What goes up...
The young guard threw open the door to Stargazer's room panicked and panting. The Alicorn snapped his attention away from the mirror where he was admiring himself in his own armour to the panting pegasus that had intruded upon him so suddenly.
"Princess Luna's been taken hostage! Celestia needs you in the grand hall immediately!" Stargazer burst past the guard and began sprinting through the busy halls barging through the different ponies that littered them causing them to grumble as he went past. He swung past the guards in front of the door to the grand hall which was buzzing with commotion, guards moved around the room passing documents between each other whilst Celestia and the generals of the Equestrian military sat around a table in the centre of the room pouring over maps. Stargazer charged up to the table to which those around it looked up to him.
"What happened!?" Celestia looked straight into his eyes for a second then back to the maps on the table.
"Luna's convoy was attacked whilst heading to Griffonia all we have is a note with these co-ordinates."
"Then why aren't we moving out right now!"
"Star it's obviously a trap please you can't succumb to your emotions."
"AND MAYBE YOU SHOULD! SHE'S YOUR SISTER!" The room fell into silence as he screamed at her, he had never used the Canterlot voice before and it echoed throughout the room. Celestia looked up to him with her mouth agape, his face was contorted into one of rage that she had never seen. She knew that he felt strongly for her but not strong enough that he would give in to anger.
"If you wont do everything you can to save her then I'll do it myself!" He moved over to the table matching the numbers on the paper to the map which he memorised. He bolted from the room leaving the others staring at where he had been unable to say a word. He ran outside of the castle heading directly forwards rushing towards the edge of the city and the cliff that marked it's border, he jumped off the cliff not breaking his stride. He let gravity take hold of him until he stopped accelerating where he opened his wings and pulled up pushing himself faster in the direction of Luna.
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Stargazer flew non-stop, through rain and the night and the heat of the days, through storms and eventually through snow as he left Equestria itself. He didn't know how long he had been flying it could have been an eternity for all he knew but he didn't care, he landed on a mountain top overlooking where co-ordinates lined up on the map. He narrowed his eyes and shot towards the mountain looking for any sign of life on it as he circled round. Eventually he reached the bottom of the gargantuan place where he spotted a cave entrance. He landed on the snow covered ground looking into the tunnel hearing the pain filled yelps from Luna echo out. He shook with anger as he stamped his hoof down cracking the ground and began sprinting through the tunnel.
Luna sobbed in pain as he capture let up on beating her again, she couldn't see them properly in the darkness of the cave but knew it was a male and more importantly an Alicorn. His tiny red eyes glowed in the darkness his long wings held high up in pride as he looked down on her.
"Stargazer, Celestia...where are you?" She began sobbing to herself as she thought of her sister and Coltfriend. She couldn't help but think that both had left her to her fate. She had been there for so long in pain and all that kept her holding on was the thought of them coming to her rescue, of being in Stargazer's arms again but with each passing moment the thought slipped further and further away. The creature who had captured her on his own brought his face to her ear whispering to her.
"Not long now...Just one last thing to do." He touched his horn against her body. The pain was instantaneous, it felt like her entire being was being torn apart, like her soul was on fire. She felt like she should be dead the intense pain reached every part of her being yet she was somehow forced to stay alive and concious, forced to endure every agonising second of pain. The pony lifted his horn from her and turned his attention away from her. She heard a noise that broke the silence that had run through the cavern whilst she was there, the sound of hoof steps charging towards them. He heart lifted as she saw Stargazer standing on the other side of the cavern glaring at her capture who stood facing him.
"Who are you!?" His voice shook with anger and confusion looking at the Alicorn before he saw Luna behind him huddled into a ball which made his body shake with rage.
"I am the butcherer of time, my bloody history carved into the dirt and the rock and bone under every sky there is. They used to have a name for me. Nightmare....But you know that already don't you Lucien?" Stargazer cocked his eyebrow in confusion at the pony but quickly shook it off. He let his anger take control of his body and lunged at him. Nightmare's horn glowed enveloping a large rock, it slammed into Stargazer throwing him across the cavern. He landed on his hooves panting from the force of the hit, he charged forwards again dodging another boulder thrown at him. He dived out of the way of a dark bolt launched from the dark Alicorn, Stargazer jumped at him ready to bring his hoof down on his head but just before his blow connected Nightmare vanished in a cloud of smoke. Stargazer landed on the ground looking all around for any sign of him his short harp breaths taking in the smoke around him, the putrid smell made him gag it was like rotting flesh lodging itself into his nose. He looked around himself completely disorientated by the smell and lack of vision he turned to the right where he saw the pair of red eyes mere inches from his face before he felt a bone shattering blow to his stomach throwing him into the air. Before Stargazer could fall to the ground Nightmare appeared next to him in another puff of smoke, another blow came to him before Nightmare teleported around him again and gave another blow and another and another. Nightmare teleported round the red Alicorn beating him again speeding up until his hits became blurs hitting every single part of his body. Nightmare cleared the smoke around them and floated in mid-air charging the aura around his horn before he let the blast of magic fly into Stargazer launching him into the wall one of the spikes on his helmet broke off and cut into his lip splashing blood on his face.
Stargazer landed on the floor looking at Nightmare who was calming walking towards him having not even broke a sweat in his brutal flurry of attacks. Stargazer forced all his strength into charging a spell to attack the dark pony who stood inches from him, Nightmare brought his hooves down on Stargazer's horn shattering it and causing him to wail in pain. Nightmare then began to lean down to him ready to touch his horn against the wounded Alicorn's flesh when he was hit by a beam of light. He jumped away from Stargazer as Celestia shot another beam at him, Stargazer tried to watch the events unfolding in front of him but he could hardly make out anything through his blurred vision. As a small number of Canterlot guard came to assist Celestia Nightmare vanished leaving his putrid smoke behind him. Celestia rushed over to her sister along with some of the guards whilst the rest moved over to Stargazer. He couldn't take his eyes off Luna who wasn't moving his worry and fear keeping him concious as the guard picked him up and began carrying him out of the cave. He heard Luna let out a small whimper lifting a weight from his shoulders to which he let himself fall out of conciousness.
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Stargazer stood in his bathroom room looking at the pony in the mirror a deep scar ran through his lip like a crevasse through his face. His horn kept shooting sharp pains through his body he tried rubbing it to soothe the pain but his hoof grabbed nothing but thin air. He moved his hoof down till he touched the jagged stump left on his head then moved it back up to the point where the pain stopped but no matter what he did the niggling pain stayed making grow more frustrated with each second. He looked back to the mirror at himself and let out a scream as he punched the face of the Alicorn looking back at him shattering the reflective glass. He kept his hoof buried into the former mirror, warm blood dripped off of him and onto the white basin before he pulled his hoof out letting some more pieces of glass drop onto the floor and sink. He began slowly pulling pieces of the mirror out of his hoof unaccustomed to not using his magic for a delicate task like this but he knew that trying to use it was no use. Unicorns that had lost their horns were unable to use magic again and apparently an Alicorn was no different. Stargazer thought of when he first realised that his magic was gone, he wasn't trying to do anything special just lift a cup to his face but no matter how hard he tried he wasn't even able to move it an inch. He grabbed some paper towels and wrapped them round his hoof to stem the bleeding before he noticed the presence in the doorway to the main bedroom.
Before he could react Luna had thrown herself round him sobbing into his shoulder her blue mane brushing his face gently. She had grown since they had returned, she was now a few inches shorter than him but with each day the distance between their heights would close, her fur had turned from its soothing light purple to a harsh black and the part of her cutie mark that was originally black had turned violet contrasting against her flank.
"I'm so sorry! It's all my fault that this...this.."
"It isn't your fault....It's mine. I didn't think, it was a trap and I walked right into it." She looked up into his eyes that once comforted her but now they felt different almost like she wasn't looking at the pony she loved but at a stranger she just met.
"It is though....I went to him willingly."
"What do you mean willingly?"
"He approached me awhile ago, he said that he felt sorry for me. That no pony enjoys my night's and instead shun it for the day. I was jealous, I want the night to be enjoyed, I want to be looked up to like Tia but I'm shunned like my night. He said that he could make every pony love the night and make them love me. I went to where he said that I should go for him to make it happen but when I got there he....Well you know the rest. I really am sorry all this is my fault. I did this to you." She buried her face into his shoulder again as another wave of tears broke through to which he let her sob for a moment but then pulled her away before making his way out of their room.
"I need some time alone. you understand?" She sniffed wiping away a final tear from her eye before she nodded to him.
"Take all the time you need." Stargazer left his mare-friend without another word. He walked through the halls of the castle his hooves echoing throughout the empty halls, occasionally either a group of ponies or guard would walk by him staring at him whilst he wasn't looking and muttering under his breath which he ignored. He made it to his destination standing in front of the door to which he knocked. He waited for a few seconds before a voice replied from within.
"Come in." He took a deep breath and pushed the door open entering the room. The room was significantly different to the rest of the castle. It was probably the smallest room within the building lined with books of varying age, a fire crackled shining light and heat around the room making it feel calm. Celestia looked at Stargazer noticing the air of depression around him.
"Hello Star. You here on duty? or did you just need to talk?" She did her best to smile but her face couldn't do it. He walked further into the room past philomeena who followed his movement to Celestia where he sat down and rested his head against her letting a tear break out of his eye.
"I'm worried about her Tia. She said that she went to that thing out of choice."
"I'm sure she just had a lapse of judgement you know she's a free spirit." He looked up into her eye not covered by her pastel coloured mane before he turned his gaze back to the fire on the other side of the room.
"It's not just that. She said she was jealous of you, jealous of how you are seen, how the day is relished but her and her night are looked at with fear. I'm worried she's gonna do something." Celestia put her hoof round him and gave him a hug.
"I don't think she will do anything Star she may get annoyed and jealous but she would never let harm come to any pony. Trust me she's just feeling guilty I'll talk to her."
"Okay then. I believe you..........Tia."
"Yes Star?"
"I'm sorry. I should've listened to you."
"You don't have to be sorry for anything. I was wrong, she's my sister and I should listen to my emotions." The pair stared into the flickering fire talking of Nightmare and how they could safeguard against him.
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Stargazer slipped his armour on himself taking extra care not to cut himself against the broken part of his helmet as he had done the first few times he had put it on after he returned to active duty with the guard he took just a quick second to check himself in the mirror before he left the room his air of confidence and pride having escaped his body. He walked through the halls of Canterlot barely taking up any room unlike how he used to walk filling a room with his ego. He looked out of the windows as he walked at the city still under the hue of night, he had decided to start patrolling early as he couldn't sleep and finding that Luna wasn't in their bed. He had shrugged it off as her taking one of her many night-time walks and decided not to question it. He passed a window looking at a clock tower within the city looking at the hands on it reading that it was half six in the morning, he shook his head looking at the clock again. it still looked like it was the middle of the night yet apparently it was early morning. The sun should be already in the sky and yet the moon hung in the dark sky. Stargazer snapped away from the window and began running through the castle looking for Luna maybe she had been incapacitated and unable to lower the moon for Celestia, he needed to find her fast before the citizens of Equestria awoke and began panicking.
Stargazer reached the outside of the astronomy tower within a few minutes hoping that Luna was in her usual quiet place within the castle maybe not noticing the time taken up with her observation of the night sky or maybe caught up in her artwork. He slid the door to the main room of the tower to see the night pony standing at the ledge overlooking the castle. Her mane flowed like her sister's permanently changing little twinkles appearing in her hair like stars she stood much taller than him she turned to him upon his arrival her eyes no longer being soft and gentle but sharp with slit-like pupils that stabbed into his heart. She wore a helmet that fitted to her head perfectly along with a chest piece both a very light purple.
"Ahh my most loyal subject." her voice sifted through his ears making him shudder. He tried to speak but nothing came out of his mouth.
"Do you not have anything to say to your queen? Do I not have your respect?"
"The hay you on about Lu? Queen?!"
"Do not refer to me by that name it is not befitting of this land's true ruler."
"Luna what are you doing!?" Celestia's voice cut between the pair causing them to look over to her. She stood as tall as she could possibly be standing at the same height as Luna.
"You shall refer to me as Nightmare moon dear sister." Stargazer's eyes went wide with fear as she spoke the words. Nightmare. The name struck his heart more than anything had ever done in his life as he stood rooted to the spot.
"Now dear sister of mine the night will last forever in this empire of mine, so the sun must be vanquished." She took a step towards Celestia where Stargazer sprang into action, his body acting of its own accord he grabbed her trying to subdue his life long friend.
"Insignificant whelp." her mane flared up as lightning shot from it throwing the red Alicorn across the room landing in a lump on the floor looking at his two friends. The necklace around Celestia's neck began glowing as did her crown before a light shot out from them and into Nightmare moon trapping her in a field of magic.
"CELESTIA NO!" He pleaded to his mentor with tears streaming down his face but she either didn't hear him or ignored his screams. Luna looked over at Stargazer her eyes briefly changing back to their normal way before she spoke with her normal voice to him.
"I'm sorry" the magic flared around her shattering all glass within the room before the light shot up into the sky leaving the space where Nightmare moon had stood empty. Stargazer held out his hoof touching the ground in front of him, Celestia moved into the centre of the room and began channelling magic through her lifting into the air as the moon lowered and the sun rose the light momentarily blinding him.
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Stargazer sat on a bench in Celestia's and Luna's private garden on the edge of the cliff that Canterlot was placed on. It had only been a few weeks since Luna was exiled to the moon but he already looked completely different. His mane had become unkempt and greasy from a lack of washing, his strong lean body was already fading from a lack of food, he had only eaten the bare minimum to keep himself alive. His eyes were bloodshot from both crying and a lack of sleep, he hadn't ventured into his and Luna's room ever since she became Nightmare moon, the walls brought back too many memories for him to deal with. Stargazer looked up at the setting sun shining over Equestria as he heard hoofsteps behind him.
"Hello Star." Celestia's voice seemed frail she had stayed in public view after exiling her sister and as such had to remain stronger than him, he kept his bloodshot eyes focused on the sun ahead of him all he did to acknowledge her was grumble to himself. Celestia sat on the bench next to him and placed a hoof on his shoulder.
"Please Star just say something, anything. I can't lose you too. I...I just can't. Please!" The tears began streaming down her face as she shook him pleading for him to talk to her. To be his old self with his cocky smile, his laugh, his confidence and his own brand of comedy yet he stayed quiet and stared at the ground. The tears began flowing from her eyes more profusely before as she gave up trying to hear his voice again when he let out a sigh.
"Do you remember what you said?" He pulled off his helmet placing it down on the bench whilst Celestia looked at him stunned to suddenly hear his voice, so calm, almost serene. She had expected him to blame her or to be sad but she couldn't predict his actions any more. Ever since Nightmare kidnapped her sister he had drastically changed from the care-free pony she knew into a wreck.
"What do you mean what I said?"
"All those decades ago, in Ponyville." He stood up and walked to the very edge of the cliff where he rose to his hind legs and turned to face her the sun blazing behind him.
"I said that I had nothing left to teach you, that if you wanted you could....." Her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped as she remembered what she said to him on the hilltop. on the bench the crystal in the helmet cracked.
"No Star please, don't." Another flood of tears began breaking through her eyes as he smiled at her seeming to be at peace.
"I think it's time for me to go." The crystal in the helmet shattered to nothing but dust being taken away by the gentle breeze as he lifted his arms up and slowly fell backwards over the cliff. Celestia ran over to the edge where she saw the outline of him flying away from the city rapidly fading away into the sunset. She wiped the tears from her eyes regaining her composure as she turned around and moved to the bench picking up the helmet and looking at it thinking of every memory that she had shared with red Alicorn over their long lives.