//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: On Nightmares and Moons // by Rarity Belle //------------------------------// While the moon lowered itself and in the end fell back behind the hills, in order to make way for the ever so wonderful celestial sun. Luna could be found unconsciousness on the floor of the old castle. The events that had happened during the remaining hours. Ones she deeply and painfully relived in her mind. If she could shed tears they were running down her cheeks by the dozen. For she didn't got what she wished for, she never got any wise words from the creature she despised ever so long ago. No, for that what she got was something that would make history repeat itself once again. Sounds as if the devil himself was laughing at the light blue mare while the purple mist crawled its way into the body. Tears streamed down with each passing second as the horrible memories all returned to her. But she was powerless, she was powerless against this monster. While her eyes gazed back on the moon for the last time, she could feel its pull towards her. A pull she didn’t feel ever since the monster took place in her body. But she lost the power over her own body, she couldn't control any part anymore, she laid there, numb. While the purple mist kept laughing as the rock in the skies ventured on like there was nothing going on. It was in the moment that her eyes turned themselves off of the moon, she began to lose the grasp of reality. Losing control of everything. All she could do now, was fall asleep. And pray. Her cyan blue eyes got covered by the eyelids whose lashes slowly got covered in tears who eventually made their way to the ground. And so it happened that the princess of the moon fell deeply asleep once again as the mist kept laughing and entering her body through the mouth before nestling itself in it. --- Back in the castle of Canterlot had all the guards prepared themselves ready for the change of the rulers as the princess of the sun gracefully made her way into the throne room, only to let her eyes fell upon an empty throne once again. “How could I have been so blind,” she mumbled under her breath. “Your highness,” the young, multiple blue colored maned guard spoke up to her. Before he would have continued, he gave her a deep bow. The pale, light grayish magenta eyes of the mare fell upon him while a small smile began to take shape on her face. “Rise back up young captain. And please, tell me where my sister is.” He rose back under the sound of a soft gulp, for he didn't wish to tell the news on this morning, “I... She...” Those words were all he could stumble out for his mind couldn't think of the right words to choose. Celestia let go a small sigh as the smile disappeared while her eyes closed themselves. “It is complicated, I know young captain. Carry on with your duties please. Luna, my sister is... troubled.” The captain saluted before returning to his post where he began to rethink the short conversation he just had as another guard placed a hoof on his shoulder, giving a reassuring smile while speaking softly. “Don’t take it too hard on yourself, captain. None of us could have expected what would happen last night.” “That, that is true,” he spoke in return. His cerulean colored eyes fell upon the other guards afterwards, all still a bit in shock of what had happened. The eyes of the princess opened themselves again while she made her way over to the throne with a gentle pace. Her thoughts began to drift off to other worlds, older worlds to be specific. She sat down on the throne and allowed to take a good look at the room she sat in before leaving this world behind in order to relive the one of one thousand years ago. --- The world where both she and Nightmare Moon were battling it out in the castle in the Everfree. A fierce battle between two equally powerful beings. The castle was torn down simply by the raw power of both the sun and  moon. There they stood, against each other. Panting heavily from the fought battle, but not out of power at all. The eyes of Celestia fell upon those of Nightmare as their manes were flowing like never before. The purple mist as deep as it could for the empress of the night. While the manes of the princess were literally set ablaze. The empress gave a deadly grin and revealed her razor sharp teeth as the princess only huffed out a cloud of steam through her nose. As both their horns slowly charged up for what the monster thought was the final attack. They kept charging as much as they could, both creating enormous spheres above them, one illuminating the area, as the other consumed the light. When the charges were released, the white coated mare took the full charge directly into her body as the monster began to teleport away to someplace it would stay for the coming millennium. But the ears of the princess caught something, a sound that would make her regret her action immediately. ‘Sister, help me!’ --- The scream for help echoed in her head. The mare shocked up from her sleep as all the guards were gazing upon her. For they all knew that something was different about her. Something dangerous had risen in her. Her mane was not simply flowing but flowing like it was a raging fire. Sparks emerged ever so lightly from the tip of the horn. Though they disappeared just as quick as they came. For her eyes had opened themselves. The fiery movement soon returned to its normal state as well, allowing the mare to just flow as normal again. “The fires of rage... Still stoked by my own hatred...” the princess of the sun whispered. Of course had she taken a note of her own change of mane. “What could she mean with that?” one of the guards whispered against the young captain. “I don’t think we want to find that out.” The guard nodded ever so lightly before standing in position again. ---   A soft moan carefully did its turn through the old castle, soon to be followed by a loud sniff of sadness. The dark blue eyelids moved themselves up in order for the cyan colored eyes to gaze upon the shining down sun. The mare released another moan as her forelegs were moved to her eyes in order to rub them. But when they removed themselves, she took note of something on them. Or better said, on her. Her coat wasn't light blue anymore but had turned into a darker blue one. She could only blink a couple times at this revelation and quickly got up on her hooves. “What in... What hast thou done!” she said but as she listened to her own words she only shook her head deeply. “No, no, no...” It was then, in that moment of shaking her head, he mane covered one of her eyes, but it wasn't the azure blue mane she remembered, this mane was a cobalt blue and flowing like the one of her sister. Luna quickly turned her attention to her tail which was the same coloring as her mane. “What in the name of...” Do you like it? a voice in her head asked. “W-What?” Do you like it? “Like, what?” the princess of the night said in return. Hundreds of thoughts went through her mind. All of them tried to figure who it could be speaking to her. Don’t waste your time thinking where I am foal. I am inside you... In your heart. “Nightmare!” was all she could say. Very good, very good indeed yes. Bit slow on the reaction, but still good. “Get out of my body before I dump us both into the ravine outside of the castle!” You would never do that and you know that. But to answer your question, no. I am not leaving. For you and I, are part of one being. We need each other, little foal. “Stop calling me that!” I call you however I wish to call you. The princess let go a deep sigh as she accepted the fact once again, she was housing the monster the caused her to suffer for one thousand years. But the spoken words kept echoing in her head. “How do you mean the words you spoke?” Luna eventually asked with care in her voice. Just as I said them… “So, you and me, are part of a bigger whole? Like two souls that make up one entity?” For I, am you... And you, are me...