Luna
The moment that Luna saw light start to bleed through the darkness, she knew something was wrong. It was not the gentle silver light of her Moon nor the warm golden hue of Celestia’s Sun, and it wasn’t even the cutting crimson of Nova’s Stars.
She peered into the darkness and made sure to nudge Cadance. Cadance staggered a bit, trying to find her footing in the infinite black, and her head popped up when she too found the flickering light.
Then the voice greeted them.
“Welcome great alicorns!” The voice boomed from the surrounding darkness. The voice…was familiar…but it was gravelly and rough. Luna couldn’t place it. “Join me in my revels!”
The small glimmer of fire that Luna had seen suddenly exploded in front of her and Cadance, growing instantly to loom over both of them in a towering inferno.
Once Luna’s eyes adjusted to the fiery light, she peered up at the figure seated above them and let out an involuntary hiss. Her eyes flashed, becoming the draconic slits of Nightmare Moon even while her coat remained dark blue.
A feeling of hatred that Luna had not felt in a millennium instantly overwhelmed her.
She didn’t bother to give the pony a reply. Luna conjured a blue steel spear with her magic and sent it whistling through the hot air. Luna heard a thud as it passed through her foe harmlessly and embedded itself in the burning throne behind him.
“Princess Luna, Night Mare of the Moon! You should know better! You cannot kill that which is already dead!”
Moloch leered down at her from his seat. His smile mocked her as she glared up at him. He glanced down at the spear that should have pierced his chest and grabbed it with his magic. He pulled it out and tossed it to the side as if it were a passing interest instead of the weapon that would have pierced his heart and kill him. Again. “For shame, princess! Attacking your host after he welcomes you into his hall! Your sister was never so ungracious. She, at least, had manners.”
Luna’s hated foe did not look as he had when she had killed him a thousand years ago. His once snow white coat was now the color of burnt bone, smoldering and malformed. The immaculate robes of House Platinum that he had proudly worn in life were now tattered and black. His lips were cracked and his eyes were nothing but pits of fire. He sat back in a throne made up of burning planks, the same as the pyre that he had died on a millennium ago. Although the flames leapt and licked at his body, he did not seemed distressed in the slightest.
The only thing that seemed the same was his arrogant posture and the old pin that had tormented Luna centuries ago; a golden sun with six swords instead of sun rays, it gleamed and shined as if it were freshly made.
Cadance glared at him in disgust and was obviously revolted by the stallion’s current state. She straightened her posture and fanned out a wing to flap away the acrid smoke. “Who are you?!”
“Who am I? I am Lord Moloch!” He said pompously. “In life I was the great duke of Rainbow Falls and the revered leader of the Knights of Ra!” Moloch’s gaze morphed into a lustful sneer as he eyeballed Cadance’s body. “Why, my beautiful mare, you would have been welcomed among our pantheon…in more ways than one.”
Cadance was abhorred by his insinuation. Her face twisted angrily and her ears twisted back as she tried to form a scathing reply, but she instead turned away from the dead stallion in disgust. Cadance, to Luna’s approval, looked to her for answers instead of Moloch.
“Luna…who is this?” She asked, rightfully distrustful of the specter.
Luna spat spitefully at him before answering, her scathing gaze boring holes into the stallion. “That is Moloch, a stallion I killed the night I was banished to the Moon. He was the leader of the Knights of Ra, the fools who had foalnapped Twilight and attempted to murder her like so many other innocents. They worshipped Celestia as a sun goddess and sacrificed thestrals to a golden idol of her.” A feral grin crossed her face. “I killed his followers and left him on his own pyre to burn.”
Cadance clapped both hooves over her face, horrified that such a thing had almost happened to Twilight. A scowl quickly formed as she turned and stared back at Moloch. “O.K., now I’m sure that this is an evil villain.”
Moloch shrugged, completely apathetic. “Evil. Good.” He waved a hoof at Cadance in dismissal, disappointed by her refusal. “Empty words. There is no good or evil. Morality is a construct crafted by those with power to rule the weak and ignorant. There are only those who seize victory and those who are vanquished.”
“I vanquished you.” Luna taunted with a smirk. “Are you enjoying death? It does not seem to treat you kindly.”
“I killed myself, Night Mare.” Moloch declared haughtily. “You are not worthy of claiming responsibility for my death. I died heroically trying to destroy you and your monster of a foal. I almost succeeded too, even after I died.”
Luna’s ears snapped forward in rapt attention, taken aback by his claim of almost succeeding. “No. You failed, beast. Twilight lived.”
Moloch’s smile turned sinister. “Believe what you want to believe. I cursed you both with my final breath, and I poured my magic and hatred into my last words. Do you not remember? I believe you are familiar with such magic, are you not?” He smirked in self-satisfaction. “Does a horned centaur from distant lands not ring a bell?”
Luna narrowed her eyes at the dead stallion, her brows furrowed in thought. Immediately, she thought of Nova’s fascination with Tirek, the only sorcerer she knew of who could manipulate magic with his very breath. But still, it would be better to probe Moloch further, especially as he seemed so talkative. “Liar. How would you know of such things? Tirek’s attack was five generations before you.”
“You forget that you and your sister detailed the attack to my distant great-aunt, Princess Platinum, and the other founders of Equestria when they sat on your council. Well, she and my great-grandfather were very close, and she told him all about it. He was fascinated, I think, by the opportunity. He was captivated with the idea that magic could come not from horns, hooves, or wings, but from words itself. There was already a basis for this, with the development of runes. My great-grandfather and Clover were close, of course, growing up together in the last court of the Unicorn King. They studied the magic together. Their experiments were completely innocent, which is why it never attracted the attention of the crown after they failed. They were unwilling, unlike me, to go further. Morals, those restraints we pretend that govern right and wrong, held them back. Together, they got so far and then stopped, fearing pathetically that what Tirek had used was so-called ‘Dark Magic.’ You see, Tirek’s spells required emotion, specifically, hatred. They did compile some of their notes that I found after they died, and Starswirl the Bearded had the rest I think. That is how I was able to benefit from their failure.”
Moloch smiled darkly. “It was with their notes that I cast the magic that cursed your foal. It was such a pity that it did not succeed. But in the end, it was for the best. Victory is still mine, after all this time. It was well worth the wait.”
Luna opened her mouth to retort angrily, but then hesitated. Starswirl had told her that she should listen to Twilight. Twilight…who had told Luna that Celestia had taken away her pegasus and earth pony magic to stop a dark spell from killing her after Luna had been banished…and that had been right after she had killed Moloch. Had she missed something? Had she been so angry that she had been blind to a dark spell infecting her foal?
“It was you.” Luna whispered with dawning realization, horrified. Her eyes darted left and right, seeing everything and yet seeing nothing. “You cursed us with dark magic, using Tirek’s methods. You used your final breath to strike at us from beyond the grave.”
“Guilty as charged.” Moloch said glibly with a smile. “But you will never have your justice, Night Mare, I am beyond your reach now.”
“But…no.” Luna mumbled, shaking her head. She stepped back and tried to make sense of all this. “But that means-“
Moloch held up a hoof imperiously, interrupting her. “You are wrong on one count, however, and it would be rude of me if I did not correct you. Though I tried to curse you both with a slow and painful death, the magic only worked on your young foal. Loath as I am to admit it, I am not so powerful that I could permanently curse an adult alicorn.” He leaned back into his throne and smirked at her, reveling in her realization. “A foal, however…is such a vulnerable creature.”
Luna started forward, her eyes sparking dangerously in outrage. “You-“
“If I could not live to see you die, then I would at least have the satisfaction of taking your foal from you.” Moloch boasted gleefully. Then he turned his head and considered Luna thoughtfully. “Did you think that you could throw away your sins on my actions? Did you hope for an excuse to offer your daughter?” He offered her a cruel smile. “If you were looking for absolution, for redemption, for salvation, or for forgiveness, look elsewhere Night Mare. Your actions were entirely your own. I played no part in your decisions.” He laughed down at her in a short burst. “That’s the delicious irony, isn’t it?”
Cadance, shaking her head in confusion, stepped forward while Luna tried to reign in her temper. She turned briefly away as her teeth grinded. She could not kill Moloch again, no matter how much she wanted to. Even attempting it would be folly, and would show weakness. Luna refused to be weak and satisfy Moloch’s pleasure any further.
“I’m still lost.” Cadance admitted with a slight huff. “Who were the Knights of Ra?”
“A cult.” Luna spat.
“Uggh.” Cadance bemoaned. “Cults. Disgusting things.”
Luna turned to Cadance, her ears propped forward in curiosity. “You have had experiences with cults?”
“No.” Cadance replied. “Celestia stamps them out like weeds as soon as they pop up. She has warned me about them though. There hasn’t been a real cult in Equestria for at least thirty years, well before I came to the castle.” Cadance tapped her hoof on the floor a few times in thought. “I have had creepy fan clubs and stalkers though, and this guy seems to fit the same bill.”
Luna considered it, bobbing her head from side to side. “A rough analogy, but the concept is the same.”
“The Knights of Ra were not a cult.” Moloch snapped at them. “We were the vanguard of Equestria, her true guardians! It was through our efforts that the Night Mare Luna and her mongrel Night Watch did not ruin my great nation.”
Luna shook her head angrily, her posture still tense as if she were ready to pounce. It would do no good though, no matter how much Luna desired it. Moloch was right, he was beyond her vengeance now and forever.
“Your cult twisted minds and murdered innocents.” Luna snapped up at him.
Moloch sneered and lounged back, perfectly relaxed on his burning throne. “I did, and I do not regret it. Being able to twist minds just proves that mine was superior. Killing innocents is nothing new. An innocent monster is still a monster. I am not a hypocrite like you. Who are you, Princess Luna, to accuse me of wrongdoing?” He gestured to the darkness surrounding them. “Are you not here to save your precious foal once again? This time though, the fault does not lie with me. Oh no. Are you not the culprit, Princess? Did you not twist your foal’s mind until it bent to your will?”
Luna stomped forward until she was at the base of the burning pyre, her eyes promising pain. “Do not speak of her! I will find some way to kill you again, this I swear upon the moon itself! You will not impede me!”
“Impede you?” Moloch asked, incredulous, a malicious grin splitting his charred face. “Stop you? Why no, my dear sweet stupid Night Mare. Why would I ever wish to halt your journey?”
He waved a hoof carelessly and a large pair of doors faded into view from the darkness and they creaked open on command. “Please, be on your way! Magic awaits! Go with the blessings of Lord Moloch and the Knights of Ra!”
Luna didn’t give the doors a second glance. “I will not fall for some simple trap, knave.”
“No traps!” Moloch laughed uproariously, lifting his hooves up in mock surrender. “Only truth, but perilous all the same!”
“I do not believe you are capable of speaking truth.” Luna stated firmly, as unmoving and cold as a glacier. “Deception is your way. You beguiled my sister but you shall never sway me.”
Moloch laughed down at her as if her words meant nothing to him. He shook his head at them. “I do not need to deceive you! You have already deceived yourself! Why would I need to do more? You have already given me my victory!”
“No!!” Luna screamed, incensed beyond reason. “You have no victory! You will never claim to be victorious over me! You are dead! Your followers are dust! Your deeds are shadows, forgotten by the annals of time! How dare you have the gall to say that you bested me!”
Moloch shrugged, indifferent to Luna’s declaration, his mocking smile ever-present. “This is not the victory I sought in life, that is true, but victory is mine nonetheless. You cannot say that I am forgotten though. I am here, after all, because of you.”
“Me!?”
“Yes.” Moloch declared. He leaned forward on his throne of fire, all mockery thrown away as he revealed his unmasked eagerness. “You have given me this power, this victory. I was defeated a millennium ago. I was dead, my top lieutenants were killed, and you finally had the rock solid excuse to finally arrest and execute all of the Knights of Ra. But you threw it all away! You tried to bring about Eternal Night and overthrow Celestia! When history speaks of the time a millennium ago, it does not reveal Princess Luna’s triumph over the attempted murder of her daughter! Instead, it recalls how the hated Nightmare Moon plunged the world into darkness and was banished by the shining and triumphant Princess Celestia!”
Luna fell silent, finally struck by his words.
“Admit it.” Moloch demanded. “You envied-“
“Never.” Luna hissed. Her fury mounting as she listened to this stallion’s words. “I never envied Celestia for the attention you and the Knights gave her.”
“Do not be so shallow.” Moloch rebuked. “You envied her freedom.”
Luna stepped back, Moloch’s words cutting deep. Despite her resolve to not listen to him, his words sliced at her anyway. “What…no.”
Nevertheless, Moloch continued without respite. He seemed gleeful; enjoying the look of confusion and pain on Luna’s face. “It was not her prestige that you were jealous of. You did not covet her crown or her position, you were her equal after all. You were the leader of the Lunar Pegasi, they adored you and gave you purpose; you were not lacking subjects who did not respect you. No, what really bit deep every night when the castle walls closed in and you sat on your throne alone was that Celestia was free to do as she pleased.”
She stepped back further, those burning eyes staring into hers. Luna couldn’t look away. She couldn’t escape…
“While Celestia could march out the castle doors and mingle with others, you had to travel with guards every step you took outside for fear of assassination. Every word from Celestia’s mouth was praised and revered from every corner of Equestria when yours were scrutinized, criticized, and rejected.” Moloch’s smile grew wider as his voice became more manic, his eyes bulging out of their sockets. “But the spark that finally unleashed that marvelous anger of yours was that your daughter was hated only because she was your daughter.”
Luna’s lips trembled and she could hear her heart pounding in her ears. Those burning eyes…
“That is why I have won.” Moloch crowed. “You cannot let it go. You have not, even after all this time. You blame me. You blame Starswirl. You blame Celestia. But the truth of the matter is that you blame us because you want to deny that you yourself are the reason your daughter and all you built is despised.”
Moloch was ecstatic at the sight of Luna’s fear. “It would have been better if you had given Twilight to Celestia to raise as her daughter instead of rearing her yourself. Better yet, you should not have given birth to Twilight at all! It would have been a mercy if you had killed that foal in the womb! You could have stayed on the Moon for eternity and let Twilight live in peace! Anything would have been better than being the daughter of Luna!”
Luna snapped.
A scream torn from the depths of her soul was dragged from her body and it exploded out of her mouth. Luna shut her eyes as her own tormented scream hammered her ears until she could hear almost nothing else.
Moloch laughed.
…and laughed…
…and laughed…
…and laughed…
Luna slammed open two draconic eyes.
Every spell she used to kill, every ounce of magic she possessed, she unleashed it upon this beast…this demon…this ghost from her past. She held nothing back.
The wind whipped around them and lightning fell out of the darkness with cold precision. Arrows, spears, swords, scythes, and anything with a sharp blade whirled into existence before being hurtled at Moloch. Explosions lit up the darkness as the fire upon which Moloch sat enthroned was overturned by Luna’s fury.
Finally, after an age, Luna could not summon anything more to fight with.
She was spent.
Luna fell to her knees and slammed her eyes shut while she gasped for breath in the darkness.
“You will never be rid of me.”
Luna jerked her head up and forced open her eyes. There he was. The fire was gone, the throne was gone, and yet Moloch stood right in front of her nary a scratch.
Moloch smiled as he lifted her face up with his hoof and he bent down to whisper in her ear.
“You keep me alive.”
And the last thing Luna heard as he faded away was his mocking laughter.
…
…
…
Luna felt Cadance tug on her armor, trying to coax her into getting up, but she didn’t respond. She just laid there, staring where Moloch’s burning eyes had been. There was just darkness now…darkness and the door.
“Come on.” Cadance said insistently. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Yes.” Luna hissed, slamming a hoof down and lifting herself up. “Let us end this.”
Cadance backed away, suddenly wary of Luna’s sudden resolve. “End what?”
“This!” Luna shouted. She waved a hoof erratically at the encompassing darkness, her eyes wild. “This mind game!”