//------------------------------// // The Night Will Last Forever // Story: Pony Tale: The Witching Hour // by FlutterDash777 //------------------------------// -The Night Will Last Forever "That feeling of loneliness. The memories that hurt too much to think about. Knowing that nopony respects you. Being in solitude from the world for such a long time. Being sent away for only wanting to be loved. Why wouldn't she let me be loved? Why was it so wrong of me to want that? How could you have done that to me? How?" Luna poured her heart out. She had been wanting to say those things for such a long time. "Now if only I could tell you that, sister..." Luna looked through the window of her chambers. Her heart was heavy, and she felt all alone like she used to feel every night for a thousand years. "I want to try again. I want my subjects to love me like they love her. Celestia.." Luna's words carried off. Her eyes lowered as she turned from her window. Luna's blue eyes met with golden hoof plates. Her eyes widened as she noticed who was standing in front of her. Her heart began to pound as she stepped back. Her elder sister was standing in front of her. Her long flowing mane covered one of her pink eyes, but the other was staring deep into Luna's. Celestia arched her one visible eyebrow, and she walked off to the side of Luna's room. "Is that really how you feel?" Celestia's familiar voice rung through Luna's heart. How long had she been standing there? Luna averted her eyes as she tried to think of a response. What was she going to say? How could she tell her sister the truth, or had she already heard it? "I....I....it's nothing..." Luna spit out. She immediately hated herself for saying that. It wasn't nothing. It was something! And it had been eating her alive ever since Celestia's student, Twilight Sparkle, and her friends saved her. "Luna." Celestia craned her neck towards Luna. She shot glaring eyes upon her, and tapped one of her large hooves on the flooring. Luna's eyes became teary as she was forced to look into her sisters eyes. She lowered herself as if she were waiting for Celestia to hit her, but she knew that she would never do that. She was just afraid to tell the truth. She was afraid of what might happen if she brought up that forbidden subject again. The blue alicorn gulped loudly. She slightly opened her mouth as she searched her thoughts for a delicate way to tell her sister what she was truly feeling in her heart. She let out a long sigh, and then she proceeded. "Sister, I just want our subjects to love me like they love you. We are both the rulers of Equestria, but in my heart I feel as though you are the only one that is receiving the admiration that we both deserve. I'm sorry for speaking my mind so boldly to you, but I could no longer keep it hidden from my sister." Luna tightly closed her eyes, readying herself for her sister to scold her, or punish her of some sort. Celestia stood up straight as she collected everything that her sister confessed. Her eyes narrowed as if to scold her sister, but instead of an angry glare, a smile formed over her face, and comforting eyes penetrated through her sisters eyelids. Luna sensed something out of the norm, and opened her closed eyes to see her elder sister smiling at her instead of frowning. "My dear sister, you do not have to apologize for such a thing. It is good that you decided to tell me where your heart lies, and I'm very grateful that you did so. Our subjects love you just as much as they love me. You just don't even realize it Luna." Luna's blue eyes widened as she listened to her sisters response. Did they truly love her? How could they if they hadn't been around her in over a thousand years? Luna took into consideration what her sister had told her. She decided to ask all the questions that were crowding her mind. "But how will they love me if they never see me? How will they get to know me again?" Luna's pleading eyes glared into Celestia's. The white alicorn lowered herself to her sisters height, and nuzzled her on the cheek. "What perfect timing my sister. For tomorrow is a holiday that is celebrated throughout all of Equestria." Celestia smiled cheekily like she normally did when she had a good idea, but Luna was confused. Her face was puzzled as she turned to her sister that was now laying next to her. "I do not understand, sister. What does that have to do with our subjects getting to know me?" Luna asked curiously. She listened intently for an answer. "Tomorrow is the night that Nightmare Night is held on. It is a celebration that ponies have, and they join together in fun activities. Ponyville usually holds one of the grandest festivals for Nightmare Night in all of Equestria. If, my dear sister, you want to visit Ponyville tomorrow, and join in on their festivities, then please do. You have my blessing." Celestia began to stand up from the ground. She winked at her younger sister who stared at her in disbelief. "Re-Really?! You would let me?! That would be great! Thank you sister!" Luna jolted to Celestia's side, and nuzzled her chest. She was so excited that she couldn't wait another moment. Luna had stayed up that whole night staring out of her balcony upon the little village of Ponyville. It looked so peaceful in the distance. She was anticipating morning. She was ready for her elder sister to raise the sun. She was so happy to have the permission to go to Nightmare Night in Ponyville, but what she was more happy about than anything was being able to see Twilight Sparkle again. It had been so long since the last time she had seen Celestia's prized student. Luna was curious about that unicorn. There was something about her that really made Luna not want to sleep. Something about her that made Luna think about her all the time. How peculiar it was. Twilight was awoken by the sounds of birds screeching, and a cold wind that stabbed at her skin. Her eyes shot up, and they quickly bolted around her surroundings. "Where...am I?" The purple unicorn slowly got up from the cold grass that she was lying upon, and rubbed the back of her head with her hoof. Her brain was throbbing, and it hurt to move too suddenly. Twilight timidly looked around. She noticed that she was in the Everfree Forest in a circle of cleared trees. It was so familiar to her. She had just been here earlier. It was the same place where Luna followed Pinkie Pie. The place where the Nightmare Moon statue was. Twilight gained her strength back, and then turned around. A statue was surely there. It was large, and towered above the little unicorn. As Twilight glanced at the statues feet, she then remembered what had happened. Had she passed out? She had to get back to Ponyville! Where was Pinkie Pie?! What was happening? Was Nightmare Moon still there?! What had she done to Luna?! Twilight's mind was being flustered by all these pressing questions. She tried to keep herself from getting lightheaded as she quickly jolted to her hooves. Her eyes glanced up at the statue to get a better look. Something was different about it. It wasn't quite as frightening as it was when she first saw it. It no longer was standing on it's hind hooves in an attack position. It no longer had a look of hatred upon it's face. It was no longer Nightmare Moon. It was a statue of Princess Luna!! Pinkie was starting to feel sick. She had been levitated upside down in the air for almost twenty minutes now. The blood was all rushing to her head, and she was starting to loose her vision. The pink earth pony was wondering how much longer Nightmare Moon was going to hold her like this. Forever? As her stomach began to crawl, and her throat began to feel dry, she hoped that she wouldn't be up like this for too much longer. She couldn't take it. She felt like throwing up, but she was afraid to. What would the evil alicorn do to her if it got on her? Pinkie was afraid to think about it. Instead she held one hoof over her mouth, and prayed to Celestia that she wouldn't puke. "What pray tell do you think you're doing?!" The booming voice shattered Pinkie's weak ears. She flinched, and the open womb on her side began to pierce in pain. "No-Nothing..." Pinkie took her hoof away from her muzzle, and let it drop along with the other. Nightmare moon began to smile wickedly, and her eyes stared upon Ponyville. The ponies that had locked themselves away in their homes were now all outside before her, bowing down. She had forced them all to come out, and if they didn't she would burn their homes with them inside. This easily convinced them, and it pleased her. "Ponyvillians! Worship your queen!! Give me the respect that I deserve!!!" Everypony was shaking in their costumes. Fear ran through their bodies as the evil voice echoed through the whole town. "I said...WORSHIP ME!!" Nightmare Moon shot a black lightening bolt towards their hooves. They all screamed, and then quickly began to chant her name. Terrified, they knew nothing else to do. Pinkie Pie opened her eyes, and looked down at all her friends. She could see Applejack, and Rainbow Dash shaking in their skins. She caught a small glimpse at Rarity's curly purple mane. She could even see spike. He was completely horrified. He looked like he was going to have a heartattack. Pinkie prayed again to Celestia to keep all her friends safe. She prayed to save them all, and for Nightmare Moon to be defeated. Pinkie tried to look again. Where was Fluttershy? She was probably in her cottage. She had never came to the festival in the first place so she probably had no idea what was happening. Pinkie thanked Celestia as one of her prayers came true. To keep her friends safe. At least one of them was tucked away where Nightmare Moon didn't have the slightest clue was even there. But Pinkie couldn't quit worrying about Twilight. Where did Nightmare Moon send her? The last thing Pinkie remembered was Twilight passing out, and Nightmare Moon cast a spell, and Twilight disappeared. But where to? Where was her best friend? Pinkie hoped that she was okay. She hoped that she would wake up, and save them. Somehow save them. Pinkie was broken by her thoughts by Nightmare Moon's evil laughter. Her insides began to cringe as her blood continued to wash through her. Some of it was still coming out of her gashed side. She pressed her hoof against it, despite the pain she pushed down on it as hard as she could. She couldn't let anymore blood come out of her. It was too dangerous. She might loose consciousness, or worse... "This time the night will truly last FOREVER!!!" Her voice broke through every ear, and shattered every soul. Nightmare Moon's horn began to glow with a dark purple, and she quickly released an enormous amount of black magic. It shot at a few of the ponies before her, and it ripped away at their flesh. Screams broke loose, and a few ponies got up, and began to run away. Nightmare Moon shot more magic at the few running ones, and they began to scream in incredible pain. Blood gushed everywhere among the bowing ponies. They continued to stay low from fear of being attacked as well. Pinkie's eyes widened as she saw one of the hurt ponies was Applejack. Pinkie had watched in horror as her orange friend jumped out in front of Rarity as Nightmare Moon targeted her. Hot tears were streaming down her pink cheeks as she watched Rarity cry next to the bloody Applejack. She was still breathing, but her wound was deep, much deeper than hers. Pinkie wanted to scream. She wanted to kill Nightmare Moon. She wanted to destroy her, but what could she do? Nothing...absolutely nothing... "Does this upset you? Do you not like it?" Nightmare Moon tauntingly asked Pinkie Pie. Laughter was between each word. Pinkie didn't even look at her. Her hollow eyes stared upon her terrified friends. All the blood, all the fear, all the pain. Pinkie's vision was almost completely gone now. All the fuzziness she was seeing was taking over. She was completely losing her eyesight now. The sounds of her screaming friends, and Nightmare Moon's laughter was being muffled now. All Pinkie could see was darkness. All she could hear was silence. She could still feel the blood rushing to her head as she began to close her eyes. Her mouth slightly opened, and she gained enough breath to speak one more single word. "Twilight..."