//------------------------------// // Prologue - Pt. 2 // Story: Blind Faith // by Flutter Riff //------------------------------// Luna looked around in alarm at the sudden change of surroundings. She appeared to be in an impossibly large room; the ceiling was completely out of view, the walls simply faded into nothing past a certain point, and she was standing on a raised path that held her up so high that the floor below--if one indeed existed at all--was as equally out of sight. The walls and the path she stood upon were void of detail or design, but the color was the same as her silver magic. Ahead was what appeared to be a labyrinth. Aside from the blue alicorn, there wasn't another pony or living thing in sight. “Hello? Is anypony there?” Her voice simply echoed several times. Luna's eyes drooped somewhat in simple frustration. “Where is this place anyway?” she muttered to herself. With a shrug, she decided the only sensible way to proceed was to walk towards the labyrinth; however, after only a few steps, a bright shining indigo light turned the corner and flew out from the entrance to the labyrinth. The light emitted only the sound indicative of unicorn magic. Once near Luna, the shimmering light flew around her in circles before it began to slowly head back towards the Labyrinth. When Luna didn't move to follow, but instead simply watched it carefully, the light stopped. Luna cocked her head to one side, tentatively took several steps towards the light and then stopped. The light began to move forward again, only to stop when she stopped. Apparently, the light wanted her to follow. Seeing as there weren't many other choices aside from standing there for the rest of eternity or finding out what would happen if she were to allow herself to fall into the depths below, she shrugged and started to follow the light, which swayed in a small circle before resuming its path back into the labyrinth. The light appeared to be a guide, turning this way and that and always making sure Luna could follow. Eventually it began to pick up speed, so that Luna had to run in order to keep up, but never so fast that she lost sight of it. After what felt like an hour, the light turned a corner and when Luna caught up, she realized she was at the end of the maze. Another long path, like the one Luna had arrived on, extended from the exit. At the end of the path floated a considerably larger version of the crystal that was wrapped around the foal's leg. The shimmering silver light flew up and around the large crystal as Luna walked up to it. She reached out a hoof to touch it and, with a bright flash, she suddenly found herself standing once more before the little colt and next to her sister. ----- Luna blinked her eyes a few times before she turned to look at her sister. “Luna, are you alright? You seemed to just lock up there for a few seconds.” Luna's eyes widened, “Seconds? It felt like an hour or two, following that strange light.” Celestia opened her mouth to ask the next logical question when Luna held up a hoof, “I will explain later, sister. First, I have to try something.” With that, Luna bowed her head once more, and allowed her magic to reach out for the crystal. This time, the crystal quickly shattered and evaporated into nothing. Celestia merely stared, the little colt seemed to have exhausted himself and was already well in progress on another nap. Luna looked to Celestia, “Sister, I believe the little one somehow... Somehow he showed me precisely how to destroy the crystal around his leg.” Celestia shook her head, “But, how? How is that possible? He's only a foal...” Luna shrugged as she gazed back down at the sleeping foal, “It may have only been seconds, but it felt like hours. There was this large maze in front of me, the color of my magic. Then a light appeared, it was the color of his magic, and it guided me through the maze. At the other end was an enlarged version of the crystal. When I touched it, a light flashed and I was back here. Suddenly I knew exactly how to manipulate my magic to remove the crystal, as though I had known all along.” Celestia shook her head, only this time in amazement. “Truly amazing. He's already demonstrated his special talent before he's even old enough to speak.” Luna nodded, but her gaze turned sympathetic, “On top of losing his family, it would also appear he's lost his sight for life. Perhaps, with luck, his special talent will allow him to use his magic to guide his hooves as well as it was able to guide my magic.” Celestia gazed up at the circle of sky that was kept clear by Luna's magic. The light had begun to fade over the past hour, and the first stars of the night were beginning to appear. “We had better return to Equestria," Celestia said, "soon, you will need to rise the moon.” Luna looked up at the stars as well and nodded. Luna cradled the foal in magic once more and lifted him from the stone shelter she had created for him, which then crumbled away. Soon the two royal sisters were airborne again, with the little one safely shielded and floating in front of Luna. Celestia looked over at him for a moment and smiled. “He will need a name, little sister. We have no means with which to discover the one given to him by his parents.” Luna smiled in return as she thought for a moment. When she had decided, she looked down at the little one floating before her, “That indigo light of his, it guided me much as the stars might guide a traveler in the night. His coat is black as the night sky when the moon is new, and his mane and tail are as white the brightest star. I believe Evening Star would be fitting for him, elder sister.” Celestia smiled in approval, “I agree, little sister.” The rest of their journey back to Canterlot Castle was uneventful and silent. ----- Like most other ponies, Evening Star was awake during the day, and fell asleep soon after Luna brought the moon into the sky. As a result, Luna was able to watch over him during the day, which was when Celestia was the busiest. However, it was not long before the daily routine in Canterlot Castle was turned completely upside down. It was not often that the castle was home to a young one, but the ponies in the castle's employ did their best to adapt. As soon as Evening Star was old enough, Luna taught him how to use his magic to allow him to see, albeit this form of vision was a far cry from what he was born with. His visual world was still one of pitch black, but overlaid with soft indigo lines outlining everything around him. Lighting had no meaning to him, nor did designs or finer details such as paintings. As for other ponies, he still had to rely on tone of voice to know what mood they were in, or the manner in which they were speaking. Their outlines would only match the color of their coat, mane, and tail. As a result, he was perfectly at ease in total darkness, but he could never see Celestia's sunrises nor the beautiful stars of Luna's peaceful nights. Instead, he had a finer appreciation for the change in the sounds, the temperature, the way the wind blew, and just the general mood between day and night. Evening Star's new sight also meant that he no longer needed to be guided around the castle, and therefore meant that anything fragile from the door handles down was no longer safe. This was where the ponies who made their living in the castle had to adapt the most. Fancy spindled pedestals and velvet ropes were no longer sufficient to keep priceless decorations safe. When he did inevitably break something, he was properly scolded and punished accordingly, but he was otherwise tolerated. The sibling monarchs had centuries of patience, more than enough to accommodate the young colt. If anything, his antics provided amusement they hadn't enjoyed in quite some time. Celestia and Luna never allowed Evening Star to slip into the habit of calling either one of them “mother” or a derivative there of, he simply addressed them by name, without the formalities. They both knew a day would come when he would be old enough to be told exactly who he was and what had happened to his family, and eventually that day arrived. Evening Star's questions about his parents had been circumvented several times already, and he would soon be old enough to attend a school—Celestia and Luna agreed that a school outside of Canterlot would be best—where the question would surely be put to him more than once by his peers. The sisters knew it would be hard, but agreed that it would be best if he were given time to accept his past before also being thrown into the world of school and peers. ----- The door to Evening Star's room opened silently as Luna stuck her head in through the gap. The little colt was still asleep, despite Celestia already having raised the sun and the sunlight draped through the window and across his bed, reflecting off his crystalline coat and projecting multicolored sparkles onto the walls. Luna heaved a sigh before she softly spoke, “Wake up, little one. Celestia has risen the sun, and today is the day we promised to answer your questions.” Evening Star woke up with a start, his eyes half open as his mind scrambled to put together what Luna had just said. It was only a moment before his eyes snapped completely open the the crystal colt leaped out of bed. Skidding momentarily on the polished floor, Evening rushed over to the door, where Luna smiled down at him and backed away from the door and walked down the grand hallway with Evening close behind. The azure alicorn lead the way out into one of the castle gardens, the two ponies squinting as their eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight. Celestia was already waiting for them, sitting in a spot Evening Star favored shortly after he was brought to Canterlot, her legs tucked beneath her. Evening Star ran ahead of Luna as Celestia stood up to greet them both. “Good morning sister, good morning little one,” Celestia smiled. “Good morning, Celestia!” the little one squeaked backed. Luna nodded to her sister silently, who nodded back knowingly. All the trials and hardships of their lives would not make what they were about to do any easier, but delaying any further would only cause harm to the little colt. Evening Star eagerly sat near where Celestia stood as Luna followed behind with a gentle trot. Together, the two sisters sat so that the three ponies formed a triangle, each facing the center. Celestia looked up at the sky, “It would seem the Pegasi have done a splendid job of the weather today.” Luna looked up as well and nodded. Evening Star simply fidgeted where he sat, watching them both anxiously. Luna allowed herself a shade of a smile. “It would seem Evening Star is more interested in why we are here, elder sister.” Celestia nodded, “I suppose that is to be expected,” she then looked to Luna, who bowed her head for a moment before looking into Evening Star's sparkling eyes. “Evening Star, little one, before we begin, Celestia and I want you to know that, no matter what, you will always be loved; loved by us, and everypony in Canterlot castle. We will always be here for you, Evening Star. Do you understand?” The sparkling black colt nodded, his eyes still eager, though his fidgeting had ceased altogether. “Yes, Luna, I understand.” With a deep breath, Luna began to tell Evening Star about the Crystal Empire, and the events leading up to the battle there. Celestia remained quiet, having consented to Luna's request to be the one to tell Evening Star of his past. Evening Star sat perfectly quiet as he listened, his eyes still wide and the sunlight sparkling brilliantly off his coat; however, when Luna reached the point when she'd first found the colt among the wreckage, his eyes started to reflect dread. Luna's years allowed her to hold back her tears as she explained how Evening Star had managed to survive the attack on his home, and what it had cost. She concluded with how Celestia and Luna had won the battle, but that Sombra had managed to keep a hoof on the Empire by cursing it away for one thousand years. The colt's eyes took on a pleading gaze as she looked from Luna to Celestia and then back to Luna. “But, did you see any other ponies near by? Alive or... or... d-dead?” Luna shook her head, and Evening Star seemed to be desperately grasping at straws, his breath starting to quicken “So then how can you know that they're gone?” Luna bowed her head, “It is true that I never actually saw your parents, little one; however, the strength that would have been required to create the shield that had protected you would have been difficult even for two unicorns to manage, unless driven by a strong emotional surge. At your young age, it is unlikely you were in the care of anyone else. I'm so sorry, my little one...” As the words sank in, Evening Star's breathing began to slow. Staring off through the gap between Luna and Celestia, tears began to well up in the young colt's eyes. As the first tear fell, the sparkle of his coat began to drain from him. Slowly standing up, he walked over to the space between Luna's front legs, which were resting out in front of her, and curled up against her. By the time he had settled down, his coat no longer reflected the sunlight. Despite having only just woken up, Evening Star sank back to sleep as Luna curled her leg around him. Luna looked over to her sister, who nodded and stood up, “He will be alright, little sister. He has a strong heart. I must go, my usual duties. Will you be alright?” Luna closed her eyes and nodded. After that day, Evening Star's coat never regained its sparkle. After a time, however, his spirits improved again, and he was back to causing trouble as colts his age do, at least for a few months. ----- Evening Star grunted as he pulled the mop back out of the bucket and started pushing it at a puddle of cider on the floor. “I was just kidding around,” he muttered to himself, “how was I supposed to know she'd freak out and drop what she was holding?” Several months had passed, and although he was still a young one, he was old enough to be tasked with cleaning up after his own mishandled adventures in the castle. He had just put the mop back in the bucket when the doors to the throne chamber slammed open. Celestia appeared vehement as she stormed into the chamber. Evening Star cringed, “I'm sorry, Celestia, I already apologized to Lemon Drop, and I'm cleaning the mess right no-” but Celestia walked right by him without acknowledging him at all. Somehow, Evening Star had the feeling Celestia was upset about something else. She paced back and forth for several minutes, occasionally glancing at the colt and acknowledging that he was there. Finally, Celestia approached him. “Star, I'm afraid Luna has... changed.” Evening Star cocked his head, “Changed? Changed how?” “Luna has declared that she has no intention of lowering the moon when the time for morning has come. She has become jealous that most ponies sleep through her nights. A bitterness has poisoned her heart, and she will not listen to reason,” she lowered her head, “even from her own sister.” Evening looked out at the stars through one of the windows, “What... What will happen, Celestia?” The princess shook her head, “I do not know, but I cannot allow her to go through with this eternal night. Evening Star, Luna's behavior has become dangerous. I need you to go to your room and stay there, for your own safety.” Evening took a step forward, “But-” Celestia firmly stomped a hoof down, “Go.” Evening Star nodded and reluctantly made his way out of the chamber. The colt was only half way to his room when a loud crash could be heard from the castle's main entrance. Immediately there was a commotion; guards rushed by him as they converged from all areas of the castle towards the front gate. Evening Star couldn't stand it; he loved Luna and Celestia both dearly, and could not simply sit in his room. He turned around and quietly followed behind the last group of guards to run past. As he reached the front gate, the entire hall was blocked by guards facing towards the gate, or what was left of it. It had been completely smashed through. Celestia was standing in a clearing in the middle of the guards, facing the gate. When Evening Star followed Celestia's gaze, he nearly lost his balance. The source of everypony's attention was the pitch black mare standing in front of the gate she had just smashed in with her magic. Her coat was pitch black, her hooves covered in formidable looking sky-blue iron guards, and on her head a matching helmet which framed her eyes. She appeared to be an enemy; however, her cutie mark, blue sparkling mane and tail, and the aquamarine color of her eyes, were all identical to Luna's. Evening Star shook his head, unable to believe it was Luna, but Celestia confirmed the colt's fears as she took a step forward and spoke, her face holding a mixture of anger and sorrow. “Little sister, you must not do this. You know full well the importance of the balance between night and day. The sun must soon rise!” The dark mare snorted and stomped her hooves against the tiled floor, “Never! The moon shall not yield; this night will last for an eternity! I am no longer your sister, Celestia. From this moment forth, I am Nightmare Moon!” The white alicorn lowered her head and sighed, “If that is how it is to be, then I will do everything in my power to stop you, 'Nightmare Moon'.” The mare once named Luna let out a dark laugh as she lowered her head and aimed her horn at Celestia. Celestia quickly matched the gesture as Nightmare Moon shot a violent blue beam of magic from her horn, a brilliant golden beam firing from Celestia's. The beams met roughly in the middle of the distance between the two alicorns and collided as the two slowly circled the wide space the guards had given them. The two appeared to be evenly matched, as the point where the two beams met clashed unwaveringly in the center. Suddenly, Celestia grunted as her beam began to be overtaken by Nightmare Moon's; however, before her magic failed entirely, Celestia changed the angle of her beam to deflect Nightmare's magic towards the vaulted ceiling above, blasting a hole through it, and quickly withdrew through the opening. The black mare cackled briefly in triumph before spreading her wings and giving chase. Nightmare Moon had hardly disappeared out into the night before Evening Star began to scramble back the way he had come to avoid the guards noticing he was there, but he was still not planning on going to his room. Instead he wound through the castle and up a side stairwell to reach one of the tower balconies. Reaching up onto the railing to get a better view, he looked on as Celestia and Nightmare Moon flew in circles around each other, lighting up the night sky with beams of magic, which ignited as they clashed, leaving trails of drifting sparks in their wake. Down below, Evening could just make out a large group of guards filing out through the damaged front gate. Considering the power of the two alicorns fighting each other, this battle was clearly out of their league, yet it was their duty to help however they could, and so they loyally stood watch. When Evening Star looked back up, he gasped and ducked as a silver beam of magic missed him by inches and blasted a chunk of marble off a column behind him. The two princesses, in their fight, had begun to wander close to the balcony. Evening Star nearly tripped as he quickly backed away from the balcony and back inside the tower. Just after the colt ducked inside, the two princesses crashed onto the balcony, locked in a physical struggle. The young colt looked on as the two got to their hooves and continued to push into each other; they had both proven to be equally matched in magic, so the fight had boiled down to a struggle for one to force the other to the ground. Celestia grunted as she managed to shove Nightmare Moon a fair distance away and spoke in an unnervingly calm voice, “Stop this, Luna. This isn't you. You've always understood the balance.” The dark alicorn simply snorted, “I've told you; my name is no longer Luna, I am Nightmare Moon! Gone are the days of ponies sleeping through and belittling my beautiful night! With their precious sun gone forever, Equestria will behold my night for the rest of eternity!” Celestia closed her eyes for a moment with a deep sigh, “Then I am sorry, my little sister, but you leave me with no other choice.” Celestia quickly fired a golden beam of magic towards Nightmare Moon, who leaped out of the way and retreated backwards onto the balcony and into the sky. Celestia charged out and leaped into the air after her. Nightmare Moon's cocky grin faded as Celestia's eyes began to glow white. Six orbs, all of different colors, appeared around Celestia as she closed in. “Wait, you can't do this! I won't allow it!” was all Nightmare Moon could manage to yell out before the light of the orbs converged into a single multicolored beam and engulfed her. The dark mare's body changed into a shapeless form of white light, which the beam sent straight into the full moon hanging low in the sky. The celestial body orbiting the world began to glow unnaturally. When the glow faded, the silhouette of an alicorn mare's head could be seen on the moon's surface. A heart-broken Celestia slowly landed onto the balcony. Her face betrayed nothing as she slowly looked to the door that led from the tower stairwell into the room that opened out onto the balcony. With her magic, she made sure the door was sealed. “Evening Star,” the colt gasped slightly as he peeked out from behind a damaged column, “please come here.” Hesitantly, the black colt carefully hopped over bits of broken marble as he made his way to her side. Celestia folded her legs beneath her so that she could speak to the little colt face-to-face. “Little one, are you alright? Are you hurt?” Evening Star just shook his head as he stared up at the night sky, and the moon which now held Luna. Celestia understood and nodded as she too looked up at the moon. “I wish there had been another way, but the safety of all who live in Equestria must come first.” The little colt simply continued to stare at the moon silently for a short while before he spoke, “Is she to stay there forever?” Celestia cocked her head to one side for a moment, “Well, the spell I cast with the Elements of Harmony will hold until my link with the Elements breaks; however...” Evening Star quickly changed his gaze from the moon back to Celestia. “However, it is possible for me to cast a spell to modify it. I could place a spell that will free her after a certain amount of time, but the jealousy that poisoned her heart runs deep. It will certainly take many centuries before her imprisonment might bring her back to her senses, far longer than the average life time of a pony.” Evening Star looked down at his hooves, “Oh...” Celestia looked down at the little colt for a moment before looking back up to the moon, a look of careful planning on her face. After a moment, she looked back down at Evening Star, “There may be a solution to this problem that will allow Luna's return to be within your life time. But there will be a price.” The little colt looked excited once more as he eagerly got to his hooves, “What is it?” Celestia smiled at his candor, “I could weave a spell that will place you as a sort of guardian over the moon. In a sense, you would be watching over Luna during her imprisonment. When the time comes for her to be freed, you would be the catalyst that will return her as well as yourself to Equestria. But it will mean being locked away for a thousand years.” The princess lowered her head to Evening Star's, “I do not think you've ever really gotten acquainted with anyone in the castle; you've only just become old enough to really grasp friendship. You would effectively be thrown forward through several lifetimes without having aged, but you would be reunited with Luna upon your return.” Evening Star's eagerness drained and his ears dropped, “Will it... hurt?” Celestia smiled and shook her head, “No, little one. Neither will you be conscious. You will enter a dreamless sleep, so that while one thousand years will have passed, it will seem to you as if it has only been a few short moments.” The colt's ears perked back up and the eager look returned to his eyes. “I wanna go through with it, then!” Celestia smiled and nodded, “Luna is fortunate to have such a loyal friend. Let us step out onto the balcony, and I will begin the spell.” The two walked out into the moonlit night. The moon would soon sink below the horizon and make way for the new day. As they reached the center of the balcony and stopped, Celestia' horn began to glow gold with her magic. Three orbs of white light appeared and began to fly in circles around Evening Star, who gasped in surprise. “What are these, Celestia?” The white alicorn began to unfold her wings, “Like the night and the day, this spell requires a balance little one. You will be placed in the night sky as a star, these three lights will aid you as you watch over Luna. Think of yourself as a commander, and these three as your lieutenants. In a thousand years, when it is time, these three lights will aid you in releasing Luna from her prison, as well as returning both her and yourself to Equestria. It is uncertain just where in Equestria you will return, but I will find you no matter where that is.” Celestia lowered her head, “Are you ready, Evening Star?” The black colt stood up straight, determination bright in his eyes, “Yes, Celestia.” The glow of Celestia's horn began to brighten, “Then sleep well, little one. I look forward to yours and Luna's return.” With that, Celestia's golden magic engulfed Evening Star, changing his form into a soft indigo orb of light, and sending all four orbs up towards the moon. The four orbs took their place around the moon, creating a square-shaped constellation. With a bright flash, the lights became stars in the night sky. Soon after, the moon sank into the horizon. With Celestia's power, the sun rose on a new day. The first of many the princess would have to endure without Luna or Evening Star. Celestia wanted to commemorate the day, since it also happened to be the longest day of the year. Every year since, the day was celebrated across Equestria with a Summer Sun Celebration.