It seems a millennia ago when I lost her. I remember the look in her eyes as she transformed into that...that monster. Nightmare Moon, as she came to call herself. Years later I remember, and I regret I didn’t help more. Surely I could have done something else, anything to keep her from turning...
I sigh and look into the sky, a crude mockery of her beautiful face across her moon. I close my eyes as a tear slides down my cheek. Some creature of chaos I am. What’s the point of having unlimited, reality bending powers if I couldn’t use it to bring my beloved back? Why couldn’t I save her? Why?! My sadness turns to anger as I remember why I could no longer hold my lovely princess of the night.
Damn that Celestia. Damn her to the deepest pit of Tartarus! What kind of ruler, what kind of sister, would push someone they claim to love to the point of giving into the darkness?! How dare she push those alligator tears out, how dare say she misses her!
I take a deep breath, smoke curling out of my nostrils as I try to rein in my anger. Despite the pain she put her through, my precious Luna would not, could not blame her sister, nor would she stop loving her. She could hold a grudge, but she could never stop loving her. She could easily stop loving me, however, if she were to somehow come back from her exile and find I had done something to Celestia...I shudder to imagine her wrath. The sun may burn bright, but it pales to the burn from the darkest corners of the moon.
I look up and blink in surprise, it appears I have lost track of time whilst in my thoughts. The sky begins to lighten, and I watch with a broken heart as my beloved sinks below the horizon, only for her sister to come up to start Equestria’s day. I growl and turn into my cave. I had always liked the night better than the day, and the darkness of my private refuge offers me some solace while I sleep, waiting and hoping to see my love again.
I have found some comfort in my dreams as well, reliving pleasant memories and imagining dates that would have been. One of my favorite to revisit is when we first met. I chuckle as I settle down, letting my magic do its work and helping me relive every aspect of the memory.
I pull at the collar of my shirt I wore. Exactly why I wore it, I couldn’t really tell you. I was nervous, and thought a shirt might make a good impression, it’s what the other colts wore when courting mares.
Then again...I wasn’t exactly a normal colt. I try not to let my gaze wander to a surprisingly reflective window, I already knew what I looked liked; a monster. A monster...wearing a shirt...about to court a princess...Eyup.
I look over to my guardian, Queen Azure of the hypogriffs. She had found me and taken me in when I was quite young, and now, I was to become a bond between Equestria and the Hypogriff kingdom. It’s not like they were in bad standing, but a marriage alliance never hurt anyone.
Suddenly, the air fills with trumpets as the princesses are announced. I bow down as best I can, I may be technically a prince, but it was always good manners to bow to your host royalty. That, among with many other practices of manners, had been drilled and pounded into my head by Azure. I know that I was supposed to know it, that it might otherwise embarrass my adoptive mother and call into question her capabilities, but sometimes these creatures are far too stuck up for my taste. However, I know better than to cause trouble...For now.
I learned my lesson last time I tried to pull a prank with important ponies. My mother did not take kindly to me replacing the water with chocolate milk when an ambassador had come. I mean, how was I supposed to know he was lactose intolerant? Thankfully he was okay, and appreciated the humor, but I still remember the 2 weeks of inability to sit properly…
I feel a hoof kick my leg and see my mother staring at me from the corner of her eye. I looked up and was nearly swept away at the beauty before me. Blue was my favorite color, and this mare was entirely that. She blushed as we made eye contact, demurely looking to the side. The other mare cleared her throat, “Queen Azure, how marvelous to see you.”
Her head ducked into a respectful nod. “I have high hopes this arrangement will turn out quite well in both our favors.”
My mother nodded as well. “I am glad you are of the same sentiment Celestia. Now, where shall we be adjourning to? Our journey was long, and I am greatly looking forward to tasting some Equestrian delights.”
“But of course, right this way.”
I couldn’t keep myself from staring at the smaller, beautifully blue pony as she walked in front of me. Her eyes instantly had me captivated, her mane looked as soft as a cloud, and I swear I could smell a faint hint of blueberries emanating off her. My heart was doing somersaults and it took all my might to keep it from literally jumping out my chest. My mother seemed to notice my struggle, her wing patting my shoulder comfortingly as we were led outside to a beautiful garden.
A surprisingly simple picnic had been set up, a large blanket set out underneath a towering tree covered with small delicacies and a few pitchers of water and tea. We all settled onto the blanket, my eyes flicking to try and meet the princess’s. She seemed to be shy, but somehow that only endeared her more to me. There had to be something more behind that soft smile though, maybe she was secretly very outgoing, only pretending to be shy. I grin softly, a plan forming.
Celestia and my mother were talking, but I wasn’t paying attention to their words. I saw Celestia pick up a sandwich, and sneakily snapped my claw to turn it into a frogwhich, which ribbited and hopped off her hoof. Her shocked face turned into a giggle, thankfully disrupting the rage I could feel pouring off my mother. “Ah, a prankster as well. It would seem they are better matched then we anticipated. My little sister is known to pull a few pranks here and there as well.”
My ears perked up, and I looked to see a large smile on my betrothed’s face. She appeared to be holding back a laugh as well, glancing between me and her sister. She whispered something to Celestia, who nodded in turn. I cocked my head at them, wondering what they could be whispering about. I was surprised when my claw was grabbed by her hoof, her smile hinting at mischievous thoughts. “Come, let us show you around the palace”
Oh, her voice. It was the most beautiful thing I had heard. I take her hoof and nod, glancing to my mother for a moment before following her. “We have not been formally introduced. Our name is Luna.”
Aww, she still spoke with the royal ‘we’. My heart warms, that form of speaking was starting to go out of fashion, but I find it all the more endearing to hear. “I am Discord.”
We walked in amicable silence until we were out of earshot of our guardians. Luna looked around and pulled me behind a tree. “Want to pull some more pranks?”
I nodded excitedly, she was certainly a mare after my own heart! Speaking of...My heart burst out of my chest like a cuckoo clock, much to the amusement of Luna. She giggled as she pushed it into my chest, spreading her wings. “Can thou fly?”
I grin as I float into the air, “Why of course. You think I walk around on these things all day?”
To emphasize I grabbed my legs and wiggled them at her before putting them back in their rightful place. I was rewarded with another adorable giggle and we took off, flying off to another part of the gardens.
My body jerks as I am awoken by a loud noise. I blearily blink my eyes, wishing to keep them closed and drift back to sleep. However, more loud crashes make that wish more and more impossible. I slowly uncurl and stroll to the front of my cave, surprised as I recognized the sound as thunder. Celestia didn’t usually have storms scheduled for the day, especially not ones as cacophonous as this. I hum in thought as I consider the weather. My heart drops as I realize what day it is. Of course it is bad weather, it is the day Celestia banished Nightmare Moon.
I roll my eyes, this sort of thing was Celestia’s little way of saying she ‘missed’ her sister. “Oh woe is me! My poor little sister was corrupted, but ‘twas not my fault, how could it be my fault, I am the all powerful, greatly benevolent ruler! I love all my ponies equally!”
My paw transformed into a imitation of Celestia for my performance, and I glowered at it. “You have no right to mourn and miss her, it’s your fault after all. Do you have any idea how many times she’s cried on my shoulder while her night is ignored by you and your subjects? Do you!”
Pawlestia just stares at me and I growl. I shake my paw to dismiss her image and stretch out, leaning against the cave wall to watch the storm. The rain pelted the outer world as the wind howled loudly, threatening, no, promising unpleasant flight for anything with wings.
I sigh loudly, snapping my claw and making a large umbrella hat appear on my head. I step out of my cave, shuddering a little at the cold wind. Last year wasn’t nearly this bad, what was it about this year? I snap again and a newspaper appears in front of me, The Daily Chaos in case you were wondering, and I flick it open.
My eyebrows raise as I read the headlining story, apparently Celestia had broken down during a council meeting, and has proclaimed she is going to take a leave of absence, only raising the sun and moon and leaving the royal duties to select delegates. That would explain the worse weather. No doubt the weather teams only knew that today a storm was scheduled, but without Celestia they didn’t know just how strong to make it.
I roll my eyes as the newspaper disappears, ponies could be such dumb creatures sometimes. They are absolutely lost without a princess to guide them in even the simplest of matters. I have no idea how the three tribes survived without Celestia and Luna.
Oh Luna darling, if only they knew just all you did for them. Walking through their dreams and comforting them when nightmares came. Despite nearly everyone missing her beautiful stars and gentle moon, she was gracious enough to do this for them. She loved her subjects, even though she never got that love back. She barely got it from her sister, particularly in the time before her...fall.
They used to be so close when I first started courting Luna. In the year we were together, we made harmless little pranks and wreaked innocent havoc upon the palace staff. However, Celestia seemed to get more serious the more Luna and I played. She started becoming even more business like and detached, scolding and frowning more than smiling and laughing at our antics. Eventually, Luna stopped wanting to do fun things. She spent her time sulking and crying, even shutting me out when I tried to comfort her.
I remember the day everything came to a head all too well…
“Luna? Luna dear, please don’t lock me out. Please let me in.”
I stood outside her chambers, knocking and pleading with her. I sigh softly as the doors remain shut. I once admired and loved the dark blue color, but now it seemed to be black as black can be. It seems a silly thing, for a door to change colors, but I knew it meant something was wrong. It seemed to not only be black in color, but had an aura around it, like it was actively sucking in all the light that dared come close.
I jump as I am teleported, gasping softly as the same darkness emanating from the door enveloped me. It was only when my love’s horn lit did I see I was in her room.
“Luna? Luna, are you alright? I was so worr-“
I stopped short, for it was not my Luna that stood there. She looked like her, but her eyes...I had never seen such hatred, such darkness as in her eyes. I found myself thinking of the phrase, ‘the eyes are the window to the soul’, but there was no soul behind those eyes, not one with any benevolence in it anyways.
She chuckled darkly, “What’s wrong Discord? We have never known thou to be afraid of the dark.”
Cold terror seized my entire body at her voice, it was so wrong, so unlike my sweet Luna. “L-Luna? That...this can’t be you...what happened?”
“What happened? WHAT HAPPENED?! Our sister has shown us that we are not her equal, she thinks that because her subjects prance in her precious light she is better than us...But we shall show her, we shall show all that WE are more powerful!THEY SHALL ALL LEARN TO LOVE THE NIGHT, FOR THERE SHALL BE NO MORE LIGHT!”
She cackled and I watched in horror as she transformed. Sharp fangs grew from her muzzle, her pupils became slitted like a cats, and her fur turned black as she grew taller. Her mane and tail became a terrifying embodiment of the night sky, swirling all around, much like Celestia’s. I was speechless as she grinned toothily at me, her hoof reaching up to trace my chin. I shivered as pure, freezing cold radiated off of it, almost burning me.
“Thou have always been loyal to us Discord, so we shall grant thou one small mercy. Join us, or stay out of our way. Which shall it be?”
“L-Luna...P-please come back to me, please...I, I know you're in there.”
A loud and irritated sigh came from my love, “We are not Luna anymore, we are Nightmare Moon! And if thou wish not to worship us, we shall banish thou!”
I didn’t have a chance to react, as she teleported me to the outskirts of the castle. I was still frozen in fear and confusion, wondering how I could have let my love down so much that she turned into...that.A loud explosion soon brought me out of my thoughts, and I realized the sun was eclipsed by the moon. I watched as Luna, no ‘Nightmare Moon’, and Celestia flew up and out above the castle, firing powerful spells at each other.
Blow after blow was dealt from either side, and I winced as Celestia was sent crashing down into the castle. Soon after, a deafening explosion and burst of light blinded me for a moment, and I collapsed from the magical feedback. When I could see again, I saw a face on the moon where none was before. That is, until the moon was separated from the sun and sank below the horizon.
I slowly got up, my body jerkily responding to my muddled mind’s commands. I stumbled my way towards the castle, finally coming upon Celestia weeping in the throne room. She was surrounded by little jewels, and I realized what had happened. “What...What did you do?!”
She jerked up, and I felt bad at how aggressive my tone was. Only for a moment however, for what Celestia said next had my blood boiling; “What I had to.”
I often surprise myself at my memory of what came next. With how angry I was, I am shocked I didn’t blackout and go on a rampage.
Time stopped for a moment after Celestia uttered those four words. “What you had to...what you had t- WHAT YOU HAD TO?!”
She seemed to become more upset at my tone as I keep talking, “You...you dare cry as if you loved her?! As if what you just did actually hurt you?!”
“Do not speak to me as if I didn’t love her! Luna is my sister and I love her more than anything!”
“Why didn’t you show her! Why did she turn into that thing then huh?! Tell me why Celestia, tell me!”
“I don’t know! I...I don’t know…”
She broke down in tears again, but any pity or sympathy was buried deep inside my heart, only reserved for one pony. I sneer down at her, “7 months.”
“H-Huh?”
“7 months ago was the last time you told your sister you loved her. The last time you stayed up with her and watched the stars with her. The last time your sister felt your love.”
I didn’t wait for her response. I flew out through the hole in the ceiling and kept flying. I didn’t have a particular destination in mind, but I just had to get out of there.