//------------------------------// // Part Three // Story: Those Scars On His Legs // by Scourgeous //------------------------------// As soon as Celestia has left the room and slipped back down to her own room, yawning and going on about something to do with letters Luna had pushed open her window, checked wildly to make sure the royal guard weren't passing by her room, then thrust herself out of the small gap and into the night. At the touch of moonlight her mane seemed to billow out more, it gained a sparkling sheen like the glittering stars above. She beat her wings for a long moment, then spiraled for the ground, eyes closed, listening to the beat of her heart. Sudden darkness fell over her, like the moon had been switched off, and as her eyes flew open, she crashed on the concrete, shoulder scraping on the rough ground. She let out a hoarse wince, but it felt as if hooves were pressed to her throat, and she struggled to breathe. "H-help..." She choked, spine arching as she coughed and wretched about the place, eyes rolling back in her head. "Luna, have you come to banish me to the moon?" Said a small, filly voice. Sweetiebell was standing in the middle of the dark street, face twisted in pain. Blood streamed from her little legs onto the ground. Luna looked up, confusion gripping her with icy claws as she gasped for air. "Sweetiebell... what are you talking about?" The filly ran at her, crying and wailing, and Luna reversed so fast she fell back on her haunches and let out a muffled cry. A hoof pressed to her muzzle, silencing her. "Hush little Woona, don't say a word," A cold voice whispered in her ear. Her eyes flew open at the same time that her wings did, and she threw herself into the air and let out a terrified scream. Sweetiebell was gone, replaced by a dull gray stallion with tatty dark hair, and patches that looked like he had rusted. "Get away from me!" She hissed. He spread his wings and floated up to her, so she could see deep, rutted scars on his legs. The closer he got to her, the more they cracked open, and more blood began to drip to the ground. Down from the ground came the sound of hooves running on the ground, voices calling. Luna tried to call out for help, but the stallion swiped his hoof at her, and with a gruesome crack, hit her right across the jaw. Tears burned at her eyes and she yelped, but the noise was followed by another strike to the face. "Woona, my love, do not cry. I've had so much pain my little Princess, you can handle this." "Sweetiebell?" Rarity dashed around the corner and skid to a halt, staring at Luna and her mystery stallion hovering in the air, one ghostly and bloodied, the other twisted in pain. "P-princess Luna... TWILIGHT!" She wailed, turning and fleeing. The stallion faded away with dark smoke that made Luna cough, and she slumped from the air to the ground. He reappeared in Rarity's way, a knife held tight it his teeth. He waved his head past her legs, dragging a long slice across both of her knees. She shrieked and toppled forward, and he sliced again the other way, right across the base of her horn. Luna groaned. "Stop... Blitz..." She knew who this stallion was, this gray pony with a hunger for revenge. "Knife got your tongue?" He said, stepping over the shivering heap that was Rarity, and jabbed the blade between Luna's lips, so it gouged her gums and teeth. She let out a cry and blood bubbled from her mouth. "Where's my pretty nightmare?" He roared, rearing up, then bringing his heavy hooves down on her neck. Before his blow struck, there was a beam of light, and a flash of white soared past, driving him back with a squeal like a pig being chased, as the light around it engulfed him. Celestia landed and galloped straight at him, then flipped her head back, horn glowing like white fire. The darkness shattered like glass as she raised the sun, but there was a chuckle from behind her. It was not the stallion though, he had shrunk into the shadows. Luna was on her hooves, blood dribbling from her face. She slowly turned her broken, twisted face to stare at the sky. "Thank you sister, for restoring my glory..." She whispered. The sun had been dragged into the sky, but the ghastly moon had not been lowered. Their paths crossed, and the town was lit with the silvery, ghostly light of an eclipse. In Luna's place was a darker mare, taller, with a wild look in her eyes. Nightmare Moon. The stallion and Nightmare Moon stood side by side, both of their forelegs scarred and tattered, torn, ravaged- tortured. "Celestia, my dear sister, you're legs are so perfect..." Nightmare Moon murmured. "Let me fix that for you." Celestia whirled back, eyes rolling back in her head, nostrils flaring. "Sister- please, stop!" The gray stallion watched Nightmare Moon drive her sister into the shadows, snapping with her teeth at Celestia's clean white legs teasingly, never giving away at what moment she would actually strike. He lifted his knife and watched, listening to the Princess of the Sun's blood-curdling cry echo through PonyVille, and the sun behind them began to sink away like a pebble being dragged through the river. He floated forward, clutching the knife in his teeth. "My love, you have what you wanted, forever night." He said quietly. "Now it's my turn. You know I've always wanted your heart." The last noise PonyVille heard was Nightmare Moon's anguished screams, before it was plunged into forever night, scarred like the scars on his legs.