//------------------------------// // The wicked past pt1 // Story: The end of suffering // by Sawtoothetherium //------------------------------// Luna, thrashing in her sleep as usual, but this time it was worse. The Nightmare had escaped her body and her full power became available to her. That power was used to torture Luna further, the Nightmares favorite pastime. This time she forced Luna to relive memories of her childhood, if it could even be called that. ***** A young Luna pranced through the halls of the castle everfree. That night she had finally rose the moon on her own, she was so excited, so happy that finally her parents would look on her with pride. She knocked on the door of her parents room, and heard her mother call her in. She did, she looked at her parents in bed, her father Vulcan looked on her with a scowl, her mother Gaea simply frowned. She did not like to be disturbed. “What is it,” Vulcan spat getting out of bed and towering over Luna. “I did it,” Luna squealed, “I finally did it, I raised the moon!” Vulcan glared at her, then smacked her across the room where she collided with the wall making an audible crack. Gravity didn’t catch up with her before her father held her there by her throat. Vulcan, the god of fire and Volcanoes, Leaned in and glared with all the rage of a fire into his youngest daughters eyes. “You did WHAT!?” He roared making Lunas ears ring. Luna winced at the volume whilst choking on her fathers hoof, she didn’t think he’d react like this, despite what he had done to her in the past. Vulcan increased the pressure on her throat making her choke even more. “Awnser me!!!” Luna tried to choke it out but couldn’t, there was too much pressure. Vulcan released his hold on her throat then smacked her again making Luna cry out. “I-I raised the m-moon,” Luna whimpered. Vulcan seized Lunas mane and picked her up by it, making her scream. “THAT. IS. YOUR. SISTERS JOB!!!” He roared with the force of an exploding volcano. Luna began to sob, her father glared in disgust. He threw her against the wall, then followed up with a punch to her gut. Luna doubled over sobbing and coughing. Gaea seized Luna and dragged her to a chair, where she tied her to it with her back facing out and tied a rope in her mouth to keep her quiet. Vulcan came up behind her with a thick leather whip, and began to beat Luna. “Know you place child,” Gaea said. Luna could barely hear her over her own screams. She was used to this abuse, but it still hurt. Vulcan continued to beat her for another half hour without breaking, then when he finally ceased he simply opened the closet and put the still bound and gagged Luna in there then closed the door. He cast a soundproofing spell on it so that Lunas muffled sobs wouldn’t interrupt him and his wife again. ***** “Where was your beloved sister when that happened?” The Nightmare taunted, “Where was anyone?” Luna continued to shake in her sleep, her dreams had just gotten much worse since the Nightmare escaped. Very soon she began to shake even harder from the internal pain. Luna continued to sob, she didn’t know how much more she could take before the Nightmare seized control again. “Where are they now?” Nightmare pressed, “Celestia is in full awareness of your suffering, yet she does nothing. Some sister she is. If your own sister isn’t willing to help you, then who will be?” Nightmare leaned in closer to her ear and hissed, “No one.” What little Luna could hold back finally escaped with those last words, she collapsed into a ball and sobbed uncontrollably. She couldn’t handle it, she had to let go, to release her pain. Her tears fell, more numerous then ever they did in the past. Again an image from her past, this one of a later period. A young Luna looked through the barred window, her sister and her parents were currently at a banquet to welcome the griffin king. Luna had to drag herself to the window as her father had broken her legs and wings three days prior before locking her in the cell. She was chained to the wall by her forehooves, the only limb she had that wasn’t broken. Her father had not allowed any form of cast or splint to be put on her broken appendeges, therefore it hurt to move. Luna groaned in pain at her legs and wings being dragged on the floor. At least Celestia didn’t suffer like she did, she wasn’t even aware of her suffering, thats the way Luna wanted it. A pony passed by the window and saw her in it, they laughed and continued walking. It wasn’t unexpected, Luna knew thats what ponies thought of her, worth less than dirt. A guard hit the bars of her door, “Get back in the corner dirtbag, your father said your face wasn’t to be seen.” “I know,” she whimpered. “And keep your mouth shut,” the guard snapped. Luna winced and obeyed. Why did he do that? What did he have against her? What did she do to deserve this? All of these she had asked before, and she would continue to ask for years to come. Her parents had grown more cruel, ever since she had begun to mature they had given her to the guards and told them to... subject her to... such unspeakable things. Luna had begun to hide, and well. When she ran from her raging father she could take a bare stone room and effectively hide in it without using magic of any kind. But this time she didn’t run fast enough, and she could run fast, very fast. She could fly even faster, thats why her father continued to break her wings on a regular basis. Celestia had asked about why her wings were always broken, with her fathers threat being true despite the fact that Luna could likely escape him she chose to lie for fear of what would happen to Celestia once she knew. Luna had told her that she had simply been wrestling with their brother often for fighting practice. Lunas brother was called Antares, he was a good stallion in more ways than one. He was the only one to know of her suffering and helped her in all ways he could. Antares was a very large stallion, heavily muscled and covered in scars from fights with animals and ponies alike. His wingspan was twice his body length and his horn was slightly longer than Lunas, his coat was grey and his mane was pitch black. He taught her how to effectively fight with any kind of injury no matter how serious, just in case father decided to kill her. Antares had stood by Lunas side every chance he got, even if he had to make those chances himself, and allowed her to cry into him. He had shown the most support, Celestia couldn’t as she was always busy and kept unaware of her sisters position. He had taught Luna any and all kinds of fighting to use, knowing that Celestia would eventually find out and would have to fight them when that time came.