Luna's Fight For Canterlot.

by chazzergamer


Bright Memories and Dark Nightmares

Luna opened her heavy eyelids, the bright sun pierced right through them.
She got back up of her four hooves, finding herself on a cloud just outside Canterlot but there was no Changelings to be seen.
“Wait a minute?“ she sounded groggy and her head was pounding.
“I remember…I remember the King and a bright light and…”

She spread her wings and glided across Canterlot looking around in complete awe and confusion. Watching all the ponies go about their daily lives but the Changelings were gone. Every single one as if they were never their.

“Hmm…strange” she pondered “I know that Canterlot is bigger than this and there is something else too…its quiet.” She started to float down a bit towards the main palace. “Canterlot in the middle of the day should be bustling and noisy but its as if the population has been halved.”

She was flying over the palace courtyards before noticing a few fillies playing with a ball, something about the fillies had drawn Luna in to find out who they were.
The two fillies were play fighting over a ball like normal ponies would.
Luna started to stare at the two fillies.

Those two are so familiar its scaring me.

She began thinking of why they were so familiar.
Until one said something that answered all the questions that Luna had and added even more to the list.

“Hey Tia give that back!”

Luna could hardly believe her eyes or ears as she thought to herself. Did that filly really say Tia?

“Nah-uh Lu-lu you gotta catch me first!”

“Its mine Tia, give me back my ball!”

Luna could hardly believe it herself. She was staring at herself when she was just a little filly. Luna had travelled back through time. “Its me…that’s me and Tia too” she started to worry about what her sister used to say about time travel and the mistakes that can be made “it’s a very risky venture Lu-lu and if your not careful…Very bad things can happen, very bad!”

Even with Celestia’s warning, Luna found it hard to care when she was actually looking at how carefree she was when she was a filly. How playing with Celestia and wondering what flowers she wanted to water was the biggest concern in her life. Being a princess had its perks but she did miss the simple things she could do as a filly.

Luna was daydreaming for too long, when she glanced back at her younger self, she was staring right at her. “No no no what happens now?!” Luna was panicking but still remained completely still in case she made things worse, still staring into her younger self’s eyes.

The younger Luna’s face began to smile “Hey Tia look…what a pretty bird,” the young Celestia walked over to take a look too “Wow that is pretty isn’t it?”

Luna became extremely confused “Bird?!?!” Luna started to wonder what was wrong with their eyes before turning round and seeing a phoenix fly pass “Wait a minute,” she came up with a theory “can they…?” She glided down and stood right in front of her past self.

Little Luna gave off nothing. No shouts, no scream, nothing.

Luna went to touch her younger self. Her hoof went straight through her as if she was air.
“I see now, I’m a ghost” she stood still as she watched the little fillies run off to play. Luna was relived that she could wonder around the city but there was still so many questions going through her head. “What I am suppose to do here and how did I even get here to begin with?”

One of the royal guards entered the courtyards and bellowed for attention. “Princess Luna and Princess Celestia!” The two fillies ran to the guard, “Yes Captain Thunderhoof” they both said politely and in unison.

“The King has summoned both of you to the Treasury.” The two fillies looked confused as they turned to each other, “Daddy doesn’t normally summon us during the day” pondered young Luna ”wonder what he wants?”

The guard broke out into a small smile “Its time girls.” The two fillies faces began to light up as they darted into the castle, through the infinite corridors to find the Treasury and Luna not far behind them. She sensed the familiarity within a second, “Will I really get to see Dad again?” Her heart began to glow with the possibility of seeing her father again as she glided through the grand doors of the Treasury.

The Treasury looked magnificent. It was a large hall with a gem encrusted door at its end containing all sorts of treasures and riches.
There was eight windows, four windows on both sides. Only a few of those windows were stained with some of the more brilliant moments of Equestrian history. After The Three Tribes had formed an alliance they elected a powerful Alicorn King who was named after the land itself, King Equestria. His coronation is on one of the stained windows and opposite that was a window decorated with the birth his two daughters.

Celestia and Luna.

They both galloped onto their Father for a quick hug. King Equestria was very old but his stature showed he still had the strength of giant, his once golden coat was now gray, how old he actually was is a mystery. Some say he has watched over Equestria for thousands of years.

Luna didn’t care about the legends going through her head. She just galloped up to her Dad with a happy tear flowing down her cheek.

But she stopped to realise the truth, her happy tear became cold.

“He can’t see me…I’m a projection.”

Even though her own Father couldn’t see her, it was still a wish come true to see him again. King Equestria walked to the gem encrusted, stone door before turning round to face his daughters

“My lovely daughters” he said with love from his heart, “both of you have the ability to raise the sun and moon, but there is one last thing I must give to you, you must be careful for these are powerful weapons.” The King used his magic to open the stone doors and brought a stone chest to his daughters.

“The Elements of Harmony!”

When the chest opened, the fillies grabbed the elements like they were new toys but Celestia noticed something about these artefacts. “If these are powerful weapons then why can’t I feel any magic from them?” she questioned.

King Equestria chuckled “The elements are not just simple weapons that can be picked up and used.” The king knelt down to the same level as the fillies, “The elements are mystical and will only let ponies they see fit acquire their incredible powers”.

“What do we need to do to use the elements?” questioned the younger Luna.

The king returned to his four hooves and calmly illuminated his horn with a golden coat of magic, revealing ancient text on the stone chest that once contained the elements, “Whomever shall obtain these elements,” he narrated quietly, “if their heart is pure and should they be worthy…will be overcome with the feeling of harmony.”

The younger Luna looked up at her father with admiration and wonder, whilst Celestia looked confused, “What the hay is that supposed to mean?” The king rubbed Celestia’s mane, “That is a question you must figure out on your own.” The king looked up to see a small, red coated earth colt with a rainbow mane and tail,

“Ahh look Celestia, your friend is here.” Celestia turned around to the colt who bowed down to the king, “Your Majesty,” said the colt politely, then turning to
Celestia, ”Hiya Tia”. Celestia’s face lit up with a slight blush and galloped towards him, having a quick hug then leaving the treasury. Leaving young Luna with her father and leaving older Luna staring at the exit with old memories on her mind.

She turned back to find her younger self with her head down being comforted by her father.

“What is the matter Luna?” Questioned the King, Luna looked up with her wide eyes at her father, something about that old pony could make anyone open up.

“You see…Dad.” Her voice cracked and weak “Celestia is always the one that people look up to and admire…she is clearly the best so…” a tear could be seen trailing down her face ”Where does that leave me?”

Her father smiled and brought her into a tight hug. “Listen my daughter” he whispered “Ponies are not divided into who is best and who is worst, there is only ponies, Celestia is Celestia and you are you.“ The King knelt down to Luna’s level and looked right into her eyes, “You are special to me and your sister, that’s all that matters, besides…” The king rose and placed the elements back into the stone chest, “I think that fate has a important path planned out for you Luna.”

Older Luna looked at her father and pondered his words in her head.

Yeah…a path that leads to nightmares and fear…

As older Luna returned from her head she could see that everything around her was disappearing, bit by bit. Until she looked up to see a familiar white spark. “Oh no not this again.”

Luna closed her eyes to shield them from the bright light and when she opened them, she was at one of the walkways of Canterlot, but Canterlot had become hell.

The city was aflame, buildings were destroyed and ash flouted through the streets like leaves in the fall.

Luna remembered this day but would give anything to forget it, she looked up into the sky, finding the cause of this armageddon, scaring Luna to her very core.

“Why take me back here of all the days in my life?”

“…the day Discord attacked.”

Discord was above the city causing chaos throughout Canterlot, laughing at the misery of all the other ponies that were lucky (or unlucky) enough to survive that long.

Luna ran to the citadel but not to get away from Discord.

If this is that day, then I am about to…oh no.

She flew to the top of the citadel where an older Celestia and Luna were waiting.

When Luna glided through the Citadel, she found King Equestria and his daughters in a heated argument.

“FATHER YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS!!!” Screamed Celestia “I won’t do this, I won’t leave you behind!” With teenage Luna standing beside her, “I am not going anywhere!”
“Girls that is an ORDER!!” Bellowed the King slamming his hoof on the ground which made mice out of the brave daughters.

King Equestria brought out the stone chest from behind him and gave it to Luna “Take these and learn how to use them, only then do we stand a chance against Discord, I will use my magic to send you south to the Badlands.”

Celestia was crying and her sister was not far from it with current Luna standing right next to her younger self, “You can’t…I don’t want to go“ whimpered both Lunas at the same time “I won‘t let you die here!!” The King kissed both of his daughters foreheads and looked into their eyes “I promise…I will find you there.”

Something crashed through the side of the tower behind the King. It was Discord.
“Give me the elements!!”

The King wrapped his wings around his daughters “Goodbye my little sun and moon.”

Both Lunas screamed and when King Equestria pulls back his wings his daughters were gone and Luna vanished into thin air.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Luna could not stop her tears from running like a stream, screaming at the dark because she knew what happened after that.
“You never found us did you.” crying in-between words “Stupid old man…WHY DID YOU HAVE TO GO AND DIE…we had to return and imprison Discord ourselves.”

Luna’s distraught mind was too preoccupied to see where she was.

She was on a bridge above a calm stream in a secluded countryside, the moon large and glistening like a diamond nailed to the sky.

Luna was getting tired of this trip though memory lane, “Where am I now?!” she
shouted at nothing, hoping to get some kind of response.

“Hello Luna”

Luna stood completely still, she knew that voice came from behind her and she knew the voice too.

No that can’t be him

She turned round to the left side of the bridge, “Dad?” The old pony smiled and walked closer to her “You’ve grown taller” he said quietly.

A thousand questions were racing through Luna’s head and her Dad could see it, “Listen Lun-” he was pulled into a tight hug and could feel tear on his neck, when the pulled apart Luna was ready to ask all the questions.

“Where am I?”

“You are in your subconscious and you have been travelling through your memories.”

“How am I able to do this?”

“The day discord took control, I kissed you on the forehead.” Luna remembered but could not make the connection, her father smiled “When I did that I gave you a bit of my magic, hopefully it would stay dormant but should a time come when you are faced with a great challenge, it will ignite and start healing your physical body while keeping your spiritual self safe in your head.”

Luna was amazed by how far her father thought ahead, “What happened to you?”

Equestria‘s smile faded “I knew that I was going to die that day, but since then I have seen the world through your eyes…”

Luna could feel her heart sink, the person she admired most saw her become a monster, “I…I didn’t mean to..” she chocked up her words only to be stopped by her fathers hoof.

“I told you fate had a path planned out for you.”

“FOR WHAT!?!?!” Luna screamed at her father and her past “WHAT GOOD COULD COME FROM THAT THING…What good came from Nightmare Moon?”

Equestria was unfazed by her daughters shouting, “Who was it that stopped you from creating eternal night?”

“Twilight and her friends, the Elements of Harmony” Luna whimpered “What does that have to do with anything?”

Equestria began to smile, “And how would they meet if not for her?”

Luna looked up, the cogs in her head worked it out.

Without Nightmare Moon the Elements of Harmony would not be bought together and Discord would have concurred Equestria when he returned, Nightmare Moon had saved them all.
But the thing that mattered most to Luna was that her Father still trusted her.

“Even after everything I did…” tears of happiness began to come “You still believed in me?”

Her Father put his hoof on Luna’s shoulder

“Always.”

Luna threw her self onto her Father and he embraced her, the ever mutual love of a father and daughter. However the hug was short lasted and Equestria became serious and urgent.

“Luna, you must stop the King from destroying our home!”

Luna lowered her head “I can’t…he is too strong.” her father lifted her head and asked a brave question “You could always ask her?”
Luna knew what he was suggesting but could not fathom why he would consider asking someone like her.

“No, I won’t go to her.”

Equestria knew that Luna had lived in the fear of her for long enough “Isn’t it time for you to face your fear?”

Luna could not help but nod in agreement “But what do I do?”

“This is your alter-ego, Luna, only you can answer that.”

Luna took a few steps back, prepared for her meeting and looked at someone who never doubted her for a second “Love you Dad, thank you for everything.”

Her father began to cry and weep, the only time this powerful alicorn ever cried in front of Luna “You have become a beautiful mare, both inside and out, and a far better ruler than I could ever hope to be.”

Within the second that Luna blinked she was taken away from her father and into a pitch black field, nothing could be seen.

Luna was fuelled by her father and had no fear in her heart, “Hello!”
“Hi”

Behind her was two giant pillars wrapped in chains.

The chains leading off and tied around the source of all nightmares.

Nightmare moon.