Sunrise has been Princess Celestia's private student for the last five years, and through that time she had proven over and again her prowess at magic, and an insatiable thirst for knowledge. It was fall, Sunrise and Celestia sat together in the gardens with several open books as the day's lessons came to a close, "Now Sunrise, it is time to apply what you have learned," Celestia said with a smile.
The young mare nodded slightly as she brought the small stone closer to her, "Concentrate, see the change, and apply," she said to herself as she weaved the spell. Slowly, the stone began to vibrate before stretching and squishing under the unicorns magic. Finally, after several moments, the small stone changed into an apple. "Princess, I did it!"
Celestia nodded with a smile as pride filled her heart, "Indeed you have my prized pupil," she then stood up and began pulling some sheets of paper out to look at before addressing her student, "You have been doing very well in magic theory, as well as science and math," Sunrise seemed to glow at the praise given to her as Celestia continued, "However, your history needs some work."
Sunrise's face fell into a frown, after the shock died down, she began to search through her notes to find out what went wrong where. After finding nothing the matter, she looked at Celestia and said, "But Princess, I don't understand, what did I do wrong?"
Celestia sighed slightly as she turned about in place, reading the notes once again, "It's nothing you have done wrong, but my own fault I am afraid," Celestia admitted with a heavy voice. "While I have been concentrating on magic study with you, I have neglected to teach you in history, a field that I may have avoided in the past." As Celestia finished her sentence, Sunrise could not help but notice her teacher look up into the sky, ever so slightly for just a moment. Afterwards, Celestia smiled and continued, "I have been discussing you with some of the prominent professors that teach in this city, and they agree that you need to learn more about history than the founding of our city, or even just our country. That is why I have decided that you need to prove yourself by taking a test."
Sunrise gathered up her books into a set of bags before rushing up to Celestia, "Bur, Princess, what if I fail? I mean, where do I even begin?" Even as she stopped speaking, questions began to enter her brain at a mile a minute, causing the poor pony to hyperventilate.
Celestia lay a wing down on Sunrise's back, and gave her a reassuring smile, "Do not worry my student, the test was devised by Professor Lore, and he is giving you a month to study. Therefore, I shall help you in the best way I can, by giving you access to journals of those that lived through the era's you are to be tested on."
It was several hours later, when Sunrise found herself in her room. It was not lavish as one would expect the private student of Celestia to be, it was a simple, functional room with a bed, lamp, closet and desk. Spartan by all means, but that was simply the way that Sunrise liked it.
As she sat down at the low desk, Sunrise smiled to herself and pulled out the first book to be studied, "Nothing special looking about this one," she noted out loud. The book was simply a black bound book, with several yellowed pages sticking out. Sunrise opened the book, and found inside a loose sheet of paper. Currious, she picked up the note and read it to herself.
Sunrise,
For the first part of your exam, you will be quizzed upon the origins of our world. Within the pages of this journal, you will find my mother's notes. Please be sure to compare these notes with chapters one through five of World History abridged. I have faith in you,
Celestia.
"Wait," Sunrise began as she placed the note down on the desk, "This book has got to be thousands, if not millions of years old!" She let the pages turn in her magic as she examined the book, "How has it not turned to dust by now?" As she pondered the question, she scanned the book for any lingering spells, and found a strong preservation spell binding through the pages. All she could say was simply one word, "Incredible."
Finally, after several minutes of examining the spell, and trying to figure out how it worked, Sunrise shook her head and remembered she was in fact supposed to read it, "I can study the spell later. Right now, I need some tea, and a fresh quill and scroll of paper for notes." As she spoke, she brought the items closer to her, opened the first page, and began to read.
Even as Sunrise began reading the book to herself, far away, Nightmare Moon struggled with her sanity. The alicorn's spirit struggled against the bonds of the moon, trying to break free from the prison of her own mind. As she did, the stars drew ever closer to the celestial object that wound it's way across the earth's night sky.
In her private chambers, Celestia looked up at the angry face of the mare locked inside the moon and sighed, "My sister, soon it will all be over. I never was as good as you at walking the world of dreams, but sleep dear sister. Sleep, for your own sake. Soon you shall be free to live among your ponies once again."
As she spoke, Celestia closed her eyes, and cast a spell. It had taken centuries of study to learn it, finally allowing her to walk into the world of dreams. Her hold was shaky at best, however as soon as she set hoof in the realm, she could sense the presence of her sister. Making it simple to find her way to the world that Nightmare Moon had crafted for herself.
Celestia stepped through the ethereal realm of the dreamscape, and was shocked at the sight brought to her. Over eight hundred years of time, she had believed her sister to be able to find relative peace within her own world of dreams, but was instead dismayed at what she had found.
A vast grey landscape, littered with rubble as far as the eye could see greeted Celestia, with a vast black sky shining with stars as the earth soared above was the sight that greeted Celestia. As she stepped forward, a deep feeling of dread filled her heart, before finally, she found what she was looking for.
Nightmare Moon sat before the rubble, cowered before the crumbled remains of the palace that she had built for herself. Celestia stepped forward with caution, then softly called out, "Sister, what happened?"
Nightmare Moon could not help but jump at the voice and turned quick as a whip to face her sister, "What do you want with me? Can't you see I have suffered enough?"
Celestia frowned before answering, "Luna, why must you suffer at all? You know the world of slumber well, and yet you punish yourself still?"
Nightmare Moon barked out laughter, like a feral dog before answering, "All this time, and you still think I am Luna?" She asked with a sickening grin, "You think that I would do this to myself?" As she asked the question, she began to pace around Celestia, "You thought you would do your sister a favor, lock her in the moon and force her to dream forever, but it would appear that you did not plan for something."
Celestia backed away from Nightmare Moon, despite not truly being there, she was afraid of the chance that any harm brought to her could sever the weak hold she had upon this world. Nightmare Moon grinned maliciously at Celestia before turning away, "For all this time I have been here, I thought, nay, knew you were my enemy. Yet, it is only now that I find that there is one worse," as she finished the phrase, a small blue alicorn appeared from behind a pile of rubble.
Celestia looked at the filly, and could not help but smile to herself slightly, "Luna..." as she began to step forward to greet the small pony, Nightmare Moon stepped between them. Celestia backed away slightly before looking Nightmare Moon in the eyes, "Let me speak with her."
The black alicorn narrowed her eyes from under the helmet at Celestia, "She is dead. Only the dead come here, for that is how she designed this dream for me," she said with spite in her voice, "All that is, is a figment of my imagination, a ghost of who I was before I became strong."
Celestia frowned slightly at Nightmare Moon, then spoke with a strong and steady voice, "If she is a part of you as you say, then I may help you yet if you let me speak with her."
Silence grew between the three ponies, finally after a few moments Nightmare Moon simply moved aside and walked away, allowing Luna to step forward and speak, "My sister, I'm so sorry, I let my nightmare destroy me."
Celestia leaned down to give the small pony a nuzzle, only for Luna to back away. Finally, Celestia stood and spoke with a firm voice, "Sister, why do you do this to yourself, why do you make yourself suffer?"
"I am dead, all I am is the memory within Nightmare Moon," Luna said in an eerily calm voice, "I live on through her guilt. As long as she remembers me, and how I view justice, she will suffer."
Celestia turned to look at Nightmare Moon, to find her looking up at the stars above, whispering to herself. Finally, she looked at the image of Luna and whispered, "I have a message. On the longest day, of the thousandth year, the stars shall aid in your escape." The small alicorn tilted her head at this news, and Celestia could not help but smile at the look Luna was giving.
Finally, after a few moments, she responded, "Then prepare for war, for if I am coming, I ride only in memory of the pony that took my place. Nightmare Moon shall come."
Celestia nodded, "Please, let her have peace at last. Let her last moments here before freedom be something worth living. Perhaps then, she may not be so bitter upon return."
Luna paused before shaking her head, "So long as I live in her memory, she must suffer in her dreams." With that said, Celestia felt her hold in the dreamscape give way, the world melted around her until finally, she found herself within her chambers once again.
Celestia looked up at the moon with a heavy heart, and spoke only four words, "I'm so sorry sister."