//------------------------------// // Nightmare Night // Story: Lullaby for a Princess // by Scourgeous //------------------------------// Luna pointed her horn towards the sky, wrinkling her muzzle up as she forced magic to glow and sparkle around it. There was crackling and sparks, but as hard as she tried she couldn't raise the moon just like every other time she had tried. The sun was sitting high in the sky, just a trail of cloud across it's base. The princess of the night sighed and stared angrily at the sky, trying once again to pull moon up into the sky. "That simply won't do, deary." Discord said huskily, floating past on a cotton candy cloud and reaching out to tease her mane, which had grown down to the middle of her neck. "Raising the moon during the day is a waste of effort anyway." She hissed, glaring at him. "If I can create an eclipse, I can get everyone's attention." He raised one eyebrow, then shrugged and beat his wings a little, propelling the cloud over the hill. She watched him go, giving up on her useless jolts of magic. She blinked slowly and narrowed her eyes, her eyes following Discord as he floated through the trees, bobbing his head as he hummed while he picked apples from the trees. How much chaos could a draconequus who turns things to cotton candy be? She rose to her hooves, stretching out her rear legs. The sun glinted on her black crown, and she took a deep breath, eyes narrow with determination. For one last time she stretched herself out, horn pointed at the horizon, light gathering around her horn. She let her wings unfold in a ruffle of feathers and she beat heavily, rising into the sky. Stretching out her neck, she pointed her horn straight up, and the light around it became more of a dark misted color. Discord suddenly turned his attention to her, pushing himself upright on his lounging cloud, blinking and grinning, his eyes sparkling with mischief. The moon appeared at the horizon, rising through the golden skies and into place right in front of the sun, it's edges blazing with the sun's backing flares. It set the world into a ghostly light, making edges and shadows more vivid. It was just like the eclipse on the day of their coronation. She hovered in the sky for a moment, then whirled around to stare down at Discord. "To Canterlot! Before my father lowers the moon!" She called down, eyes blazing bright sea green, the pupils thin and cat like. He smirked, his sharp teeth glinting. "As you wish, princess of the night." The wind howled like the call of the Timberwolves as Luna landed on one of the roofs of Canterlot, holding her wings stretched wide, casting her judging glare across the city. Discord fluttered to her side, grinning insanely. Screams began to cry from the streets at the sight of the chaotic draconequus and his companion, the princess they had thought was lost from the castle forever. Luna laughed heartily, her voice roaring over the town, snarling and staring down at the fleeing ponies. They cowered under the ghostly light of the eclipse, which was starting to give her mane a dark starry look. She was darkening all over, and her limbs began to throb with pain. She hissed and looked down at her legs, which were starting to darken from the hooves upwards. "Wh-what is this? Is this a power from thy moon-" She hissed, finding her voice much different. Discord was staring at her with eyes bright as amber. An evil grin was stretched across his face, wiggling the fingers of his taloned hand in her direction. Her wings curled at the tips and she made a choking noise as the pain spread right through her body. It felt like her blood was boiling, about to burn her flesh in seconds. "What is thou doing?" She hissed, grinding her teeth together and cowering away from him. He smirked, leaning forward to stroke her flowing starry mane, kissing her cheek tenderly. "We can both have what we want." He purred, watching her legs stretch awkwardly out. "You can have forever night, and I can have chaos." "But why is thou doing this to me-ith?" She spluttered, arching her back and screeching. "All magic comes at a price, deary." He smirked, casting his gaze back to the sky. "Now do me a favor and lower that pesky sun." She tried to resist his touch, but her now dark black body was lightening again, but not to her old dark powder blue. His stare clawed at her like ice thorns as she turned gray, her color seeming to drain away. The world turned black to her conscious, but the evil creature left behind under his chaotic control continued to move. She grinned and pointed her long sharp horn at the sky, dragging the sun from behind the moon and descending it behind the horizon once again, cloaking the world in darkness. The Luna trapped within her struggled to wake up, but she was just a screaming consciousness stuck in the body Discord had created. There was a flash of light and an explosion of magic. Light spread from the Canterlot castle to the city, and a large Alicorn shape flew across the sky, spreading light across the darkness of night. Discord hissed and stepped back, his shell of Luna stepping with him. Celestia landed before them, her new mane of many colors billowing around her like a long cloud. She snarled deeply, glowering dangerously at Discord. "What have you done to my sister?" She screeched. He chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Oh, Tia, don't jump to conclusions, deary. All of this up till now was of Luna's choice- well, with a little friendly tinkering from her close friend Discord- and now I've taken control." "You've stolen my sister!" She snarled, rearing onto her hind legs, whinnying loudly and swiping them at him. He dodged, swinging his hips teasingly. "She's not your precious little Woona-Bear anymore, Celestia." He hissed, eyes a deep orange, almost red. "She is Nightmare Moon, Queen of Chaos!"