//------------------------------// // Lunar // Story: Pony Horror Anthology Vol. II // by LoreLove //------------------------------// Yawning and never feeling quite rested, Luna stretched and awoke as best she could from her slumber. Her wings splayed out to help with all that lax muscle from her sleep, doing what she could to make sure her dark blue form could at least move without being too sluggish. She didn’t even have to have her sister wake her for once. The thought drew a sleepy eye open as she scanned her room. Things looked to be in just the right places as usual. Celestia wasn’t looming over her while awaiting for the moon to begin its rise either. All in all, a solid start for the afternoon. The Princess of the Moon yawned again and clenched her eyes tight as her hooves moved out before her and that back arched. Somehow, it always felt so nice to just give into the stretches upon waking. Luxuries aside, the duties of a princess were to come soon enough and her body rolled over until she practically tumbled out of her bed. A wing helped glide her to plant all four hooves onto the floor before she walked over to her mirror and waited until the sleep spell wore off. If Celestia knew that her sister had used a sleep spell even once she might never hear the end of it. It was just a rough late night or early morning was all. A simple thing to help her rest easier wouldn’t hurt so long as she didn’t abuse it. She never quite understood the overprotective nature of her older sister but she did love her dearly. “Luna? Are you up?” came the familiar voice of the white alicorn from the other side of her doorway. “Mhm,” Luna replied in a mumble, clearly not ready for the rest of the day and the night to come. “Okay,” the eldest answered before adding, “I’ll leave you be~” That was new. Usually she had to have an earful before getting ready. Maybe she just slept in a bit too much. Well, ‘maybe’ was an understatement. She was the pony of dreams and the night. She had to make sure nightmare and the like were kept at bay. Not that she thought her sister’s duties were any less work but sometimes she did wonder. The sound of Celestia’s hooves walking away had Luna feeling a little more relaxed. For once, she actually felt a tad more refreshed and at ease for the start of her waking hours. Instead of being stressed or burdened with the reminder of duties she was now left to take them at her own pace. It had happened before though rarely. Bit by bit, the blue alicorn got herself ready. Regalia, crown and all were donned as she rubbed her cheeks with her hooves. The light bags under her eyes would fade as the went on. Her mind was far more clear than before and she seemed to feel rather good about it all. Celestia had been caring with her and only looking out for her best interest. Even if it annoyed her once in a while she did thank her for it. It was just that she did enjoy sleeping as much as all the other ponies she looked after. Those cerulean eyes looked over every last part of her within the mirror before she finally nodded. With her midnight mane flowing behind her, Luna headed out and in search of her older sibling. A simple greeting, some nice chat, maybe a good bit to eat and then the evening would be hers soon enough. The whole list of things were hardly much but she looked forward to them nonetheless. Her hooves sounded out along the castle as she made her way to the dining hall. Opening the doors, she was greeted with the standard buffet of fruits and even some pancakes to freely partake in. Sometimes she wondered if her sister went just a little overboard with it. “Greetings, Luna!” Celestia called out from one end of the table. Her plate was only partially full but the crumbs were evidence of what happened to the rest. “Dearest sister,” Luna nodded and smiled, making her way over to her sibling. The two embraced in a warm hug before backing away and returning to their daily routine. Luna magically grabbed a few pieces of fruit then hesitated at the large stack of pancakes. One or two wouldn’t hurt. Quickly, they went onto the plate. As she hovered her late breakfast over to a chair, the princess gave a grunt and plopped herself into the seat. Her magic did most of the work of peeling fruit and cutting the pancakes while she merely opened her muzzle to accept the food. She couldn’t help but feel eyes on her and the growing intensity of them got her a little unsettled. “Yesh?” Luna asked, mouth full of her waking food. “Luna, please,” Celestia said though she was having trouble hiding a smile. “Not with your mouth full.” A quick gulp with a small sip of orange juice that was poured for her and Luna looked to the ceiling. She didn’t like being stared at. Despite being a pony to watch over others she had an odd distaste for having others watch her. “What is it, sister?” the moon princess asked before lightly turning to face the white alicorn. “Oh, just that I couldn’t help but notice the bags under your eyes. Have you been sleeping well?” Celestia asked, sipping her own glass of juice. “It’s nothing. They’ll go away shortly,” Luna brushed off and nibbled on an apple. “Why?” “Well, I’ve noticed you’ve had trouble waking up at times and wanted to make sure things were okay,” the sun princess mentioned and let her violet eyes lock to her sister’s. “If you’re having trouble sleeping you can let me know.” “It’s fine. I just enjoy the rest,” came the reply. Luna wanted to be annoyed but she couldn’t. Deep down she knew that her sister was just watching out for her. If her rest became troubled she at least knew who she could turn to. It just didn’t seem like anything serious in the first place. Some ponies had trouble sleeping and she was no different. “Okay then. I know the nights can be hard on you. If you ever need a break for a bit let me know,” Celestia said calmly and smiled. Those words did ease the pony of the night’s heart plenty. She never once thought of basically asking for a night off from her duties. While she wasn’t planning on using such an offer instantly it did at least linger in her mind through the rest of her meal. ••••• The sun had been lowering as per Celestia’s will and the day had begun setting into evening steadily. It felt sooner than usual to Luna though she only seemed to attribute it to waking well. Perhaps her more upbeat mood in some manner had let time pass quicker than it appeared. Luna let out a light breath as she raised the moon carefully. It had to be a certain amount every hour and so on. Her hooves carried her out onto a balcony where she watched the evening fade into a twilight. The orange hues mixing and altering into a purple haze that seemed calming. It really was a lovely sight. With the gentle breeze and the sound of ponies moving about below, the whole scene was almost serene. Almost. Soon, Luna would have to enter the dreams of those ponies and be certain they were free of any nightmares. The thought did sour the mood some. She had let her fears and insecurities take her before. The nightmares that manifested themselves into a form that was all the more terrifying as the rational part of her mind took a backseat to it all. Never did she wish to experience such a thing again. If she could keep from other ponies having such a scary outcome as well then she was willing to do her duty to protect them. Her stomach turned lightly as her brow furrowed. It was only for a moment but it certainly left her confused. Where had that come from? The Princess of the Moon looked around before her eyes moved up to the twinkling stars just beginning to peek out from the sky. A quick study showed nothing out of the ordinary though something was bothering her lightly. A feeling she didn’t enjoy too well. “Luna!” came the voice almost directly behind her. The blue alicorn nearly screamed, leaning against the railing of the balcony. Her forelegs clung neatly to the stone before she eased off and took a deep breath before turning around. “Sister,” Luna greeted in an annoyed tone. “Jumpy?” Celestia asked softly before looking over her younger sibling carefully. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you that bad.” “But a scare was indeed the intent?” asked the night horse. Her starry mane flowed in a calm rhythm despite her less than amused look. “I apologize,” the white alicorn said though the mused expression didn’t leave her face. Her eyes moved past her sister. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” “Very,” Luna agreed, looking away and towards the sky once more. She was happy to change the topic off herself. “You know,” Celestia said quietly, walking closer to the railing and her sister, “I never liked raising the moon myself.” There was a bit of silence. Whether there was something meaningful to say after, Luna knew not. An ear twitched before her head turned to face her sister once more. “I could see it being daunting. Raising both the sun and moon surely was-” the blue alicorn began but stopped when she saw the light shake of her sister’s head. “No. Not in combination. I just…,” Celestia tried to explain before frowning some. “I don’t know. It just didn’t feel right to me. Something else.” Luna stayed quiet for a bit longer in thought. The random tumble in her stomach might have been due to her raising the moon. It was somewhat explainable, was it not? Her sister seemed to not enjoy doing so in her absence so maybe it just had a strange side effect of doing so. “Worry not, dear sister!” Luna proudly proclaimed and stood in a more proper stance. “Luna of Canterlot shall take care of the moon for you!” The two laughed softly after at the light tease before they stood a bit longer. Considering how she never felt such a thing when moving the moon until recently, it begged the question if she had just got used to it before or ignored it. Still, there was something else lingering away at her that should couldn’t quite place but it didn’t matter. Luna leaned against her slightly taller sister and watched the sky for a while longer with her. They exchanged no other words. No playful banter or other nonsense. Instead they just let the sounds of Equestria speak for them. The only thing that even seemed out of place was how Luna’s attention kept being drawn up to the night sky. ••••• Hopping from dream to dream was little more than a mundane task to some degree. Luna had found herself watching several of them as a form of entertainment to pass the time. Nightmares were swapped and ponies slept peacefully. As routine as it got. The jump back to reality had Luna closing her eyes and just savoring the quiet for herself. It was peaceful at night and the silence was something she adored. After so many dreams of loud noises or ponies yelling it was something she cherished to come back to. If only she hadn’t felt the odd sensation of something still lingering from earlier. Those cerulean eyes opened as she found her sight drifting up her wall and to the ceiling of her room. The feeling was as if she were being watched. How or why she couldn’t say. She only knew of what it was. A glance around her chamber turned up only herself within it. Not a soul seemed to be lurking around the area. It wasn’t normal for her to feel it so often and she knew that it was further from that to experience it while alone. The pony frowned and got up, making a decision to take a walk around the castle or outside. Those hooves and their silver regal wear made the distinct echoes throughout the castle. Her walk only seemed to make her feel like something was even more wrong than before. Each step had the sound rebound off walls and ceilings to only confirm over and over that she was alone. Then why the strange sensation? What reason was there to have such a feeling? She didn’t want to admit it before but the troubled sleep had been due to rough bouts of unrest and a strange feeling that sneaked into her mind and soul. Maybe the sense of being watched was there before she knew what it might be. Her head shook as she continued on her way and let that starry mane and tail trail behind in an elegant manner. It was just silly to be thinking of such things when it had to be something more grounded. Nopony actually had such feelings that kept them up at nights. Just stress or excitement that kept them from a proper sleep. Walking through the throne room and down a hall, Luna kept to her thoughts. Her silent thinking continued to toss one way then the other. Reasoning would attempt to persuade her how things were normal but some deep part of her mind kept trying to unnerve her. If she kept it up then she might be in for a headache before bed and that was something she didn’t like the idea of at all. The front doors of the castle magically opened as she let the cool air wash over her and cleanse her thoughts for a short period. It was refreshing though colder than usual. The Running of the Leaves should be taking place sometime in the coming weeks. Winter would be there soon after. Stepping out and into the open air further, Luna felt herself shiver. It wasn’t from the temperature at all. Her eyes were once again attempting to move up but her head ducked down as she forced herself to stare at the ground. Was she having an issue with her duty as a princess? Did she need a break? As much as it did sound nice it wasn’t something she wished to burden on her sister. After learning that Celestia rather detested raising the moon in her own manner, Luna couldn’t put that weight on her again. For some strange reason, being out in the open and without cover almost put her on edge. The sense of eyes on her only seemed to grow stronger. All the ponies in Canterlot were asleep so none should be looking out their windows at a slightly distressed princess. Something was wrong but she wasn’t sure if it was her or something more. Her head slowly rose as did her eyes and she eventually let her gaze take in the dark sky speckled in tiny dots of light. The glowing moon stood overhead almost in an accusing nature which made her feel a bit wary in general. Why did she feel the need to check above her so often? The moon stayed hanging above as Luna looked it over. She had been banished there before. For years she was kept locked away and had no voice to speak out. Not once did she blame her sister though. Yet, something was different about the moon she stared at so intently while it did the same in return. Was it even the same moon she had been banished to? Her eyes narrowed as she looked it over as best she could while standing in the cool night air. The orb looked the same but was it truly? Was there something else? That feeling crept up her back and made her blue coat stand on end. It was worse than before. Luna cowered lightly before backing up and turning to run back into the castle. Her magic yanked the doors closed though the slam was unneeded. She must be overreacting. There was clearly no need to act in such a manner over a weird feeling. Her coat still seemed to be raised along her back from the chill she got but was settling slowly. Walking by a window had her grimace before he magically pulled the drapes closed. A sleep spell was sounding rather nice about now. Silly as it may be it still left her feeling uneasy for some reason. Whatever reasoning for it that her sister or her pupil might come up with, Luna knew she at least didn’t like it. For the new few hours, Luna sat in her room moving the moon as needed and only peeking out once in a while. She was ready for her rest to forget about the giant sphere and all those strange feelings. Each time she checked the moon had stayed right where she left it. Her mind kept trying to reason with her the entire time. “As if it could move so freely,” she muttered aloud and ducked away from the window. ••••• “Wakey wakey~” Celestia cooed softly, nudging Luna’s slumbering body with a hoof. Only grumbles were uttered as the blue horse turned and pulled the covers over her head. She felt drained for some reason. The rest that she managed to get hardly felt like enough to any extreme. “Oh, don’t start now,” the white alicorn teased lightly and lightly pulled the covers away. “You’ll need your breakfast for the day.” It was a little past noon but Celestia always manage to make sure it was breakfast for her little sister when she woke. Luna was thankful each time but it just seemed that she wasn’t feeling up for waking currently. The night had made her worry and stress over basically nothing yet everything. “I don’t want to,” Luna finally groaned and opened her eyes. “You ha… Luna?” her eldest asked, looking worried. “Are you sleeping well? You don’t look too good.” “Thanks,” the tired princess replied though she knew it. “But no.” “Why not?” Celestia asked. Her form stood patiently at her sister’s bedside while she waited for an answer. “I don’t know. Last night was… different,” Luna tried to explain but she knew it wouldn’t make sense. “Different in what way? Were there troubles?” her sister asked. Always caring, Celestia looked out for her little sister. “It was just different. Wasn’t feeling right,” was the best Luna could say without sounding oddly paranoid over nothing. Both of them stayed quiet for a moment, mostly out of contemplation of the next step or simply unsure how to move the conversation along. With how things had felt the night before, Luna wasn’t sure if it was merely a fluke or something deeper. It troubled her to wake up having to dredge the memories up right away. “Don’t worry,” Celestia said quietly and smiled. “I’ll take care of the mo-” “No!” Luna nearly shouted. It scared them both equally before she tucked her ears to her head. “I mean, you don’t have to. I can do it.” She couldn’t let her sister doing both again. Not if she could help it. No matter how unsettling she felt doing it, Luna would be sure to keep her sister from having to do everything and more. She just wanted to help where she could. “Alright then,” was the reply before Celestia leaned in to nuzzle at her sister’s brow. “Just take it easier if you have to.” “I will,” the alicorn muttered lightly in bed, though the soft nuzzles seemed to help ease her. “I’ll go get breakfast in a moment.” Celestia smile and nodded before she turned and tried to quietly leave the room. Whether it was to let her sister get a little more peace before waking herself or just to be polite Luna didn’t know. The thoughts of the night still seemed to swirl around in her head as she laid in bed and sighed. Whatever had happened must have just been her nerves getting worked up. Over what? Nothing, plain and simple. It wasn’t anything to fret over and she was obviously capable of handling things herself. A sleep spell once in a while wasn’t going to hurt anypony. Begrudgingly, Luna knew she had to get up either way. Her magic threw her covers off as she stayed laying down before slowly sitting up. The sun shining through her window showed that her sleeping in had been for a tad longer than usual. Celestia probably let her rest a bit more. The routine went the same as it always did. At least for the most part. It was when she turned and saw her cutie mark in the reflection of the mirror that she halted. The moon would be waiting for her tonight again. Luna felt her chest tighten for a moment until she looked away. What was stressing her out so much? There had to be something else going on other than her own insecurities. A pony didn’t just feel so uneasy for no reason. Not any she knew of anyway. The heavy bags under her eyes looked worse than before. While they might go away by nightfall it still worried her that Celestia might suspect the use of a spell for them appearing more. The problem was that she felt as if she needed to use it just to get to sleep. Night would be soon enough. Luna wasn’t looking forward to it but also didn’t plan on leaving it for her sister to do. She just hoped that there wouldn’t be any uncomfortable talk at the table. ••••• It was a slight struggle to raise the moon for the evening. Luna had been frightful of the effects from last time and the uneasy feelings. Though it didn’t explain her inability to bring the moon barely on time. She could almost feel as if it were fighting her. At least she had it raised and the night was underway. The important part was done and all that was left was to check on any ponies in need during their dreams. Lucky for her, depending on how she looked at it, there were no cries of nightmares currently sneaking their way into the innocent minds of ponies. A small plunge into the dreamscape offered little more to do than watch the ponies enact various scenes. Ponies finding love, fending off evil themselves and even just relaxing in a snowy cabin were the only real highlights. Luna’s duty was to just tend to the floating sphere in the sky and wait until morning now. The alicorn stayed cooped up in her room for a while. As she had feared, when moving the moon there was a distinct pit in her stomach that grew. It only happened upon the start of twilight into the night. Afterwards, there was another sensation that haunted her. Her eyes looked to the window of her room before she felt herself scoot away lightly. Why was it that she had suddenly begun to fear the very thing that she was in charge of? She had been banished to it for years as well. It should bother her no more than any other object. The princess shifted a bit as she tried to get comfortable on her floor but to no avail. It wouldn’t go away with her just sitting there. The feeling dug into her more than the night before and somehow felt a bit more intense. With the days almost flying by and the nights starting to feel as if they overstayed their welcome, Luna wondered if maybe her unknown fear caused the idea of nights lasting longer. The focus on negativity could explain why it seemed to appear as though the dark skies lasted beyond their intended nature. It just didn’t answer why the moon seemed to scare her and drive her to being nearly sleep deprived. A few more checks on the position of the orb in the sky and she was quickly moving away from the window again and again. Just being within sight of it upset her some. The alicorn knew it was a silly thing to start being afraid of but that didn’t stop how she felt. Her eyes were only the victim of her curiosity. More often than not, Luna found herself with her entire head turned to face the window as if expecting a visitor. There were no ponies awake in the late hours to greet her, much less ones that would be climbing into her window of all places to do so. Her mind wanted to understand what was going on even if she said she didn’t. It was a subconscious thing to do. With all her knowledge and experience over the years of being a princess it was something that she knew nothing about. The moon itself was nothing too fascinating after spending so long with it. It was just that there existed a new curiosity. One of the unknown that was almost calling to her. The wind blew in a cold breeze that made the pony shiver. Her magic pulled up the covers from her bed and draped them around her. It wasn’t like her to get cold so easily. It also wasn’t like her to be fearing an object in the sky that had been there longer than she had. It was a strange thing to experience but she had little else to do. No tales had been spun of a moon that did whatever it was that Luna was feeling. Many ponies would probably think she was just loony. Loony Luna. A grimace appeared on her muzzle. While she could possibly explain it to her sister it was the fact she knew none would believe her entirely. She would be met with various offers of support to either get more rest or maybe that it was only in her head. Maybe it was. The whole thing had started up seemingly out of nowhere. Perhaps she just thought it up over the stress of other things. “No,” Luna said quietly, almost at a whisper. If it was in her head then she would have felt it long ago. Something else was at play and she had no idea what it could possibly be. Her eyes shifted to the window and back to her floor, trying to keep from looking up or out at the hanging terror. She could be strong. If it came without warning then it would leave just the same. A small stomach ache does the same thing. Why shouldn’t things be fine in a day or two? Luna let her eyes relax and allowed them to take in the view of her open window. The dark sky seemed a little different but she pushed the thought to the back of her mind. She could beat it. There would be no way to lose to it. ••••• It had been merely a week and she could hardly take it anymore. The days were basically nonexistent to her and the nights dragged on forever. Each night had made her feel worse by a mile. The bags under her eyes stayed and were hardly from use of the sleep spell. Her mane flowed much more slowly than usual and she could have sworn that some stars within were missing. Every night had changed from a routine duty to an agonizing tread into terror. She seldom spoke to her sister the last couple of days, wanting to not sound insane. The sleep spell didn’t work any longer. It would be a miracle if she could rest for an hour without waking. Celestia could tell things were wrong and had asked several times. Her kind nature was the radiant hope that Luna held onto for support despite keeping things to herself. Social contact with another pony helped the midnight alicorn forget her fears and the deep dread of what was to come over and over. Every night only made that turning in her stomach wretch and tumble more. She had even begun to have more trouble in raising the moon than usual. The night before had her almost think it wasn’t about to rise. One thing that also bothered her was how it had been a full moon for over a week with no change. Luna sat in her room once again as she awaited the sun to lower once more. Her heart was heavy with the stress of the nights. It appeared she was slightly lucky for one night though. The overcast from the weather covered most of the sky and seemed rather hard to find even the sun through it. At least she could have the blanket of the clouds to ease her some. When asked how long it would last, the pegasi had been rather clueless as to how it even occurred. It seemed to just spawn out of the blue. The rain on a cold night would mean ponies would be in a very deep sleep at least. Hardly any tending to their dreams would be required. It wasn’t much but she would take it for every ounce it offered. For once it appeared things were going to clear up for her. She looked downright terrible and she knew it but at least her mind and heart could mend. It felt as if her soul itself was in need of a very relaxing night. The light from the sun turned the sky darker as the minutes passed and Luna waited just long enough before starting her ritual. With no stars to aid guidance by, it would be a slow process. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, concentrating as much as she could. “Please,” she said, using her magic to attempt and move the moon once again. It seemed as if it was all okay but the sudden snag and the feeling of something blocking her magic halted all progress. Luna felt her heart beating faster from the stress of what she was hoping wouldn’t happen. The moon refused to come out. Her power almost felt worthless in the frantic work to get it in place. With her stomach dropping and her mind reeling from the struggle, Luna pleaded silently as she continued. It felt useless to try. Her eyes opened as she cautiously moved to the window while she looked up into the dark clouds. She couldn’t feel its presence at all or even the sense of feeling watched. While she did want to jump for joy at having the latter sensation gone it didn’t please her that the moon was currently absent. A few searches with her magic found it somewhat in a strange area. It wasn’t even near them. When she tried to bring it closer, the moon would only stutter in place in response. Her magic could only do so much despite her best efforts. Luna tried to calm herself and breathe slowly while she thought of what to do. Her sister would be quite upset at the sudden disappearance of their moon. What else could she do? Just as if on cue, the clouds ushered in a faint glow through them. It was impossible to see through them but the familiar glow of moonlight danced along the brewing storm above. Luna thought the light was brighter than usual but didn’t wish to worry herself any further than she was. A distant roll of thunder drew her attention away for a moment while she glanced out along the horizon. It was dark. Darker than she expected it to be for just a thunderstorm at night. At least the moon was out but that sense of dread only grew stronger with her. Even though she couldn’t physically see the looming sphere she could feel that disturbing fear. The terror of something that haunted her for days and nights seemed far more foreboding than any other time. Everything in her felt as if were going to break. Her sanity almost seemed to be hair thin. It took a moment before she backed away from the window, panting and pressing a hoof to her chest. She was shaking. There really was something wrong. If she got herself checked out and they said it was only her then so be it. It was just that she knew there was something else wrong. With the stars blotted out from the sky and the storm rolling in, Luna was left with the darkness of the land and the dull light of the terrorizing moon. She might struggle and she might be scared but the Princess of the Night would see through it just to try and enjoy another day. While that light attempted to pierce the thick clouds on high, the alicorn hid in her room as she usually did as of late. The worry and stress of things weighed heavy on her poor soul. Every minute was spent in a state of panic when she tried to move the moon further. She thought she could feel it moving but it didn’t look to be from the light. It had to be her state of mind playing tricks on her. Long hours of the night and the heavy rain wore down the weary princess quickly. Her diminished sleep returned easily to claim her as she did her best to position the moon to be ready for morning. Finally, she could rest. ••••• “Luna!” Celestia’s voice barked in the cold silence. The blue alicorn jumped awake as she scrambled to grab onto something with her forelegs. The dream she had left her far from being well-rested. Something was after her but she couldn’t get away from it. That and the feeling of some entity haunting her. It all ended only when she heard her sister’s voice. “Luna, please! We have to move to moon!” the Princess of the Sun mentioned with a worried look. “You forgot to do so last night.” “I…,” Luna began before looking away in confusion. “I did move it…” Celestia gave a confused look before glancing to the window. It was still plenty dark but the rain had subsided. The glow of the moon stayed heavy with the thinning clouds. Even the sun’s rays weren’t out for some reason. “I promise, I did,” the younger sibling said with her brow peaking in the center. “I don’t know what… It…” The loss of words and her more than tired expression looked to be the best Celestia was about to get. While Luna tried to change directions of the moon above it seemed unyielding. When her sister tried and the same problem presented itself they both merely sat in silence for a while. “Come outside with me when you can, Luna,” Celestia said while turning away. There was something in her voice that didn’t sit right with the youngest of the two. The sound of that motherly voice wavering, as if on the verge of breaking. It didn’t take long for the stress pony to begin getting ready. While she didn’t want to head out of the castle still feeling the uncomfortable sensations, there was a matter she needed to deal with. Her eyes looked more than tired as she stared into the mirror. She was in dire need of a good sleep for what felt like days. Her weak body shuffled out of her room and through the various halls as fast as it could take her. There was a wrongness about things that she could sense. With such darkness staying around it made it hard for her focus. She couldn’t shake the feelings she had from over a week. The front doors to the castle were already open with guards posted but paying no mind to royalty. Their heads were pitched up as they stared curiously above. Luna rushed past them as they barely managed a salute while looking confused. Outside stood quite the crowd of ponies. At first, Luna expected them to be yelling and upset with her inability to remove the night sky. It was just that none of them were speaking. All of them stared up at the sky while clouds were drifting apart. “Sister!” Luna called, spotting her tall sibling among the crowd and looking rather worried. “I’m here! I’m he-” The blue alicorn quickly slowed her steps as her body suddenly felt as if it were being watched much more closely. Her eyes scanned all the ponies within moonlight but none were even turned to her. All their attention was focused above. Luna stopped entirely in her tracks as she tried to breathe normally. Her anxious nature was being worked up so much and she couldn’t control it. The immense dread that rained down on her was overbearing. She didn’t want to look. She knew she shouldn’t look. It didn’t take her long before she craned her neck to stare up into the sky. The clouds had mostly cleared and left little to hinder any clear look. At first she couldn’t believe it. There was no explainable nature to it. The alicorn’s mind could hardly wrap around what she was seeing. Four moons stood motionless in the dark sky. All within sight but looking so very off. Something clearly wasn’t right and it only strove to go against everything she knew. “How…?” Luna whimpered and folded her ears back. The pitch black sky offered no stars in return. The only light was what the moons cast. It didn’t make any sense. None of it made any sense. The more she tried to understand the more her sanity frayed. Luna felt herself close to hyperventilating as she stared up into it. She stared at what was above and what had tormented her so much for nights on end. Then she noticed the most horrifying detail that caused her to scream. It was staring back.