//------------------------------// // A Cry For Help // Story: Voice in the Night // by Allenator05 //------------------------------// The night was young, the moon was full, the stars were bright, and Luna should have been happy. She was not. Luna sat on her balcony and stared longingly up at the moon. At times, Luna felt that a lonely sphere of rock was the only thing that understood her. Such a thought elicited a snort from the princess. Why should she feel such an attachment to a celestial body that had been her prison for one thousand years? Luna closer her eyes and sighed. She loved her sister, truly she did. She cared for all the little ponies in Equestria. She put on her best smile and made small talk with the nobleponies, if only to inflate their own self-importance. To be honest, Luna cared little for the niceties of court and political games. Perhaps this was a byproduct of her having been banished for so long. The point of all this was Luna knew she was loved. She knew she was appreciated. She knew she was cared for. But all that meant little when The Voice was whispering to her again. After the episode with the Tantabus, The Voice had quieted for some time and Luna thought that maybe the nightmares would stop. But the whispers were growing louder again, especially after the Storm King’s invasion during the Friendship Festival. You said it yourself, we are the same. You can no more part with me than you can cut off your own leg, The Voice whispered. Luna knew it was true and that made the matter more difficult. Just like before, The Voice would whisper to her, slowly growing louder and louder until The Voice drowned out everything and SHE returned. Nightmare Moon. Luna hung her head in shame. Ponies tend to be very open and honest about their feelings. There was always a shoulder to lean on and share the burden. But who could Luna turn to? What pony would be willing to hear her troubles? She was Luna, Princess of the Moon and Co-Ruler of Equestria. To whom did ponies of such importance turn to in time of need? Luna thought of her sister Princess Celestia, a bright and shining example of love and patience to ponies everywhere. Luna knew that Celestia was far from perfect, and she herself even less so. Luna knew Celestia meant well, but how could Luna tell her of her struggles? The time Starlight Glimmer swapped their cutie marks certainly opened their eyes to the unique challenges the other faced, but that was hardly the same as having a constant voice in your head. If not Celestia, then who else could Luna rely upon? She chuckled darkly to herself as nopony came to mind. Cadence and Twilight Sparkle were both princesses, but as their senior, it wouldn’t be right for Luna to go to them for council. There was nopony that Luna could think of that could begin to understand what she was going through. Sunset Shimmer briefly came to mind, but Luna dismissed the thought just as quickly. Sunset might be able to empathize with Luna due to her unique magic skill, but Luna didn’t think it was fair to Sunset to show up suddenly and unload her problems. Perhaps Luna was looking at this the wrong way. Maybe the reason she couldn’t think of anypony to help her was because there WAS no pony that could help. If not a pony, then who? At this, only one name came to mind. Luna’s eyes went wide and she startled at the thought. Was such a thing possible? The person in question had said herself that it was unlikely she would ever return. If she would not come here, then Luna would go to her. She spent the rest of the night thinking about this particular problem. For once, The Voice was silent. Celestia was worried. No, the kingdom wasn’t under attack or some other trouble reared its ugly head. For several days, Celestia watched as her sister Luna became more and more withdrawn. Her coat was losing its luster and her mane started to droop. Tired lines appeared under Luna’s eyes as if she wasn’t getting enough sleep. This had happened before, but never for this long. Luna even stopped telling the dirty jokes she loved to tell that made Celestia blush. Celestia wondered what she should do. Should she talk to Luna about what she was seeing? It pained her greatly seeing Luna struggle, not knowing what, if anything, she could do to help. Should she talk to Luna about what she was seeing? The door opened, bringing Celestia from her thoughts and she watched as Luna slowly dragged herself into the dining hall for breakfast, another night complete. Luna sat at the table and didn’t move. “Luna? What’s bothering you?” Celestia tentatively asked. Luna sighed. “I haven’t been sleeping well,” she said. Celestia was unconvinced. Her horn took on a soft yellow glow as a pastry lifted off the platter in the center of the table and found its way to Luna’s plate. “I don’t mean to pry, but I don’t think you problem stems from a lack of sleep,” Celestia said. Luna frowned and looked up to her sister. “Who says I have a problem?” she asked testily. “I’m sorry,” Celestia quickly apologized. “I did not mean to imply that you had a problem, only that something is clearly upsetting you. Do you trust me so little that you cannot share your burden with me?” Luna slowly shook her head. “No sister. It is because I trust you and love you dearly that I feel that I cannot share this with you.” “And why not?” Celestia asked and moved to Luna’s side. She draped her wing over Luna’s side and pulled her close. When Luna didn’t reply, Celestia gently nuzzled her ears. “Do you remember the days when we were young and would run and laugh together?” she asked. “Those days are long past,” Luna replied. “But they don’t need to be,” Celestia said. “It has been too long since we took a vacation, just the two of us. I think that we are long overdue.” Luna gently shook herself out of Celestia’s embrace and walked to the window. The sun was barely over the mountains and started to shine down on the sleeping ponies below. Soon, they would wake and go about their day. You see? Even now they ignore you, and why shouldn’t they? You were completely useless and made a fool of by the Storm King. If it were us, such a thing would never have happened “Be still,” Luna hissed. Nightmare Moon laughed in reply. “Who are you talking to?” Celestia asked. “No one,” Luna replied. See? Even your own sister doubts you. What would she say if she knew you were talking to voices in your head? Luna quickly turned to face Celestia. “Dear sister, I am glad you mentioned taking a vacation,” she said. Celestia’s face brightened, but before she could speak, Luna continued. “I have been thinking that I would like to take a journey.” “Oh.” Celestia’s face fell. “And where would you go?” Luna looked back to the window. She felt terrible for lying to Celestia. “I think I would like to just wander for a while. As you have said, it has been a long time since either of us have left the castle for an extended period of time.” Celestia rose from her seat and stood next to Luna. “Is this because of what happened at the Friendship Festival?” she asked. “Neither of us were particularly helpful and we had to depend on Twilight Sparkle and the Elements. Again.” “And that is the problem sister,” Luna said. “For too long, we have relied on Twilight Sparkle and her friends to save us from one crisis after another. And what does that make us? We are alicorns, Rulers of Equestria, and Princesses of the Sun and Moon. And yet, for all our supposed strength, we end up needing to be rescued time and time again. This should not be!” Luna stomped her hoof on the tile floor to emphasize her point. “So that’s what’s bothering you?” Celestia asked. “That we need to rely on others to solve our problems?” “Partially,” Luna said. “We used to be fearsome and powerful warriors that made our enemies tremble. We unified Equestria, conquered our enemies, and brought peace to our ponies. Now, the daily toil of castle life has made us fat and lazy.” At this, Celestia frowned. “What exactly do you mean by that?” she asked. Luna let out a snort and rolled her eyes. “I am the Night Princess. You think I don’t see you sneaking about the castle to enjoy a midnight cake or two?” Celestia blushed and cleared her throat. “What I do and don’t do on my own time is precisely none of your business,” she said. Luna shook her head and sighed. “And this is precisely why we always need rescuing. We can’t defend ourselves anymore.” “And you think that taking time off will fix that?” Celestia asked. “I don’t know what I think anymore,” Luna admitted. She turned back to face her sister. “Please. I only ask for a few days, a week at the most.” Celestia took a moment to consider Luna’s words. “And who will raise and lower the moon while you are gone?” she asked. A sly grin appeared on Luna’s face. “You raised the moon for a thousand years while I was gone. Surely another week or so will be no trouble.” Celestia frowned and then broke into a big smile. “Of course, sister. If you think it will help you feel better, I will do whatever it takes.” Whatever it takes? An interesting thought Doubt flickered briefly in Luna’s eyes as she leaned in to embrace her sister. That night, when he castle was sleeping, Luna used one of her unique abilities to turn into mist and left the castle. Her destination was a sleepy little town to the south on the edge of Everfree Forest. Luna materialized in Twilight Sparkle’s library and stood before the mirror portal. In its current configuration, the mirror led to the human Equestira with the link to Sunset Shimmer’s journal acting as the catalyst. In theory, the mirror could open to anywhere, as long as one had the correct spell. Luna faced the mirror and her horn began to glow as she cast a complicated tracking spell. It had taken her many nights of research and study. Even now, there was no guarantee of success. As she worked her magic, Luna’s heart swelled with hope. If this didn’t work, she didn’t know what she would do. Running away little princess? Luna ignored her and concentrated on the mirror. Poor little Luna, so sad and alone. I am the only one who truly cares for you. Only I have your best interest at heart “You have no heart,” Luna replied angrily. “Be still! I need to concentrate.” Nightmare Moon’s mocking laughter faded away and Luna sighed. Nightmare Moon was growing bolder and more forceful. Luna hoped this wasn’t a sign of things to come. The spell was finally complete and the mirror was enveloped in a dark blue outline. The contraption Twilight had rigged up to the mirror began to sputter and spark, and the whole thing started to rattle and make noise. A seed of panic started to grow in Luna’s heart. Was Twilight home? Would the noise wake her or Spike? The mirror suddenly flashed as the portal opened and without a second thought, Luna quickly stepped through. As soon as she was gone, the machine stopped and became still. The only indication that anything had happened was a thin curl of smoke that drifted lazily through the air.