//------------------------------// // Reliving Every Word I Heard // Story: Walk A Thousand Nights // by Sunlight Rays //------------------------------// Celestia let out a weary sigh as she lowered the sun. It had been a particularly taxing day, and even though she would have liked to just sit upon the balcony and relax in the soothing warm rays of the afternoon sun, she knew she had a schedule to follow and a nation to rule. So she lowered the sun without complaint, guiding the bright golden orb down the curve of the sky just as she always did, the sun painting a trail behind it in vibrant hues of red, orange, and blue. Soon the entirety of the sun was hidden beneath the western horizon, Celestia having made sure that no stray streaks of sunlight peeked back into the sky. As the last of the daylight disappeared, stars took their place, the sparkling specks of light adorning the black canvas of the night. Then came the part of the evening Celestia dreaded the most. She turned towards the east and lit her horn once more, feeling for the astral body waiting its turn. She felt her magic brush over the cold sphere, and then Celestia dragged it upwards. Gritting her teeth, she struggled against the weight, the moon resisting her pull as if being weighed down. Sweat trickled down her forehead as she furrowed her brow. She involuntarily shivered as her magic continued to touch the icy light, and she had to will herself to maintain the connection as she finally felt the moon begin to move from its place.  The full moon revealed itself from under the horizon, the final addition to the night sky complete. The dark shadow of the Mare in the Moon haunted the sphere's surface, her empty gaze silently watching Equestria and its sleeping ponies. Celestia looked up at the moon for a long time, unable to get the words she so longed to say past the lump that formed in her throat. It was a few minutes later that she finally managed to croak out the apology she had never been able to make in person. “I’m so sorry, Luna….” The night remained silent, the lack of noise deafening Celestia and blocking out the peaceful chirps of crickets. All she could hear was the crushing silence, full of contempt and hatred, her sister told back to her. Celestia sighed. “Sweet dreams, sister….” Silence. Celestia turned away, tears at the corners of her eyes as she slowly headed back to her chambers. She looked at the bed that awaited her, shuddering as memories of past nightmares came into her head. … “Did you really expect me to sit idly by while they all basked in your precious light? There can only be one princess in Equestria, and that princess will be ME!” … Twisted, joyous laughter rang through the throne room, the black alicorn standing tall and proud before Celestia. … Tears welled in Celestia’s eyes as she made her decision. “I’m so sorry, sister… but you left me no choice.” … The two alicorns’ horns lit up at the same time, Nightmare Moon striking with all her might just as a ray of rainbow magic stretched out from the Elements of Harmony. The beams collided, the shockwave spreading out from their impact. Bits of stray magic crackled and sputtered as the sisters pushed against each other, caught in a tug of war that would seal their fates. Through her tears, Celestia saw Nightmare Moon’s pupils shrink as the beam from the Elements neared her. The light struck her, and at that very moment, Celestia saw her sister’s eyes turn back into Luna’s, into those twinkling, ocean-blue eyes that always looked into hers with mischief and love in their childhood. This time, however, they contained no mischief. Tears blurred the clear cyan as sorrow and regret erased the last traces of jollity Luna carried. Celestia reached out a hoof to the pony that was and always will be her baby sister. She wanted to hold Luna tight, to tell her that she was sorry and everything would be alright. A flash of rainbow colors exploded around her. Celestia cried out, reaching for her sister even as her body was pulled back. She never took her eyes off of her sister’s, trying to tell her everything but unable to say anything. The colors became blindingly bright, covering everything away from Celestia’s eyes. The light left burning afterimages on her retina. As the magic dissipated, Celestia saw her hoof, still outstretched towards where her sister was. Nothing remained. … Celestia wiped away a stray tear trickling down her cheek. She looked at the bed once more. The well-made sheets and the soft pillows were inviting her. She didn’t move. Go on, her conscience whispered in her ear, get some sleep. You’ll need it for tomorrow. Celestia took a deep breath and steadied herself as she put one hoof in front of another towards her bed. Soon enough, she slid in beneath the sheets. As she laid her head upon the soft pillows, the fatigue built up from her long day washed over her, and before she knew it, Celestia headed off into the dreamscape. Celestia walked slowly down the long hallway towards the throne room. She had just finished her meeting with delegates from Yakyakistan, and to her satisfaction, it had gone to her preference. She had seen the representatives off on their way, maintaining her smile even as they smashed up the floor tiles on their departure. The sun shone through the stained glass windows lining the walls, bathing the halls in a majestic display of colors. Shades of red, yellow, and blue swam around the castle's interior, bringing a smile to Celestia’s muzzle. It always made her happy to see her sun shining and filling the world with light. As she entered the throne room, her gaze moved to the two thrones side by side: Luna’s on the left and Celestia’s on the right, with banners boasting their respective symbols behind them. Celestia’s thoughts shifted towards her nocturnal sister. A sigh escaped her lips as the memories of last night surfaced. … “Luna? Could we talk for a moment?” Luna turned to meet her sister’s eyes. Icy blue pierced into magenta. “What is it, sister?” Luna said flatly, but her tone carried a certain ire to it, like the edge of a well-sharpened blade. The fact that Celestia did not miss. “It’s about the aurora borealis event you had scheduled for your upcoming birthday.” Luna’s face lit up. “Ah, yes! We have been very excited to show our ponies the majestic lights of the north! Imagine, sister, ponies looking up at the night sky as curtains of red, green, and purple decorate the heavens! I imagine our subjects would be in awe, busy staring up at the display—” “I believe it will be best if we put it off for now.” Luna’s smile evaporated. “Excuse me?” Celestia looked at Luna. "We have delegates of the Yaks arriving on that day, Luna. You know how they are, and since they will be discussing territorial disputes between Yakyakistan and Equestria, we need to act diplomatically. I can not run the risk of ruining the delegates’ mood.” Luna lowered her head, brows furrowed. “When was this decided?” Her voice rang out in the empty hall, her trembling tone audible. “A week ago.” Luna’s head snapped up, anger flashing in her eyes. “A week? A WEEK? Celestia, you know I have been planning this for months! You know how much I was excited about this! And you—” “Luna, you know how hard it is to convince the Yaks. I couldn’t simply reschedule the meeting because of your event—” “IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR MY BIRTHDAY!” Luna panted, glaring daggers at Celestia. “You know I scheduled it to be on my birthday for a reason! You know how much I’ve been feeling neglected, Celestia. I told you many times! When I proposed the idea of the northern lights show to you, you said it was a good idea. And now you’re telling me to cancel the event?” “This isn’t a matter that can be negotiated, Luna! The lives of our subjects are at stake! You know how dangerous it is along the Equestria-Yakyakistan border—” “You didn’t even try to adjust the schedule! You just sat there, accepting their requests without a single objection—” “You know the Yaks are nigh inconvincible—” “—while not even bothering to tell me about the change! We’re only a day out from the event, and now you decide to tell me of this development?” “I tried! I tried to convince the Yaks. But they insisted that they hold a meeting tomorrow!” Luna glared at Celestia, not speaking for a few moments. Then she whispered, “And why didn’t you tell me earlier?” “I was trying to break the news as gently as possible, Luna. I was—” “So you decided to hold the news from me until the day before the scheduled event? Is that how you gently break the news?” “I-I was afraid of hurting your feelings,” Celestia managed to finish her words. Luna stayed silent, her chest rising and falling as she breathed in a raging fury. “You are a coward, Celestia.” “Luna—” “You. Are. A. Coward! A coward, who is afraid to stand up to the Yaks, who is afraid to break her oh-so-fragile younger sister’s heart that she didn’t tell her the news she needs to know, who is afraid of running the risk of a single diplomatic failure—” “That failure will lose us the lives of our subjects!” “The least you could have done is alert me of this development in advance! But no, you had to tell me when it’s too late to cancel everything!” “I told you, I was trying to not break your heart!” Luna stopped her rant, intently staring into her sister’s eyes. When she spoke again, her voice was calm, collected, even cold. “Well, congratulations. You broke my heart anyway. Just like you’ve done for the past hundred years.” Then she lit her horn. “Luna, wait—” With a flash of light, Luna vanished. Celestia could only stare at where her sister once stood. … Celestia’s eyes drifted to Luna’s throne as she approached the dais. Please, Luna… I wish I could apologize. Suddenly, Luna’s voice rang out into the open chamber below. “Not. Another. Step.” Her hoofsteps rang like iron upon the marble floor as she emerged, revealing herself from behind the Lunar throne.  Celestia stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes widened as they met Luna’s. A chill traveled down her spine as she saw what those icy blue eyes held. Once full of mischief, love, and awe, those clear irises now only held contempt, resentment, and hatred. They glared down at her with an acidic gaze. Her teeth were bared in a snarl, her pulled-back lips and furrowed brows marring her usually smooth features. Celestia opened her mouth to respond, but Luna cut her off. “Did you really expect me to sit idly by while they all basked in your precious light?” she snarled, venom dripping from her words. “Luna, I—”  “There can be only one princess in Equestria, and that princess,” Luna said, slamming down onto the dais, “will be me!” The dais splintered as dark shadows twisted out from unseen corners, slithering upwards and smothering the multicolored lights from the windows, pane by pane. The room was enveloped in a shadowy void. An earsplitting thunder echoed through the hall, small jagged shards of rock falling from the dais as a rift began to climb upwards from between the thrones. It crept towards the stained glass above the seats and pulverized it.  A deadly hail of kaleidoscopic glass crashed down on both princesses. Celestia swiftly raised her wings to shield her eyes. Luna did not. The glaring rays of sunlight poured in, momentarily blinding Celestia. Luna took no notice of this and slammed her wings down to propel herself into the air. Her mouth agape with horror, Celestia saw the moon rising along with its princess and obscuring the sun, the lesser sphere smothering the greater and blocking out all light. Shadowy tendrils of magic surrounded Luna, a turmoil of twisting darkness engulfing her as the eclipse blazed crimson. Celestia could barely see Luna’s silhouette within the roiling mass, and could only stare, transfixed, as it shifted and warped, turning to black, and then finally a deep shade of indigo. There was a blinding flash, and from within, rang the hollow laughter of a pitch-black alicorn with a sparkling midnight blue mane and tail. Nightmare Moon stood proud and tall, the sound emanating from her mouth a twisted parody of Luna’s joyous laugh. She let out a blast of raw power towards the ceiling, fragments crashing onto the floor and blocking her from Celestia’s view. Celestia regained her composure and soared into the air above the dust cloud, only for Nightmare Moon to fire another beam of magic at her. Celestia leapt out of the way, the beam piercing another hole in the roof. She settled back onto the floor as more fragments fell to the ground. “Luna! What are you doing?” “Showing you what you have ignored this whole time, sister.” Nightmare Moon replied, magic crackling at her horn. “Enough of this! Luna, you must lower the moon! It is your duty!” Celestia shouted, her voice cracking as her heart lodged itself into her throat. “Luna?” Nightmare Moon scoffed, looking down at Celestia with disdain. “There is no Luna. I am… Nightmare Moon. And now… I have one duty only: to destroy you!” Nightmare Moon screamed as she shot another beam crackling with lethal energy.  Celestia leapt up into the air, beating her wings frantically to get out through the gaping hole in the ceiling. Nightmare Moon shot after her. “And where do you think you’re going?” Celestia didn’t stop. Her heart pounded in her chest. Tears scattered from her eyes as reality caught up to her. Decades of negligence and apathy were now coming back to her, seeking the price of her actions. Celestia knew all too well what the cost was. A filly once full of love and empathy, Luna was now a monster, filled with anger and hatred. Her sister was gone. Only murderous intent remained. Nightmare Moon flew towards Celestia at full speed. A deadly bolt shot past her. Celestia dove. The ground neared. Nightmare Moon fired another iridescent blast of arcane energy. Celestia pulled up, dodging under the exploding archway. Under the eclipse, they fought. The two alicorns weaved between towers bathed in eerie darkness, the blotted sun gleaming the last of its rays upon them. Celestia panted as she pushed her body to its limits, sweat and tears cascading down her face. She wanted nothing more than for this nightmare to end, to wake up and see her sister’s smiling face as they greeted each other in the morning. But she knew that there was no waking up from this. Pain. Celestia felt as if someone had bucked her in the chest. A spell hit her in the chest and knocked her out of the sky. The icy beam was searingly cold, her nerves on fire as she spiraled out of control and fell back down through the throne room’s shattered roof. Celestia slammed into the cold stone floor, the impact knocking the wind out of her. Stunned and dazed, she could do no more than to lie on her back, looking up into the pitch-black sky, where countless stars twinkled. They’re so pretty… like the stars in Luna’s mane… Celestia’s thoughts began to wander, the numerous dots blurring into white smudges as tears once again filled her eyes. What was wrong with me? Why couldn’t I see their, no, her beauty earlier? I’m so sorry, Luna… Celestia heard the thrashing of wings, then the ominous clop of silver horseshoes on stone. She turned her head to see a pair of slender ebony legs. “Luna…” A savage kick to Celestia’s muzzle. Celestia heard the sickening snap of her bones and let out a cry of agony as she clutched her nose. Sparking blue magic suddenly strangled Celestia’s throat, lifting the princess into the air before the slitted blue pupils of the Nightmare. “Have I not told you,” Nightmare Moon snarled, putting her snout against Celestia’s, “that Luna is no more? Are you not only blind, but deaf as well?” She pinned Celestia against the wall. The alicorn gasped as her wind was knocked out of her, the impact shattering the tiles. Celestia clawed at the magic, black spots appearing in her vision as her breathing was cut short. Nightmare Moon walked over to the powerless alicorn, sheer hatred pouring forth from her iridescent eyes. “Luna…” Celestia choked out, tears pouring down her cheeks. “I’m so sorry, Luna….” Nightmare Moon stopped in her tracks, her muzzle inches away from Celestia’s. “You’re sorry? You’re sorry? Don’t you dare lie to me, Celestia. I’m no longer the filly you used to look after. You’ve had so many chances to fix things, and yet you messed up every single one of them! If you were truly sorry, you would have been a better sister! “How many times did I ask you to help ponies appreciate my nights? How many times did I ask you to add an astronomy course to that wretched school of yours? How many times did you actually accept my request, Celestia? You always put yourself and your nation as your top priority, while I, your only kin, was shoved aside. You even denied me of my birthday event! How could you ever—” Nightmare Moon paused before swallowing hard. “I waited. I waited for over a century, Celestia! And has anything changed? Have you done any of the things I asked? You didn’t put any effort whatsoever into stopping things from coming this far, and now you’re sorry?” Nightmare Moon screamed in Celestia’s face, rage finally pouring over the edge as she punctuated every sentence with a blow to her sister’s skull. She panted, glaring into Celestia’s eyes with murderous fury. “Was it so hard to help your sister? To put effort into helping me get out of that rut? I questioned myself for so long; ‘Why don’t my subjects love me? What am I doing wrong? Am I worse than my sister?’ If you helped me then, I wouldn’t have had to put the blame on myself for so long! Isn’t that what families do, Celestia? Supporting each other?” Celestia didn’t say anything as tears streamed down her mangled face, sobbing silently as she lowered her head, unable to make eye contact with her sister. “You were the only one I had left, Celestia. Even if all my subjects turned away from me and my nights, you shouldn’t have! And yet you did because I, your only sibling and family, wasn’t important enough for you!” Nightmare Moon panted furiously, and in her daze, Celestia thought she saw the glints at the corners of her eyes.  Nightmare Moon’s screams built to a crescendo. “And I don’t need a sister who deems everything to be of higher importance than her own kin!” She hurled Celestia across the room. Celestia slammed into a large pillar. Her breath left her as she felt something snap within her back. She fell to the floor, motionless. Nightmare Moon strolled over to the fallen alicorn, looming over her as her shadow engulfed Celestia’s trembling figure. “Any last words, Celestia?” “I’m so sorry, Luna… I’m sorry for not being the sister you needed me to be…” Celestia hoarsely replied as tears silently poured down from her eyes. Something shifted in Nightmare Moon’s eyes, and Celestia felt the smallest fluttering of hope in her chest as the fury etched into the younger sister’s face seemed to dissipate. But then Nightmare Moon scowled and applied pressure on Celestia’s chest. “Well, it’s too late for that now, isn’t it?” she said as she lit her horn once more. “Luna, please—” “Goodbye, Celestia.” Nightmare Moon’s horn shone with an intense brightness, blocking out everything but the light from the spell. Celestia felt her demise rushing towards her, and in her final moments, she screamed her sister’s name for the last time— … “Luna!” Celestia shrieked as she sat up in her bed, the sheets tangling around her as she thrashed around in panic. Her breaths came in short gasps as she frantically looked around her surroundings, her heartbeat hammering in her ears. Her breathing slowed as she saw the familiar sights within the dark: the ivory curtains around her bed, the gold and white sheets covering her body, and the pillows that she slept on every night. She reached out with her magic and opened the curtains, revealing the full moon. The surface was immaculate. Celestia let out a sigh of relief as she dropped her head onto her pillows. Tears gathered in her eyes as a sob left her, and soon her body shook with every shuddering breath she took. The doors of Celestia’s bedroom burst open, a midnight blue alicorn running into the room. “Tia! I heard you scream my name! Whatever is the matter?” Luna shouted as she rushed to Celestia’s side. “Oh, Luna…!” Celestia sobbed as she pulled her younger sister into a hug, crying uncontrollably into her chest. Luna didn’t say anything as she settled into Celestia’s bed and held her tight, softly patting her back with a hoof while gently stroking her billowing mane with the other. “Shh… it’s okay, Tia… ‘twas just a dream…” she whispered, gently comforting her sister. Slowly but surely, Celestia’s sobs died down to gentle sniffles and shivers. She slowly raised her face from Luna’s chest and found Luna’s eyes gazing into hers. “Do you feel better now, Tia?” Luna asked gently. Celestia nodded, sniffling as she wiped the remaining tears from her face. “Do you wish to talk about your dreams?” Hesitantly, Celestia nodded for a second time. “I… I dreamt that… that I neglected you as the older sister… and… and because of that… you became jealous and fell to your darker emotions, and… and you turned into this monster and… and…” Celestia burst into sobs again, burying her face into Luna’s chest. Luna merely held her sister tight. “It’s okay, Tia, it was just a dream…” “But— but it felt so real! You releasing your anger upon me, watching you turn into Nightmare Moon, fleeing as that… that monster tried to kill me, even up to the moment she released that final spell to finish me off—” “Shhh,” Luna whispered, putting a hoof to her sister’s lips. “It was only a nightmare, Tia. I did not see what monster I turned into, nor did I feel the pain you went through in that dream, but I can assure you that it wasn’t real, nor will it ever become real.” She gazed directly into Celestia’s eyes, her sapphire irises alight with feeling. “I’ll ensure you get a sufficient night’s sleep without any nightmares, Tia. Does that put your mind to ease?” Celestia nodded. Luna lit her horn, and a warm blue aura wrapped around Celestia’s body as the lunar princess lulled her sister to sleep. As she did so, she gently hummed a tune, one Celestia knew so well. “You are my Sunshine, my only Sunshine… you make me happy, when skies are grey… you never know dear, how much I love you… please don’t take my Sunshine away…” Luna draped a wing over Celestia’s withers, the feathery appendage serving as an extra blanket. Celestia let out a soft giggle, then murmured, “Mother used to sing that song to us so often…” Luna smiled and softly stroked Celestia’s nose. “Yes, and I have noticed that you fall asleep easily while digging deeper into Mother’s embrace.” Celestia giggled again, shifting so she could feel more of her sister’s warmth. “Luna?” She murmured, stifling a yawn. Luna paused her spell as she looked at Celestia. “Yes, Tia?” “Promise me that you’ll be at my side when I wake up in the morning?” Luna smiled at her sister. It was a soft, tender smile, one so familiar to Celestia. And yet somewhere in the back of Celestia’s mind, she felt something tugging at her heartstrings. “Of course, Tia. I’ll be here when you wake up, don’t worry.” “Thanks Luna…” Celestia mumbled as her eyelids finally gave way. Celestia’s eyes slowly opened as she felt lights shimmer across them. It wasn’t a sudden awakening like she had in the middle of the night; rather, it was a slow, calm journey back to the real world. Celestia sat up and looked around. She saw her familiar surroundings once again; the ivory curtains, the gold and white sheets, and the simple pillows depressed by hours of constant pressure. “Luna?” Celestia groggily called out into the dusky darkness. “Luna?”  No answer.  Celestia’s heartbeat began to quicken, an uneasy feeling starting to mount inside her. It was then she noticed a glimmer of pale white light leaking through the cracks in her bedside curtains, illuminating the pillow her head had been on a few moments ago. Dread filled her insides; she knew that light, and she knew it meant only one thing. Celestia felt around with her magic, and once it came into contact with her curtains, carefully tugged them open. The full moon hovered outside her window, hanging low over the western horizon. And upon it was the very symbol Celestia feared seeing the most. Grey markings marred the clean white surface of the moon. Celestia stared up at the moon, eyes wide as tears welled up in them again. Then she let out a strangled cry as she collapsed, her wings forlorn by her side. Strained sobs wracked her body as she flailed about, not caring whether the blankets got tangled up or torn as she threw her legs around and slammed her head against the pillows over and over. When she finally ran out of energy, she lay quiet and still, curled up into a ball with a pillow clutched close to her chest. Her body shook with every cry as she wrapped her wings around herself, desperately seeking the condolence and warmth she had felt in her blissful dream. The warmth did not return, however, and all Celestia could do was to lie in bed, shivering and sobbing as she felt the cold emptiness envelop her in its deathly grasp. And as the lone pony lay in her bed, draining herself with tears, burning lights began to emerge from the east, the dawn seeking guidance from the sole princess of Equestria.