//------------------------------//
// The Twins 
// Story: The Stars Will Aid in Her Escape. 
// by Grinning Cheshire 
//------------------------------//

“I’m sorry, sister… There was nothing else I could do.”
The voice, tainted with sorrow and regret, lingered in the air for a moment before fading away, leaving the speaker alone in the silence.

“You didn’t leave me any choice. If I could have kept us together, I would have.”
There again was no answer, besides the gentle breeze that blew through the night sky.

“If you had only been willing to listen to me, then maybe we could have fixed our problems. I know I was never the best sister, but I loved you…”
A soft splash was barely able to be heard, as a tear fell to the ground.

“You probably do not even care to see me again. You were bitter before… Do you hate me now?”
The wind blew harder, carrying the sounds of sobbing off into the distance. After a minute, they ceased, as the speaker gazed up at the moon above her, its pale light illuminating her snow-white face.

“It’s been over a hundred years… Are you never coming back?”
The Princess of Equestria closed her eyes, her majestic wings falling to her sides. Just once, she wished a voice would answer her.

“I… miss you, dear sister… Is there no way to bring you home?”
No matter how many times she spoke to the glowing orb in the sky, no matter how much she begged and pleaded with it, nothing ever changed.

“The night should not be mine, Lulu. I cannot guide the stars, or make them bright as you did. We were meant to rule together…”
Celestia, her eyes fixed on the far-away light which held her sister, made one more quiet wish.

“Luna, please forgive me.”
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“I’m so sorry sister…”
The whisper seemed to echo endlessly, reverberating through the darkness that spread out in all directions. It was a sight the speaker had long since become accustomed to, having spent an immeasurable amount of time in her prison. Luna did not know how long it had been since she had been banished, and she didn’t care. All the night princess knew was that she was sorry.

But she couldn’t go back, Celestia had sealed her away forever, and the older alicorn had every right to do so. Luna had tried to overthrow her sister, simply because she was jealous of their subjects love for the sun.
And yet, even as the young pony sat there, she could feel the bitterness, the resentment, the anger. It was why she could never return.

Luna whimpered, and curled up into a ball, like she had done countless times before, wishing for the feelings to go away, for the Nightmare to leave her alone.

“Haven’t you done enough? Please, leave me be.” The imprisoned mare whispered, hoping that for once, her dark side would obey her. It was in vain though, as she soon heard the voices in her head again, taunting and mocking, trying to provoke her to allow that evil to take control.
It was like a battle in her mind, as Luna tried to rid herself of the emotions that flooded her being, driving back the power to her body and shifting it into what she had been before.

A battle that they always won.

Even then, she could feel the hatred towards her sister returning, and she grit her teeth together, trying to close out the words, the guilt, and the self-loathing, all of which commanded to just surrender, and let Her take control.
But Luna had always been stubborn, or prideful, perhaps both. And so, time after time, she would resist, until she was too worn out to feel anything, and then the evil would take over, if only for but a short time, and then leave Luna alone once again; for a time.

Now, it was too much. She deserved to be in this prison, but not to suffer self-torment for the rest of her existence. She was Princess Luna, ruler of the night, and her mind belonged to her.
So, with no being able to hear her, the mare in the moon screamed. The sound echoed around her in every direction, as the alicorn’s horn ignited, and her wings spread out. Her mane, which resembled the night sky, flowed out behind her, as the light she now generated reflected off of the tattered armor she still bore. Another scream rang through Luna’s brain, the voice belonging to the mistress of darkness.

And then both Nightmare Moon and Luna were silent.
Her body went limb, hanging in the middle of nothing. The light her horn had emitted flying off into the darkness, shattering the emptiness for a moment, before Luna couldn’t see it anymore. Every part of her ached, but she didn’t care, the anger was gone. For once, she had driven back her evil side.

“An impressive feat, I will admit…”
Turquoise eyes opened wide, as a new voice rang through the darkness. Luna felt her whole body start to shake, as this was not the voice of her past mistakes, but of another being.

She must be going insane.

“…But resisting one’s darkness is only the first step.”
A second voice, almost identical to the first now filled the air, its slightly deeper tone being the only indication that it was a different speaker which finished the sentence.

“H…Hello?” Luna stammered out, afraid that this might be a dream, and also afraid that it wasn’t.
“Hello, hello! A thousand greetings to the lovely mare!” The first voice started again, before the second one cut in.

“Indeed, far too lovely for a place such as this.”

“It’s a crime, a sin! Why, one should be shunned…”

“…For simply suggesting such a thing! Such a beautiful gem…"

“…Should be allowed to be free!”
Luna, now convinced that she had driven herself crazy, couldn’t help but blush at the strange, flattering words. But she was more excited at the prospect of some other pony, or any living thing for that matter, actually being here. Carefully, she ran her eyes all around the area, trying to locate the speakers, but couldn’t see anything except the darkness around her.

“Chained and tormented for all eternity…”

“How sad, very sad indeed!”

“But do not fear, for we are here…”

“To help to ease your pain…”
Suddenly, a light appeared, a glowing blue sphere in the middle of the darkness. In the following moment, a second one emerged right beside it. Each was identical in color, pulsing softly. The mere sight of something different, something other than herself returned some of Luna’s lost energy.
The duel orbs grew brighter, causing Luna’s eyes to hurt from the lack of encountering any sort of illumination in so long, but she couldn’t bring herself to turn away as the entities got closer to her, their forms becoming visible as they approached, an erratic pattern becoming apparent in their movements.

Soon, the princess could make out two distinct forms, both of which were pony-shaped. Their coats were the same glowing blue color, and in-fact were slightly transparent. They were both pegasi, with only a slightly larger-than-average wingspan, and feathers that were a bright white color. Their manes and tails were a duller blue, and didn’t glow, standing out against their coats. Each had a very strange pattern of white dots running down their backs, starting just below their manes and going all the way down to their tails, which both ended in bright white tips. The dots not only glowed, they twinkled, almost like lights, and whenever the two ponies got close to each other, they grew brighter.
Luna couldn’t help but gape as she stared at the curious pair, the two finally reaching her and flying in circles around their spectator a few times before stopping in front of her, each bearing a wide smile.

“My, she is even more beautiful up close, the very definition of radiance!”

“You speak the truth, brother; she is far beyond fair…”

“Yes, against such a treasure there is none to compare!”
As they spoke, the two started moving again, slowly flying around Luna as they admired her. The royal blue alicorn couldn’t help the blush that once again ignited her face, but with the creatures’ praise came a second feeling, something that seemed to bubble up inside her and brought back the remembrance of being a filly.
A smile came to Luna’s face, and she couldn’t help but giggle as the two nearly identical ponies once again came to a stop before her.

In fact, the only difference that Luna could discern in the two was their voices.

“Ah, I see we entertain her majesty!” The one on the left said, his smile growing. His voice was the one of a higher pitch, and his wings seemed to flap faster than the other pegasus.

“Indeed, it has been far too long since a smile has grazed her lovely face. I’m glad we have been able to remedy that.” On her right, the other one agreed, his voice now both noticeably deeper and slower, his manner seeming a bit lazier than his counterpart.

And now that they were still, Luna found another difference between the two.
Each of them had bright lights where a pony’s eyes would be, one red, one blue. The first creature had the red light for a left eye, while the other had one for the right, with their blue ‘eyes’ blending in with the rest of their coats.
The creatures’ strange appearances and flattering words, combined with the mere fact of their presence in Luna’s prison, left her with many questions, yet she couldn’t find the words to voice them.

And so, she simply stared at the intruders on her solitude, with a small smile on her lips.
After a few seconds, the two glanced at each other, and shrugged.

“I did not expect us to make such an impression, she is completely speechless!”

“Perhaps brother. Or maybe we have offended her…”

“Oh no, I do hope that is not so!”

“Do you think we should depart, so as not to anger her further?”

“Yes, that might be best.”

“Please, forgive our intrusion, Madam Luna.”

The two nodded to each other, and flew upwards again, starting to turn away. In an instant, Luna’s smile vanished, and she found her words.

“Wait!” Her loud Canterlot voice rang around her, even causing herself to flinch, but the two strangers didn’t seem to notice the volume, as their ears simply perked up, and they both turned to face her again.
“I’m sorry; did her majesty speak to us?” One of them asked, as the two hovered in place. Luna swallowed, and spoke again.

“You did not offend u…me, good sirs. In fact I am delighted that somepony has visited me after all this time of loneliness.” The alicorn felt a bit ashamed at the desperation behind her voice, but now that she had companions, she didn’t want them to leave so quickly.
“Please, stay.”

The two grinned, before speeding up and flying around her a few times before landing on either side of Luna, seeming to sit even though there was nothing below them. They were smaller than she was, but just about the same size as a normal pegasus.

Luna’s smile returned, as they both looked up at her, patiently waiting for her to say something else.
“You both seem to know me; may I have the pleasure of knowing your names?”

Such a simple little question, but Luna was more than surprised by the answer.
As soon as the words left her mouth, she could see their strange eyes brighten, and suddenly the dots on their coats lit up, as both of the ponies expanded their wings.

“Us?”
They both took off, gaining speed while barely flapping their wings, seeming to move by some other method.

“Why, we are the Gemini!” The first one started, freezing in place as his double circled him.

“Twins in the sky!” The second pony froze as well, and the two leaned against each other.

“Together forever…” Their tails intertwined, the white ends forming together into a bright light.

“Never to die!” Their coats seemed to fade even more, as the dots all turned into bright balls, connected by white lines that formed a pattern across their bodies.

Luna felt her mouth open on its own accord, as she recognized what image those lights made.
“Gemini…” She whispered, remembering the name.

The twins separated, lowering themselves to the ground, still grinning widely. As the princess stared on, the two walked back up to her, and bowed.
“We’ve come to free you, Princess Luna.”

Her large eyes blinked, as Luna was brought back to her senses by the statement.

“Free…me?” She asked, going from awe to confusion, as she raised an eyebrow at the two.

“Well, perhaps. It all depends.” The deeper toned one answered, giving a shrug.

“Normally, creatures such as us take little interest in what ponies do…”

“Yes, we consider ourselves… Above, such matters.”

The two snickered for a moment at what Luna assumed was a joke, before they focused on her again.
“However, since you were banished here, Celestia has been controlling both day and night…”

“And to put it simply, she is partial to her sun.”

“The princess of light always raises the moon, but rarely ignites our images to burn in the sky.”

“Few ponies know of the ‘beings in the stars’, simply seeing us as random lights, due to your sister’s carelessness.”

“We are proud of existence, and refuse to fade from memory!”

“So we have come for you, that the true ruler of the night may be returned.”

As the two finished their explanation, Luna’s eyes closed. Here was the chance to be free from her prison, to return to her home. She knew about the legends of the ‘Star-beings’, ancient creatures that dwelt within the night sky, and displayed their likenesses among the stars. They were also said to be incredibly powerful, and guarded the world below from the evil ones that dwelt among them.

When Luna was a filly, ponies who watched the night sky would claim that certain images would become visible throughout the seemingly random blanket of lights if one stared long enough. She had actually seen these images before, and had even given some of them names. But she had never believed…
Giving a sigh, Luna shook her head.

“Thank you, powerful Gemini, for your offer of help. But I am afraid I must refuse.”

When her eyes opened, neither of them was smiling. The one on the right bore a frown, his eyes almost glaring at her. But the other one just looked curious, his head tilted slightly as he asked a question.

“Why? Did you not say that you were alone? Surely that is not a fate you wish for yourself.”

Luna shook her head, glancing around at the endless darkness.

“I would love nothing more than to see my sister again. But I deserve to be in here. I let myself fall under the control of a great evil, and even now I can feel her presence in my mind. I cannot return to Equestria as long as she exists.”

To her surprise, as Luna finished her speech, she heard snickering. The two Gemini had covered their mouths, each with a different hoof, to prevent themselves from breaking out into complete laughter. This continued for several seconds, with Luna growing a bit annoyed, before the younger one spoke again.

“Is that all with which you are concerned?”
The other pegasus glanced up at her, wearing a devilish smirk.

“Do you think that your freedom will not have to be earned?”
Luna was about to reply, when the glow around the two pony-like creatures started to grow stronger, and the stars in their coats lit up again.

“The only way to escape from your home in the stars…”

“One must be judged, but before that can be…”

“You must journey through our world, a challenge most great…”
Luna’s eyes closed as the light the two emitted became blinding, but she still listened intently to every word.

“But do not fear, the Gemini are here…”

“We can only help you though, if you’re willing to go…”

“So tell us Luna…”

“Are you going to try?” The two finished together, as the glow faded from around them. For a second, Luna was in darkness again, but as she opened her eyes, she noticed something much, much different.
Off in the distance, a large amount of light pierced through the darkness, reminding Luna of the exit of a dark cave. The two Gemini were flying in the air, each with a hoof pointing towards the strange illumination.

“Well, Luna?” The one on the left asked.

“Hurry, there isn’t much time. The moon is still more powerful than we.”
The pony swallowed; this was an important decision, but she had one more question.

“What will I need to do?”
Both Gemini smiled, their eyes lighting up.

“You must reach The Lake in the Sky, the most beautiful part of our world…”

“If you can accomplish this, the one who judges will grant you freedom, both from your prison, and from the Nightmare.”
It sounded so simple, but Luna knew that there was more, something the two were not telling her. Still, as she watched, the light grew smaller.

‘If it will allow me to go return home…  I will try…'

Even as she thought it, she felt her hooves touch something solid, and she nearly collapsed from her lack of balance. Glancing down, she saw nothing but darkness, but she was now standing on it as if it was a pathway.

“I see you’ve made your choice…”

“Believe us when we say we are overjoyed.”
The princess glanced up at her grinning companions, who were now flying directly above her.

“Now, the first thing you must do will be quite fun…”

“The door to our world is closing, so I suggest we…”

“Run!”
The Gemini’s shout, along with her own sense of worry, sent the alicorn into a full-on gallop, the sound of her hoof beats echoing around her. Strangely, the Gemini’s wings made no sound as they kept a steady pace beside her. Luna narrowed her eyes, focusing completely on the mysterious light, which was growing smaller and smaller. Suddenly, she spread her wings, and pushed herself forward, the feathered appendages propelling their owner as her starry mane once again flowed behind her.
All that mattered was reaching that light…
And then, she was surrounded by it, blinded by the brilliant radiance around her. A feeling, like fire, spread through her body, and she could feel her magical energy being pulled out of her. It hurt, more than anything she had ever felt, and her scream of pain, no matter how hard she tried to retain it, admitted her suffering.
And then, it was over, and the bright light faded from around her. And Luna was once again in darkness.
But only for a moment.