “One day you will regret making that vow if you haven’t already,” he muttered before smirking. “You don’t know anything about my true plans for Equestria, Princess Luna.” I smirked back before answering, “Would it have to do anything with the little alicorn daughter you have sleeping in the room next to you?” The very look on his face was priceless. I think I can claim to be one of the few ponies who managed to make Amadeus Blueblood’s mouth drop in shock and horror. “Oh, yes. When I looked into her dreams last night it all became clear to me. I already told Celestia and Cadance.” With a single spell from my horn, I tore a hole in this dream reality showing a different dream not to far in the dreamscape. It showed a little alicorn filly, Majesty Blueblood, playing with some blocks while surrounded by toys of all kinds. A simple child's dream. “The potion is too strong for a baby to take, even if she is an alicorn. I take it she is the one who you want to have the throne. And since you're heading for Unicornia, a land we have a very fragile peace with, I assume you wish agreed to marry her to the royal family’s newborn son, Silversteel, right?” Now it was his turn to grow and glare at me. “If you do anything to her...” “I am not like you,” I replied with equal venom in my tone. “I will not hurt a baby just to hurt you for all you’ve done to my family and subjects. But I promise you this. I will do everything in my power, by whatever means, to see your dreams of ‘unity’ separate into nothingness.” “... then I suppose the stage is set,” replied Amadeus. “The players are placed...” I replied. “The die is cast...” “And the final game begins.” I made my way to the portal that would lead me to the dream of my... niece, before I stopped. “Oh, one more thing. I had almost forgot.” Raising my hoof, a small purple orb with a back flame coming out appeared before me. It’s surface reflected that of the universe itself. “This is a little invention I made called the Tantabus. I had originally thought of using it on myself... but I think it would suit you so much better.” I let it drop to the floor and melt with the surface. Already I could feel the dream changing to the Tantabus’s purpose. Slowly, ponies began to melt out of the walls. They were dream versions of the Elements of Harmony, my sister, Amadeus's son and wife, and finally Twilight Sparkle. All with looks that could kill as Amadeus, alarmed by this, looked around with worry. “I may have vowed to never kill in dreams again, but that doesn’t mean I cannot make you suffer, Amadeus,” I whispered in satisfaction. “For the rest of your life, every night that you sleep, you will have nightmares that will get worse and worse each time. No spell or potion will be able to stop you from suffering from your darkest nightmares. They won’t be so bad so that you don’t die... but you will never have a peaceful sleep for the rest of your life. Sweet dreams.” I left through the portal just as the first scream echoed in my ears. Closing it behind me, I stared at the little filly who carried my sister’s blood. She didn’t even bother looking at me and focused on the blocks without a care in the world. This was the one that Amadeus was sacrificing everything for to be ruler of Equestria. To dethrone me and my sister. I could have ended everything that night. I could have scared this baby so easily that its heart would stop and it would die. Amadeus’s plans would go up in smoke. Who knows how many lives I can save by killing this one child. It was then the filly looked at me with such innocent and pure eyes that I slowly closed my own and turned away. She had done nothing wrong. She was just a tool of her father’s plans and free of any sin. With my work done, I began to exit the dreamscape to let my sister know of the Blueblood’s family whereabouts though it would matter little. With them so close to the ocean border of Unicornia it would take a full week for any ship or even pegasus to reach there. No, they would escape justice for now, but I would make sure Equestria was ready for when they returned. War was coming and it would be a war that would shake even the gods. *** Many years later, the Night Princess would think of the little alicorn She would think about the innocence she once held Before becoming the Black Star that came with death in her wake The Night Princess would only then regret not killing her