//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: When the Moon was Put on Trial // by Creativa-Artly01 //------------------------------// It's a few days after Luna's return to the kingdom and her throne in Canterlot when the complaints come rolling in. "Dear Celestia," says one letter, "why hasn't Nightmare Moon been punished for her crimes? She should be put on trial." "Nightmare Moon and Luna One in the Same: Exposed" says a paper. "Dear Celestia, Luna should be tried for her crimes as Nightmare Moon." "What am I to do?" sighs Celestia. "I don't want to lose my sister again, I already lost her once. I don't want to put her on trial, turn against her. At the same time, the ponies deserve something to put their minds at ease. What to do? What to do?" Celestia then goes down to the library and into her secret chamber there. There, she sits and starts to think things over, with a few minutes later, tears streaming down her cheeks. A few hours later, Luna enters Celestia's secret chamber. "I heard you crying, what's wrong?" asks Luna sweetly. "The ponies want me to put you on trial, for what you did as Nightmare Moon and it's tearing me in two," cries Celestia. She then shows the letters and the newspapers to her sister. "For once, I don't want to give the ponies what they want. I dread it if I have to." "Well, I don't mind it, if you can convince them I wasn't in my right mind and that it was the nightmare force controlling me, feeding off my anger and my envy. Then maybe they'll stop. Put me on trial, give them what they want," responds Luna. "But I don't want to. I won't," responds Celestia still in tears. "They're not going to pin me as guilty if you convince them it was the nightmare that had taken over me, both soul, mind, and body," responds Luna. "Don't worry. It's going to be fine." She then wipes the tears away from her sister's eyes. "But what if I can't convince them that it was the nightmare that took over you? What if they think it was you and all you?" says Celestia, her voice shaking. "This trial could tear our kingdom apart, the unity of our land in two. I don't want to go through with this. I won't go through with this." She bursts back into tears. "I won't betray you like that. I can't. I can't lose you again. I won't lose you again." "Ti," responds Luna, "it's all going to be okay. The trial isn't going to tear our kingdom in two or destroy our land's unity. I promise." "I hope you're right," sighs Celestia. "I still don't like that we have to go through this. I've already lost you once. I hate that it might happen again." A few minutes later, the two go up to dinner and discuss it with Twilight. "You want to do what?!" exclaims Twilight absolutely losing it. "That's going to tear the kingdom in two and destroy peace and unity altogether!" She then continues to freak out and soon begins to hyperventilate. "This is a bad idea and it will backfire in both your faces." "It may, it may not," responds Luna. "If we can convince them it was all the influence of the nightmare force, they will let me continue to walk free and rule over them. If not, my reign is over and so be it." "Celestia, how are you okay with this? Luna, why are you doing this?" demands Twilight now shouting at the sisters. "Everything should've been fine once we saved you Luna. They should've accepted that it was the nightmare force as soon as we zapped it out of you with the elements. All of this is insane. Why is all this happening now? It doesn't make sense. I hate it! I hate it! You don't deserve to be going through this, Luna." Twilight then breaks down into tears. "Neither of you deserve to be going through this." "I know, but it's our job to make the ponies happy," responds Celestia. "And if it's a trial they want, it's a trial they'll get," adds Luna. "And they do kind of deserve it. After all, I did kind of almost cause eternal night and I would have if I had not been banished to the moon." "Okay," sighs Twilight, "you two just be careful." "We will," respond the royal sisters. The two then walk out. "Hopefully this doesn't backfire in our faces," they say softly to each other as they walk down the hall to their rooms. The two then go into their separate rooms and turn in for the night. Meanwhile, Twilight goes to the library to read to get the trial off of her mind. She hates that the sisters are going along with this. She knows they shouldn't be. It just makes her very uncomfortable. It makes her even more uncomfortable that her and her friends have to stand up for Luna and declare her innocence before all of Equestria. Twilight can't help but be both nervous and scared. How she's going to tell her friends, she does not know yet. Over the following days, everything is getting prepped for the trial. Celestia is set to judge the trial against her sister which rips her heart in two. The Mane Six are set to defend Luna and testify to her sanity and the influence of the nightmare force on her behavior and actions. It's all to be set in the court room of the royal palace in Canterlot. Shining Armor and the royal guard are set to guard the palace during the trial. Everything is coming together perfectly, but at the same time, Celestia hates every single bit of it. She could lose her sister again and she doesn't want that to happen. "Please have her be proven innocent, under the influence of the nightmare, please, please, please," whispers Celestia to herself under her breath where no pony can hear. "I can't lose her again. I can't. I can't. I can't. I just got her back. I won't lose her again. I won't. I won't. I won't. She's the only family I have left. I can't lose her and I won't. I won't bring the gavel down against her. I know she's innocent. I wish every pony knew the same. All of this is nonsense and I just want it to end." Celestia then goes off to find her sister. A few minutes later, she finds her sister sitting alone in her room. "The trial is only a few days away," says Luna to her sister, "and quite honestly, I'm scared. What if they do find me guilty? I don't want to become one of your stupid statues like you did with Discord." "You're not going to be found guilty, I promise," responds Celestia. "We can easily prove it wasn't you. With the Mane Six's help, we can prove it was the nightmare force and not you." "I hope you're right," sighs Luna. "I'm just glad mom and dad aren't here to see the ponies turning on us like this. I really and truly am." "As am I," sighs Celestia. "They'd be so disappointed in the ponies just as I am with them right now." Celestia then begins to hum a lullaby to calm her sister down. After all, the last thing she wants is for her sister to be more stressed than she already is. After all, if Luna's not in the right mind, she won't be found innocent by their subjects.