//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Change // Story: Princess Luna and Luna's Lunatics // by TheNocturnalLoner //------------------------------// In the barracks for the Lunar Guard, several members awoke and found that many things about them had changed. The pegasi had their wings changed by Luna, but they and the other races began to acquire more features than they thought they would have. DarkFury stumbled out of his bunk and hobbled over toward a wash basin. Groggily, he shoved his head into the cold water to awake himself. Shivering from the cold, he pulled himself out of the basin and stared at his reflection. “By the power of the stars and the moon!” He suddenly exclaimed as he almost fell over backward. Jolted awake by his shouts, the other members jumped out of bed and rushed over. As the Lunar soldiers looked at each other, several more shouts and exclamations filled the barracks. Some soldiers had begun to grow fangs, while others had tell-tale signs that their eyes were beginning to change color. “What the hell is happening!?” FireMane shouted. “We’re changing!” FireTail, his twin, responded. “Why is this happening!?” Somepony shouted in the background. Panic consumed the barracks as everypony tried to figure out what was happening to them and why. Several accusations and wild theories flew about the room, many fueled by racism. The pegasi and earth ponies blamed the unicorns, while the unicorns blamed the “dirty earth ponies”. The cacophony of sounds turned into a large uproar, until somepony had had enough. “Everypony shut the hell up!” The barracks became dead silent as all the members turned to the pegasus who shouted out the stern report. A snow-white pegasus was standing alone, staring at the large gathering of ponies in the room. Slowly, he walked towards the large group of soldiers, his ice-blue eyes stared coldly ahead, seemingly devoid of warmth or emotion. As he faced them, the gray markings around his left eye and on his right foreleg became visible, not to mention the extremely pissed scowl that lined his face. Frostburn’s short, dark-blue mane and tail swayed as he approached them. A large snowflake with flames streaming off of it served as his cutie mark, while another blotch of gray could be seen under the cutie mark on his left flank. Upon realizing that the quiet Frostburn was the one who yelled for silence, all of them became stunned. Many became afraid, as they remembered Frostburn’s troubled and dark past and his cold, indifferent attitude. “Listen,” He began. “We all are growing fangs or having our eyes change, right?” Several heads nodded up and down. “Since that is the case, none of us is causing these transformations. If anything, it might be a side-effect from Princess Luna’s magic on us.” “But that would only explain the changes in the pegasi!” Some unicorn retorted. Frostburn gave a shrug. “I don’t know. It’s just a theory.” With that, the pegasus trotted back to his bunk and donned his purple armor. Afterwhich, he left the barracks for the training field, leaving his comrades to muse over what he said while they readied themselves for their daily training. As the weeks passed by, it soon became colder and trees began to shed their leaves for the upcoming winter. The Fall season was rapidly approaching and Luna was looking forward to a particular holiday; Nightmare Night. This would be Luna’s first Nightmare Night since her return and she was looking forward to visiting Ponyville for the holiday that was made in her (or Nightmare Moon’s) honor. At the same time, a rather perturbing thought bothered her constantly. She needed to find a suitable commander for her forces. After digging through the military archives for hours she came across a file, hidden and buried at the very bottom that grabbed her interest. Her interest grew as she read his file. Numerous victories, ambitious, master strategist, it seemed he had everything desirable for a commander. But why was he not currently commanding any forces? If he was, Luna would have heard or known about it one way or another. At the very end of the file she found a segment that read, “Wounded in action, promoted to Colonel and re-assigned to logistics and support for the Royal 3rd Infantry Division.” Promoted and then assigned a desk job after being wounded in combat, typical of insecure superior officers. Luna thought to herself. She hoped that this would make him easy to stir, that he would willingly jump at the chance to command troops again. That is, provided he didn’t enjoy his desk job. It was a chance Luna had to take. A distinctly unhappy Colonel pored over the stacks of paperwork littering his desk. His dark mood was contrasted with the bright white office he occupied. With eyes downcast to the papers in front of him and a scowl lining his face, he was clearly annoyed and bored. After painstakingly filling out and signing papers for about two and a half hours, he neatly stacked the completed papers and forms and leaned back in his chair. He smiled smugly to himself, thinking he might be done for the day. Colonel Thunderbuck’s mind began to wander to the days when he was younger. The days his coat wasn’t a faded bronze, the days his light blue hair wasn’t graying with age, the days where he received a scar just above his right eye, and the days he commanded troops in the field. Oh, those were the best of days! Back then he was in his prime, an officer fresh out of the academy eager for his first taste of action. How foalish and stupid he was! Looking back on his past, he picked out more than a few moments when he did something foalish or dangerous. How could he have known? He was as inexperienced with combat as a newborn is with the world. Now, he was old, his life filled with experience and wisdom. He stopped mid-thought to contemplate the word known as ‘old’. Was he really what you could consider old? Sure, he was past his prime and that he accepted, but was he old? The door to his office sounded with a short knock and stirred him from his thoughts. He called to the pony on the other side to enter. It was his assistant. She was a young mare just entering her twenties, wore a pair of glasses, and always had a smile on her face. She was shy and often timid, which the serious and straightforward colonel had learned to tolerate (Well most of the time anyway). Wordlessly, she trotted up to his desk, gave him a brief nod, and took the papers on his desk and placed them into her saddlebag. Thunderbuck happily thought that he was done with paperwork for the day, as she turned to leave. To his horror she stopped mid-trot, and turned back to his desk. With an apologetic smile, she pulled out a huge stack of papers from the other side of her saddlebag and placed them on his desk. This new stack was a tower compared to the one he had just finished. Thunderbuck gave out a small sigh, while his aide looked at him and gave the “I’m sorry” look. After which, she turned and briskly trotted out of the room. After she left, Thunderbuck gave out a groan of frustration and let his face fall to the desk. He then banged his head against the hard oak several times. Sighing rather loudly, he straightened himself in his seat and stared at the mound of papers before him. Without a pause, he opened one of the drawers in his desk and placed the objects within on the desk. A shot glass and a bottle of Stalliongrad vodka. Pouring himself a shot he said, “Well this is going to be another long day.” As his work went agonizingly slow, having a shot after every few papers he finished, he thought about his past exploits once again. Those were the days of glory and excitement! Now though, he was trapped behind a desk doing paperwork. He was willing to do almost anything to get out of this mind-numbing desk job. His aching hind leg though, served as a painful reminder that such a thing wasn’t ever likely to happen again. He recalled with contempt, the day he had his field command taken from him. He was on a hill, overseeing the battle that was unfolding before him. Whenever it looked as if the tide had turned against him, he gave a new order and the scales tipped in his favor. He was a brilliant strategist and had quite the reputation for pulling wins out of seemingly hopeless situations. Several combatants from both sides had strayed close to the hill and were fighting like vicious feral animals. He thought nothing of it and continued to observe and give commands to his troops below. Suddenly, one of the enemies below had apparently looked up the hill and spotted him. His Major’s armor was easily distinguishable from the junior officers near him as the rogue pony ran straight at him, blade at the ready. Keeping calm and collected, Thunderbuck waited for the enemy pony to close the distance and the opportune moment. His junior officers scattered and fearfully watched from a distance. The other pony was closing fast, yet their commander was doing nothing. He was thirty feet from Thunderbuck now, twenty-five, twenty, fifteen. Suddenly, Thunderbuck grasped the hilt of his sword with his mouth and quickly drew it. He galloped two quick steps to meet his opponent. In one fluid, practiced motion, Thunderbuck evaded his opponent’s blade and brought his own across the throat of his enemy. Blood gushed from the large gash on the swift runner’s neck, and he fell to the ground in a heap. Gurgling sounds emanated from his throat as he tried to breathe, while his sword remained clutched in his mouth. Thunderbuck looked at his fallen opponent for a moment, then sheathed his sword. He stood over the corpse of his enemy and kicked him to make sure he was dead. A low gurgle sounded in response, indicating he was still alive, but the injured soldier was firmly and hopelessly clasped in the hooves of death. He turned away from the almost lifeless figure on the ground and returned to observing the ongoing battle below. A scuffling noise came from the direction of the fallen foe, but Thunderbuck believed him to be convulsing in his death throes. He realized how wrong he was when he felt a sharp, red-hot pain in his right hind leg. It was the most painful thing he had ever experienced and he screamed loudly as the blade was twisted and shoved deeper into his leg. Tearing his leg away in a burst of pain induced panic and surprise only made his wound even worse. Snarling angrily, he whirled upon the pony and crushed his skull with his uninjured hind leg. A loud ‘crack’ sounded as the pony’s skull was shattered like a vase. His body finally fell completely limp and stirred no more. Only then did Thunderbuck scold himself for his foalishness and incompetence. He should have ran his sword through the other pony to be certain he was dead. The sound of steel shoe clad hooves marching in unison echoed in the hall outside his room, disrupting his thoughts. He thought nothing of it as groups of soldiers marched through the halls often. The sound continued for a short while, then slowly faded away in the distance. Taking a glance at the clock, it seemed to move oh so slow. Returning to his work with a sigh, he grabbed his quill and began to scribble away at the seemingly endless pool of papers when another knock sounded on his door. Without stopping his writing he barked, “Enter.” He glanced up quickly, seeing his aide poke her head through the doorway. Still focusing on his paperwork he asked, “What is it ?” “Sir.” She replied. “There is something that requires your attention.” “If it’s more paperwork, throw it in tomorrow’s pile.” He said rather crossly. “It’s not paperwork, Sir. It’s a summoning from the Princess.” Thunderbuck stopped dead and sat completely still. “Which one?” He asked as he looked up at his aide. “Princess Luna, Sir.” Thunderbuck felt a twinge of fear upon hearing her name, although he gave no outward indication of such a thing. Why would that mare possibly want to see me? He thought to himself with a frown. Colonel Thunderbuck was afraid but unwilling to show it. He never really expected (or wanted for that matter) to be summoned by one of the princesses of Equestria, let alone Luna, the Mare of Darkness and Shadows. He approached the large doors of her throne room and was startled slightly, as two purple clad guards seemed to materialize from the shadows of the large doorway. With their polished armor, they looked like two gleaming stars of purple in the darkness. The two guards crossed their spears in front of him, blocking his path. “Halt.” Said the one on the right. “Are you Colonel Thunderbuck?” “I am indeed Colonel Thunderbuck” He stated calmly, just wanting to get in and out quickly and get this whole thing said and done. His right hind leg ached, as it always did nowadays. A loud creak from the heavy wooden doors pierced the silence of the hall as they slowly began to open. The guards uncrossed their spears, clearing the way. “Enter.” The one on the right spoke. “Her majesty is expecting you.” The one on the left added. Thunderbuck slowly and carefully limped into the large dark room. A large square of light illuminated the entryway, only to run into a wall of impenetrable darkness further in. He turned his head to get a look at the guards in the doorway behind him. What he saw astonished him. The two door guards had vanished from sight, as if they seemingly vanished into the endless shadows that filled the room and the doorway. The large thick, wooden doors closed behind him with a loud boom, taking the last of the light from the hallway with them. The room turned black as night and Thunderbuck was rendered blind. Being blinded by the darkness, he slowly limped forward along where he thought the pathway was. He felt some hooves push him to the right, and panicked for a brief instant. “Stay on the path.” A gruff voice said to him, as it stopped pushing him. With his eyes adjusting to the darkness, he became aware of two guards walking on either side of him. As all three of them moved forward, he noticed that there seemed to be be the dimmest of lights coming from the ceiling. Looking up he gasped. From a distance that seemed to equal the height of the sky, a large starry black and blue field greeted his eyes. He was awed and could not help but smile upon seeing this amazing sight. The ceiling looked exactly like the night sky, it even had a moon. A shooting star flew across the ceiling, and he could only follow it with his gaze, mesmerized. His eyes, now totally adjusted to the room’s light level, began to sweep around the rest of the room. Judging from the size of the great throne room before him, he estimated it to be as large as Celestia’s, if not slightly larger. Two columns of huge, polished, dark marble pillars were on either side of the pathway through the room. They reached up to the high ceiling up until a certain point, then faded away so as not to obstruct the view of the magic mural of the night sky. While the floor and walls were colored with various hues of blue, black, and purple. Looking at the far away sides of the room he saw several large, evenly spaced, and arched windows on both sides of the room. All were heavily curtained with a fabric as dark as the night sky to prevent sunlight from entering the room. At the very end of the pathway, he could barely make out a large towering structure surrounded by darkness. As the small group got closer to it, Thunderbuck realized it was Luna’s throne. It was made of some dark blue material that was unfamiliar to him, and was of an aggressive and gothic style. Sitting upon the throne, and looking right at home, was the Night Mare herself. Her dark sapphire coat glowed softly from the pale, dim light created from the stars and moon of the sky mural. While her starry, moderate cobalt-blue mane flowed slowly in the air of its own accord. Thunderbuck took a deep breath, wishing that he was anywhere other than here. As the group reached about forty feet away from the throne, the arched windows had stopped. Instead, a stone balcony of sorts lined both walls at a height of about twenty feet. Under these balconies were several heavy wooden doors spaced about ten feet from each other. Their purpose and destinations were unknown to Thunderbuck, and his thoughts of where they lead were rather dark and grim. Thunderbuck suddenly had the very akward feeling that he was being watched. Looking back up at the balconies on both sides, a couple dozen pairs of piercing eyes stared back. Thunderbuck locked with one pair of eyes until it’s owner blinked. Taking the chance to look away from the balcony, he thought to himself as he grinned, I’ve still got it. He turned his attention back to the throne and the imposing monarch upon it. He began to think about his current situation. I’m surrounded by dozens of Lunar soldiers, here all alone, and I’m about to meet the cold and ruthless ruler of the dark ages. This is going to be interesting, to say the least. I’ll just have to hope the rumors where she drank the blood of ponies way back when, and practiced black magic on those who displeased her are false. Although I rather doubt them. Celestia would never allow her sister to do such atrocities, as far as I know. They stopped a few feet away from the throne and the soldiers escorting him took a couple of steps forward and bowed deeply. Both guards who escorted him from the door were pegasi and spread their wings on the ground in front of them. Doing this was a great sign of respect and obedience, as their wings were exposed to Luna and she could trample them if they displeased her. “Your highness, the one who you summoned has arrived.” The one on the left said. Luna stirred slightly, as she was apparently reading a scroll of some sort. She placed it down on the arm of her throne with her magic and stood from her seating position. Wordlessly, she started to descend her throne and her cold, piercing, cyan eyes fell on Thunderbuck. Meeting her gaze with his own, he held it for a few seconds before breaking eye contact and bowing politely. Reaching the bottom she stopped before her two kneeling pegasi guards. “You have pleased your Princess, now go.” Luna said, her words filled with authority. The two pegasi wordlessly folded their wings against their sides and backed into the shadows, vanishing. Luna then stepped closer to Thunderbuck, with only a few feet separating them. “Rise.” She commanded. Thunderbuck rose to his hooves slowly, but confidently, being careful not to put too much pressure on his maimed hind leg. He looked at her directly. Her piercing gaze seemed to tear into his soul and see through his entire being. It was unnerving and he shuddered ever so slightly, and apparently, Luna noticed. A frown lined her face as she spoke, “Perhaps I was mistaken.” Thunderbuck asked, “Mistaken about what Princess?” His voice steady and firm. “You.” She replied. “From my understanding, your report says you are a battle hardened veteran, and a prodigy of a commander. That seems to be a lie, however. All I see before me is an aged pegasus filled with fear. You may not show it, but it is there.” Thunderbuck took immediate offense and was about to fire off a snide retort. He restrained himself however, knowing what could happen if he did so. He hardened his face and remained silent. “What’s this? Did I offend you Colonel? Perhaps you have something you would like to say to me?” Luna said mockingly. “That depends.” Thunderbuck replied. “On whether or not you could handle what I dish out.” “Oh-ho! Perhaps there is some fire in you still. Please, do tell what is on your mind.” *This is a game, Thunderbuck realized. A game that he had played several times before. “I’d rather not. Such vulgar language is unbefitting for royalty to hear.” “Say it. I know you want to.” Luna crooned. “Hurl your worst insults at me. There is not a single insult that you could come up with that I’ve not already heard. I order you to say it.” “If you insist Princess. If I may be so bold as to ask, is it true that you yield to your sister? They say that Celestia’s right hoof has returned. Is this true?” He replied with a grin, glad that he had remembered something from history class all those years ago. Princess Luna suddenly began laughing, her laughs echoing throughout the room. Smiling she finally said, “Check and mate Colonel. You know how to play the game. But to answer your question no, Celestia’s right hoof has not returned nor ever will. This mare you are referring to has now pledged to only serve the interests of herself and her country.” Luna’s speaking tone softened to it’s regular volume. “I do apologize for that Colonel, but seeing that you know what you’re doing, you must know why I did that.” Thunderbuck nodded his head. “Of course Princess. You were testing my resolve, seeing whether or not I had backbone.” “Indeed I was. Again I apologize for such a thing. Politicians and officers enjoy their games as I’m sure you know. I needed to know whether or not you could go hoof-to-hoof with others in this dangerous game of chicken.” “I am. Although to be frank, I hate politicians. I’ve dealt with a few of them but they won’t speak plainly, or straight for that matter. They just keep going in convoluted circles accomplishing nothing. It’s great to know my bits are going to great use in the political sector.” He finished sarcastically. Luna nodded her head and said, “I concur Colonel. I once had to listen to a politician give an extremely convoluted and dense speech for five hours, just to tell us that he wanted a .3% tax increase on the sale of alcoholic beverages. It was unbearable. It’s no surprise they never get anything done around here. That’s why most ponies try to propose their laws and ideas through my sister. The waiting list may be long, but it’s shorter than trying to pass it through the representative body.” Thunderbuck nodded, then asked, “Pardon me Princess, but what is the exact reason you summoned me here?” “I’m glad you asked. I have brought you before me to give you a proposition, if you are willing that is.” “And what is it?” He asked with genuine curiosity. “Would you be willing to command troops once more?” Thunderbuck looked as if he had been struck. His mouth hung agape. “I know I’m asking a bit much,” Luna continued. “But if you would rather keep your desk job, you are more than welcome to turn down my offer.” “No!” He shouted. Luna raised her eyebrow from his unexpected shout. “No? You’d rather keep your desk job? Honestly, I’d think doing paperwork all day would be boring.” Luna gave a sigh and shrugged. “Well, I guess I have to find somepony else.” “No!” Thunderbuck yelled again. “That’s not what I meant.” “Oh? Then what did you mean?” “I meant that I want to accept your offer. I’ve hated every single day of sitting and working at that desk. I’ve been dreaming that one day, I would get out of that stuffy office and back into the field. But now my wildest dreams have become my reality. Thank you Princess Luna, thank you so much.” He said as he bowed deeply to her, being careful to shift most of his weight to his left hind leg. By now his emotions of fear directed toward her had been replaced by admiration and gratitude. Luna smiled as she stared at the old pegasus before her. She motioned to the shadows and all thirty-four members of the 13th Lunar Division emerged from the darkness of the room. They formed two rows on either side of Luna and Thunderbuck, and remained motionless. “Colonel Thunderbuck,” Luna boomed in her loud, commanding tone. “Will you pledge your allegiance to your Night Princess, do what is just and right, and defend Equestria from foes both foreign and domestic?” Her voice echoing across the large room. Her eyes locked on Thunderbuck, waiting for his response. The echoes faded into silence until it became deafening. All eyes of the Lunar soldiers were focused on him as well. As they stared at him waiting, many of the soldiers thought of the stories they heard of this once great commander. Others were indifferent, while one particular snow-white pegasus was giving him a stare of pure hatred and malice. For in his mind, dark memories were resurfacing from seeing the aged Colonel. “Yes, my Princess. I pledge my loyalty to you, I swear to do what is just and right, and I will commit myself to defend Equestria from threats of either foreign or domestic origin.” Luna smiled as she touched her horn to the top of his head. Her magic aura surrounded his body as she removed her horn. “Rise, Commander Thunderbuck. May you bring us great victory and have our enemies flee before us.” A loud clash of metal rang throughout the room, as all of the Lunar soldiers clicked their steel shod hooves together and saluted their new superior officer. A flash of light followed, revealing Thunderbuck’s new webbed wings. He rose back onto his hooves, looking at his wings with a newfound curiosity. Luna approached him once more, and placed the commander’s insignia on his uniform. With liquid pride starting to form in his eyes, Thunderbuck saluted Princess Luna. Thunderbuck’s first assignment from Princess Luna was to try to obtain more troops, specifically officers, from other divisions or units that were over capacity. He went around asking for troops and was well received for the most part. That is, until he was asked what division he commanded. When he replied that it was the 13th, almost every officer looked at him like he insulted them. On top of that, many began laughing and all potential deals fell through. Apparently, the news that the 13th had been retrained and was being rebuilt from the ground up had not circulated throughout the military yet. To most it still was the place for the lowest of the low, although many commanders and officers wondered why the 13th was rejecting all transfer requests for their “undesirable” soldiers. A few officers though, were sympathetic and listened as Thunderbuck elaborated that the 13th was being reborn. From these understanding and generous commanders, Thunderbuck was able to scrape up around five-hundred troops. About four dozen or so of these soldiers were officers. In addition to these soldiers, several individuals from various units volunteered to serve in the 13th. Surprisingly, the most individual volunteers came from Celestia’s personal Solar Guard. Almost all volunteers from the Solar Guard were commissioned officers. In total, Thunderbuck had managed to gather roughly six hundred troops, of which an estimated six or seven dozen were commissioned officers. While it was a lesser number than he had hoped for, it was a lot better than getting no troops at all. Thunderbuck discussed his difficulty of procuring troops with Luna. They decided to spread the information that the 13th was being rebuilt by distributing posters and fliers. In addition, they began laying the groundwork for a large scale recruitment campaign for the 13th division. Luna planned to kick it off in Ponyville during and after her visit there for Nightmare Night. In the meantime, they decided that they would have to promote from within the division and/or recruit officers directly from the few Royal Officer schools scattered throughout the country. The six-hundred or so troops that Thunderbuck had procured were immediately enrolled in the 13th’s harsh training regimen. Although only slightly more than a third were expected to meet the strenuous demands of the training. Nightmare Night was fast approaching and Luna became rather excited. So excited in fact, she could not use her newer, more modern, pattern of speech. Whenever she talked, archaic terms and phrases escaped like water from a burst dam. Luna had to consciously focus while talking just to attempt to speak in more modern terms. Even then she was only successful part of the time. She planned on using this visit to befriend her subjects and rebuild her public image, as well as using it as a starting point for the recruitment drive. For a few days after Nightmare Night her thirty-four Lunar Soldiers would be camping near Ponyville, showing off their capabilities and trying to recruit members for the 13th Lunar Division. Luna would also be there to personally meet and greet citizens and recruits. The night finally arrived and Luna made her grand entrance on her royal chariot which was pulled by two Lunar Guards. The two pegasi she chose for this job were named Typhoon and Overcast, as they looked almost identical to each other. As Luna landed it soon became apparent that most of the citizens were frightened senseless. Her two guards and her aggressive, gothic styled chariot seemed to intimidate her subjects. Many cried out that she was Nightmare Moon and the bad memories of the event at the ball several months ago popped in her mind. Without breaking stride, Luna attempted to reassure the citizens of Ponyville and calm them. However, she used the Royal Canterlot voice, forgetting it was no longer a good way to address the subjects of Equestria. Her loud and commanding tone only served to frighten the ponies further. A pink mare dressed as a chicken and leading a group of foals began shouting wild and unthinkable accusations. This only served to cause widespread panic as most of the ponies began screaming and panicking. Becoming confused and saddened, Luna ambled away from the town square by herself, lost in deep and sad thought. A lavender unicorn, Twilight Sparkle, approached Luna and struck up a conversation with her. Luna briefly remembered that she was the Element of Magic, and was the first pony she saw after being awoken from Nightmare Moon’s state. Twilight had a plan for how to have Luna become more sociable and accepted by the citizens. While doubtful and skeptical, Luna agreed to accept Twilight’s help, albeit reluctantly. Twilight led Luna to a small cottage on the outskirts of town, with many animals on the outside. Even they seemed to shy away from Luna’s presence, while she commented about how futile this plan was. Undeterred, Twilight knocked on the cottage door, calling for a pony named, “Fluttershy”. According to Twilight, this Fluttershy was demure and had a soft voice. What met Luna’s ears made her sound anything but. “Go away! No candy here! Visitors not welcome on Nightmare night!” Shouted Fluttershy from behind her door. “Fluttershy, it’s me, Twilight.” Twilight replied. Opening the door, Fluttershy remarked, “Oh, it is you. Ah, and Nightmare Moon. Huh, Nightmare Moon!?” Fluttershy screamed and slammed the door shut. “Ahehehe.” Twilight nervously laughed. “Wait right here.” She told Luna as she entered the cottage. A loud din along with the sounds of several animals could be heard after Twilight entered the building. After a moment the door was thrust open and Twilight pushed Fluttershy out of door. “Fluttershy, you remember Princess Luna?” Twilight said as she pushed her toward Luna. “Charmed.” Luna spoke to Fluttershy, although a bit too loud. Fluttershy gave a small screech and rocketed back into her house. Exasperated, Twilight grabbed her with her magic and pulled her back out the door. Levitated hopelessly in front of Luna, Fluttershy put on a nervous smile and said softly, “Likewise.” With the help of Fluttershy and Twilight, Luna was able to lower her voice to a normal tone and volume. Happy and filled with gratitude, Luna grasped Fluttershy with her magic as Fluttershy was reaching for her cottage door. Thanking Fluttershy, Luna hugged her repeatedly. Unluckily, at this point in time, the pink mare in her chicken costume reappeared. Trailing behind her was a large group of foals. She started going on about how Fluttershy needed to hide them from Nightmare Moon. Upon seeing Luna holding Fluttershy, she screamed that Fluttershy was being eaten by Nightmare Moon and ran away screaming with the foals behind her. Luna called out to the group, but to no avail. Deeply saddened, Luna looked as if she might cry. Twilight reassured her that things would be alright, and that she had a backup plan. Walking back into town, with the Ponyville citizens still cowering in fear, Twilight led Luna to an earth pony named Applejack. Applejack gave Luna several pointers about how be more sociable, and suggested that she should mingle with others by having fun and playing games. Upon Luna’s initial confusion, they showed Luna how to play a couple games, which she enjoyed immensely. Immediately, the citizens started warming up to her. They were having fun alongside with Luna, and had overcome their initial fear. Being delighted by this, she asked that her subjects call her Luna, instead of addressing her formally. This news was warmly met by the citizens. Luna was about to be shown how to go bobbing for apples, when she noticed a young colt fall into the applebob. Quickly, she reached in with her muzzle to grab the foal by his costume. She was about to set the colt down when a loud shriek rang throughout the air. Moving her eyes to the side, she once again saw the pink mare in the chicken costume. This mare screamed that Luna was eating him. This colt, apparently named Pip, cried out that his backside was being gobbled. Shocked, Luna dropped him to the ground as he ran away. Feeling that this whole thing was uncalled for, Luna yelled while she caused a boom of thunder to sound above her. Remembering that she shouldn’t yell, Luna calmed herself and tried to reassure her subjects. In an attempt to spark some more fun, Luna used a spell on all of the spiders for the spider toss, making them come to life. This did not create the reaction Luna had envisioned, and mass panic broke out as the ponies became scared. Seeing this mass scene of chaos, Luna could not think of a way to regain control of the situation. Eventually, she yelled in her Royal Canterlot voice for everypony to be still. Now having their attention, she claimed that Nightmare Night was an offense to her as her subjects had chosen to fear rather than love her. Upset in this fashion, Luna proclaimed that Nightmare Night was cancelled forever. Going after Luna, Twilight tried to convince her to reverse her decision about the holiday by telling Luna how popular a holiday it was. Luna replied close to tears, “I could tell by the adoring shrieks of the children, as they ran away.” Not wanting to give up, Twilight devised another plan. Cornering Pinkie Pie with her chicken costume, Twilight learned that ponies thought being scared was fun. Enlightened by this new piece of information, Twilight hatched yet another plan, telling Luna that it was certain to work. Hiding behind the statue of Nightmare Moon, Luna had donned fake fangs and disguised herself as her evil alter ego. Luna reluctantly went along with this plan, not fully grasping how this would win her subjects over. The time soon came when the annual candy offering was made. The foals piled candy at the foot of the statue, a tradition to make sure Nightmare Moon would eat the candy instead of them. Luna sprung out as the last offering was made, disguised as Nightmare Moon, and frightened the children terribly. After they ran away, Luna dropped her costume and asked what the purpose of this stunt was. She soon had her answer. A colt, in fact the very same colt she pulled out of the applebob, came up to her. Pip asked if Luna would come back and scare them next year, even if Nightmare Night was cancelled. Upon her asking why, Pip replied that it was fun to be scared, scary, but fun. Finally understanding this holiday, Luna proclaimed that Nightmare Night wouldn’t be cancelled after all, much to the delight of everypony. She promised to come back for next year and spent the rest of the holiday scaring ponies and having fun. Nightmare Night finished with much fanfare and the Lunar Princess and her soldiers set up camp on the outskirts of town. The citizens of Ponyville slept through the night, seemingly unaware of the bustling activity happening in their dark streets. During the night, posters and fliers were hung everywhere in town, to advertise the recruitment campaign. Tents and a makeshift recruiting office were assembled and erected. The field on the outskirt of the town where the soldiers camped was also prepared for the coming days. It would be used by the soldiers to show off their capabilities, and even possibly accept challenges from inquiring citizens. The next day, many Ponyville citizens were in disbelief at what they saw that morning. Fliers and posters were plastered everywhere, and the field to the west of town had sprouted several tents and small temporary buildings. While many were confused as to what was transpiring, word soon spread. Soon, several curious ponies were watching several members of the 13th participate in jousts, sparring matches, archery, magic and strength contests, and races. What drew the attention of the citizens the most though, were the golden eyes, fangs, and dragon-like wings that characterized all of the Lunar Soldiers. Some of the more daring passerby challenged some of the members to contests or races. Most of which were easily defeated by the soldiers. Although one mare in particular beat every single soldier she challenged to a race. The best fliers in the division, FireTail and Shadow Chaser, were no match for this mare. Even in full armor the two soldiers were able to keep the grueling pace set by Rainbow Dash, that is until Rainbow Dash put on a seemingly impossible burst of speed and performed a sonic rainboom right in front of them. Exhausted and crestfallen, the two pegasi bowed their heads and conceded defeat. To the surprise of many, Princess Luna was also present. Most of her time though, was spent mingling with the ponyfolk in town and personally greeting those who had enlisted for her division. Unbeknownst to Luna or her four accompanying guards, a pony with unknown motives and intent watched from the distant shadows. This cloaked pony had been observing her actions for several hours. Having his fill of observing, he stealthily slid into the dark alleys of Ponyville and disappeared without a trace. By this time dozens of ponies had already enlisted and several more were eagerly lining up. One earth pony in particular enlisted as soon as he learned what was happening. His name was Quicksilver. He had a bright, pure white coat, a bright orange mane and tail, green eyes, wore square glasses, as well as a black jacket and hoof band. On his flank was a cutie mark of an open comic book. Quicksilver deeply admired Princess Luna and secretly had a crush on her, even though he never met her. His dream was to meet her and become one of her Royal Lunar Guards. While signing up for enlistment, Quicksilver was faced with a problem. As he filled out the sheet with his personal information, a small notice in the corner stated: *Only ponies of the age of 18 or older may enlist in the Equestrian armed forces.* Quicksilver was only 17, having had his birthday a couple of months ago. He did the only sensible thing a pony in his situation would do; he lied. He gave the completed sheet to the recruitment officer and left the hastily built wooden shack. Walking down the street towards his house, he turned a corner and bumped into somepony. Whoever he bumped into was larger than him as he fell to the ground from the impact. He gathered himself up and looked up, ready to yell at whoever ran into him. He stopped and his eyes widened exponentially as he saw who was in front of him. Towering over him, with a concerned expression on her face, was Princess Luna. Quicksilver’s heart skipped a beat. He shakily pushed himself upright, moving very slowly. Luna thought he was afraid of her and was about to apologize for knocking him to the ground when he did something unexpected. “Ohmygosh it’s Princess Luna!” He exclaimed as he threw himself on the ground before her. Luna was surprised and unsure of what she should do. Not one of her subjects had ever been this happy to meet her before. She tried to say something but the words were stuck in her throat. Clearing her throat, she opened her mouth to speak, but Quicksilver began speaking before she could. “I’m so so so so sorry for bumping into you, your majesty. It won’t happen again I promise.” Luna finally found her voice and said, “Nay, it is I who should be apologizing. I’m sorry for knocking you onto the ground. Do you accept my apology dear subject?” Quicksilver practically fainted as he heard Luna’s melodic voice. “Of course!” He almost shouted. “It would be a sin not to forgive you.” “I don’t know about that dear...” Luna stopped, realizing she did not know the young colt’s name. “Quicksilver. My name is Quicksilver.” He chirped, seeing her predicament. “I don’t know about that dear Quicksilver,” She resumed. “Nopony is required to forgive or like anypony. Such a thing would be rather prohibitive towards our society. There are many who like or dislike others for a number of reasons.” She paused for a moment, mentally tracing the path she assumed he took before turning the corner. Judging from his reaction upon meeting her, she assumed he just came from the recruitment center. “Say, what were you doing before we just so happened to bump into each other?” Luna asked, waiting to see if her assumption was correct. “I just enlisted!” He proudly stated, swelling his chest with pride. “What on Earth would possess you to do such a thing?” Luna asked, even though the answer was going to be obvious. “Joining the military is a serious commitment. You could end up injured, if not killed, should the need to fight arise.” “I know that but Equestria has been at peace for ages. Besides, it’s my dream to serve you as a member of your personal Lunar Guard.” “Oh? Is that so?” Luna replied, a smile crossing her face. “That’s a pretty big goal you’ve set for yourself. If you try hard enough, maybe you will one day achieve it. If you’ll excuse me Quicksilver, I must take my leave. I wish you the best of luck in chasing your aspirations.” Luna said as she began to walk away. “Thank you Princess.” Quicksilver said as he brought his hoof up to his head and saluted her. Luna chuckled softly to herself upon seeing this, as she walked away toward the field. Her four guards, marching two by two, followed her closely. As they marched past, the two guards on the side facing Quicksilver eyed him suspiciously. They did not move their heads but used their eyes to look him over and give him a threat level; None. The last guard who passed Quicksilver was a dark gray pegasus. He eyed the white earth pony and thought to himself, It’s a damn shame these kids are throwing their lives away. Devoting yourself to the military should not be a personal goal. You should be enjoying your youth kid, it will be the only one you’ll ever have. The next couple of days passed by fairly quickly and easily. Finally, the day to leave Ponyville arrived and the 13th packed up its bags and gear to move on to the next town or city. Luna was excited, since the beginning of the recruitment campaign went so well. In Ponyville, she and her troops were well received and were able to recruit about thirty to forty ponies from Ponyville and its immediate area. Quite an impressive number, considering how small Ponyville is population wise. She was confident that the next phases would proceed smoothly. They began to travel North to the frozen arctic where the fabled Crystal Empire used to exist. On their way to the Frozen North, they stopped at Cloudsdale and various other cities. From there the division entered the Frozen North. Frostburn, Arcticblast, and a few others seemed relatively comfortable in their home climate. The others however, Luna included, thought it a bit too cold for their liking. After visiting several towns in the arctic region, they traveled a long distance to the southwest. They then followed the coast towards Los Pegasus, stopping at towns and cities they happened upon along the way. “You will not find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy than that of Los Pegasus.” Luna stated disgustedly after the division’s horrible experience there. Los Pegasus was home to many of Equestria’s famous celebrities, thus giving it the appearance of a prosperous and welcoming city, right? Wrong. Beneath the gold engraved exterior, a putrid core laid underneath. Most of the city was run-down and left in a horrible state of repair. Citizens openly showed hostility towards Luna and her soldiers. Gangsters, mobsters, and crime lords ruled the city, while their numerous underlings enforced their will. Crime and poverty was rampant, and black markets flourished. The local Royal Guards were genuinely afraid of the downtown area and avoided it as if it were filled with dragons. While several had long been corrupted and only stared blankly at the crimes that were committed in front of them. In fact, crime and corruption in the city was so bad, Luna had all of her troops stay within their hotel most of the time. She also ordered that all of her soldiers should carry their weapons at all times and that nopony should leave the building by themselves. The Lunar soldiers took her orders to heart. The few occasions where troops had to leave the hotel consisted of groups of 4 soldiers minimum, even if they only went across the street. This setting of hostility and crime unnerved almost every soldier in the division. Even the few, hardened, seen-it-all combat veterans in the division were put off by the city’s evil glow. Thankfully, their stay was cut short and they quickly moved out towards the next destination. Heading west now, they ventured into the desert territory known as Apple Loosa. Upon being this far south again, Luna wondered what had become of the nomad ponies who had caused so much trouble in this region 1,000 years ago. No trace of the mysterious nomad ponies had been seen for several decades. Many believed they traveled much further south, into unknown and unmapped territory. Pushing the thoughts out of her mind she focused on the reason she was here. Upon arriving into the desert settlements, many did not seem to care about why they were there. Luna could easily see why. Just like the desert settling ponies of a thousand years ago, they lived on the fringe of civilization as Equestrians knew it to be. Life was hard and hard work was the norm. Seeing that she would probably earn few or no recruits from these settlements, she put her soldiers to work, literally. Luna and her soldiers did what they could to help anypony that needed it. The local ponies were gracious, and became rather accepting of the Lunar soldiers. By the time Luna left the desert region, she may not have had any troops to show for it, but the headway she made with her subjects more than made up for it. Finished with visiting practically three quarters of Equestria, Luna contemplated visiting the east coast of the country. She rejected the idea, and opted to return to Canterlot. Luna and her troops had been traveling across the country for the past few months. It was time for her and her soldiers to return home. Not to mention that Luna had rather abruptly left the castle and Canterlot those few months ago. All she left for her sister was a brief note explaining that she was traveling around the country. Knowing her sister, Luna thought Celestia must have been alarmed (and annoyed) that her sister had just upped and left without so much as a warning. Luna expected to receive a verbal chastising from her sister upon returning for making her worry. While it was nice to have family who missed and worried about you, Luna thought Celestia was overdoing it a bit. Ever since Luna had returned from the moon, Celestia had been brooding over her like a mother hen over her chicks. It was suffocating for Luna, as Celestia was always smothering her and acting all motherly. She was a grown mare for Tartarus’ sake! Not some little filly who needed constant supervision. Celestia even wanted to know where Luna was at all times, much to her immediate dislike. Her sister claimed it was just a cautionary measure to make sure Nightmare Moon had totally been eradicated from her being. Luna accepted this reasoning, for the first month anyway. After the first month and the beginning of the second one, Luna saw that her sister was just being overprotective. She voiced her disapproval and protests with Celestia who, reluctantly, gave in to Luna’s wish. After this small victory, Luna thought she was free. That is, until she noticed the same two Solar Guards who shadowed her from a distance wherever she went. This was the last straw for Luna. She loudly protested to her sister about the guards and she relented, finally giving Luna free reign. Then the horrible event at the Royal Ball happened. After that incident Luna was almost never alone. If Celestia wasn’t trying to act like their mom to her, then the large amount of guards and staff around her were always trying to cater to her incessantly. All Luna wanted was the one thing they wouldn’t give her, time alone. Even to this day Luna had no idea how she freed herself from that suffocating arrangement. All she knew was that she did and she was glad. Walking down Canterlot’s main street to the castle, Luna noticed the pre-dawn activity. Shopkeepers and other ponies were scurrying around preparing for the coming day. Almost no attention was paid by the resident ponies to Luna or her tired soldiers. She was happy about this, as she was in no state to deal with questioning ponies or the press. Like her troops, she was tired and only desired the comfort of her bed. Reaching the main doors of the castle, she bade her troops a good morning and entered the castle, while they slowly lumbered over to their barracks. Walking down the corridor to her room she found a somewhat angered and annoyed Celestia blocking her way. Just as Luna predicted, Celestia began her long “Where were you and why didn’t you tell me” speech. Luna couldn’t hear her sister however, as she was automatically tuning her out. Luna simply walked up to Celestia, who was still berating her, and put her hoof to her sister’s mouth, silencing her. “I’m tired and I’m going to bed. I will speak with you later.” Luna said abruptly, lowering her hoof back to the ground. Celestia was stunned and could only stare as Luna walked past her and into her room. Upon entering the bedroom, Luna closed and locked the door. She walked onto the balcony connected to her room and lowered the last visible bit of the moon below the horizon. Yawning after finishing her morning duty, she turned and re-entered the bedroom, closing the doors that separated it from the balcony. She drew all of the dark thick curtains over all of the windows, bathing the room in darkness. Luna then removed her regalia and placed them upon her nightstand, and crawled into her large bed. Snuggling up in the cool sheets she quickly succumbed to the inescapable grip of sleep. A few weeks after Luna’s return from her cross-country vacation, had her planted firmly into the same boring routine she carried out almost automatically. Wake up, raise the moon, deal with politicians and officials, hold the midnight court, end the midnight court early (since nopony ever seeks out Luna’s help), meet with DarkFury some nights to instruct him, spend her few hours of free time doing whatever she feels like, chat with Celestia over dinner/breakfast, lower the moon, and finally pass out in bed. Luna felt trapped in her routine. Nothing changed and every night was the same as the one before it. The only thing she could do in her ‘occupied boredom’ was entertain herself with her own thoughts. Many were the nights she envisioned herself making a dash for freedom from this life of boredom and repetition. It would be so easy for her to disguise herself with magic and wander the world as a seemingly normal pony. As tempting as these thoughts were, two things always stopped her. Her sense of duty and responsibility to her country and subjects was one. The other was that she knew ‘mother’ Celestia would chase after her until she was found. She could run to the ends of the known universe and Celestia would be right behind her, hot on her tail. Luna fantasized about how long she would be able to evade her sister. If she slipped away undiscovered, that would give her a couple of days before Celestia would think something amiss. Afterward, assuming she continuously traveled the world and changed disguises, Luna estimated that she would be able to roam free for about fifty to one-hundred years before Celestia would catch her and drag her back to Canterlot. This was a very optimistic estimate though. A more realistic one, Luna conceded would be about twenty years, if not less. Celestia could be very determined and crafty when she needed to be. Luna had learned that long ago when both sisters were still foals. They played hide-and-seek often and both became exceptionally good at it. One day, Luna found a perfect spot and hid there all day. Celestia could not find her, but kept searching anyway. Night fell and Luna returned home, careful to not be spotted by her sister. The next morning, Celestia was absent from breakfast. In fact, she was nowhere to be found. Shortly after breakfast Celestia returned home, branches and leaves filled her hair while her eyes had the crazy look of a madmare. She had been out all night looking for Luna, only returning home after she found the abandoned hiding spot and hoof prints leading back to the house. On that day Luna learned that she could never successfully hide from Celestia for any length of time. Celestia was too determined, and too thorough. If Luna had to avoid her sister for any reason, running would be her only option. As these memories receded back into the depths of her mind, Luna could not help but be bored again. Sitting upon her throne in a most undignified manner, she lazily gazed at the timepiece she kept next to her. According to this clock before clocks, it was about midnight. She sighed and pushed herself into a proper seating position. Clearing her throat loudly, so as to draw the attention of her guards, she addressed them. “As you all know, tonight has not differed from any of the previous. The midnight court is now closed and you may all take your leave for the evening. Dismissed.” She finished plainly, while she stared at the night sky on her ceiling. All eight of Luna’s on duty guards, (six in her throne room, two outside the doors.) quietly left and walked down the hall. All of them except for one coal black unicorn anyway. Coaldust was about to leave the room, but he looked back over his shoulder and saw Luna perched upon her throne. The Night Princess gazed sadly around her throne room and she gave an audible sigh. Coaldust turned away from the door back towards Luna and spoke. “Permission to speak, your highness?” Luna jolted upright suddenly, as if she thought she was alone. Seeing Coaldust she calmed down and replied, “Granted sergeant, what is it that troubles you?” “To be frank princess, that was going to be my question to you.” Luna sat there unmoving for a second, a blank expression on her face. After a long while she said, “I would have to say it is my rather uneventful and unbroken cycle of repetition. Does this answer your question?” As one of Luna’s personal guards, Coaldust knew Luna quite a bit better than the average pony. While the answer she gave was true, Coaldust could tell there was more she was not sharing. Being the selfless pony he was, he dared to go out on a precarious limb and say, “Yes and no. With all due respect your majesty, I believe there is more that is troubling you. I only ask because I want to help you. Do you want to talk about it?” Luna’s neutral expression immediately changed into one of anger. Her brow furrowed intensely as she glared daggers at him. Coaldust realized too late that he said something he shouldn’t have. It was an unspoken rule throughout the entire castle, followed by guards and other staff alike, to never ask either of the princesses to discuss anything, particularly their thoughts or feelings. Having broken this unspoken law, Coaldust tried to recover quickly, but to no avail. Coaldust quickly stated,“I’m sorry princess, what I meant to say was...” “Was what!?” Luna yelled fiercely. “That I’m a sort of basket case who needs to discuss my feelings!? When did you become a psychiatrist? I can’t believe that ponies think such things of me, let alone one of my guards!” “That’s not what I meant...” Coaldust tried to explain, before Luna cut him off. “It matters not how you say it, as the meaning is still the same!” Luna boomed loudly. “Leave my presence now, and maybe by tomorrow I’ll forget about your grievous mistake you made tonight.” She finished with a tone of malice. Coaldust quickly bowed and scurried out of the room as fast as he could. The two large doors slammed shut behind him and a loud ‘thud’ reverberated through the room. Alone at last, Luna’s anger faded and she let out a sigh. She collapsed into the large padded throne she sat upon and dwelled upon her present and not too distant past. “I am not happy.” Luna blurted aloud to herself. She was shocked that she was able to come to this conclusion so quickly. She was even more shocked when a voice responded to her. You were never happy. Not then and not now. Alarmed, Luna spun around looking over the large room. She found nothing and realized the voice was in her head. Immediately, Luna threw up several mental barriers around herself. Preventing Nightmare Moon from seeing into her thoughts and emotions, save the ones she was conversing. “Nightmare Moon. I was wondering what you were up to. It has been a rather long time with you being far too quiet.” Really? Are you saying you missed me, dear Luna? Nightmare Moon replied. Her voice deep and assertive, yet rich and seductive at the same time. “As if anypony could miss such an evil and malignant presence as thou.” Luna retorted. Oh! Your words! They wound me terribly! Nightmare Moon snorted with unrestrained sarcasm. “What do you want?” Nothing much really. I only want to possess your body, destroy Celestia, shroud the world in Night Eternal, and become Queen of Equestria. “Ambitious. Should I fetch you a quill and parchment for you to write your plans out on?” Luna, together we can accomplish great things. All you need to do is let me control your body. I will take care of everything. “The last time I listened to you we ended up trapped on the very orb we are supposed to raise. No, I do not think I shall listen to you ever again.” Think Luna, everything you ever wanted will be yours. But what is it exactly that you want? “I want you to cease to exist.” Luna said harshly. What is this? Some fragment of a thought or emotion you did not conceal in your haste to erect your barriers? Nightmare Moon laughed in that loud maniacal way she did. Oh this is rich! What you desire most is acceptance and love from your subjects! How pathetic. It seems you are still just as weak when you created me. Her statement stung, and caught Luna off guard. This momentary lapse in concentration weakened Luna’s mental barrier and Nightmare Moon pounced upon the chance. The two entities clashed and for a moment Nightmare had gained the upper hoof, with Luna’s whole mind being exposed to her. With victory seemingly in hoof, she began to cover Luna’s entire being with her aura to possess her. Luna began convulsing as small parts of her coat were being changed into the almost black shade of blue that belonged to Nightmare Moon. Her mind also ached terribly and she could feel fangs pushing their way out of her mouth. With her thoughts scattered and disorganized, Luna began to panic. She was being possessed by Nightmare Moon, and she was afraid. Afraid of being a helpless spectator once more if Nightmare Moon took over her body. Nightmare’s possession was spreading rapidly, as Luna soon found that her limbs and body would no longer respond to her. Already she felt the overwhelming despair of helplessness and loneliness creep over her. As her thoughts became enveloped in the cold shadows, her wavering resistance against Nightmare’s presence ceased altogether. Assured of victory, Nightmare began to possess the last remaining pieces of Luna’s body, saving her mind for last as a cruel method of torture. Making sure that Luna would be entirely aware of the fact that she was utterly helpless to her whims. A pit of bottomless sorrow opened up inside of Luna as she gave up, resigning herself to her fate as a puppet. Dimly, she absently thought about the few happy experiences she had since returning from the moon. Meeting Twilight and having fun on Nightmare Night, meeting and talking with her subjects, bumping into that Quicksilver pony, and finally, of meeting and befriending DarkFury. For some inexplicable reason, a solitary tear managed to manifest itself and trickle down her cheek. Suddenly, Nightmare stopped, as she was seemingly confused by something. What is going on!? She screeched. Somehow, the darkness of Nightmare Moon’s possession began to fade. The light and happiness of Luna’s memories serving to fuel her power and reverse Nightmare’s transformation slightly. Focusing on these happy memories, and giving her something to fight for, Luna took up an offensive against Nightmare Moon eagerly. Nightmare Moon snapped out of her stunned inactivity and tried to subdue Luna once more. It was no use, as Luna was slowly pushing her dark power back. As the effects of the transformation slowly began to reverse, Nightmare Moon snarled with rage and surprise. Mustering her mental strength, and fueled by her memories, Luna shoved Nightmare Moon out of her mind. Free from the evil aura, Luna returned to normal as she regained control and erected her mental barrier once again. Nightmare Moon could only scream in surprise and frustration at what had just happened. How... how is this possible!? “Never underestimate your opponent, that is the first rule of combat.” You are weak! I should have easily surpassed you! “I am stronger than I was when I succombed to your toxic influence originally. Also, I no longer have feelings of bitterness or hatred toward my sister. These being the feelings that feed you more power. Without them your power cannot grow, while in the meantime I grow stronger. I may not be able to best you entirely at present, but soon my power will become greater than yours. Upon reaching this pinnacle I will be able to remove you once and for all.” Upon hearing these words, a river of separate yet mixed emotions flowed from Nightmare Moon. Some distinguishable to Luna were anger, arrogance, pride, sadness, realization, denial, and the one that struck her as the most curious; fear. Apparently Nightmare Moon was trying to comprehend what Luna had just said. She responded in a hysterical tone that was lined with several indistinguishable emotions. No! You can’t do such a thing! You need me! Without me... without me you’d... “I’d what? Wither away and became a shadow of my former self? No, it is you who needs me. You are nothing but a shadow, a nightmare if you will, of me. If you are removed I will continue to exist as I am now. You however, are doomed to die one way or another. If I am slain you shall fade away with me, or you shall be removed by myself and meet your end that way.” With intense feelings of pure hatred and sorrow Nightmare Moon screamed, BUCK YOU! I curse you, your lovers, and your foals to die slow, painful, and lonely deaths! May you never find happiness you horrible nag! “Me? Having foals? Unlikely.” Luna said as she forcefully isolated Nightmare Moon’s consciousness in her mind. She pushed the isolated consciousness deep into her subconscious. It would be quite a bit before Nightmare Moon could resurface and regain mobility. For a moment Luna thought she was too harsh and felt a twinge of remorse for Nightmare Moon. After all, how would she react if a higher power said she was going to die in a short time and be able to do nothing about it? She immediately discarded these thoughts and told herself not to sympathise with Nightmare Moon. Doing so would only make it more difficult to remove her when the time would come. She was a nightmare, a monster that cared nothing about others. A parasite concerned only with its survival, and corrupting everything she touched. Nightmare Moon had shown no sympathy or similar feelings to others during her existence. She would be repaid with the same treatment that she had shown; cold, uncaring indifference. You reap what you sow.