Soon after Celestia found herself slowly caress the back of her beloved sister, who was slowly drifting off to sleep as she had tucked her in her royal solar bedchambers. Luna did have her own but ever since Twilight Sparkle and her friends had freed her from Nightmare Moon, she and Celestia had been sleeping together. “I love you Lune, my dearest sister, my most pernicious one; I would have traded my immortal life for you to be by my side.” Celestia said softly. “For a 1000 years I have looked upon the moon, waiting for the day the stars would aid in your escape.” Celestia had felt an overwhelming need to explain everything to Luna, so she leaned in closer to the lunar princess, as she slowly began her tale, knowing that Luna’s soul and subconscious would listen to her every word.
I recall every single little detail from the day not to long ago, where the stars had freed their goddess from a 1000 years of captivity on the moon, my little sister, Luna. The same day where I told the destined one, my faithful and beloved student Twilight Sparkle by letter that she should go make herself some friends.
I’ll never forgot how fearful I was when I wrote that letter for the destined one, as I gazed out of my huge window in my private chambers, watching the stars making their way towards their lunar goddess. The only thoughts went through my head was the wishful thoughts and hopes of everything would go according to plan. And as the evening closed, I took off from my palace and made my way for Ponyville. I had never been so nervous in my entire life, centuries had passed since that fateful day where Luna had been possessed and turn into that awful creature, Nightmare Moon.
It was the day of her release; I stood behind curtains from which I could hear the major of Ponyville giving her speech for the longest day of the year, the summer sun celebration.
-
There Celestia stood, in all her might when she all of a sudden felt the stars intertwine. A 1000 years of loneliness, a 1000 years of torment was about to have its perhaps final conclusion. She took a deep breath as she said to herself “Now it’s all or nothing, be brave Tia.” and then, not seconds later she could feel dark magic behind her, creeping over the floor, making its way towards the solar princess.
“Hello, Luna.” I said dryly to the forming shadows in the room with a face of stone, trying not to let my feelings getting the better of me. This was after all not Luna who was in control of this nightmarish creature of the night. The mare of the moon would surely explore this if Celestia allowed herself to be too emotional.
A tall pitch black mare with wicked bright turquoise draconian eyes appeared out of the dark magical shadows. “That’s not my name anymore, dear sister.” The creature spoke with a cold and callous voice. It was none other than the dreaded Nightmare Moon herself, but why did it call Celestia for sister all of a sudden? It had never done that before. “But I’m surprised,” The mare of the moon continued with her relaxed tone. “I’m sure you know why that I’m here. And yet you seem unprepared to face me.” But then face began to turn into a grim expression. “Do you really think you can beat me just like this?!” She started to sound angry. “Its been a 1000 years, and over that time I have only grown more powerful with the hate that I feel for you. And also I’ve learned to tap deeper into my powers, I cannot be stopped! Not this time! Do you hear me?!” There were such hate and pain in her eyes that tears began to take shape in her eyes. She seemed to be aware of this as she blinked them away.
Celestia was a bit taken back by this, these feelings that she could sense from the mare of the moon. Nightmare Moon hadn’t been like this a 1000 years ago when she fought her with half of the power of the elements of harmony, it was as if the thing that had possessed Luna had somehow merged its personality with hers. Maybe the mare of the moon had become mad from her 1000 year imprisonment?
“You sound different,” Celestia replied, clearly ignoring what Nightmare Moon had just yelled at her. Nightmare Moon narrowed her eyes at this, staring deeply into Celestia’s soft eyes. “maybe my sister’s kindness and love have rubbed off on you. I guess it would have been impossible even for you to not being affected by Luna’s spirit over these centuries where you have possessed her body.” Not getting a reply from the mare of the moon the princess pressed her effort a little further. “Maybe if I sealed you away again for another 1000 years, the two of you might become one.” Celestia teased, the shadow figure did not look to please at the comment whatsoever, but did still not speak. Celestria had probably hit a nerve.
They looked at each other for a bit. It looked like Nightmare Moon was holding back tears, maybe she had pressed a bit too hard, maybe she needed to use another kind of strategy. If Nightmare Moon had truly picked up some traces of Luna, then maybe she could. “Luna…” Celestia started. But she was very quickly cutoff before she got to say anything else.
“STOP!” Nightmare Moon yelled angrily at her, with a face of pure horror and rage. Tears again began to form in the eyes, but this time more uncontrollably as they started to run down her pitch black cheeks. “STOP CALLING ME THAT!” In all of her existence, Celestia had never seen such a pained face before. Luna’s soul was truly in scrambles within this monster. Celestia’s ears lowered, she was really hurt by this sight and what the monster had said. It was almost as if those words had come from Luna herself. But Celestia knew that wasn’t the case, she could feel Luna deep within this nightmarish form, I could feel her true heart calling out to me, but it was almost as if she was slumbering, caught in a everlasting dream or rather a nightmare. But she was tossing and turning in her endless dream, probably feeling the presence of her big sister nearby, but unable to reach her because of an overwhelming evil presence that was engulfing her.
But even so, for truth to be told princess Celestia started to feel a bit sorry for this poor creature, it was no longer a master of its own feelings. Stealing half of its now persona from Luna. So Celestia reminded herself of the pain Nightmare Moon had cursed her and many other ponies back those 1000 years ago, true they were all dead and the mare of the moon was only heard of it stories. Celestia was the only being alive that knew of her to be true.
Now they stood directly in front of each other, both with their ears hanging low, Celestia with narrow sad eyes and Nightmare Moon with closed tear dripping eyes.
“I know you’re in there! Please hold out Luna! Soon you will be free again and we shall both enjoy both my sunrise and your moonlight!” Celestia cried out, losing the control of her emotions by seeing the sadden feature of her greatest foe and deep underneath her greatest love.
“Ha!” Nightmare Moon laughed scornfully. “Do you really think one little unicorn will be able to defeat me?!” she said as she desperately tried to shake the tears off her face.
Celestia looked puzzled and a bit shocked at her. “Aw… don’t look at me like that, dear sister. You and I share the same rare magical blood, the blood of a alicorn. Your thoughts, your dreams, and your feelings are mine as much as they are yours. But luckily for me I can control what of mine you may see.” Nightmare Moon said.
“It doesn’t matter if you know of my plans or not.” Celesita sharply replied. “With the power of friendship you’ll return to me, and with the power of my love you’ll remain with me. Never again will either of us have to be alone.” She said in a threatening tone, to make sure the mare of the moon got the message.
Nightmare Moon just stood there with a wicked grin. “Hopeless words spoken by a hopeless princess, I’ll make this land forever dark with my gorgeous moonlight! Your student will fail against my might! If friendship is their weapon then I’ll BREAK IT!” she spat at the solar princess.
“I believe as much in my faithful student as I do in my dearest sister, they will prevail.” Celestia told Nightmare Moon in a hard tone. “But you on the other hand, you’ll be vanquished from her body, I swear it!” Celestia took a firm step towards the shadowy form of the former lunar princess. “Twilight was born on the exact day of the one and only lunar eclipse that has ever occurred in all of pony history, where a spark of Luna fell from the moon and entered a newly born foal, turning her from an earth pony into a unicorn with incredible magical powers. She’ll not only use the power of friendship and love against you, but also the very power that you use the power of the lunar princess!” Celestia finished off.
The mare of the moon looked at her for a bit before she turned her back to her. “Humph, enough of this.” She said. “As my parting gift, I’ll allow you to stay here, so that you can witness me crushing your elements of harmony, your so called destined one and all of her stupid friends. And then I’ll come for you and banish you to the moon so you can see your sister’s eternal night for all eternity!” She laughed. “You can try to stop me if you want to, but I don’t think your student would like the result very much.” She smirked. “Now you’ll have to excuse me, I have to address my subjects.” She said as she left Celestia behind the curtains as she entered the balcony, announcing her return to all of Equestria.
-
And from there we all know the story, as the elements of harmony fought though quite a hectic day where Nightmare Moon tested their friendship, trying desperately to break you apart. And then you were finally freed from Nightmare Moon by the hoofs of Twilight Sparkle, her friends and their power of friendship. Celestia smiled.
-
“Oh, dear little sister.” She said. Did you know that every time I rose your moon, for every single day I would stand there, sometimes even for hours, just looking at your beautiful moon? I’ve always regretting my actions from those 1000 years ago. I should have seen the signs, I should have been more thoughtful, I should have been better to listen and to see your sadness, but I failed in all these aspects. If I had just known then that monster would never have been able to posses your then fragile heart. I wasn’t worthy of being your big sister. And the price of my failure was the birth of Nightmare Moon by that evil entity that consumed your injured heart. It would never have been able to possess you if only I had been a better sister. But as much as I love you Luna, I couldn’t let Nightmare Moon starve our subjects to death, and I know you agree with me. So with a heavy heart I faced the mare of the moon and banished her to the moon, not having the strength to split you apart from the creature within, particularly as I could only use half of the elements powers as I had lost the other part of me; my little sister.
I’m really disappointed in myself, not only for not being the big sister you needed and should have had, but also that you became your own savior. You, Twilight and her friends did all the real work, while I just merely pushed Twilight in the right direction. All I did was sitting ideally by hoping that Twilight would indeed save you. It’s a little silly to think about really, where I the mighty solar princess couldn’t help a small foal could.
I don’t know how it all happened but some years ago, when the lunar eclipse happened I looked upon its breathtaking beauty, but also with undreamt off fear, for a moment I thought Nightmare Moon had broken free, but then something happened. Something very strange indeed, I could feel it before I could see it, a part of you left the moon. I don’t think I have ever reacted that fast to anything in my entire life. The moment I saw something fall from the moon I threw myself over the balcony and flew as fast as I could towards the falling object, even using all of my magic to amplify my haste.
My search came to an end at a small house. I slowly walked closer towards the house, with both fear and hope in my pony heart. It felt as if my mind was breaking apart from all my thoughts, all of my lonely days ran though my head like an uncontrollable storm. And wondering if you had somehow escaped, the stars had not yet aligned for your escape. But as I came to the window I saw a magical sight, in the small house where several ponies, and the mare was giving birth, and then I saw it! Your little something hit the newly born foal right on the forehead and seconds later the smallest and cutest unicorn horn sprung forth, her fur turned purple and he cutie mark appeared, making her the first pony in all of Equestria to receive her mark at birth.
Twilight Sparkle had been born an earth pony but your magic had turned her into a unicorn with remarkable magical prowess. It was the happiest I had felt for almost a 1000 years! I saw hope, I became so joyous that I started to cry out there in the middle of the night at some strangers house. I made a mental note to myself that I would take her as my apprentice and teach her everything she would need to know for your return to Equestria; because your soul had somehow selected her as the destined one. I’m not sure how Twilight would take it if I told her that was the reason I took her under my wing, but even so at first I only took her because of my desires for you; Luna, I still grew fund of her over the years that I taught her about magic.
From that day on, every time I rose your moon I looked at its beauty and said to myself, the wait is soon over and then I would whisper to the moon, Lune, this time I won’t fail you, the wait is soon over, just a little longer my dear sister.
For a 1000 year I had been immensely sorrowful. Nothing I’ll ever say nor do can ever make me forgive myself for what happened. But I promise you, I’ll do all I can to make up for all of it! Finally you have returned to be by my side once again, as the ruler of the night, as an equal to the ponydom, the place that you should never have left in the first. After waiting and suffering for centuries, you are finally here again and this time I’ll make everything right.
“But for now, sleep and dream well my precious.” Celestia finished off with a sugar sweet voice as she kissed her sister on the forehead, before leaving her bedchambers to lower the moon and raise the sun. “Be here for me, always.” She said, as she left her sleeping beauty to her restful dream.
As Celestia came to the door she threw one last look over her shoulder to gaze at Luna’s sleeping form, while she thought back to the evening where they had shared a royal bath. Where Celestia had told Luna how she had been possessed and turned into Nightmare Moon a 1000 years ago, opening up to each other about their past pain. The both had embraced each other as they had been crying on each other shoulders, letting out some of their pent-up pain.
Celestia smiled as she closed the door to her private chambers, hoping for a bright future with her little sister.
Author’s note:
When I wrote this chapter I was pretty disappointed with it, it took me forever to finish (like 2 weeks or such) and it was hardly any joy to write. I just wanted to tell what “really” happened during the first two episodes, as well as telling how come only Twilight Sparkle could save Luna when Celestia apparently couldn’t (which is why she banished her to the moon I would assume). And I also feel like I horrible failed at making Nightmare Moon seem insane. My idea was that Luna has been resting in an endless dream, making the 1000 years on the moon pass like it was mere months (also why Luna feels like Celestia had suffered more than she did), but as for Nightmare Moon, she was suppose to become ape shit crazy because she didn’t have the luxury of an endless dream like Luna did. Nightmare Moon was pretty much awoke 24/364/1000 and her only comfort was that she could see Luna’s dreams and thus kind of adopted some of Luna’s personality, also truly making her (Nightmare Moon) believe that she was indeed Celestia’s sister, but not by the name of Luna, she was after all, Nightmare Moon (hope it made sense to you guys). At least I got the background story covered now, so now I can finally write what I wanted to write, my little fluffy love story that is! *sigh* Also I more than once wasn’t really sure where to part the text as the entire chapter was pretty much just Celestia telling us a story, but I hope its good enough, or else I’ll have to take a closer look at it some other time.
And yes I know that Twilight Sparkles parents hare both unicorns, but I wanted to make the connection between Twilight and Luna all that more meaningful and special. That could also explain why Twilight had been so bad at using her magic at some point as she didn’t have parents to teach her how to use her ‘gifts’.
Anyway thanks for reading thus far and I hope you can still enjoy my failure of a second chapter. And as always please comment! <3
PS. In the next chapter Twilight Sparkle enters!