//------------------------------// // The Misunderstood Mare On The Moon // Story: Old Words // by WurkyWilk358 0w0 //------------------------------// Chapter 1 "Finally, after all these years, my reign is nigh!" The dark alicorn of the night, Nightmare Moon, stood within the ruins of the Castle of The Two Sisters as she paced around in the old throne room. Wicked thoughts surged through her mind as she glanced up at the moon with a fanged grin. "Poor, poor sister, how foalish of you to underestimate me! I told you that I would return with a vengeance, and so I have! Now this world will truly embrace the night as it was meant to! The sun shall be a forgotten memory, and, in time, so shall you. All that remains is ridding those infernal Elements of Harmony so that I may rule forever!" Nightmare Moon boasted her apparent victory and continued to pace through the old throne room. From the corner of her eye, her gaze shifted to the entrance when she heard the sounds of somepony approaching. "Who dares approach me during my hour of triumph?!" The dark alicorn hissed, her horn flared with magic as she prepared to fire. From the entrance came an odd looking creature, even Nightmare Moon couldn't make heads or tails who or what it was. It was a short bipedal being, just a little taller than she, and it appeared to be walking with some sort of cane. It wore clothes, strange clothes, that consisted of beige slacks, strange looking dark brown shoes, a button up shirt, black suspenders that went over its shoulders, a simle-looking olive green coat, and flat old fashioned hat on its head. When the strange being continued its slow pace towards Nightmare Moon, she soon got a look at its face. It was male, from her point of view, and quite elderly due to his skin's completion. Grey hairs grew from the sides of his head, and his eyes were dark brown. As she was done examining the old being, he stopped just a few feet away from Nightmare Moon. He then did something unexpected, and smiled at the dark princess and took off his hat. "Evening," he greeted. "Who are you?! What are you?! How did you get here?!" Nightmare demanded, glaring at the elderly one. "Oh, I'm sorry, miss, I wasn't aware there was anyone residing in these old ruins," the old stranger apologized as he put his hat back on. "As for what I am, I'm just an old man enjoying a nice walk." He looked up to the sky and his smile seemed to grow a little. "Lovely night, tonight, the stars seem to twinkle a bit more around here." Despite her annoyance towards this intruder who seemingly appeared out of no where, his last statement seemed to catch her off guard. "What do you mean, strange old one?" Nightmare wondered. "Hm? Oh, I just mean what I meant," the old man said. "I come from a far away place, I suppose you could say, and there are only a few places where I'm from that procure such a lovely vision of the stars. My wife and I always enjoyed stargazing when I was a young boy." "You...enjoy the night?" Nightmare questioned, forgetting her annoyance that turned into piqued curiosity. "Of course, the night sets these old bones of mine at ease. I recall meeting my wife under a moonlit sky such as this. Ever since then, I had always enjoyed gazing at the stars above and pondered what kind of story each one had to tell." Nightmare was unprepared for the words the old man said, words that she never even dreamed to hear from the ponies of Equestria for they had preferred the day rather than the night. "How do you know you're not just saying that, old one?" Nightmare questioned. "Little miss, I have been alive longer than you might think. I have witnessed many hardships in my life and can now only look back at them as nothing but a distant memory. However, the one thing that always brought me comfort during those hardships was the stars that twinkle along this dark canvass that is the sky. You obviously are also passionate about the night and what it has to offer, yet I feel like you don't really appreciate as such." "Me?! Not apricate the night?!" Nightmare snapped. "The night sky is my whole existence! It is my pride and joy, something my own sister failed to realize!" "Oh, I don't know about that," the old man argued, tapping his cane on the stone ground. "But I can now see where your aggression is coming from, you've had a sort of disagreement with your sister, hmm?" "Disagreement is an understatement..." Nightmare scoffed turning away. "But, miss, that is just how all siblings are," the old man quipped. "I myself have had the pleasure and displeasure of growing up with two of my own siblings, both of them were older than I. We would bicker and disagree with each other more times than I care to recall, but we always ended up seeing the error of our ways and continued to love each other as a family." "You know nothing of what I have been through, old fool," Nightmare scoffed again, shooting the old man a stink eye. "Perhaps not, but, then again, perhaps I do," the old man said. "You are upset, that much is apparent, but would you truly allow your anger govern your decisions for the foreseeable future?" "I want to make a statement! To both my sister and the foalish ponies out there, that the night reigns supreme!" "But they also need the day as much as the night, little miss," the old man argued a bit sternly. "I honestly doubt everyone despises the night as you claim, your sister included." "She banished me! All because I wanted to make everypony appreciate the night just as much as the day!" "Hmm, I see now, you felt unappreciated," the old man pointed out. "Exactly!" "But that does not mean your sister hated you." Nightmare paused from the last statement that was told to her. "Does she hate you?" "Why wouldn't she? She banished me for years!" "That is not exactly what I asked, I want to know if she hates you," the old man corrected with another tap of his cane. "I...well, no, no she would never hate me," Nightmare admitted. "And do you know why?" The old man asked. "Because you are her sister, and there's nothing on this strange and magical world that could ever change that." "But why was I banished...?" "I cannot say, for I do not know, but perhaps it was her only alternative when all other methods failed. Surely she attempted to speak with you, yes?" "Many times," Nightmare admitted, her ears beginning to droop. "But...I never listened." "Sometimes, when we become so upset over something, we tend to push away any who try to help us see reason. I may not know your sister, but if I were her, it would pain me greatly to send my own sibling away. I'm sure that it broke her heart to do such a thing, and she probably still regrets it to this day." Nightmare clung to the words spoken by the old stranger as her head lowered to face the ground. Was it not her sister who she was upset with? Was it not the ponies whom she accused of not favoring the night? Perhaps it was it was not them she blamed and was the cause of her transformation to the dark alicorn she is today, but she was upset with herself that she was misinformed and failed to realize it. "Was...I wrong?" Nightmare managed to ask under her breath. "You seem to have been in denial for some time, little miss," the old stranger sighed, and reached out to place a hand on the dark mare's shoulder as she looked up to meet his eyes with hers. "Take it from an old man like myself, regret is not a healthy concept to keep buried in your heart. These emotions and realizations you feel now are a good first step in rekindling your bond with your sister and any who you may have wronged." Nightmare's tears started to form in the corners of her eyes, despite her best efforts to try and keep them at bay. She had only known this strange old man for a few minutes, but with his wise words and calm attitude, he was able to break through the shell and reach out to the mare trapped underneath the dark fur and cold demeanor. The old man patted her shoulder before turning away and began walking out of the old throne room. "Where are you going?" Nightmare asked. "To continue my walk," the old man replied. "It's still early in the night, and I wish to savor the feeling of being within the moon's light." Nightmare looked up at the moon and saw the outline of an alicorn etched on its surface that was her sister she trapped in her place. However, when she looked back down to where the old man had left, he was no where to be seen. All she could do now was stand there, alone, contemplating the conversation she shared with the mysterious old being. "Luna, the search ponies have been at it for many moons," Celestia said to her little sister. Luna just stood there on her balcony outside of her room, gazing out beyond the walls of Canterlot as the stars twinkled every so often. "We have yet to find this old being who you met in our old castle, are you sure it wasn't just your imagination?" "Sister, I may now be reformed, but this is not something I would embellish," Luna said sternly, not bothering to look back at Celestia. "If not for that old one, I would have made matters more difficult for Twilight Sparkle and the other Element bearers. He showed me the error of my ways through simple words, don't you wish to reciprocate your appreciation as well?" "Well of course I do, but as I have said, no pony has seen nor heard of him," Celestia reminded Luna. "Then we simply must be patient," Luna said as she finally glanced over her shoulder to look at Celestia. "I wish to meet that old man I met, just once more, just so I can tell him how thankful I am for his wise insight. Now, I believe it is time for you to retire for the night, I must see to it that everypony in Equestria can admire the stars however and whenever they choose." Celestia could only smile as she turned and left her sister alone. Luna returned her gaze outside the walls of the capital as a small smile graced her lips. "I hope you are enjoying your walk tonight, old one, I'll be sure to make each night as pleasant as the last for you and the ponies."