//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: On Nightmares and Moons // by Rarity Belle //------------------------------// The dark blue mare flew high over the castle there were more tears fell from her before changing the heading and shot towards the ever so mystical Everfree Forest. All the guards looked up in awe at the scenery presented before them The young guard looked up to his princess as a small smile began to appear on his face. “Best of luck, my princess,” he whispered before placing his helmet back on and returned to the throne room where his eyes falling upon all the other guards. “Return to your posts.” The other guards nodded to the words and did as ordered as they all saluted and spoke in unison. “Yes captain.” In time did the princess of the moon found herself flying high in the air and she was looking through her watery eyes for something she regretted seeing for so long. One of her hooves was used to wiped away the many tears that left her eyes. For every wiped one, a new one took its place. She passed over the ever so quiet town of Ponyville and didn't even want to look down on it. The reason was that it held just a bit too many memories then she would have liked. Instead was her attention turned over to the rock in the skies. Yet upon its gazing would there only have been more tears that travelled down her cheeks. The rock in the skies, her home for a thousand years. Her gaze turned itself again away from the rock and placed itself on the forest, she was looking for something, something of what the mare herself didn't even know what it was. Answers? Prayers? Power? Redemption? She didn't even knew it herself as her mind was filled with chaos. But she knew one thing for sure, that there is one creature that would know more about it all. “I will show you, I will show you, we are meant to rule together, sister,” she whispered to herself. In the distance did her destination came in sight and she growled a bit. “And you shall tell me... Of all the beings alive.” ---   The old and broken castle slowly come closer towards her. Only when she could would Luna have set in for the landing. The princess eventually landed on all four of her hooves as she tucked her wings in against her body. “The old castle,” the alicorn mumbled in a quiet tone. Her cyan eyes fell upon the ruin and she had a good look over it. “The place where it all began, and ended.” Her mind brought her unwillingly back to the ungrateful day where everything went to Tartarus, if not worse. The day that the creature of darkness that caused the most dreadful event in the life of the young princess. A deep sigh left her mouth as she slowly made her way into the ruin, looking at the damage still present. “Why do I remember it so, lively?” she questioned herself out loud. “I was locked away, you had a hold over my body. So, why..?” The more her eyes fell on the ruin, the more flashbacks she got of the events. Luna shook her head after every single one, but it didn't help. No matter where she glanced, a flash happened. Sometimes from her point of view, other times her sister’s. “How could I have been so foolish?” Eventually had Luna reached the room that once housed the elements of harmony. There was another deep sigh that left her mouth. She walked up to the stone statue that held the orbs in previous times. The more her eyes rest on it, the more her eyelids began to close themselves and her most suppressed memory began to crawl out of its hiding place to haunt the troubled mare.   “Too late Celestia. I shall rule the land, in eternal darkness!” “I won’t let you...I won’t let you do that Luna!” “There is nothing you can do for it, except tremble...” A deafening blast filled the room and all that could be seen was a bright light, a light as bright as the sun as two screams rose above it all… “No!” “Sister, help me!” As the creature opened its eyes, darkness surrounded it as millions of stars could be seen, but this, was not Equestria, this was its punishment. ---   Luna shocked up from the memory and pressed it again deep within the realms of her mind. “Why? So many question I have, so many left unanswered. Why was I given this form of redemption? Why was I deluded by her dreams of power and might. How could I not foreseen the trap I walked in?” Her eyes opened themselves again. The wings spread themselves and flapped a couple times. A thing which resulted in her hovering before the statue with a set of both sad and wondering eyes. She knew that something or somepony could help her in the matter. Though Luna wasn't sure to do it or not as her aid could turn against her. Her heart and mind clashed heavily against each other over it as she lowered herself again, resting her hooves back on the ground. Her eyes left the statue and took a turn around the room, looking at scenery and suffering the memories they brought up. But something in a corner, caught her attention. The lids lowered and raised themselves a couple times, making sure her eyes were not lying to the mare. “No... That is impossible, it, it just is impossible!” she said while her attention kept itself fixed on the item. ---   The soft clattering of hooves filled the room as she carefully made her way over to it. The closer she got, the more she noticed, and sadly recognized, the shape of this thing. “How..? How in the name of Tartarus, did that survive it all?!” The sad look of the princess her eyes got transformed into a look of utter anger. She charged up her horn just a little bit. Thus allowing itself to coat in the cobalt blue color. Soon enough it was the item that got surrounded in the aura as well and carefully removed itself out of the dark corner and was brought before Luna. Who only boiled more in anger which slowly turned in rage as the thing only got closer. This thing was something she used to wear it with pride so long ago but now, she despised it with whole her heart. “My helmet... No, your helmet,” spoke Luna to herself. The helmet turned itself around and she gazed in the holes meant for the eyes. “You got destroyed... Sent to the Void where you belong, yet this cursed thing survives... Maybe, just maybe... No Luna, you, you are only cursing yourself with it. But what if she does know it? What if she knows the ‘whys’ I walk with?” The princess placed the helmet in the middle of the room and walked back to the statue, keeping her eyes on it as she let go another sigh. “Sister is going to send me back for this, but I need to know. There is no other way that makes me capable of doing it.” A couple deep breaths began to fill the room before the mare said the chant. “I hereby call upon you, creature of the darkness, I hereby call upon you for I need your help once more. Please, hear my call...” But nothing happened, except the beating heart of Luna, there was nothing. “I call upon you once more creature of the Void, I need your help again, hear my call for you!” She repeated but this time charged up her horn a little as a beam was cast to the helmet, connection the being and the object. Again, there was nothing. The mare closed her eyes and began to abandon the hope as new tears rolled over her cheek. “C-Could it be true then, t-that you are truly, g-gone?” ---                      But just after she said those words, there was a purple mist started to crawl out from below the helmet. It was raising all of the sudden upon itself before the mist tried to take shape of a figure. The figure of an alicorn but seemed to have failed to get any physical form and gave up on forming. So it just stayed there while it changed its shape as the mist flowed freely. A set of catlike eyes with cyan irises opened themselves in the helmet and gazed upon the crying princess. You, echoed through the room.