//------------------------------// // Blinding Light // Story: Moon and Sun // by Buttery Biscuit //------------------------------// Luna had always wanted to shoot for the moon as a filly, ambitious by nature. She had many dreams when she was young; getting her cutie mark in something grand, powerful magic, falling in love, ruling her ponies. Those dreams died one by one, starting at the age of five. Celestia, by herself, raised the sun one day, getting her cutie mark as well. She could remember that day so clearly. The utter shock, you could see it on their pale faces, dropped jaws, and complete silence. Luna swore that at that moment you could drop a pin and hear it in Tartarus. Luna could remember the utter, unfiltered joy as Star Swirl the bearded and serious bounced around like a small filly. He practically skipped in circles, crying tears of joy, hooting, and hollering. "Hazza for Celestia! Hazza!" No creature blamed him either, many others joined him. No more would unicorns be drained of their magic, sometimes draining it permanently. All of Equestria partied, they partied for several days. So much food was consumed that you'd think their stomachs were black holes. So many drinks were had that no one creature could fully remember that party, they were just so happy that this weight was no longer holding them down. After the party calmed down, and hangovers cured, Celestia became the center of attention once more. This task was a great one, a task considered to be fit for a god. Thus, she was treated that way, it started off small. Heartfelt thanks and praises, Luna could remember the sound that teardrops made when they dropped onto polished oak flooring. Then came the lavish gifts. Exotic and expensive foods, toys, clothing, and books. Then Celestia was offered tutorship by non-other than the best of scholars, Star Swirl, Randi, and even her father Cosmos. Not to mention the attention of many a stallion when she grew of age. That was ok, it really was because Luna got her cutie mark too, all by herself. One night she was watching some unicorns raise the moon. Suddenly Luna just felt a tug, on her very soul like she should be the one to lift it. Like it was her destiny, she was filled with hope. That night she raised the moon all by herself, her cutie mark reflected that. Her heart dropped so hard and fast it left her winded, a small smile flashed onto her face. Luna ran to her father so fast that many servants were run over, a cart of cabbages knocked over in her wake. The doors to her father's throne flung open so hard that the dents made on that wall were still there. All you had to do was look. Tears ran down Luna's face, she was happy. "Father! Look!" Luna said jumping for joy, she had magic just as powerful and important as her sister’s. She stopped as soon as she realized that her father wasn't giving her the reaction she had hoped for. A small smile, a little sigh of relief, and a "thank goodness, I'm sure the Moon Crew will be happy. They must be exhausted." That was the end of that, no party, no attention except from the six unicorns that made up the Moon Crew. Turned out raising the moon cost less than raising the sun, it was rare that lifting the moon would drain a unicorn. It was a lot safer to rise then the sun. That was ok, really it was because at least Luna would get to pursue her magic. Even though it was not grand, or powerful she was sure it could become that way. With the right teachers, she could be something wonderful. Luna never got that chance as she was passed up every time for her sister, because of the sun. The magic of the sun was important, fiery, fierce. So only Celestia got tutored, no matter what. Even if Celestia spoke up, probably due to the pity she felt for her sister, or because she felt guilty. At least that's what Luna thought every time Celestia did something for her, sharing her presents, trying to get her tutor time. Who knew maybe mother was forcing her to do so? Luna's only option was to scour the trash, and that she did. There she found old textbooks, ones that Celestia didn't need anymore. So Luna trashed picked, it wasn't fun the trash was sometimes ranker then her sister's attitude. Luna laughed at her own joke 'good one' she thought to herself. Discord would love that joke, a distaste for Celestia is something they both shared. So Luna dove into her books, making sure to hide them under her mattress when she was done, she studied hard, practiced harder. Levitating the pillows in her room over and over until her spell was flawless. Then she would move onto the next spell, and the spell after that, and the spell after that. The spell that benefited her the most, a thinning spell. One she used on a closet wall. A closet that was right next to Celestia's lessons, she would use that spell and then put her ear up to the wall. Jotting down whatever she could. It was kinda fun, she was like a spy. She took what she learned, and just started mixing and matching deep in the woods. She always snuck out with ease, so much ease Luna wondered in any creature even noticed she was gone. She was glad she was in the woods her first spell left a hole in the ground and a burnt tree, but she kept trying. All-day she tried, nothing worked until it turned tonight. Suddenly her spells worked flawlessly, she did amazing things with her magic. She changed the full moon to a half, then to a crescent, and decided she loved it. Soon the moon had phases. She wondered what else she could do, so she tried everything. Guess after guess until suddenly the stars moved. Her jaw dropped, she, she just moved the stars. Excited she tried, again and again, moving them with ease. Luna decided to go down this path of discovery and soon enough she was not just moving stars she was making them. Ending the night having made two brand-new constellations. Luna admitted they were not very creative, a dipper. She had soup for supper that day and couldn't stop thinking about it. Still, though, she was proud. Then it was time, she could feel the sunrise and then nothing as she passed out on the ground. Waking up in a strange foreign land. Balls of light surrounded her, floating by her head every so often. It was like watching fireflies dance about during the night. It was beautiful, breathtaking. Looking closer at these bubbles showed ponies and that was the day Luna discovered she could walk through dreams and control her own. Until a stallion, a handsome stallion that filled Luna's every thought, even in the dreamscape where she played with her ponies every night without the risk of getting caught. His image followed her everywhere, even though she tried her best not to think of him. His dark coat, his tone muscles, the glint in his sharp teeth, those red eyes. Everything about him made Luna feel just a bit lighter. She started using her dreamscape to imagine her life with him until she had it scripted out. It would be perfect, love, a family of their own, everything she could have wanted. That's when she knew she had to ask him out, so she did, in her dreamscape. She did it over and over and over until she had that scripted too. The next day she went to breakfast, her heart light and hopeful. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen her sister, they had grown cold and distant over the years. Her only friend was the neighborhood friendly chaos lord and hopefully this stallion. "Morning sister." "Hello sister, thy seem chipper today. What is on thou mind?" Luna giggled a blush formed on her cheeks, "a stallion. Dear Sister, I think I have a chance." Luna shifted on her hooves, ready to take on the day. Ready for life, ready for love. "Oh, we shall have to go on a double date, dearest sister." Luna knew that look on Celestia's face, her wide smile as she talked. The blush that followed on her face, a stallion. "Oh, thy have a stallion? Tell me who!" "Sombra." It took everything Luna had not to collapse into a sobbing mess right then and there. Pulling the calmest demeanor she could she stated "oh, well I hope thou are happy together. We shall see after I ask him. Wish me luck, sister." "Good luck, sister." The worst part was Luna could hear the sincerity in her sister's voice as she left the table, running for her room. As soon as the door closed behind her the tears flowed. She pressed her muzzle to the pillow firmly so her wales couldn't be heard. Her only consolation until Discord showed up for their daily dose of fun. No matter how hard he tried, she just couldn't stop the tears from coming. That was ok, really it was because Luna moved on, of course, it still stung but even though her sister was distant, and she and Discord made fun of her. Celestia was still her sister, and Luna still loved her enough to let go of the love she held for Sombra. She could see how happy he made her. It was worth it until they broke up. Luna had overheard it from one maid talking to another, banished to the Crystal Empire. Luna had no idea what for, but she was more heartbroken than ever. She spent most of the night crying softly into her pillows, that was until Discord showed up the next day. Once more for their daily dose of fun. That was ok, really it was because at least Luna could move on now. She still had Discord, and her pillow, a pillow named Squashed. Luna named it herself, a sassy salty pillow. At least Luna thought she could move on, every stallion that came to the castle, that gave her attention, that she fell for. Ended up with her sister. Most of them Luna didn't get the chance to ask out. All of them ended in messy and complicated breakups. All left Luna heartbroken, her pillow used more for crying than sleeping. Discord more used to seeing her a sobbing mess, then the hopeful filly she once was. Then she didn't have him, Celestia came running in one day telling her Discord was taking over. Luna didn't want to believe it. Discord was odd-looking sure, rude sure, but not evil. She ran outside to see the chaos rain down upon Canterlot, a growing town. She just couldn't believe it, there he was with this look in his eyes. She had seen it before, insanity, chaos had taken his mind. Luna had tried to help him with that, but it wasn't enough. She and her sister scoured for answers ending up with the elements. Luna used them in hopes to cure Discord, have him come back to her. When she opened her eyes, he was stone. She shot an angry stare at her sister. "HOW COULD YOU?!" She roared with rage slamming the elements in her magic down onto the ground. It was a small miracle they didn't break. The elements were all about intent, or so Luna learned. How could she just do that to him? Luna didn't talk to her sister for a very long time. She refused to. That was ok, really it was because she had her ponies, her dreamscape. There she could do anything, could be anyone, she dreamt Discord was back, she dreamt she fell in love, she dreamt that she was loved. She hopped from dream to dream, having the time of her life. Helping good dreams become better and helping fight off nightmares. Until Apple Pine happened, he had a nightmare. Of course, Luna helped, entering lavishly and comedically like she always did. She hopped and skipped through the dream with an ego so big Discord would be jealous, if he was around. To think of him stung her so, but she re-centered herself on the nightmare. She blasted her magic like she always did, but it didn't work. Why didn't it work? Luna focused more and tried again, she dropped the silly act for another act entirely. Panic. No matter how hard Luna tried she couldn't get the nightmare to go away, instead she watched it unfold before her. Apple Pine was surrounded by loved ones, "we hate you, why are you like this, why don't you just go away." He cowered in the corner as they crowded around him "useless, you are useless, just look at you, a waste of bits you are, a waste of air. How could you? How could you exist?" Tears streamed down Apple's face as he tried to justify himself. "I was just trying to help." "We don't want your help, we don't want you," said the collective mass of all the ponies Apple had ever loved, their eyes red, their faces twisted with rage. Luna couldn't watch anymore she poured everything she had into not fighting the nightmare but stopping it instead, in turn, she was thrown out of the dream realm. She got her things, and scoured until she found Apple Pine in the real world. He was hiding under his bed, Luna did what she could for him. Opting to stay there for a couple of days, keeping an eye on him, trying to make his dreams the best she could, to help him recover. Unfortunately, his psyche was too broken from it, and soon he chose to live far, far away from society, from his loved ones. Luna followed him of course, visiting time to time, trying her best to help him in any way she could. Eventually, he did get better, but he never fully recovered. That was ok, really it was because Luna vowed she would never let that happen again. She had no idea dreams could affect a pony in such a way, that they were that important. That her ponies could suffer from them, never again. At the cost of her own mental health, she fought nightmare after nightmare, tooth, and nail. Never again would she let another pony get hurt under her watch. This was her magic therefore this was her responsibility. She kept that promise since then, even now, even today. Today, she thought of those past events, why? She felt the need to reflect as she stared at the bodies of her parents. Cold and still, they had passed away. They were old and sick. It was expected, what wasn't expected was they passed halfway through their goodbyes. Celestia was first, they were telling her how great she was, how proud they were, and then they just stopped existing. Luna never got the chance to say anything to her parents, or to Celestia. It was the first time Luna had seen her since Discord was turned to stone. That was ok, really it was because Luna knew in her heart they loved her in their own way. At least that's what she told herself, whatever worked, right?. Even with them gone, even if they had never loved her, she at least had her ponies and her ponies had her. She had protected them with her everything, she couldn’t wait to rule them. Luna woke up the next day a little late, She groggily got out of bed. Walking down the hallways of her castle, she was soon pushing her throne room doors open to find her sister in her chair. “What?” She said as she stared at the alicorn she once knew as her sister. The first words she had spoken to that alicorn in who knew how long. “Father and mother wish for me to rule, I have checked with the people, and they second it. I’m sure you can help me. We can rule together sister, and...” The rest faded out into a dull ring as Luna was shell-shocked from the revelation. Celestia was going to rule, her ponies loved Luna, didn’t they? Why? Why wasn't she on the throne? Luna couldn’t believe what she heard, and she ripped the document out of Celestia's magic: a will. She just had to see the words herself. "We hereby announce that Celestia take over for us once we pass on…" Luna took the document and ran, her heart pounding in her ears as she ran to the staff room. “Do thou wish for Celestia to rule?” She asked ponies that she had seen in the dreams she visited before. “Yes, who else would” “Of course no pony better.” “I'm sorry, who are you?” Did...did they not remember her? Did they not remember how much she fought for them. Did they not remember her night? How? She helped defeat their demons, for them. Luna ground her teeth together and slammed the door shut bolting straight to her room and slammed that door shut. As soon as she got inside her room, tears started streaming down her face, this dream, it was all she had left. “AHG!” She yelled, ripping the paper in her magic to shreds, the pieces falling onto the floor. The room spun just as much as her head did. She ground her teeth together more and more. “Ow!” A sudden pain emitted from her teeth, she often ground them together, and of course, it hurt. This time it was different, she felt them with her hoof. They were so sharp and pointy. She just grunted, taking the hoof out of her mouth. She looked over to her only companion Squashed the pillow, levitating it over. Having no creature to talk to she often talked to Squashed. "Celestia, thou are so great, oh Celestia thou are so perfect, Celestia thou are a god. Celestia, thou are so much better than thy sister what a disappointment she was!" Luna screamed at the pillow her voice cracking with sorrow. Celestia this, Celestia that, it was like she could not exist without her sister. Like she wasn’t even a pony worth it, like she was attached to her hip, no, more like she was attached to her soul. Even this story, a story about Luna, couldn’t happen without her sister. Luna’s only wish was to shoot for the moon, to become great one day. She started to understand that that might not happen, so she compromised with the ground. Trying to become content with what it gave her but look at what that gave her. Nothing! “Who needs the sun anyway when you can have night? Eternal night!” The sun was overrated, Luna was underrated. She was the one protecting these ponies from harm and all she got was ignored. The night was beautiful, the sun, this was all the sun's fault, because of the sun the night was overshadowed. If her ponies could just see the night, they would love it, they would want it. Forever. Luna shot for the moon but missed, after such heartbreak, she would talk to her sister until the Discord incident. Of course, she got somewhat pretentious answers, but it was better than nothing. Luna was compromise, Luna was a shadow, Luna was nothing. But she wasn’t Luna anymore, was she? No, she wasn't she felt, different, stronger, filled with rage. She would become what she fought off, a Nightmare. This Nightmare got off her bedroom floor. This Nightmare would shoot for something far greater, grander, godly. This Nightmare would shoot for the sun, rip it from the sky and earth, this Nightmare would not miss. With a thought like that she couldn't help but smile, a maniacal laughed left her lips as tears streamed down her face.