//------------------------------// // Before Midnight // Story: Angel of Darkness // by *Squee* //------------------------------// I flew. Towards the ruins, but avoiding a direct route. I didn't want to appear as distressed as I was. My heart was heavy, as if it was made of some dense, but it hurt to much for that to be true. Yet still it tried over and over to drag me to the hard ground. Like it was the iron core of a star, collapsing in on itself before shattering to nothing. To become mere, unseen particles in the sky.   The pressure in my chest pounded menacingly as I tried to hold back the impending sobs. I landed on the ground, somewhere in the middle of the Everfree Forest. I squared my hooves, my legs feeling weak. My eye closed as I battled my tears, my breathing was more like deep gasps as I fought. But my deep, aching sadness soon turned to anger as I refused to let her break me so easily. I squeezed my eyes shut and craned my neck, like a swan. My horn glowed with midnight blue magic and my eyes opened to glow white as they had done many times before when my magic overwhelmed me. My ears rang with my screams of rage, I bucked, kicked trees, and shot my magic at large rocks nearby, blasting them to pieces. Nearby twigs tore at my mane and coat, shrapnel from the rocks hit me, leaving a few scrapes and soon-to-be-bruises sore spots, as I threw myself around in this fit of wrath.          Memories passed before my eyes, some fueling my frustration, but most made my eyes sting. As a filly, exploring the vast castle is one of the many things in which we find entertainment. The small group of servant and royal fillies and colts, played together unaware of how seperated their worlds would become. I fall behind the crowd. I try calling to my sister to slow down but she is too busy with the others. They laugh and play as I continue to pull further and further away from them no matter how hard I push myself to keep up. I shout louder to my sister.   "Celestia, wait up!" I shout. She pauses for a minute and looks back, she heard me! But one of the colts ahead returns to her.        "Come on Celestia!" he says eagerly.   "I have to wait for my sister." she says, she doesn't seem happy about that.          "But we don't want her she's weird and small." he says grimacing.   "I know. She tries to be just like me, but she's nothing like me." she said, as I reached her side. I was hurt by her words, what made me so different from her? I'm just smaller. I let them go as they race off this time. I run away from them now. All the fillies and colts are chasing me, calling me names. I cry for them to leave me alone. Celestia says nothing, she sits there with a smirk on her face sitting in the background. I look at her with tears in my eyes, doesn't she care? Rounding the next corner, I accidently bump into something. I fall to the ground but I feel someone's nose trying to help me up.    "Whoa, are you okay?" a strange colts voice says. I look up to see a pony I've never seen before, a colt about Celestia's age.     "Hey," he said with a smile, "You okay?" "Yeah, I'm fine." I said standing with a little of his help. He was odd looking, not like anypony I had ever seen before.     Mostly ash grey, but he had giant patches on his coat that were more of a grey-toned sand color. I had never seen a two-toned colored pony. His mane was dark purple, and pulled back in not just one, but many braids. An alicorn, but his horn was curved, and he even had to small spikes on either side and behind of his horn. I hadn't seen another alicorn aside from myself, my sister, and parents. And he had to be the most odd looking alicorn ever!   "You're really weird looking.... Who are you?" I asked him as I stood.               "I'm Shadow Haze," he replied with a smile, "Who are you?" "I'm Luna." I said standing.      The others caught up to me. "Look! There's the little shrimp." I quickly hide behind Shadow Haze. "Look! What a baby!" they taunted and laughed.   "Hey, leave her alone!" Shadow Haze said defiantly. I guess that's when they realized he was there, at the mere sight of him they all left.     Celestia is smiling, Mom and Dad watch over us proudly as we are presented before the crowd of ponies in the Great Hall. I don't want to be here. Everypony is talking about Celestia's new cutie mark, a simple sun, but it seemed to glow with her newfound talent of manipulating the sun. But nopony notice the midnight blue patch with a small, white radiant moon that now showed on my flank with my talent for raising the moon and stars.     "What does your cutie mark mean?" Shadow Haze asks from behind me. "I control the moon and stars." I say proudly.      "Wow! One filly can do that?" he asks with wide eyes, clearly impressed. "I guess." I say laughing. Shadow Haze is my best friend, he has been ever since that day he stood up for me.              Celestia trotted past us, with a prideful smirk, and a fake smile directed at Shadow.         It's my birthday, I'm a young mare, my light blue mane is getting long and slowly becoming like mom's, always flowing. I hope my mane will soon look like dad, dark but covered with stars like my night sky. Celestia's looks almost like a rainbow, as seen after rainy days and flows a little better than mine. She wears her golden tiara and matching jewelry, similar to mother's, with pride and confidence. I get my tiara today, I'm so excited!   A hush goes over the crowd and my father's voice sounds through the room.      "Mares and gentlecolts of Equestria. On this glorious night, I am blessed with the honor of presenting you your second princess and heir to the throne, night embodied Princess Luna Selene Nocturne!" The crowded Great Hall erupted with cheers. I could hear Shadow Haze's voice trying to cheer louder than those surrounding him as father placed the dark blue tiara, styled like his own crown, on my head. I smiled and blushed, I've never felt so happy!     I'm sitting outside with Shadow Haze, under the giant Aurora tree in the gardens. It's my favorite tree, the entire trunk looks like its several small trunks, braided and spiralled together. It's leaves were fantastic, during the day a lucious green that shone like a thousand emeralds, but at night is when their true beauty glowed. Literally. The leaves simply radiated with some mysterious and ancient magic, as well as shifting colors in irregular patterns and creating the most beautiful sight I had ever witnessed. We laid there, watching the gorgeous leaves. It was a spectacular show of color and light, with fireflies dancing through, the scene was purely magical. I sighed and wanted so badly to capture this moment and seal it away in a bottle forever.      "This is a horrible time to give bad news isn't it....?" Shadow Haze said quietly.   I looked at him shaken out of my sleepy trance. "What 'bad news?'" I asked curiously.    "I leave for home tomorrow." he said sighing, he looked me in the eye, "Back to Miasma." Miasma, the Land of Vapor. The mist covered expanse that bordered the Old World, just outside of Equestria Influence, though the two lands were on friendly terms. Shadow Haze was prince there, that's why he was one of the few alicorns I knew outside my own family.    I looked away, and remained silent for a long while. I didn't know what to say. I didn't want him to go, he was my best friend, he had been there for me so long.... But I knew as well as anyone that he must return to his subjects and his home.       "I'll miss you." I said finally breaking the silence between us. "I'll miss you too." he said turning slightly, putting him closer to me. I snuggled close to him and closed my eyes.    Shadow is about to leave. I'm very sad. Last night didn't last forever as I had wished. It's hard to see him go. But as one of the Royal Guards alerts me that my father has summoned Celestia and me to the throne room, on urgent business, everything rushes in a blur. What could be so urgent? I race to the throne room, once there I find Shadow with a face I've only seen a few times, solid stone and emotionless. I wonder silently what has him in such a state.   Approaching the throne I bow.         "I'm glad you have arrived Luna." father says waving for me to raise.     "Father, may I ask what is the urgent business?" I was slightly worried. Mother's face is similar to Shadow's, both more prone to smiles, the lack of emotion was frightening.            "Luna, your mother and I are forced to leave for Boardor, the Land of Fire." he said gravely.                      "Why Father?" Celestia asked.                   "There has been trouble. Something to do with the Lost World. We fear a large clan of dragons have tried to migrate there. We cannot let this happen." Mother's voice rang clear. "Your father and I must travel to Boardor and sort out this situation. We leave you and your sister to rule Equestria, together, for the duration of our absence."             "We also trust you Shadow Haze,and hold you in betrothal to Celestia." Father said.       "Betrothal?!" I had to run the words through my head a few times. "To Celestia?" No, no that wasn't right! Celestia couldn't marry Shadow! He's my best friend! This isn't possible, this can't be happening.               "Yes, Luna. Shadow's parents, have arranged with us a treaty upon the marriage of him and one of the daughters of Equestria." I could faintly see Shadow lower his head, but his neck remained still leaving him looking like an charcoaled swan. I felt like the floor was going to split and devour me whole, or I wished it would. My head fell as tears welled up in my eyes. I couldn't believe this was happening. I was always losing everything to her. And now I was even losing Shadow......   I cry in my chambers. Mother and Father have gone and it's the day of the wedding. The worst day in history for me. I couldn't possibly imagine anything worse than Shadow and Celestia pronouncing themselves as mare and colt and vowing to remain as that for a very real and long eternity.    There is a small knock at my door, and I am forced to contain my sobs. "I am not attending the wedding!" I shout to the pony outside the door, "Leave me!" But against my wishes I hear the door creak open. My back is to the door and I don't look to see who has entered. I don't care. I just want to be left to my mourning.        "Luna.....?" the most familiar voice to me.   I turn to see the owner of that voice. "Shadow....." I say looking in his eyes, the blue-grey of mist and fogged pupils making him appear blind though I was sure his eyesight outranked mine, they appeared to be sad. I tried to wipe away the tears left on my face, betraying my pain. "What are you doing here?" I ask quietly now avoiding his gaze.        "Luna, I......" he began then his hoof touched to my cheek gently caressing before turning me to face him. "Luna, I didn't want this. We've been friends for so long and I......... My parents arranged this, I didn't know........ I never wanted to hurt you....... I'm so sorry." he said with a pained expression.    I fought tears. Quickly, I pushed towards him, cradling my head in the crook of his neck. We stayed like that for a long time. I was almost hiccuping with the dry sobs that were inexorable.      "I can't marry her." Shadow said quietly, "I just can't..... I'm leaving for Miasma. I can't do this." He pulled away gently. "I'm sorry I have to go." As the door closed, I felt a bit of my heart leave me and never return.    "Luna, how could you!" Celestia shouts angrily.            "I didn't do anything." I say quietly.     "You may have just broken a treaty between lands, this could mean war! And for what?!" she was in a rage.             "I didn't do anything." I said looking her in the eye defiantly. "He came to my room and told me he couldn't do this, and left. It's not my fault."      "You've ruined everything! You always ruin everything!" she screamed.              "I didn't say anything." I said once again.      "How dare you play immature games with matters of state! You act like a slow-witted foal! How could you......"             "For the last time, it's was NOT MY FAULT!!!" I shouted wrathfully. I had never been so cross with my sister, and the surprise was plain on her face. I stormed out of the room in outrage. ....................................................................................................................................................................... "Why do you all think Celestia is so much better than I?! Why? WHY?!" ..................................................................................................................................................................... "Who are you? Leave me alone!" ........................................................................................................................................................................ "You will never see the sun again! Never!!!" ............................................................................................................................................................................                 "Princess Luna, for your crimes against Equestria, your are hereby banished to the moon for one thousand years." ...........................................................................................................................................................................   When I finally ceased, my screams subsided to silent tears, the waves of anger ebbed; I was exhausted. I fell to the ground with a soft thud. My entire body was sore, as I drown in the oncoming flood of sobs that I tried to desperately to push away. But within a few breaths, I was ultimately able to contain my snivelling, and lock it away. Had Celestia's small comment, which most likely held so much more meaning (both good and bad) than she intended, really affected me to such degree that I was reduced to a childish tantrum and wails?   I had made a fool of myself, with luck no one was present to witness it, but that did not justify that I, a princess, had lowered myself to immature hysteric outbursts of emotion. And it is not in anyway condonable for a leader to throw away dignity and prestige to do such a thing. In a small sense, I had failed my sister, my subjects, and myself; for that I was angry with my own petty emotions.     You consider yourself lesser than anypony, simply because you have emotion? Nightmare Moon spoke up in the recesses of my mind.                You've been silent for a while. I said rolling my eyes.       I thought I'd give you a little peace to work yourself out. she replied simply.              And now what? Here to prey on my emotions once again? I stood and began to pace.          I could feel her sigh, full of agitation, I don't prey on you as you so choose to believe. I am a piece of you now, trapped within your mind, and entangled in your soul. Meaning I feel as you feel, I am merely more motivated for revenge than you are.          My anger was multiplying quickly, And I am to believe that you are just as helpless as I am? That you merely care for my feelings?! That this isn't about having power over Equestria? I know you Nightmare Moon, you thirst for power and that thirst is completely insatiable. Your plans have nothing to do with me, other than my involvement as a puppet for you to control.         You want this war just as much as I do, regardless of which one of us thinks of the other's motives. When will you realize I am one of the few that is on your side?     "The day I drop dead." I said with a small hiss.