//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: The Crescent Nightmare // by ChaosKing //------------------------------// Shadow Wing’s POV I arrived at my small, unassuming Canterlot flat and looked fondly at the walls littered with old nick-knacks and fond memories. There was Spitfire and Soarin after the whole spiked punch incident, and there was Rainbow and I side by side after she won her first race. I would miss this place. I went to my small little kitchen and put on a pot of water to boil. Common tea was fine, but my own brew was so good that just the ingredients demanded a king’s ransom, let alone the recipe! Once my tea was done I sat on my old recliner and let my mind wander. I had so much to do, and so little time. I thought about all the plans I had made over the years and the people I had met, and I knew that all of it would be useless now. No more politicians to woo and no more women to win. I was an old man at heart… But I still had strength, and I intended to use it. Rainbow had a protégé that she would need help teaching, and I had plans for Ponyville. I just hope that things went right for me for once. Twilight’s POV I walked down the corridor to the suite I was staying in while in Canterlot. I could have stayed with my parents, but I didn’t feel like I belonged in my old bedroom anymore. I got into my room and got ready for bed, and then I lay there as the things Celestia told me replayed until sleep took me. Flashback “A fool? What do you mean?” I had never seen Celestia cry like this. A tear for Luna’s return, and tears of joy for the royal wedding, but she looked like she was just empty now. “I believed I had changed, and had become a truly benevolent ruler, but I am still the same paranoid politician I was when Equestria was young.” She looked at me as if I wasn’t there, as if she was seeing the past. “When Luna and I were young we didn’t have the power we enjoy now. We had to haggle with the ruling class for any laws or decisions we wanted to make. We had been hearing rumors of the Mad King of the Crystal Empire for years, but couldn’t confront Sombra without the consent of the council.” I had to interrupt, “Why would they not want an evil unicorn like him stopped?” She sighed, “Because we all knew there was the potential we could lose. They didn’t like to take any chances or make any bets they didn’t know would pay off.” She looked out towards the horizon where the Lunar Princess had fled, “Luna volunteered to go in undercover to confirm the rumors, and to gain some intelligence, but the moment she entered the empire was the moment everything went wrong.” Again a tear seemed to shine like quicksilver in the moonlight as she spoke, “Luna had always been good at disguise. I had thought she would be able to fit in amongst his staff like anyone else, but as always I underestimated my opponent. He discovered her on the first day,” she began to openly sob, her royal calm gone, “He overpowered her and bound her in chains, and then…” “He raped her.” “He raped her daily for weeks while I awaited a letter from her telling to invade or come for her. By the time I started to get worried she was in trouble it was too late. Sombra had gotten her with child, but we alicorns don’t have as easy a time with carrying children as other species. The foal was born early, and Sombra took it away and killed it after she gave birth.” She looked back at me, her face looking like it was trying to regain its calm, “She was damaged by his treatment and the birth so much she became barren. I eventually rescued her from his dungeons, but I didn’t know of what he had done to her till much later.” I could see that she wanted to seek comfort, and I walked up and wrapped my hooves around her neck to show her I understood, “She and I overthrew him, but she didn’t ever tell me of what happened there. I didn’t know of her sacrifice until months into her banishment. I always knew that it was my fault Twilight. If I had just been there more, just been a good big sister then she wouldn’t have become Nightmare Moon. Instead I just stood by and brushed her off while she found solace raising a street rat she had taken a liking to.” She seemed to have reached her limit for now. She became silent as the grave, and I slowly led her to the bed nearby and put her to sleep. I knew she would probably either apologize for her misconduct, or ask I never bring it up again, but I knew that I had learned one thing that I could never forget about Celestia. She was a pony who could take a lot. She could handle a thousand years of grief, and pain greater than any I had knowledge of. But even she had a breaking point. Luna’s POV (P.S. Song Time) I looked upon my sleeping child with a small frown. I had ceased my comforting of her only to find her asleep in me embrace. I had taken her up here so she could rest until morning. I knew I would have to confront her tomorrow, but I dreaded what her reaction would be. I could still feel the power lying just underneath her skin, and knew she had more power than either I or my sister, maybe even both of us combined. I tried to sleep in another room, but when my eyes closed all I found was a memory of the night she and I had first become as a family. Flashback I looked down on the quivering ball of fur with a non-too hidden grimace. This was the third night in a row the girl refused to sleep quietly, and now she was starting to have magical bursts whenever someone came close. I sighed and composed myself. I had known it would be hard to take care of her, but Celestia had made it clear that it was either I do this myself, or I throw her out. I approached her cautiously, and felt the swarm of angry magic floating around her. She had said she was practicing the basics of her lesson from when she moved in, but if so she wasn’t having much success. “Crescent?” Suddenly a fireball formed in midair and tried to roast me, but I made a bubble and suffocated the offending flame. I made a porous shield to protect me from the flames shooting at me, and touched her shoulder. She gasped and suddenly the flames ceased. I saw her look around as if she was unaware of her location. I saw her look at me, and then a flood of tears started to flow. “I’m sorry Princess! I didn’t mean it! I was having a bad dream, and I just couldn’t get away! I didn’t mean to hurt anyone!” I raised a hoof to silence her, “You didn’t hurt anyone Crescent. I only am concerned about these dreams.” I closed the doors and soundproofed them to give us some privacy, “What was it about? Only truly dark nightmares can emerge in my dwelling child.” She shivered at the memories still fresh in her mind, and on a whim I lifted her up and put her between my hooves as I lay down on the floor. “I was in the throne room…I felt angry, and I mean really angry. I was in front of Celestia, and she and I were fighting… I hurt her bad Princess, so bad I thought she was going to banish me. Then when she spoke to me all I heard was you. You said you didn’t want me around, that you were ashamed of me living here.” I understood now why she was so scared. I looked into her eyes and nuzzled her head. There was only one thing I knew of that could curb a nightmare like that. I rose and opened the window. She looked at me with tear filled eyes as I was silhouetted against the moon. “Do you trust me Crescent?” She nodded, and I let a smile come to my face, “Then jump on my back, and hold on tight.” She jumped on and let out a whimper as I took off into the night sky. I knew it was scary not having wings of her own, but she had yet to truly see the night, and by the moon she would know of its wonders. That it would help calm her was merely a bonus. She looked at me with a questioning look from my back as I flew through the sky, “Princess, what did you bring me here for?” I knew it would be cliché to sing a song, but the night could only be introduced once, and by the moon she was going to love it. Luna: I can show you the world Shining, shimmering, splendid Tell me, princess, now when did You last let your heart decide? “What do you mean?” she looked around for what I meant. Luna: I can open your eyes Take you wonder by wonder Over, sideways and under On a magic carpet ride “Where?” I chuckled and motioned for her to join in. Chorus: A whole new world A new fantastic point of view No one to tell us no or where to go Or say we're only dreaming I began to bring the stars in a dance as we sang. I felt her hooves tangle in my mane as she began to sing on her own. Crescent: A whole new world A dazzling place I never knew But when I'm way up here, it's crystal clear That now I'm in a whole new world with you Now I'm in a whole new world with you I saw her eyes get wide eyed at the night sky, a sight I never saw in the average pony. Crescent: Unbelievable sights Indescribable feeling Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling Through an endless diamond sky I began to do a dive as we continued. Chorus: A whole new world Luan: Don't you dare close your eyes Crescent: A hundred thousand things to see Luna: (Hold your breath, it gets better) Crescent: I'm like a shooting star I've come so far I can't go back To where I used to be A whole new world Every turn a surprise With new horizons to pursue Every moment red-letter I'll chase them anywhere There's time to spare Luna: Let me share this whole new world with you Corus: A whole new world That's where we'll be A thrilling chase A wondrous place For you and me Time Skip I tucked her into bed after the flight. She had a smile on her face, and I knew the nightmares would trouble her no more. I was just about to leave when I heard words that brought tears to my eyes. “Night-night Moma.” I was about to correct her when I stopped. Who was I to change her mind? I sighed as I closed the door, “Fine then…I’m Moma.” I didn’t know what this would mean, but one thing was sure. Celestia would be royally pissed. End Flashback I sighed at the memory. I showed her the sky that night. Now I would see if she still loved me as much as she loved it. Celestia’s POV I awoke with a start as I recalled my fight with Luna. Was she okay? Where was she? What had been wrong with me?! I tried to calm down. Luna was more solitary by nature than I, and I knew she would return. I looked down at the bed and tried to recall preparing for bed. Suddenly the memories of Twilight and I hit me like a train. I hadn’t spoken of such things out loud ever since I revealed to Luna I knew of her sacrifice. I walked over to the vanity mirror to try and remove the evidence of my incident. I should never have told such things to Twilight. Of course I hadn’t had many opportunities to vent either. In the old days I would have sought out a delicious cake, or partaken one of the three royal concubines that were kept on principal for the pleasure of the Princess’s and other important guests. However, it had been centuries since I had taken part in such devilish rituals that they were trained to partake in. I looked at my reflection and recalled another student I once had. Her name had been Reflective Beauty… “You killed him! You murdered him!” “No.” I whispered, “I was removing a conspiracy. I didn’t know he was your husband.” Suddenly another voice spoke up. “Why?! Why do you do this to me?!” I tried to block out the memory of that poor man jumping from the tower in passion for me. Suddenly another woman was screaming over the body of her newborn son, a man possessed to raping his own sister to drive her to create magic I would need for the guards, a young filly holding her babe close as I lean forward… “NO!!” I suddenly banished the phantoms. I had done horrible, unforgivable things, and all across Equestria people whispered names and curses on me. But I had done my duty. I had used my limited scrying abilities and my political skills to create beauty and peace. I had taken all the evils of the world and done away with them. If I had to sacrifice my own sanity and purity for it…so be it. I looked at my reflection again. This time all I saw was an old witch and all I heard was the worst insult of them all. “Traitor.” Luna’s phantom said…just like all those nights ago. I took it like always and prepared to put on my mask of calm. All the while a dark ball of self-hatred seethed in my heart.