Silence.
Celestia and Luna sat across each other, silence between them. No words were spoken and the air was charged with unspoken emotions.
Cadence and Twilight share a worried look. As much as they didn't want to admit it, meddling with this was a guaranteed mistake. The tension was almost palpable and they briefly wondered if an emergency evacuation needed to take place.
"Don't worry Cadenza, we should be finished soon with this...matter" Celestia said, not taking her eyes off of Luna.
Silence reigns again, and the 2 younger princesses fidget in their seats. Minutes ticked by, and the 2 ancient gods stare at each other. Neither moving, neither talking, playing a game of chess.
"Celestia, let me explain" Luna said, finally breaking the silence. Celestia raises an eyebrow before nodding.
Luna takes a deep breath before letting it out slowly, "Do you recall the spell I had accidentally created?" she closes her eyes, and takes another deep breath. Celestia nods slowly, waiting for a continuation.
"There is, no was, a timeline before this" She opens her eyes and looks at the 3 other princesses "In this time, the 'Bountiful Harvest' would have been called 'Summer Sun Celebration'".
"Celebration? Celebrating what?" Twilight asked, cutting off the midnight alicorn. The other 3 stare at her before she looks down on the floor sheepishly "Sorry, I wasn't thinking".
"It's alright, Twilight", Luna smiled at her bitterly, "You were tied very closely to that event. In fact, if you hadn't existed, none of this could have happened" she added wistfully.
"Well, that explains everything" Celestia said, her teeth grit and her eyes narrowed, "You created a time travel spell, break all the natural rules of magic and space, just to change the name of that 'Summer Sun Celebration' to Bountiful Harvest" she said sarcastically.
Luna shoots her a glare before gathering magic in her horn, "Did I finish my story, Celestia?" she asked venomously. The room freezes, and Celestia's eyes widen. Never, in her years did she hear Luna ever use such a tone towards her. She had heard watered down versions of the tone towards aristocrats, but never to this level.
"To answer your question, Twilight" Luna looks at her and sighs bitterly "It celebrated my..." she trails off, her jaw slacking a bit before she grits her teeth, "My banishment".
The words hang in the air.
Banishment
There wasn't a pony, in existence who did not know how heavy those words carried. Banishment meant being sent away, it meant exile. It was the most severe form of punishment the 2 Pony Sisters ever employed. Whether it was by court or by the Elements of Harmony, banishment meant being too far beyond salvation.
"Banishment? For what?" Cadence spoke up, softly. There was fear in her eyes, in all their eyes. She had scooted a bit closer to Twilight, who was currently staring at her slacked jawed. Celestia on the other hoof, had her face set in an expressionless mask.
The tension flares up to a high, and both younger princesses watch in horror and amazement as the multi color mane, slowly started to turn into flecks of fire.
"Banishment?" Celestia asked through grit teeth.
"Aye, banishment" Luna murmured softly. She was looking down, seemingly trying to drill holes on the floor by looking at it. "1000 years of banishment and exile" she sighed.
Celestia said nothing and stared at her, trying to get her to talk more. Cadence had wrapped a wing around Twilight, when more of Celestia's mane started turning into sun fire.
Words hung empty between all of them and Luna seemed to be in no rush to answer or to explain more details. After a few minutes, Celestia snorts a stream of hot air before taking a deep breath.
"Luna, please there would be nothing that you can do that would make resort to banishing you" Celestia said softly, her roaring mane nearly an inferno. Luna looks at her and shakes her head.
"Celestia, I was banished for good measure. It wasn't by your hoof" she takes a deep breath "It was the Elements".
As soon as those words left her mouth, Celestia's mane was a roaring inferno and Twilight and Cadence were clutching each other tightly. "Why would they need to banish you?" her voice was angry and confused.
Given this situation, Celestia found herself justified in expressing herself this way. After all, Luna had nearly spent a millennia, moping and stomping around, acting like a brat. Then have a change of heart, and a change in personality. She was angry and confused, but she was worried.
"I..." Luna had tears forming in her eyes "I tried to..." she manages to swallow the growing lump in her throat "Kill..you.." she managed after awhile.
The fire in Celestia's hair stopped abruptly and the shock in all their faces was almost comical. If such a situation could be called as such. Shock slowly turned to horror, and horror turned into fear.
Celestia opened and closed her mouth, but no words came out of it. The weight of the words sunk in and she couldn't help but shudder. Nothing was making sense and the confused and horrified faces of Twilight and Cadence just reflected her own. Luna on the otherhoof found the carpet floor extremely interesting.
"Celestia?"
Her attention shifts to Luna who was looking at her with big, tear filled eyes, "I tried to cast an eternal night, I tried to change the co-ruling system into a monarchy" she continued, "I was consumed by jealousy, greed, hatred, towards you, towards the lack of affection our ponies gave us" she rambled wildly, her tears cascading and her appearance frantic "I was always shunned, my night was always 2nd best to your day, I was so lonely, so afraid, no one even noticed that I had a name" she closed her eyes and grits her teeth " I was always known as 'The Other Princess' or 'The Weaker Princess', and you would never notice. I'd never tell you, because all you'd say was 'Everything will Change' or 'Your just imagining it'" she stops, taking a breath.
Celestia sat there, her mouth set in a thin line. Her face didn't betray any emotion, but tears had begun to form in her eyes. She was silent, trying to process everything. The events of today was a roller coaster, nopony expected that. The appearance of rips in the night sky, the sounds of ponies screaming. The Living Nightmare.
"What did they call you?"
Luna looks at her, her eyes filled with emotion "What did you say?".
"What did they call you, after I banished you? I doubt that Princess was a fitting title for such a criminal", she monotones.
Luna hung her head in shame and bit her lower lip, "Celestia.."
"What did they call you?"
"Celestia"
"What did they call you?" she asked forcefully.
Tears began to fall again in Luna's eyes and she closes them "Nightmare Moon" she whispers.
The name sends a chill to run in the room. Nopony spoke a word afterwards, the only sounds was the hitched breathing of the Lunar mare. Until Celestia stood up and walked towards the door, only to stop and glance at Twilight and Cadence, who were sitting there unsure what to do "Twilight, Cadence, will you join me?" she asked calmly.
The 2 share a glance before they shake their heads. "I see" Celestia nodded before opening the door. She glances back "What a fitting name" she said coldly before walking out, and gently shutting the door behind her.
"I hope you are proud of yourself" the pink alicorn entered her room, unbridled rage on her features.
"What brings you here, Cadence?" Celestia asked tiredly, lowering the papers raised by her magic a bit, to see the angry pink princess.
"You just left Auntie Luna there, parting with those words. Are you trying to break your only family apart?" she asked angrily. Her eyes drill into her's, but Celestia simply raised the papers and took a sip of her tea.
"She isn't my family"
"Bullshit"
Celestia nearly gags on her drink, and looks at Cadence in disbelief, "Bullshit, Auntie, that isn't true. I know you are hurting, but couldn't you have talked things out?" she sighed, "Have you listened to Auntie Luna? Have you seen her memory spells?" Cadence asks, her eyes on the slowly rising moon, "Did you even bother to ask where she was banished?".
"Enlighten me" Celestia replied emptily.The papers still raised in front of her, as if shielding herself from the gaze of her enraged niece.
"Moon"
Celestia lowered her papers and stared at Cadence in shock. "She was banished to the moon?" she asked, surprised. Cadence gave her a nod.
"For a 1000 years, she was banished to the moon. She was there, left on the cold hard rock, watching Equis float in space" she said softly, her eyes clouded with sadness and guilt, "Did you even ask what pushed her that far?" she asked softly.
Celestia lowered her papers, and shook her head.
"The Nightmare, was a parasite, that fed on the negative feelings of others and exploited it" Cadence took a deep breath, "It is made of dark magic, created from the chaos of Discord and the shadow of Sombra, and with Luna already feeling the way she was feeling..."
"The parasite emboldened her?"
"No, it consumed her" Cadence sighs and sits on one of the chairs in front of Celestia's desk, "I know you and Auntine Luna, are extremely powerful, but the parasite fed on her darkness. It fed on the very things that made her...her...It was like watching a demon grow and consume the soul of a pony" Cadence shuddered, "I watched as she battled it, the line between Auntie Luna and the monster sometimes disappeared. Sometimes the demon would be her, and she would be the demon. It was taking her inner demons, and making them real, tangible" Cadence took a deep breath before letting it out slowly.
Celestia looked at her, expression blank and a bit cold. Cadence glared back at her, her eyes filled with fire, "Don't you understand? She was in her own version of Tartarus while you ruled by yourself here for a 1000 years. She was a living relic, and she couldn't adapt to the changes in society".
"That's no excuse to be tampering with the order of things" Celestia monotones, "Laws exist to keep us in balance, and Luna was in the wrong side of things, just punishment" Celestia said, shrugging her shoulders.
"She didn't change the past, just because of that" Cadence said in disbelief, "She changed the past, because Tartarus had invaded and the whole war, could have been avoided if she hadn't turned into...Nightmare Moon".
They sat in silence, afterwards, the fireplace crackling and the clock ticking was the only noise to drown the deafening silence. Celestia said nothing but simply sat, thinking on what Cadence had said.
If Luna was being honest, then it means everything she knew about Luna know was a lie. She didn't deal with this 'Nightmare Moon' and this means that she has no idea what to do if such an episode would happen again. But it did explain why the elements that had belonged to her were hardly responsive to her. It also did explain how she knew of impending battles, and strategies that had proved to save more lives than Celestia had forseen. But is this Luna, really Luna? How did they know that she wasn't Nightmare Moon in secret, or some twisted, corrupted version of her?
"How sure are you that she was honest?" Celestia asked, breaking the silence. Cadence looks up at her in shock before smiling.
"Twilight brought the Elements of Harmony out, and guess which Element Luna held?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Luna had been in Night Court for a few hours, requests and pleas coming in a steady stream. The public panic had faded a bit, but a few citizens had come with a few concerns still in mind. She had done all she could to ease them, deflecting questions with ease and answering with a long winding explanation of the truth.
Ponies and other species came, asking her for guidance, offering aid and deals, and applied requests that Celestia did not approve. It was hectic, but it was normal. Granted, Luna was forced to become idle in her first few 300 years, but was able to regain her aptitude for these things as she slowly grew popular among the crowd.
'To think, I'd ever get this much attention and love' Luna thought as another pony walked down with a smile on their face. The elderly mare had applied for a loan of a few bits, as she had been struggling to make a living, as she had lived far from the nearest 'capital' of the town. 'Another happy pony, another successful day' she smiled.
Blueink, her trusty Shadow Walker, rang a bell, "Night court is on Midnight Snack Break, sessions will resume after 15 minutes!" she announced. The thestral guards went out and relayed the announcement, offering drinks and food for the ponies who were waiting.
"Thank you, Blueink" she dips her head, before getting up the throne, "I suggest you take a break as well, I'm sure Windwalker would want to spend as much as much time with you" she added mischievously.
Blueink blushed before nodding energetically "Thank you, Princess" she replied meekly.
Luna smiled and laughed "Nothing to it, my little pony".
With that, Luna walked towards the Dining room, leaving the flustered Shadow Walker to her own devices. As Luna walked, she couldn't help but think of what had happened earlier that day. It left a cold, feeling in the pit of her stomach, but she couldn't blame her. Couldn't blame, Celestia. Nightmare Moon was always her fault.
She sighs, stopping to glance at the stained glass in the hall. With her banishment and Nightmare Moon never existing, the stained glass ended up depicting their achievements. The war is Stallionguard, the fall of Hoofler (Luna shuddered to think of what would have happened if they had not interefered earlier), and so many more.
Her mind wanders before she snaps back to reality. She was given a much shorter break compared to Celestia, who could take 2 breaks of 45 minutes. It wasn't that Celestia wasn't busy, in fact she was more busy that Luna in some aspects, but it was because Celestia had a much more agreeable schedule.
She soon went back, and ended up regretting missing the 15 minutes. But she managed to put a smile on her face, and tidied herself up a bit. As they were about to start, Luna quietly ordered the guard to get all the food for her in the dining room, and place it in her chambers. The guard nodded and as soon as he left, Night Court was in session.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Twilight had arrived in Ponyville in the dead of the night, the events of today weighing on her mind heavily. Despite the reassurances from both Luna and Cadence, the news was hard to digest, and above all overwhelming.
She respects Luna and Celestia, in fact, she looks up to them and even idolizes them a bit (ok maybe a lot, but she won't say it out loud). But the entire fiasco, just left her feeling empty, hollow.
What was true?
Was she really who she is?
She quietly lands on the castle balcony, and slowly opens the doors leading to her chambers. It was dark, but the moonlight cast enough light to see the almost obsessively clean room she kept. A desk by the balcony door, with papers neatly stacked on it, with an ink and an inkwell on top, acting as paper weight. Above the desk was a shelf, with the pictures of her friends, and extra supplies.
On the other side, there was a fireplace that she would light up when it was cold, or when she wanted to send letters to the princesses. On top of it were small trinkets she collected over time. The floor was covered in soft, velvety like carpet that took some of her worry away.
Slowly, she clambered up on her bed and snuggled into the covers, enjoying the warmth and the security it provided. It was an anchor to this false reality she was indulging herself in.
As she nearly drifted to sleep, her fireplace spits out a scroll, jolting her awake. She groans quietly before reluctantly getting out of bed. She picks the scroll up with magic, checking the seal to know who it was from. A black stamp, with a white crescent moon was all she needed before unfurling it quickly and reading the contents.
The letter was long, and it was especially detailed. As Twilight read on, the weight of the day slowly faded away, and the heaviness in her heart left. She smiled before getting up and placing the scroll on top of the shelf above her desk.
Among letters, that had to be one of the best one's. As she climbed back into the bed, peace washed over her and she let out a relieved sigh.
A smile was plastered as she drifted of into a good sleep.
Luna kept her jaw shut as she suppressed a yawn. Night court had just ended, and she had felt tired and drained. As she left the throne room, her stomach began growling and grumbling quite loudly. She smiles tiredly before making her way to her room, where the food she had requested would be.
As she arrived at the base of her tower, a tired yawn escaped her. She had struggled not to drag her hooves across the floor (that was unbecoming of a princess but at this point she was ready to throw that out of the window) and the thought of climbing stairs just filled her with a sense of dread, she wondered if she could crash on the stairs.
She sighs before gathering her remaining strength and climbing the flight of stairs. As she climbed, she had a good view of the rising sun. 'I'm missing breakfast' she thought miserably.
As she climbed a few more steps, she could see the blue oak doors that led to her room. Tears of joy nearly escapes her eyes as she arrives and opens it, greeted by the dimly lit room. The table by her bedside held a tray filled with food and the tears had already started to fall.
She gently closed the door before lifting the tray towards her, and removes the preserving magic around it, before gorging herself on the gourmet food. She soon finishes everything, leaving the plates clean and spotless. She sighs contented before placing the tray back on her table and removing her regalia.
Grabbing the tray once again she teleports it into the Kitchen sink, as a thanks and leaves a note for the chefs as a complement once again. She then proceeds to prepare her bath before going to bed.
As she stepped out of the bath, feeling rejuvenated, a knock from her door disrupts her peace. A scowl graces her features but she calls out as if nothing every happened, "Yes?"
"Princess Celestia would like to request your presence for breakfast" a guard replied on the other side.
Luna freezes on spot, a multitude of emotions rushing through her. What would she say? What would Celestia say? What did she want to talk about? Was she ready to listen to what she had to say? But even with everything, Luna felt the guilt. She deserved punishment, and she deserved to suffer. She needed some form of penance for all the pain she caused. But even with all the churning emotions and thoughts, fear was so prevalent. She was afraid of what would happen.
"Princess?" the guard asks again, tentative.
"Forgive me, I was lost in thought" Luna replied, she takes a deep steadying breath, "Tell her I can not join her for Breakfast or Dinner tonight. Regretfully I have my hooves full and I send her my best regards".
The guard nods and salutes, before making his way down the tower. His armour clanking every step of the way. As soon as his clanking was quiet, she let out a sigh before climbing up on the bed. She had snuggled herself into the covers and let out a tired sigh. She knew running away from her problems wasn't the best solution. It wasn't the smartest.
But she was afraid.
Scratch that, she was terrified. Terrified of what would happen. Terrified that she would be shunned and cast out, that Nightmare Moon would happen again. Even if Twilight (the old time Twilight) had 'killed' the Tantabus, the feelings still lingered. It still lived on, but it was quieter, weaker, than before.
As she lay in bed, too tired to sleep, a plan began to hatch in her mind. A plan that if it worked, the results would be better and Celestia and the others wouldn't have or need to worry about her ever again.
"Thank you, Captain Thunderbolt" Celestia nodded to the stallion who promptly left. As soon as he was gone, she sighs and looks at her food and the empty chair in front of her forlornly. Guilt gnawed away at her, she knew she was too harsh, and Luna must have felt terrible. But she was caught up in her own emotional storm, she forgot Luna's.
'Was this why, she turned into Nightmare Moon?' she shudders if that was the case. But with the way Twilight and Cadence explained it, that was the perfect description. Her blindness, her inability to take care of the family around her.
She sighs again, before slowly starting to eat the food in front of her. It tasted great, but even that wasn't enough to ease her worry.
"You should apologize to her" Twilight said as she entered the library. The youngest princess was sitting in the restricted corner and had her attention on an ancient tome.
"Hello to you too, Twilight" Celestia greeted before sitting on the chair across Twilight.
"Cadence told me you wanted to talk to me about Luna" she peers over the tome, before Twilight closes and looks at her.
Twilight nods before pulling another book and places it in front of her. She had seen the cover before, it was the emblem of a famous publishing house that printed books. But it was an edition she had not seen, a golden unicorn head with blue eyes lay at the middle of the cover. Twilight flipped through it before stopping on a specific page.
"Once there were 2 pony sisters" she read out loud.
Celestia took the book with her magic, and began reading the pages. "Is this...about me and Luna?" she asked curiously.
Twilight nodded before taking it back with her magic and placing it back on the table, "This book was from the old timeline Luna came from" she taps on it with her hoof, "It was common there apparently, and it told the tale of Nightmare Moon and how she was transformed from her pain and jealousy".
Celestia nodded, "Cadence had spoken to me about it" she tilts her head before continuing, "But I don't understand why you wanted to talk to me?".
Twilight nods before skipping to the last page of the story, "The stars will aid her escape" she read outloud.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Celestia asks.
Twilight turns the page to show Luna and her image on the moon, "In that timeline, I was the bearer of the Element of Magic, and I had found other bearers to help me" she places the book down, "I was the stars, Celestia. I was the stars who had freed Luna. That's why I am so special to her. But that's not why I come here now to you" she puts the book in her bag, before pulling out a thick book.
"This is your journal from that timeline" she opens a page, and clears her throat, "Thine stars, tis as bright as thy-"
Celestia quickly snatches it from Twilight before she could read further, "I remember where and why I wrote that passage" she blushed heavily and Twilight simply rolled her eyes.
"Luna kept it, she knew that by changing everything, she was essentially loosing you" Twilight said as Celestia began flipping through the pages. "She kept it so if the time ever happened, we would know the truth".
Celestia stopped at a certain page before placing a bookmark on it and closing the book, "I see, well I shall read this and see how this leads". Twilight nods in approval before getting up and wearing her satchel.
"Cadence said she would take over a portion of your duties for day court, so you can have the night and a few hours of the day to read it" Twilight said before walking away.
Before she got to far, Twilight turns around and looks at her, "I understand how hurt and shocked you are, but I promise you that everything made sense. I know it's hard to accept and forgive her, but it wasn't only her who you need to forgive" she said before walking away.
Celestia looks at where she was for a few secods before chuckling to herself, "She and Cadence has grown well over the years" as she smiled, her 'diary' catches her eye and she opens it to the page she had saved.
'Let's see'
Celestia sat there for a few more moments, before finish the last of her meal. It was delicious and as always she sends her compliments to the chef. As the servants went to clean, she had begun to raise the sun, hoping to start a better day today.