While singing, Celestia's horn glowed golden aura, bathing the moon in her magic, before casting a spell, which brought Celestia to a series of memories that floated around her, in a cosmetic plane. Celestia looked in sorrow, seeing the memories of herself, and Luna, from when they were little fillies, educated under the guidance of the great Starswirl the Bearded.

Celestia frowned, as she watched her young adolescence self, teasing a younger Luna for failing to perform a simple spell. Celestia knew then that she would later come to regret her actions, as the next memories show of Luna, drifting further apart from Celestia, before falling for the dark side, which later leads to her banishment to the moon, and Celestia had to endure the hardship of ruling Equestria, without her sister, since.

After she finished raising the sun for her subjects, a despondent Princess Celestia walked into Spike's room, and was shocked to see his crib, empty.

"My baby!" Celestia shouted, before she began to search the room, frantically for the missing baby. "Baby? Baby, where are you? Baby?" Just then, she heard the sound of sniffles, beneath a table.

Celestia looked, and was shock at what she sees before her. Instead of finding a little infant human boy, she finds a little purple puppy, with emerald green eyes.

"Mom!" the puppy barked, startling Celestia, who quickly jumped back, flapping her wings, before catching her breath.

Then, with a sneeze, little infant Spike blew a blast of green fire, and magically turned himself into an infant dragon. Then, with another sneeze, the baby turned himself into a fish, before he finally turned back into a human boy.

"Mama!" the boy giggled, as he ran over to the alicorn, stumbled slightly on the way, and embraced her hoof.

Celestia, further overwhelmed by the baby's love and warmth, finds herself crying in tears, "Baby....." she sobbed, picturing a little infant Luna in Spike's place.

Celestia's tears fell, drenching Spike's little head, causing him to look up in confusion. Before long, the little boy finds himself embraced in his adopted mother's aura, as she held him close to her face.

As the years roll by, Spike grew, along with the mother and son bonding between him and Celestia, and the love he later won from the ponies of Equestria.

However, deep in her heart, Celestia couldn't help but feel she was becoming too attached to Spike, and more neglectful of her sister. She wanted to share the love with Luna, to prove her sister that there are just as many ponies and magical creatures who loved her night.

Princess Celestia was walking through a dark forest, while carrying a little, frightened, Spike, on her back.

"Mom?" a young Spike asked in fright, holding tightly to his mother as he rides on her back. "I'm scared. I want to go home."

"Now, now, little one," Celestia assured quietly. "There's nothing to be afraid of."

Soon, the two of them made it to an open field, surrounded by dark trees, and covered in a blanket of mists.

"Okay, Spike," Celestia said, as she levitated her son off her back, and sets him down gently to the ground. "Now take a walk out there."

Celestia placed a comforting wing on his shoulder, as she nudged him slightly, "Go on."

Hesitant, Spike complied, as he takes some cautious steps in the field. Suddenly, Spike stopped dead in his tracks, when a small bug flew up to him, and landed on his nose.

Celestia quietly walked up to him, "Calm down," she whispered. "Breathe," Spike did as he was told, while Celestia took a deep breath, and gently blew on the bug, as it lights up. It was only a firefly.

"Sometimes, you just have to get over your fear, in order to see the beauty on the other side," Celestia explained, before she spreads her wings out, and created a gentle breeze, which stirred even more fireflies to glow, and fly in the air.

"Wow!" Spike gasped, bedazzled at the little light show the bugs were putting on.

One of the fireflies landed on his nose, to which he giggled in response, as it flies away. Before long, Spike changes into a puppy, as he runs around, barking, and playing with the fireflies around him, while Celestia stood, watching in amusement.

Little Spike kept on playing, until he rolled on his back, and took notice of the moon. However, it wasn't the moon that caught his attention.

Celestia followed her son's pointing paw, seeing the moon, "You mean that dark side of the moon?" Celestia asked, making sure she understands him. Spike nodded, to which Celestia was hesitant to answer. Thinking of an answer, Celestia replied, "That's Princess Luna, Spike," she said, sadly.

"Aunt Luna?" Spike asked, to which Celestia nodded her head. "Why is aunt Luna up there?"

Celestia frowned, as she looks at Spike sadly, "Let me tell you a story, Spike," Celestia began, as she began telling her son, the story, about The Mare In The Moon.

Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there were two regal sisters who ruled together and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the eldest used her alicorn powers to raise the sun at dawn; the younger brought out the moon to begin the night. Thus, the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom and their subjects, all the different types of ponies and magical creatures.

But as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The ponies relished and played in the day her elder sister brought forth, but shunned and slept through her beautiful night. One fateful day, the younger unicorn refused to lower the moon to make way for the dawn. The elder sister tried to reason with her, but the bitterness in the young one's heart had transformed her into a wicked mare of darkness: Nightmare Moon.

Having created an Empire of the Night, and an army of nightmares, she vowed that she would shroud the land in eternal night. Reluctantly, the elder sister harnessed the most powerful magic known to ponydom: the Elements of Harmony. Using the magic of the Elements of Harmony, she defeated her younger sister, and banished her permanently in the moon. The elder sister took on responsibility for both sun and moon and harmony has been maintained in Equestria for generations since.

"And so, Luna has become a prisoner of Nightmare Moon, just as the moon became their prison," Celestia concluded.

Little Spike could hardly believe every word he just heard, "My aunt is trapped on the moon, with Nightmare Moon!"

Celestia nodded, "And it's all my fault," she said, laying down on the grass, sighing miserably.

Spike, still in puppy form, walked over to his mom, and gave her face a comforting lick. Then, getting an idea, Spike ran back out in the field, turning himself into a firefly, as he began speaking to some of the others. Before long, the fireflies all formed together some words that spelled:

Come home soon, Aunt Luna.

-Your nephew,
Spike

Celestia's frown quickly turned into a smile, as she walked over, and ruffled the top of Spike's head.

He was even more shocked, when he fully remembered the whole story, about his aunt, "Aunt Luna's Nightmare Moon?" he murmured to himself.

Then, a shimmering display of blue light glowed from behind, to which Spike turns around, facing Princess Luna.

Luna closed her eyes, ashamed, but nodded, "I was Nightmare Moon," she answered. "In body at least."

"Nephew, do you remember your battle with....me, on Earth, in New York City?" Luna asked.

"How can I forget? That was when I was experiencing my first metamorphosis," he replied. "That, and it was also when I rescued the girls from the Shadowbolts, and got my wings," Spike winced, as he looks at his back, and grumbled, "Which I currently don't have at the moment, seeing as how I'm currently--*ahem* powerless."

Luna nodded her head in acknowledgement of her nephew's current status, as she resumed, "There's more to our battle than you knew," Luna began. "You see, during your process of metamorphosis, when you absorbed the Magic of Friendship from the girls, you've also obtained the Elements of Harmony."

"Yeah, I know that," Spike replied. "And I tried to use it on you, but you just turned into a puff of smoke, and escaped with only a few burns, from what I remembered," Luna looked at her nephew, with an eyebrow raised. "Wait a minute!" Spike's eyes widened, when he had an epiphany.

"Yes, nephew," Luna replied. "In your feat to defeat me, you've also managed to purify some part of myself, from Nightmare Moon, enabling me a chance to escape," Looking at her transparent self, Luna frowned, "Sadly, it was only a partial success, as I'm currently in my astral form, you see."

"Don't be sorry, my nephew," Luna replied, walking over to the prince. "You were saving your friends from the darkness within me. And what's more, you were protecting our people of Equestria!" Spike looked up, seeing a small smile on Luna's face, "If anything, I'm grateful of your heroic, nephew."

Luna, closing her eyes, conjured a small bubble, containing an image of Princess Celestia.

"NO!!!" Celestia neighed, as she fought back some shadow ponies that are laughing maniacally at her.

"Down with you, Princess Celestia!" the ponies shouted. "These lands belong to Nightmare Moon!"

With that, the rest of the ponies all continue their assaults on Celestia, who continues to fight back.

"Why must you continue to resist?" Nightmare Moon laughed. "Why do you bother prolonging the inevitable? You will fall, and I will take the throne! My empire will be resurrected, Celestia! And you won't be there to stop it!"

"Not so long as I breathe, Nightmare!" Celestia growled, projecting a shield, saving herself from a blast of dark lightning. "I will never fall to you!" With a blast of her own magic, Celestia fired a shot to Nightmare Moon, who dispersed into black smokes, "Now matter what you do! I will never let you harm my people! And all other living creatures!"

"Foolish, princess!!" Nightmare Moon hissed, as she reappears in from of Celestia, assuming an anthro form, clad in a heavy suit of armor with razor blades along the shoulders, arms, legs, and two pairs of long shuko claws on her hands. The now anthro alicorn leapt forward, as she landed a flying kick to Celestia's head. "You can't defeat me!"

"I've defeated you once, Nightmare!" Celestia replied, as she too assumes her anthro form, clad in a gold suit of armor, while holding a large shield in one hand, and a large buster sword in the other.

With a loud war cry, Princess Celestia charged towards Nightmare Moon, slashing her sword at the dark alicorn, who parries the blade with her claws. Nightmare Moon then lunges forward, slashing her claws at Celestia, who held her shield up, before she fired a brilliant beam of bright lights at Nightmare Moon. Nightmare Moon quickly covered her face with her claws, shielding herself from the bright light, while deflecting some of it, back at Celesetia, blinding her for the moment.

"You had the Elements of Harmony then," Nightmare replied, as she blasted lightning bolts from her eyes, which Celestia anticipated with a swing of her blade, deflecting the bolts. "But now they're gone! And you have nothing to stop me now! For once I've destroyed you in your sleep, the sun will be in my control!" Celestia screamed in defiance, as she blasted a beam of light at Nightmare Moon, who knocked her to the side. "And that's only the beginning! With the sun, your whole world will soon be shrouded in darkness, and from the shadows, my empire will be resurrected, restoring itself to the days of old!! I will soon be at my full potential, and not even your precious son will stop me, lest he risks destroying you, Celestia!!"

Nightmare Moon lunged forward, flapping her wings to build up speed, the dark alicorn blasted an explosive spell at Celestia's shield, knocking the sun princess back. Celestia remains undeterred, as she continues to fire more of her solar beams at Nightmare Moon, who raised a claw up, slicing through a beam, as she rans up to Celestia, and landed several flying kicks, and scratches to Celestia's arms, legs, and her right cheek, wherever Nightmare Moon's blades can touch her.

"Say farewell, Celestia!" Nightmare Moon grinned. "While you still can!" Reaching behind her back, Celestia quickly throws a small vial of bright lights, on Nightmare Moon, "What trickery is this?!" Nightmare Moon screamed in agony, while the content glowed brightly, as it forms cracks on her armor. Walking over, Celestia landed several punches, kicks, and slashes with her sword, before she held her weapon at the dark alicorn's throat, "No! Don't!" Nightmare Moon pleaded. "Please! Show me mercy!"

With a loud scream, Celestia drives the sword, into Nightmare Moon, "You are finished!" Celestia scowled, reverting back into her true form. "Good riddance, demon!" Nightmare Moon's helmet fell off, revealing the face of Luna. "Luna?!!!" Celestia gasped in disbelief.

Then, in puff of black smokes, Luna's appearance twisted to that of Nightmare Moon, who laughed maniacally, as she blasted Celestia back.

"As always, Celestia!" Nightmare Moon laughed. "You were always such fun to toy with! It is a shame that I must destroy you!"

Walking over to Princess Celestia, still in anthro form, Nightmare Moon raised one of her claws up, "Rest in pieces, Celestia!" Nightmare Moon grinned.

"Hey!" a voice called, as Spike suddenly jumped into the room, landing a flying kick to Nightmare Moon's chest, knocking her back. "Nopony hurts my mom!"

"Hi mom!" Spike quickly greeted. "Talk later!" the boy said, as he quickly flips to the side, dodging a blast of magic from Nightmare Moon.

"Likewise, Moony!" Spike snarled. "I see you're still giving ponies a bad dream!"

"Ah, Luna," Nightmare Moon smirked. "I thought I was feeling lonesome as of late."

"Enough!" Luna shouted. "We started this thousands of years ago! Now, it's time we end it!"

"With pleasure!" Nightmare Moon replied, before she snapped her fingers, and several ninjas came jumping out of the shadows. "GO!!"

With that, the ninjas all leaped in the air, pouncing after Luna, who retaliated with some magic beams of her own, keeping the ninjas off.

One of the ninjas reached into its robe, and threw a ball chain at Luna, when Spike jumped in, and catches it. With a tug, he pulled the ninja forward, and landed a strong roundhouse kick, knocking the ninja away as it vanishes into puffs of smokes.

More ninjas came, grabbing Spike's arms on both sides, only for the boy to slip his arms free, and linked them behind his adversaries, before doing a front flip, which in turn flips the ninjas away from him. Quickly getting on his hands, Spike flipped himself up, before he was surrounded by more ninjas. One ninja swung its fist, which he ducked away from, before he did a spinning aerial kick at the attacking ninja, followed by a sweep kick to another.

Spike looked, to see the others producing shurikens in their hands, and didn't have to figure out what was going to happen next, as he breaks into a run, hiding behind some structures, avoiding the flying blades.

"How dare you throw-" Luna screamed angrily, blasting one of the ninjas into smokes. "Blades at my-" Luna blasted another, "NEPHEW?!!!" She shouted, striking a third one.

"How dare you kick at MY AUNT?!!" Spike roared, as he attacks the ninja, both throwing strikes and blocks at each other.

Nightmare Moon then summoned more ninjas to the battle, as they surrounded the two. Both Luna and Spike looked at each other, as they fought off the ninjas together. After kicking another ninja away, Spike flipped on Luna's back to kick another, while his aunt blasted another nearby. The ninjas all unsheathed their swords, and viciously slashed their blades at the two dream heroes. Luna conjured a shield to protect herself, while Spike dodges to the sides, narrowly evading their swings. Thinking fast, Spike dodges another ninja's attack, before he makes a quick grab for its sword. Landing the back of his fist into the ninja's face, Spike knocks it out, as he took control of its arms, as he swings the sword, blocking the incoming swings from the others. Luna continues to blast strong rays of magic, at all of the incoming ninjas, before she began to feel herself, tiring out.

"Nephew," Luna began. "You've been taught well by my sister, and Scorpan," the small blue alicorn got in close to her nephew, as she spoke, "Now, let me teach you some lessons of my own," Luna ducked her head, avoiding a blade from a ninja. "Lessons you'll need, for your adventures in the dream realms."

While this was going on, Nightmare Moon makes her way towards Celestia, "Now, where were we?" Nightmare Moon asked, raising her claws again.

"MOM!!" Spike screamed, as he kicks the ninja he was fighting, and rocketed himself in between Celestia and Nightmare Moon, catching the dark alicorn's hand, before she had the chance to strike. "I told you, Moony! No one, hurts my mom!" With an angry growl, Spike runs up Nightmare Moon, before he jumped in a flying kick, only for Nightmare Moon to disappear in a puff of smoke, before she reappears.

"Then I'll save face of destroying you, in front of your mother's eyes!" Nightmare Moon grinned deviously, while Celestia's eyes widened in fear.

Nightmare Moon began the fight by running up to Spike, slashing her claws at him, which the boy evaded, as he blocks the attacks, while avoiding the blades. Remembering everything he had learned, back on Earth with Scorpan, Spike puts them all to use, as he makes several blocks that would lead to a counter-strike on Nightmare Moon, only for some of his blows to phase through her form, as if she was a ghost.

'Right, I forgot,' Spike thought. 'What was it that, Aunt Luna taught me?' Thinking fast, Spike dodged an attack from Nightmare Moon, before he pictures himself making an impact on Nightmare Moon. As a matter of fact, Spike thrusted his leg out, and landed a blow on Nightmare Moon.

"Yes!" Spike cheered. "I got her!" With a furious growl, Nightmare Moon blasted a strong beam of dark magic at Spike, blowing him off. "Well, I had her."

Nightmare Moon lunged forward, taking flight, before she thrusts her leg out, knocking Spike back. Sprouting her wings, Nightmare Moon gave a strong flap, rocketing towards Spike, who did several backflips, before he lands on a wall, and rocketed himself forward in a flying kick, which Nightmare Moon was quick to block in time. Flipping off, while still using the momentum, Spike leapt towards Nightmare Moon again, as he did a tornado kick, which was blocked again, before coming in for a landing.

"Something's different about you, dragon," Nightmare Moon noted, as she slashed her claw at the boy. "Come to think of it, why do you not fight me, as a dragon?"

"What's the matter?" Spike asked. "Embarrassed that you might lose, fighting to a human like me?"

Nightmare Moon growled angrily, as she fired a blast of lightening from her horn, which Spike jumped to the side, but received a hot burn on his arm.

"Don't worry, mom!" Spike cringed. "I'm fine!" Spike leapt up in the air, as he avoided another blast.

Nightmare Moon slashed her claws at Spike, who continues to block them, before he catches them, and holds her wrists in place. The two kept this up, until Nightmare Moon unexpectedly sprouted another pair of arms, and grabs Spike at the side, bringing the struggling boy up to her face.

Nightmare Moon opened her mouth, as a long tongue slithered out, and licked his cheek, "Ahh," Nightmare Moon spoke telepathically. "Your Dragonfire's been hindered!" the dark alicorn then lets out an evil laugh. "This just makes it easier for me!"

In response, Spike threw a headbutt in Nightmare Moon, causing her to release her grip on him, as he did several backflips, giving himself some distance from the demonic alicorn.

Then, feeling as if his body's been turned to metal, Spike was pulled to the ground by an invisible force. Struggling hard, Spike manages to look up, to see Nightmare Moon walking over him, laughing evilly.

"It'll be some times, until your powers are fully recovered," Nightmare Moon grinned. "And until then, I can't pass up this opportunity to finish you, myself!"

"Don't be so sure!" Spike snarled, as he concentrated hard, and with every last ounce of strength, he jumped off the floor, and back on his feet. "Behold, the force!"

In response, Nightmare Moon conjured a wave of dark magic from main hands, projecting them down to her extras, creating a ball of darkness, which she hurls at Spike. Spike jumped to the side, but was sent flying, courtesy the explosion from the ball. Catching himself in the air, Spike did a flip, before he landed on his feet, and rolled beneath Nightmare Moon, when the attacking alicorn lunged at him, slashing her claws as she did so.

"How can this be?" Nightmare Moon hissed, as she fires some bolts of lightning at Spike.

"I'm top in my classes of martial arts!" Spike replied, as he bent at his waist, avoiding a slash. "Earned ten blackbelts! That's saying something!" Spike landed a sidekick, "Guess I'm better a fighter when I'm human, than a dragon, huh?"

"Humph!" Nightmare Moon grunted. "You have Scorpan's skills, but you also have your mother's arrogance!" Nightmare Moon's fists began to pulse with more dark magic, "But you forgot where you are!" With that, the ground beneath Spike crumbled away, and the boy nearly fell in, "The very ground that you stand on, is a weapon for me to destroy you with!!"

"SPIKE!!!" Celestia screamed, as she tried even harder to break free, only for the vines to tighten their grip on her, thorns digging into her skin in the process.

"Join the club!" Spike called, catching Nightmare Moon by surprise, when he suddenly appeared before her, in a flash of light.

Concentrating hard, Spike manages to conjure several duplicates of himself, and they all ran circles around Nightmare Moon, before they charged in at high speeds, landing several strikes at every sides at Nightmare Moon.

"Very impressive, young prince!" Nightmare Moon replied, before her eyes begin to glow white. "But you will not stop me!" With that, Nightmare Moon fired several bolts of lightning, destroying all of Spike's duplicates, until there is only one left.

But by the time she found the real one, Spike landed an upper cut to the anthro alicorn's chin, followed by a strong tornado kick to face, defying the dark alicorn's helmet protection.

In response, Nightmare Moon conjured several vines to ensnare Spike, who magically conjured a kunai blade, as he slices his way free from the plants' grips. Then, concentrating even harder, Spike leapt forward, thrusting his leg out in a flying kick, only for Nightmare Moon to quickly shield herself with a huge wall she conjured.

Then, in a burst of smokes, Nightmare Moon appeared behind Spike, and punched him away. Spike caught himself, as he flips in the air, lands on his feet, before he turns around, facing Nightmare Moon. Concentrating into his powers, Spike manages to breathe fire in Nightmare Moon's way, who disappeared in a puff of smokes.

However, a trail of smokes came out of the ground, and grabbed Spike by the throat. The boy tried to break free, but the smokes thrashed him around, throwing him into Luna, who was exhausted from her fights with the ninjas. Before the two could get up, the smokes forced them down, before they formed into Nightmare Moon, who laughed in triumphant.

"Did you honestly believe that I would let you win this time?" Nightmare Moon grinned, as she sets her hooves down on the two of them. "Foals!"

"Get your hooves off of my family!" With that, a beam of light was shot, and struck Nightmare Moon off.

Spike and Luna looked, to see Celestia, slowly succumbing to her wounds, before she collapsed.

Luna walked over, and bent down to her sister's side, "Lulu," Celestia moaned, looking at her sister's spirit form.

"Tia," Luna began, a single tear spilling from her eyes, turning into sparkles before it hits the ground. "I'm sorry. I never meant for all this to happen!" With her eyes glowing white, Luna's horn was surrounded in a blue aura, "Vulnera Sanentur," Luna recited an incantation, which sounded almost like a song.

Spike looked down, seeing the wounds on his mother, glowing in his aunt's aura, before they slowly closed up.

Seeing the sincerity in her eyes, Spike nodded in acknowledgement, before he looked down at his mother, seeing the tearful loving glance in her eyes.

"No, Spike," Celestia replied, as she slowly got up. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so quick as to think that Nightmare Moon would be so easily destroyed," Celestia then turned to Luna, "But at least I've reclaimed a sister."

Spike and Celestia turned, and quickly rolled to the side, just as a large billow of smoke pounced at them, while shoving Luna away. Nightmare Moon's cackling face formed, as she sets her sight, once more on Spike, and Celestia.

"As long as I live, you will never see daylight again!!" the evil alicorn declared, ready for the killing blow.

In defense, Spike held his arms out, as he stands defensively over his mother, "You'll have to go through me, first!" he snarled.

"Very well, then," Nightmare Moon laughed. "I'll save you the pain of seeing your mother die first!"

"NIGHTMARE MOON!!!" Luna shouted, as she leapt towards the smoky apparition of her evil counterpart, holding her in her telekinetic grip. "Tia! You have to wake up!" Luna shouted.

"Nightmare Moon came only for you!" Luna replied. "She came to you tonight, because you didn't have enough magic left to block her out of your sleep! You must wake up! Now!"

"Don't worry, mom!" Spike said, to the sun princess. "We'll handle, Moony!" Seeing his mother, still looking doubtful of leaving her son again, Spike smiled, as he hugs around her neck, "I'l be fine, mom. I love you."

"I love you, too," Celestia replied, as she kissed Spike on the forehead, and started to fade away.

"No!" Nightmare Moon shouted, as she shoved Luna off. "After ten centuries, I will not be denied my revenge!!!" Nightmare Moon screamed, as she lunged towards Celestia, who vanished completely. "You!!!" the mad alicorn snarled, at both Spike, and Luna. "You have been more than little thorns in my side! But now, you've robbed me of my triumph! And for that, you will pay with your lives!!" With that, Nightmare Moon conjured several bolts of lightning in the two heroes' way, only for Luna to conjure a magic shield, saving both herself, and her nephew.

"Spike, no!" Luna replied. "You still have a purpose in the waking world! You must find and secure the last pieces of the armor! They're in Midnight Castle!" Seeing her shield is failing, Luna began to charge another spell via horn. "Use the box!!" With a flash of light, Luna shot a spell at Spike, whose vision began to turn white.

Dragonfire 🐲 Enter The Dragon Hero 🐲

by Phantom-Dragon

Mission Rogue Diamond Part 2: A Trip Down Astral Plane