Dark clouds clouded her vision as the decent into the dairy’s dream world. Princess Luna’s eyes twitched from the perpetual darkness not akin to the shadow of the night. She couldn’t see, smell hear or sense anything beyond the veil of darkness constantly ahead of her and it worried her the deeper she went.

Soon the black clouds began to fade revealing the landscape around her. To her surprise it was very familiar; too familiar…

In front of Princess Luna was indeed Ponyville but not the Ponyville that she knew. This Ponyville was old, shabby, ruined and completely devoid of any sort of happiness or warmth she felt when she last visited. Luna made took a couple steps inside the plaza in front of the now ruined town square pavilion.

“Where is everypony?” She asked looking everywhere for even a breath of life. The only response was a brief gust of wind in the deserted town. No one, not a single sign of a hoof print was to be seen and for a moment though alone Luna felt something was watching her. A single creak of the pavilion door caught her attention.

“Who’s there?” Luna cried jerking herself around. The doors to the town’s pavilion we’re open, shifting very slowly from the light breeze of wind. Out of the corner of the opening Luna saw the last strands of a tail entering.

“Wait!” Luna ran to the pavilion and kicked the doors wide open. Inside she was greeted to a lavishly decorated ballroom. The décor was very intricate, right down to every ribbon, but like the rest of the down had apparently been abandoned. Dust covered much of table and windows, the bright colors of the banners had faded away and the flowers had rotted and decayed in their pots.

“What’s going on here…?” Luna asked herself looking around helplessly at what might have been an amazing event. If anypony we’re around…

There was then a short scream that echoed through the pavilion as the doors slammed shut. Dark clouds and mists of dark blue and purple permeated through the corners of the room.

Princess Luna looked up at the main patio catching a glimpse of a ghost of a white unicorn with a regal purple mane.

The smoky body of Rarity faded away into the darkness of pavilion as the mists and clouds filled more and more of the room, covering half of the windows. Then an eerie patch of glittering mist began to seethe from where the vision once stood. The fog began to take shape and form into that of pony, unlike the ghostly apparition Luna saw earlier this one seemed to be far more solid and possibly far more dangerous.

Princess Luna’s eyes and mouth we’re opened wide as out of glimmering fog came the familiar form of Nightmare Moon.

“It can’t be…” she mouthed staring at the black alicorn in front of her. “This is not…”

“What did you do with our Princess?!” A ghostly apparition of Rainbow Dash materialized itself about to charge at dark princess.

“Whoa there, Nelly...” A ghostly visage of Applejack quickly appeared behind it grabbing the ghost pegasus by the tail. Neither ghosts stayed for very long as the mist that formed them shattered apart leaving nothing behind.

Nightmare Moon laughed to herself a bit. “Why?” She asked “Am I not ‘royal’ enough for you?”
Her eyes then aligned themselves to face directly at Princess Luna.

“Ooh, ooh, more guessing games!” A misty form of Pinkie Pie cried zipping in and out of the fog covering the room. “Um, Hokey Smokes! How about... Queen Meanie! No! Black Snooty, Black Snooty-“

The vision of Pinkie Pie vanished as soon as it appeared but Princess Luna’s gaze did not divert from Nightmare Moon’s ghastly form. The Mare in the Moon still gazed at her singularity.

“Does my crown no longer count now that I have been imprisoned for a thousand years? Did you not recall the legend? Did you not see the signs? “

Princess Luna turned behind her to look upon the ghostly form of her sister’s most faithful student: Twilight Sparkle

“And I know who you are!” The ghost said staring at Luna, not Nightmare Moon. “You're the Mare in the Moon – Nightmare Moon!”

Luna turned around to look at Nightmare Moon but found the mare missing from its previous position.

Luna felt a strange sensation on the left side of her body. Her hooves tingled and her mane started to twitch. She glanced at her hooves and beheld a horrifying transformation as her left hoof began to darken. Then her left eye lost its vision and her left ear lost all sense of sound…

“You're here to... to...” The ghost of Twilight backed away from Princess Luna, disappearing in the thick cloud of fog.

“Remember this day, little ponies, for it was your last…” Nightmare Moon said

Princess Luna’s thoughts we’re of extreme panic and horror as the sound seemed to be coming out of her own lips. Skittering around the room surrounded by black fog and smoke, there was nowhere to run. Only a single dusty window remained untouched by the mist.

Princess Luna rushed towards the window stopping only inches away from the glance. She braced the sides and tried to force it open and escape the incoming mist behind her. Her eyes then bore witness to the reflection of her face. Half of it was that of her own and the other half was the dark smiling face of Nightmare Moon.

The reflection then completely transformed fully into the black mare and snickered at her with a devil’s grin.

Princess Luna screamed as loud she possibly could as the howling voice of Nightmare Moon carried itself across the pavilion. Suddenly the walls and windows of the building split open, torn apart by an instantaneous appearance of a raging thunder storm.

Nightmare Moon’s diabolical laugher was louder than the deepest sounds of thunder. Princess Luna shut her eyes and blanked out her mind from the noise as she mindlessly ran as far away as her hooves would take her.

Her mindless run was stopped when she ran into a solid body and fell backwards on the floor. Princess Luna dared to open her eyes…

“Seize her!” the ghostly form of Mayor Mare declared pointing at Princess Luna “Only she knows where the Princess is!”

“Wait! Please…!” Luna cried but several piercing eyes of red shot out from the shadows behind Mayor Mare. Dark shells of royal guards launched themselves at the downed Princess.

She barely made it off the floor before spears of darkness pierced the floor beneath her.

“Make it stop!” Princess Luna cried out as she ran “Please I didn’t want this! I never wanted…!”

Princess Luna stopped running. That voice, only one other pony in all of Equestria had that voice. She turned her head slowly.

“Never wanted them to fear you, respect you, and acknowledge your presence?” The ghastly form of her elder sister Princess Celestia said before her. “They acknowledge you now.”

“Sister no…” Princess Luna said gritting her teeth “I was Princess of the Night! I never got to see them! I didn’t get the chance to…”

“Why did you make me Princess of the Night…” Luna finally said, a single tear fell from her face “Why did you put me out there in the dark? Alone!”

The nightmarish visage of Princess Celestia grinned at her. “Dear sister, no matter what has happened we are responsible for our own decisions…”

Princess Luna couldn’t hold it any longer. She roared at the ghost of her sister before lashing out at her in full force; sending a single ray on concentrated magical energy at it. Her spell was countered by the exact same ray and she found herself facing not the form of Celestia but an exact mirror image of herself.

“What!?” Princess Luna gasped as her own ghostly visage gazed at her, horn still blazing with magic.

“Now pay the price for your actions!” It said firing another beam. Luna didn’t even think flinch to dodge the ray. Her surprise and shock had completely overwhelmed her senses. She had a brief moment to close her eyes just before it made contact.

There was no pain upon contact on the sensation of being lifted off her feet and high above the ground. Princess Luna opened her eyes and found she no longer was in the shadow of the dark Ponyville but instead high in the sky looking over the Everfree Forest.

Out of sight of the average pony she beheld the same horrors that she inflicted upon Twilight and her friends that very night.

“Nightmare Moon didn’t just do this…” Princess Luna said as she watched Twilight and the others brave the horrors and dangers of the forest. “I did… I am responsible as Nightmare Moon…!”

The flight took the now teary eyed Princess Luna above the clouds until she was clearly over the ancient castle where she was first restored. Suddenly the pull of gravity re asserts its hold on her and Princess Luna felt less like a bird and more akin to a rock. Helplessly she failed her wings but the pull ensnared her like a trap and she fell faster and faster towards the ruined castle.

Before she could strike the floor she is stopped by an unknown force leaving her only inches away from the stone but only letting her go after she came to a complete stop. Princess Luna looked around the ruined halls of the castle. There was nopony inside. That couldn’t be right. Twilight and her friends should have restored her and ended this horrible nightmare.

She then found the tiara representing the Element of Magic upon the floor along with the shattered amulets of the other five.

“What…” Luna said looking in disbelief at the Elements of Harmony’s destroyed state.

A sudden hoof stomp behind her brings her attention again to the image of Nightmare Moon, her dark self once more gloating at her.

“Fall to your knees foal! Obey your new Queen and ruler of all of Equestria!” she bellowed
“Never!” Princess Luna cried “Equestria will never be ruled by one like you so as I still stand!”

“You cannot face me!” Nightmare Moon laughed at her “I am your instinct! I am your ambition! I am the real you!”

Princess Luna stepped backwards a moment unsure on how to confront her darker self. Her hoof then touched the tiara.

“You see that was the problem…” Luna said to Nightmare Moon “I… You thought that you could destroy the Elements but you forget that the Spirits of Harmony live on and they will continue to do so!”

The tiara started to glimmer with the faintest trace of light and Nightmare Moon’s grin started to vanish.

“Maybe now I understand why sister had to banish the both of us…” Luna muttered softly “But this time I am going to banish you for good!”

Nightmare Moon’s smile completely dropped as the Elements of Harmony reformed themselves and circled around Princess Luna in a spiral of many colors.

“NO!” Nightmare Moon could only scream as the Elements did their work; destroying the shadow body of the Mare in the Moon.

Nothing was left of the dark mare afterwards, barely even a puff a smoke. The Elements of Harmony dropped once more back onto the floor lifeless. Luna gave a giant sign before dropping her ass down tired.

“It’s over… finally…” Luna said closing her eyes for a moment of peace.

There was then a sudden groan in the air forcing Luna’s eyes to open again as a huge demonic looking apparition forced its way out of nowhere.

“NO!!!” the monstrous being howled “YOU WILL NEVER DEFEAT ME!!!”

It lunged itself at Luna knocking her out her feet and through several walls of rock. The very breath she took early was snuffed out of her as she landed. She tried to get up but her legs would not respond. Despite her best efforts all they could do was wobble and shake.

The beast hurled itself through the ruins opening its mouth opened wide and bellowed a heart wrenching scream. Luna was finished; she barely had the strength to bring herself back up let alone fight this enraged monster.

Then a brilliant ray of sunlight shot out of the corner of her eyes. The skies above changed as the clouds split apart allowing the sun to pierce through. The demonic being screeched as its warmth giving rays dissolved its black form. It twisted screaming hurling curse till it was no more.

Princess Luna could not see anything through the rays of sunlight which still grew more brilliant with each passing moment. Then a single shadow of another alicorn approached her. It was far larger than her though she could not make out any details through the piercing light. Her strength nearly spent she let her head lay upon the ground as the mysterious pony drew closer.

To her surprise as it stood next to her she didn’t feel afraid at all, but as if she was safe, safer than she had ever felt in a long time. The large alicorn stuck out its hoof ready to help her up and in a powerful male voice that she could not recognize but heard before said

Luna finally closed her eyes unable to keep them open a moment longer. But before losing consciousness she forced herself to say one last thing.

Princess Luna turned and groaned in bed struggling to open her eyes. Though her physical body remained relatively unharmed she still felt the pain and fatigue in her mind. Finally opening her eyes she found herself being watched by her older sister and several of the guards.

Princess Celestia hugged her little sister “Luna thank goodness your alright!”

“You’ve been out for almost two days.” came Atom’s voice who walked into the room. “Princess Celestia has not left your side.”

“When did she-“
“When you didn’t show up in the morning.” Celestia finished “What we’re you thinking doing such a perilous task all by yourself?”
“The Pillar…!” Luna cried sitting upright quickly

“Already got it.” Atom said pointing at the bright golden yellow pillar on the table next to closed dairy. “You did it.”

“Luna how could you do this without telling anypony?” Celestia asked “You we’re out for nearly two days for pony’s sake I thought you’d never wake up!”

“I’m not a little pony any more Tia…!” Luna said to her worried older sister
“You’re always my little sister.” Celestia said to her before turning her attention to the male. “How could you allow this?”

“What kind of answer is that?” Celestia roared “Threatening the safety of a Princess all for a single object!?”

“Her safety was her own concern.” Atom coldly said “If she was in any actual danger I myself would have objected. Unfortunately it wasn’t my say if she want to go OR not.”

Princess Celestia walked up towards the male alicorn and looked him straight in the eye. Though the tallest in the room the male was not that much shorter and Celestia barely had to look down to meet his unyielding eyes.

Then after a moment she relented and gasped as if going through a moment of clarity.
“You wanted her to go in on purpose…”

“You knew the trial wasn’t a test of Kindness!” Celestia said pointing at Atom.
“Guilty as charged…” Atom responded
“My question is now… why!?” Celestia demanded

“I’m just following orders…” Atom said grimly looking away from her.
“From who? Our father?” Celestia cried “Who are you really working for!?”

“If you want that answer I suggest you ask your sister!” Atom yelled back at her.

Celestia turned her head back towards Luna who looked as though she had seen a ghost.

“Luna…?” Celestia’s anger faded as quickly as it came “What happened in there?”

“It’s just…” Luna started to mumble a bit “I think… I think I saw him.”
“Saw who Luna, who?”
Luna looked up at her sister with wide open eyes. “I think I saw father.”

Celestia dropped her argument and fell on the ground in defeat. She placed her head upon the bed and groaned before turning herself around.

Princess Celestia raised her hoof “Everypony please leave us.” She said “I wish to talk with my sister alone.”

Atom didn’t object and certainly none of the guards did either. All of the males left the room without a fuss, closing the door behind them. What seemed to be hours passed by as sounds of crying, sobbing as well as some screaming pierced through the walls. Then the door opened and Princess Celestia alone came out.

“She needs to rest. She’s been through a lot.” Celestia said to her guards “Make sure she’s comfortable.”

Celestia now looked as if she’d been through a warzone and carried herself away from her sister’s bedchambers. She only stopped once she found the male alicorn waiting for her outside in the throne room.

“Then don’t.” Atom said “I’m not here to make things difficult; I’m just here to make sure everything is ready.”

“That is for you to find out, but until then only five days remain. Be prepared.” Atom said leaving the room and the Princess all by herself

Five days…? But that’s when the Summit is…
Princess Celestia shook her head; had to be a coincidence and with security being higher than ever that time along with her sister in bed she had a lot more to worry about than ominous warnings.

Taking her seat on her throne she pulled out a roll of parchment and began to write:

Authors Notes
This is only shorter because my editor and I decided to split off the other part since it stretched on WAY too long. We found it would fit much better in the next chapter so we apologize if the ending of this one seems quick/far-fetched/crummy/etc.
We are hoping that we’ve captured the inner conflict we believe that Princess Luna is (or has) gone through and hope that we haven’t given a bad impression on her. We love Princess Luna and personally for me this was probably one of my most favorite chapters to work on (my partner thinks it’s because we had to rewatch episode 1 and 2 over and over again lol)
Please post thoughts, reviews, ideas, corrections anything that could help. Please try to be constructive; I can take criticism but not outright hate. Enjoy Christmas Vacation!
Ultima75000

Echoes of the Old World

by Ultima75000

Sins of a Sister