"STAY BACK!" The shout that came from my meager frame did not have the effect I desired. The quadruped that stood before me was at least double my own size and donned a cloak that concealed its identity entirely.
Earlier in the day Celestia and I had taken refuge in the deepest part of a dense forest. It's tall trees provided both shelter and a place to hide. Additionally, there was bound to be a source of sustenance located somewhere within.
Once she'd fallen asleep for the night, I left our camp to patrol the area, not only for potential intruders, but also a food source. It had been days since either of us had eaten and as more time passed it would be harder and harder for us to function properly.
Unfortunately, it was an obnoxiously frigid night. While I loved my time of day more than any other, the cold did not receive the same enthusiasm from me. Operating in the freezing weather made objectives that much more difficult to complete.
Though it was indeed part of the reason I was patrolling, I prayed I would not encounter anything hostile. It was bound to happen eventually, but I preferred staying out of life or death struggles, unlike the rest of the inhabitants of the world.
The elation of finding the small bush overflowing with berries was swiftly snuffed out by the sound of rustling leaves yards away from me. I'd inadvertently stumbled upon a stranger, its method of movement and attire both screaming danger at my more reasonable senses. I was hopeful my naturally superior vision at night would give me somewhat an advantage in a scuffle.
"You must be the younger sister." Its voice was cold and raspy, more than likely a male, the hood over his head stood stock still giving the figure a particularly menacing aura. Celestia was much more infamous a target than I, "the horse that directed the sun", as the gossipers claimed.
My moon and I were an afterthought and that suited the two of us just fine, especially when it came to aggressors. It gave us ample opportunity to work from within the darkness.
"Leave this place this instant! You have no business here!" I tried so hard to sound confident, to intimidate the predator into flight, but the truth was, I was scared out of my mind. It was a miracle I had not attempted to flee back to my sister already.
I could run back to her and we could escape together, but I knew no matter how far we managed to get, we would be pursued relentlessly, as if we were wanted fugitives. There would be no rest, there would never be rest. This was to be our life for the foreseeable future.
I had fought before. Many times, but Celestia had always been at my side for those conflicts. The confidence my sister's presence gave me was like that of a ludicrously effective drug. I had yet to face a foe without her and right now I felt like I was facing a giant without a weapon of my own.
"Oh, but I do little horse," he released a cloud of warm breath from underneath his hood. "Lucky for you, you're not the job." He relaxed his stance just a bit, either trying to throw me off my guard or give me a false sense of security. "Take me to your sister and I won't be forced to... deal with you."
Wait a moment. I can get away unscathed? I do not have to fight this monster? I do not have to risk my life?
The trespasser could easily see me considering his offer and so decided to hammer away at my resolve further. "Show me where she is and you'll be spared of any harm," he casually walked toward me, no aggression or caution in his gait.
What should I do? What can I do? I do not want to fight. I cannot defeat a creature like this. He is nearly large enough to eat me in a single bite. I do not want to be hurt. I do not want to die.
You are the night, the invincible moon. Have confidence in yourself, little one. You must protect your sister.
The voice that echoed in my head was one I had never heard before. It was soothing, yet motivating, a beautiful mix of femininity and authority. It brought about visions of my sister slumbering in peace, unaware of the danger that sought her life. There was no life for me apart from her.
Despite my trembling body, I braced myself, prepared to do whatever it would take to stop this fiend from getting to her. If he wanted to finish his "job" it would have to be quite literally over my dead body.
"I refuse!" my voice vibrated with a bravery it lacked moments ago, my declaration halting him in his tracks. Whomever or whatever had granted me the sudden confidence had my gratitude. I crouched low to the ground, making myself a harder target for projectiles. "Leave this place now or suffer the consequences."
If he were an assassin he would not typically be prepared for a face to face struggle. Striking from the shadows of a dark night was where those of that ilk drew their strength. Unfortunately for him, the night belonged to me. He laughed gruffly, turning his head to the side to draw a concealed blade from its sheath into his mouth.
"You're brave, little horse. Stupid, but brave," he spoke through clenched teeth. Moonlight reflected off of the blade of the dagger, a warning of my potential demise.
If that pierces me, I will fall, no ifs, ands, or buts.
"I'll be sure to put it on your gravestone," his throaty laugh was particularly unnerving. "The stupid brave horse."
The creature stalked toward me, his steps and distance now deliberate and calculated, no longer any wasted motion.
Watch that blade like a hawk, Luna.
Hooves or possibly claws could be a problem as well.
I took a short step back, silently lowering one of the many hidden daggers I carried to the ground. If I hoped to win this fight, speed and flawless tactics would be critical to my survival. In an instant he lunged, the blade in his mouth descending in a diagonal slash, the soft flesh of my neck the intended target.
I thrusted my wings outward and flapped as hard as I could, launching myself away from him and upwards into the air. The dense trees would not allow me to maneuver well in the air, but I could use the slight elevation to my advantage. I flared my magic, telekinetically throwing another dagger directly at my attacker.
Chuckling as he watched the projectile travel, he effortlessly deflected the knife with the weapon in his maw. I smirked happily, my plan having worked perfectly. Still utilizing the same telekinesis spell, I lifted the prone dagger I had just laid on the ground deep inside the belly of the beast.
"Nghhhh!" He grinded his teeth on the hilt of his dagger, his body shaking in pain. He gripped the hilt of my dagger planted deep within his stomach, roughly pulling it out with a claw before examining it closely. "Curse you. I expected magic," It flipped the knife in its grasp, now holding the tip of the blade. "Not bad, little horse. But you've already made a fatal mistake."
"That being?" I flapped my wings to stay airborne, creating a larger target than I would have liked.
"One!" He flung the dagger directly at my head with swift expertise. I expected an attack, catching the knife in a telekinetic field. In the same moment that I had stopped it, the monster was on me, inches away.
He must have used a nearby tree as a springboard to gain more elevation. Either that or the muscles in his legs were made out of incredibly strong material. His blade descended from above me, millimeters from splitting my skull in two. I lifted both forelegs, the hidden blades strapped to them lessening his blow.
He was not exceptionally strong and for that I was sincerely grateful.
"Always go for the vitals!" He thrust a claw at my exposed chest, or more accurately at my heart. I had no way to evade or any remotely good options, only mitigation of as much damage as possible. I shifted my weight in mid air, avoiding the strike as best I could, but his nails were as sharp as any sword I had encountered and pierced my flesh effortlessly.
With a loud grunt, I was sent tumbling backward, the pain of the attack compounding as I came crashing down into the unforgiving trunk of a tree. Reality blurred and tilted as the assailant sauntered my way to finish me off.
I coughed when I tried to get oxygen, causing more blood to trickle from both the wound on my chest and my mouth. In a last ditch effort I weakly threw the last two daggers bound to my forelegs. They sailed wide as the assassin deftly side stepped each of them.
"Two," he lifted a claw, holding up his fingers. "If you'd have dipped your blades in poison, I'd already be dead," he lowered his claw as he drew closer to me. I tried to stand up but the pain and vertigo made it impossible to get off my behind.
"You..." I had to do something or it was over. "under... estimate me." I could not breathe properly, the attack to my chest seemingly dangerously close to my lungs.
"You can't even stand, little horse," he chuckled through the grip on his knife. "I hope it was worth it. Now you're gonna die just like your sister."
Tia...
I poured what little magic I had left into my horn, the ache that came from colliding with the tree making it feel like a drill was boring into my brain.
"I will not... let you... hurt.. her." Breathing and talking too close together was not something I was able to do.
"You don't have much of a choice, little horse." He was getting too close. If I did not act soon, I would just be another victim, a corpse in the middle of an unnamed forest in an unforgiving world.
No, not yet, not while Tia still needs me.
I cast the spell that could very well be my last. The dagger he had thrown back at me teleported a foot in front of my would be murderer.
"Come on, what are you gonna do wi-NGH!" His eyes shot open as he groaned in pain. His jaw fell, his weapon dropping to the forest floor with a thunk. He had not noticed my intention.
Thank goodness he did not notice.
He slumped forward to the ground, unmoving. The hilt of the very first dagger I had thrown stuck out of the back of his hood, still held in my telekinetic spell.
I had done it. I had been beyond lucky, but I had done it. He was like a big pin cushion, not an inch of his body protected by armor. Without protection, he was simply a large mass of soft flesh. His arrogance had been his downfall. My gamble had paid off.
I scrutinized the wound on my chest. It was bleeding, but the claws had not pierced so deeply that I was in immediate danger of losing consciousness. I had saved myself, had saved Tia. I had survived. I had won. It was exhilarating.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The memories were as vivid as if they were from the night before. I could never forget them... never. It was the first time I truly understood the purpose of my life. The first time I knew why I had been created.
Celestia. The sun. My sun. My sister's light outshined the darkness in the world. She illuminated it all, illuminated my life. She made me strong. I was meant to use that gift to protect the order of the world. Without the two of us everything would cease to function. The weather, the plants, the very food we ate. Even the boundaries of the ocean and time itself were dependent on my sister and I. All would fail without the two of us fulfilling the duties we'd been created to maintain.
My sister's warmth and light energized and guided us all. I was to use that guidance to ensure her safety as well as the rest of Equestria's well-being while maintaining the night and the dream realm.
When the Nightmare possessed me, I'd lost sight of my duty. I let my own selfish desires get in the way of what was truly important, convinced myself I did not need anypony else.
Cast the world into eternal night? How would that have even worked, Luna?
Her sun is critical for the order of the planet as well as the life inhabiting it. I had become as foolish as the monsters that tried to take out lives in ages past.
And yet, I was able to learn from my foolishness. Through my imprisonment everything became much clearer. My rightful place would never be as ruler of Equestria, it was at my sister's side, regardless of official title. Together with her, whether that be as a princess or a peasant.
As I sat by the wasteland our home had become, I could not help but feel a deep sense of regret settle on my shoulders. The old me would never have let something like this happen to us, not in a million years. There were so many things I could have done to prevent this, so many precautions I could have taken.
I could have put up ancient barrier spells to nullify any magic that might have come against our abode. Or I could have cast enchantments to make the area non-existent if Celestia or I were not around. Even something as simple as a tiny pocket dimension that only we could reach for storing our extremely important relics would have gone a long way in preserving our treasures.
I was thoroughly convinced a single enchanted bell attached to a string would have been more effective than what I had attempted: absolutely nothing. And so, we both paid for my lack of sense. I failed Tia again and still she held no grudge against me. If that were truly the case then neither would I.
No more self loathing.
And no more imposing punishments on myself for something that was not fundamentally my fault.
No more secrets.
"Farewell," I whispered to the perfect life my sister and I had lost. It was time to leave it in the past. It was time to start fixing things for the sake of the future. It was time to bring order back to the world. I readied a teleportation spell, the time my sister and I had agreed she'd return long past.
There was no sign of her arrival as of yet so something had to have altered the plan. I was sure she was not in any mortal danger. Tia was gradually shifting back to her old self as well. She would soon become an impregnable fortress, a protector that could not be overcome by anything.
My horn hummed, ready to go. As I flickered out of and then back into reality I had to rub my eyes to make sure they were not betraying me. Confusion instantly flooded my mind at the peculiar sight.
The barrier containing Canterlot had morphed, had grown beyond the borders of the city. Along with a much wider circumference, a long tendril extended far away from the royal capital. As my eyes traced the magical pillar, an even greater bewilderment overtook me.
Far in the distance Celestia and two other ponies were grouped on the ground, one of them seemingly injured or? I could not be sure. I quickly teleported to the trio without further contemplation.
"...her home, Flurry. I'll be there as so- Luna!?" Celestia was taken aback at my sudden arrival. "Has it already been so long?" My appearance caused my sister to focus on me.
Upon further inspection the other two ponies were a perturbed Flurry Heart and a pegasus that I didn't recognize. The young mare looked positively horrified, as if she had just witnessed her entire family getting butchered before her eyes. Flurry had her wing wrapped around the mare, seemingly trying to comfort her.
"Yes, Sister. Time has long expired," I replied, not taking my eyes off of the trembling pegasus.
"I'm gonna take her home, Granny." Flurry was all business, her horn shimmering with energy.
"WAIT! Am I allowed to leave!? Will she let me go!? I can't just-" The pegasus grabbed at Flurry with her hooves, her eyes frantic as she looked from the captain to my sister. Celestia crouched down next to the duo, a kind smile on her face.
"Everything's going to be alright, Violet," Celestia placed a comforting hoof on the mare's shoulder. The pegasus rapidly blinked back tears before nodding her head slowly.
"O... okay," her body slumped as if she did not believe my sister's words. Regardless, Celestia nodded at Flurry who reciprocated the gesture.
"I'll see you guys back at the palace." Flurry wasted no time with pleasantries before flashing out of existence, taking the pegasus named Violet with her. Celestia stood to her hooves, a tired sigh escaping her lips.
"What a day..." she attempted to smile at me, but it came across more as an uncomfortable grimace than anything else.
"What did I miss?" I looked up at the length of black magic that was spreading across the countryside. It resembled onyx and hung in the sky like the unnatural branch of a deteriorating tree. Although the mass was abnormally stretched, it did not sway or even move in the gentle breeze.
"She won't stop, Luna," Celestia joined me in staring at the barrier. "She's being deliberately cryptic with me." I had been referring to the incident I had just witnessed, but if she did not wish to address it currently, perhaps it was better to place it on the back burner for now.
"That is most displeasing to hear, Sister," I glanced at her sideways, trying to gauge her reaction. It was unfortunate news, but not really unexpected. She continued to stare at the barrier, not batting an eye at my reply. It bothered me that she still utilized her masks around me, but I chalked that up to habit rather than distrust. "Were you able to gather any information on this spell?" I pointed up at it with a hoof.
The barrier was spreading faster than I had anticipated it would. Before much longer, it would cover more land than we could contain. We had to do something soon or it would be too late to take action.
"Like I said, she was being cryptic. But..." she turned to me, a look of fierce determination on her face. The mask she had worn previously now nowhere to be seen.
"But?" I tilted my head as I turned her way.
"I believe she's harvesting energy for a cataclysmic spell." Tia must have mentally prepared herself to say that aloud because she did not so much as flinch. On the other hoof, my body wobbled before I lost the ability to stand and fell to my haunches.
"What does that mean, Tia? Similar to someone such as Tirek?" The centaur had the ability to drain others magic. Why had Twilight not used such a technique on me if she had the ability to do so? Celestia shook her head, licking her lips before answering me.
"I believe she's using forbidden magic to do as you claimed." My eyes widened in surprise even though I had an inkling that was the case. "There is no greater source of power than life energy or if you wish to play semantics, the energy of the soul, as you claimed."
This topic was something Tia and I had avoided our entire existence. Such things were more corrupting than any other field of magic. Absolute power and that whole mess.
"To what end, Tia? She has power far greater than any other creature in Equestria, save the two of us. What could she need that much energy for?" This was beginning to reach levels of consequence I was not prepared for,
levels of accountability I was sure Twilight Sparkle could not comprehend.
"I believe it's for a globe spanning alteration spell," she rubbed her face with a hoof. If that was right...
"Wh-what?" I knew she was up to nothing good but this was... Nightmare levels of evil. "Alter it how, Tia?" My face was inches away from Celestia's, my desperation coming out much more than I would have liked. My desire to make the night permanent would have destroyed the world and everypony in it. Whatever foolish change Twilight was shooting for could bode no better for the land or her subjects.
"I'm not sure, Lulu, but if I had to venture a guess, I'd say something that would change the very laws of nature itself... in particular the parameters of death." Celestia spoke as if her theory was an experiment she was in control of in a lab and not the absolute disaster we were facing. While she was calm, cool, and collected, sweat was beginning to dampen my forehead.
"Celestia," I closed my eyes, gathering all of the thoughts I wanted to shout at her, instead lining them up and staying level headed. I was by no means angry, but panic threatened to overtake me. "you know as well as I that we cannot allow such things to continue. It is against... against the natural order of our world." My sister smiled at me as if I had said or did the correct thing while she was testing me.
"Agreed, Luna. She must be stopped, no matter the cost, and we are the only ones capable of doing so." There was no sadness or reservation in her, she was finally ready to do her duty.
"I am glad we are of one accord, Tia." We both smiled at the same time followed by a heartfelt laugh. "Together?" I held a hoof out to her.
"Together," she bumped mine with her own.
"So what are the options we are considering, Sister?" I was brimming with confidence, ready to take on the world if need be. "I assume your mind is already firing on all cylinders." She stroked her chin with a hoof, looking up at the barrier once again.
"You would be right in that assumption, Luna. I do have a plan. When Twilight and I were discussing her actions she accidently mentioned a book."
Of course she did, I laughed internally.
"I'd wager it's in Canterlot, either within her quarters or the archives. If we can get our hooves on that book, we might be able to reverse this whole mess."
"A promising idea, one that would drive me to conclude you have a way to bypass the barrier." There would be no point mentioning entering Canterlot if she did not already know how to do that.
"Right again, Sister," she booped me on the snoot. "First, we'll continue with phase two of your plan. As far as this," she gestured back up at our very apparent problem. "I think the answer we seek lies in our precious niece."