//------------------------------// // We Are Eternal // Story: I Am Broken // by tarkus9 //------------------------------// I Am Broken “Am I going to die?” Our question was a simple one, she could have answered yes or no, but in our dying moonlight words seemed to fail her. The last few hours escaped our memory, all we could think of was that moment; that one moment when everything seemed to fall apart. We can’t remember why we did it, our myriad of emotions and thoughts simply clouded our judgement. In the smoking wreckage that was once the observatory, we just stood there with her, waiting for the end. No. That isn't right. Did we stand there with her, or did we just fall? But, we can’t fall up, can we? It really was an odd sensation, soaring through the air like that. It stung even though we felt no pain. The night sky hissed and groaned at our passing, but where were we going? We never took flight, at least not that we could recall. Just like we couldn't recall the past few hours. Everything was a thick haze, a deep veil of something we could only define as malice. That isn't true, no we could see things, we could remember them. We could see everything. We saw her, and we saw us. We saw that dreadful sphere of flame for the last time! It was satisfying, it really was. Seeing the golden corona dip below the horizon only to be replaced by our gift to the world. It was beautiful, but as always our beauty was shunned and they resisted. She resisted. Why? What did she do? Our mind reeled in conflict. We tried to focus, to see what was happening. We looked back and saw her in the tower. She stood in the ruins, her coat smeared with crimson and her illustrious mane faded. She seemed distraught, she seemed lost. She did her duty but she clearly had trouble accepting it. The stones that aided her were cast aside having already completed their purpose. The stones, how did she use them? We weren't there to help her, how did they work? What exactly were they doing? She screamed, she screamed her name. No, she screamed our name. A broken wail, powerful enough to shatter the sky, but so fragile and lost. The city trembled, the nation trembled. Her cries shook the earth, and all knew despair... but only for her. They’re sad for her, they fear her! We loved them, and they never cared! Our light gave them peace and comfort, so what do they do? They take us for granted and cast us aside without a second thought! Yet whenever she feels despair, they all care. What did she do? She’s been holding them in a dictatorship for the past three centuries! Why do they hate us and not her? The sun was rising, it should have been put out! ‘But she never tried to remove ours... why should we defile hers?’ ‘She didn't need to, she had everything already!’ ‘But she loved us, didn't she?’ ‘We’re sorry dear girl, she was alone in her love.’ The cries stopped. We could barely see her body being wracked with sobs. With every moan, the clouds heaved and bellowed. Even the earth and sky felt for her, but what did we have? The smallest rock in orbit. Our moon was always silent, it was very shy and timid. It was so unlike that bloated provocative ball that accompanied it. The moon cared, it provided a veil of protection and soothed everything beneath it. Should a day be too hot, the sun would scorch the land and cause pain to all beneath it. Did they all enjoy pain that much? She certainly gave us enough. The memories came back more frequently now. All we saw was her. She was beaten, she was broken, she was cast aside and ignored. ‘She still loved us.’ ‘And yet only her.’ Her face was struck over and over, her body hurled back with magic, it was difficult for her to fight back. But fight what? ‘Us.’ ‘Don’t we see? We’re what they all deserve!’ ‘But they don’t want us...’ ‘They don’t want m-’ ‘Never say that, child!’ The malice... that’s what it was. It took over and we let it, we wanted it. We took to her chambers in the dead of night and tried to murder her then and there. She heard us and she resisted, the struggle went on for quite a time before she flew away from the palace. We hunted her for hours, and the citizens cowered before us. ‘But they need not fear us.’ ‘They fear everything, they are weak.’ Higher we climbed in the sky, below us Equestria sank beneath the clouds. With each mile we could hear less, but with each yard we remembered more. Fleeting images of pain and betrayal on both sides. There was a moment where she lay wounded on the marble floors of Canterlot. For but a mere second we were overcome with the urge to help her, so we did. Once again, our love was cast aside. ‘And by her!’ ‘The sun is unforgiving.’ She took our hoof and with all her primal might she forced us back. Our moment of weakness gave her precious time. The stones, they sided with her! Harmony worked against us, harmony was corrupted! ‘But what did they do?’ ‘Child, we will be resting for a long time.’ Finally, we breached the sky. Through the ethereal wall crafted by the very essence of our betrayer, we were kept safe. No sound reached our ears, but while we did not hear, we saw so much. Our shunned ally swam amid an ocean of stars held aloft by a black void. Far away were the jewels of the night sky, bright clouds and pillars of gas stretched out for billions of miles. We watched as a star flickered and died only to be replaced by a new one not far off. It was beautiful, it was ours. ‘We have so much more, we move so much more, why do they love her and not us?’ ‘They are young, they are simple.’ Our moon drew closer. The brilliant white ball of rock that lorded over our nation’s night was coming to accept us. It was like the moon to feel, but the sun just rose to mock us! It’s glare was blinding and forced us to look away in shame. ‘We don’t know what to do.’ ‘We don’t know why they hate us.’ ‘Luna you have to calm down.’ ‘We can’t calm down! We've been cast aside again.’ ‘Luna, you have to.’ ‘We aren't Luna!’ ‘We are one in the same.’ Closer our friend came. Closer and closer, the halo of white looked so cold but so accepting. ‘Why do they hate us?’ ‘Why do they hate who?’ The voice brought up an excellent question, and for the moment our friend was forgotten. We began to slow our approach in order to buy time to think. It was hard, it was painful, but we needed it. ‘Us... that’s who.’ ‘Who is us?’ ‘Yes... we mean, no.’ ‘Us is who?’ ‘No, this who... is you.’ ‘We are you, and you are us.’ ‘Yes, you understand. Now ask the question again.’ We hesitated, we were unsure. We waited for what felt like hours in the icy void. The question was a hard one to understand, we could never really know the answer. Even so, it needed to be asked... properly. ‘Why do they hate me?’ Pain wracked our body, pain wracked my body. I began to move again. I fell upwards, but I still went down. My mind screamed, its calls were lost to the void. In our pain came realization and fulfillment. We were whole, I was whole. One final revelation remained as I connected with the object of my undying love. “I am Luna, and I am broken.” ‘We are the Nightmare, and we are eternal.’