Celestial Tortures Book II: Nightmares

by Rarity Belle

Chapter 2

                    
“Luna,” a voice within the head of the princess echoed softly. The voice sounded as sweet as it possibly could. A voice that a mother would use to speak to her foal on a stormy night to comfort the poor and troubled soul.

        The princess of the night found herself in a field of roses. She just laid in there with her eyes closed and her mind wandered off to other things. Nothing was on her head. No duties, no appointments, no nothing. Just her and her alone. The moon shone bright above the field while the roses themselves were illuminated by its white light. It had an interesting effect on the plants as they became an ocean of red and white light.

        It was the event she was waiting for. The ocean indicated the coming of another being. A being that she originally feared at first. A monstrous version of herself would come. A being that was indescribable for her and she preferred to keep her mouth shut about its existence. “Luna, my Luna where art thou?” the voice spoke again. A gentle but dark fog moved itself over the flowery field.

        “I, I am here,” spoke Luna before her eyes opened. Her head popped up from the flowers not many seconds later. Though it wasn't the face she used to carry around. For it was the face of times long thought to be lost, from the time she was just a little filly. “You come to play again?”

        “Hmhmhm, you can sort of say that yes. Let’s play a game here,” the figure within the fog spoke under a deep chuckle. Without a warning given there were two black pegasus wings which emerged from the sides of the fog. “Yes, let’s play a game.”

        The innocent minded filly just tilted its head before the rows of fangs became visible within the fog. Upon seeing the sight with her eyes, she knew things had gone terribly wrong and she released a scream of utter fear. Luna turned herself around and changed her pace over into a gallop almost instantly. She just wanted to stay clear of the being within the fog.

        But the being had no intention in leaving the young filly alone. With its large wings had it propelled itself forward. The gap between the two became shorter and shorter with every second and the first stances of the mist could be seen in the filly’s eye corners. “N-No!” she shouted while she continued her best to outrun the fog.

        It was all a hopeless attempt though. But also one which made the being inside the darkness chuckle deeply before the fangs opened themselves up in an enormous mouth like hole. A hole that could be compared to a black hole. No light in, no light out.

        The young Luna had began to cry while she gave her legs every possible strength she could give within them. The attempts to escape were simply nullified as the fog reached her. Tears streamed down her face before she was picked up and tossed in the air like she was nothing. The very last thing her eyes would be seeing where the white fangs of the black fog.

                    
The mare shocked up and out of her own dreams before her eyes widened themselves as far as possible. Her pupils were nearly invisible. She found herself panting deep on the cloud she took her rest on. Her brain pounded itself against her skull in the form of a massive headache as the little bat snuggled up against her right forehoof in an attempt to calm her owner down. The younger alicorn released a deep sigh as her eyes stared into the distance for just a bit.

        Luna shook her head a couple times. She couldn't believe that what just had happened to her. She was tormented by yet another dream of horror. A dream she was forced to suffer each time she closed her eyes to sleep herself. Something had nestled itself within her mind, almost like a parasite. Something she wanted to kept quiet to all the others yet the most for herself. Luna never had the personality to trouble others with her own problems. They were hers and she had to solve them. It was a mentality she had and wouldn't change up any time of the day.

        Unlike Celestia though. Her older sister always sought up the help of others where it was possible. Over the years that happened to go by, the two sister grew closer to their respectable elements. Though not only in their powers as also their personality had to believe and readjust themselves to those facts. The royal sisters of Canterlot literally differed day and night from one another. And Luna liked it that was, she never wanted to just stand on the shoes of her sister.

        For the first time since she woke up, were her eyes calmly laid on the little bat. There was a small smile to be seen on her face. She caressed the little creature with her other hoof as carefully as she could. Luna let the fur of her hoof made contact with the fur of the bat who released a happy screech in return.

        But in the corners of her eyes she caught something that truly called her back in the there and then, back to her duty. The sun’s final rays did their turn over the land and with a quick calculation within her mind, Luna spoke her words. “Three, two, one...”

        Darkness followed. Nothing more, nothing less. The time between the day and night had fallen upon the land. The time where she had to do her duties as a princess, and raise the moon.

        That was exactly the thing that she did. With a powerful charge and surge of her horn, it showed the tip of the moon itself on the horizon. The light that was irradiated from the rock had a pleasant effect on the ponies below. All of them knew it was the time of the day they could sleep. To just get their rest from a hard day of work.

        The cobalt blue aura disappeared from her horn and her eyes gazed over the calm and peaceful night. But instead of joy, it filled her eyes with a sadness greater than everything. Luna had realized that nopony worshiped the night as they did it with the sun. Nopony truly loved the night. Every night she received a cry for her assistance through the dreams she could visit that spoke about how fearful and scary the night actually was to them. And every single time, it broke her heart when she heard something like that.

        Luna spread her wings as she stood up from the cloud. The bat that had been snuggling up against her for the last hours of the day made its way over to the nose of the mare and sat down on it. “Go my nightly friend, the night is young and your energy rich,” she spoke against the little creature. It released a small screech before it left again. Off into the darkness of the night to do whatever it felt like. “Our energy is rich,” she corrected herself in a whisper.

        With one powerful leap into the air she flew off of the cloud and glided for a great portion through the air. The air that was cut by her wings as she came by left a trail of stardust which also fell off of her tail. All the while her eyes looked at everything to be seen. The plains, the woods, the towns, literally everything. But nothing could please her mind. Nothing worshiped her for the ruler she was. She found herself just a shadow of her sister, nothing more and nothing less.

The princess of the sun found herself on the throne as she watched over the moon that crawled its way over the skies. But the stars stayed away. The usual rips over the skies that caused them to shine didn't appear. “No stars tonight... Something is troubling her again,” spoke Celestia to herself. Her eyes fell back on the room. The guards had taken use of the opportunity to talk a bit to their colleagues as the guard of the night had arrived. The bat ponies of Luna marched into the room like a military squadron, as they always had done actually. When their eyes caught up it was Celestia that sat on the throne, each of them bowed before her. The princess smiled warmly to them and soon after it they went their own away way.

        The celestial and lunar guards may have been different on the outsides but their hearts and mentality always had been the same. They lived to serve and protect their royals and country. Most of the bat ponies took place on the spots the other stallions stood and they had a little talk with one another. Their conversations weren't the most interesting but provided at least some distraction as the younger sister was still away.

        Through the length of the day Celestia had heard how the ponies worshiped the sun and thanked her for that. Her public appearance of the day was once again greatly visited and it wasn't something Luna was particularly happy about. It truly bugged the younger alicorn.
        “~Oh sister, my sister where have you gone with time~” Celestia sung softly herself, “~a filly with a heart filled with joy and glee, now I only see sadness and a stormy sea~”

 
High up in the skies she flew by soaring through clouds and open air as her eyes were only fixed on the Canterlot Castle. It would be there where she and her sister would have a great conversation with one another. But before she was allowed to do that, there was one other talk that was to be held. One that was a bit unusual, even for her.

        Her course changed itself over to the woods of Everfree. A feared forest by any soul that entered it and didn't had to live there. Everything moved on its own and operated on its own. Something that all of ponykind, even the princesses themselves, feared greatly.

        The place where she landed was the courtyard of a castle that was once used by one of the lost princesses of the land. A unicorn princess to be exact. A mare that lived under the name of princess Platinum and she was the daughter of the unicorn king from the Ancient Times. Yet she also was the great grandmother of an enemy the alicorn sisters recently came in contact with. The dreaded unicorn that lived under the name of king Sombra.

        A stallion whose heart was a black as coal and managed to take over the might in the Crystal Empire. A land that was entirely made out of crystal, including its very own residents. He ruled over the land for weeks before the royals took matters in their own hooves. But they never dared to engage the wicket stallion. His time wasn't there yet in their eyes. But all of that would change upon the calm night they were entering. They would march to war during that very night.

        Luna had a glance around for a bit in the courtyard of the place. But something told her that the conversation had to wait. Wait until a later point in time as there was something that caught her attention. Her own sister called out for her through a telepathic message. The message that was spoken wasn't one that just asked where she was.

        Curious to the matter itself doubted Luna if she would stay and have the talk, or heed the call of her sister. It was a tough choice for her. Her head kept switching between the two castles as the thoughts continued to race through her. Under a deep sigh of her own, Luna made the decision to take off again and accepted the call of her sister. All that she could have done.
        
        “Mi Amore Cadenza,” spoke Luna with a smirk on her face. She had barged into the throne room. Her eyes were fixed upon another alicorn, an alicorn with a light grayish cerise coat and deep purple rimmed eyes. The third one known to existence and lived under the honorable title of being the princess of love. A thing Luna never truly understood. “I suppose it is time then?”

        “Aunt Luna, been such a while, hasn't it?” the violet, gold and rose maned mare spoke with a smile and moved in for the nuzzle. “But yes, the time is there.” Luna returned the nuzzle and nodded to the words she received. Finally there would be some action for her to just enjoy.

        “What do you purpose as our battle plan, Cadence?” the mare of the night said in curiosity.

        “Well,” the third alicorn began after she stopped nuzzling her aunt and turned over to Celestia herself. "Nothing can lighten up his heart so the best opportunity we have, is to battle him. But not with armies. His crystal magic is one of the most powerful I have ever seen. No, it should be the three of us that have to take him out. To prevent any casualties in great numbers.”

        “Getting feisty, my little niece? This is hardly how I know you,” said Luna with a chuckle. She made her way up to Celestia next.

        “There isn't any other way, aunt. He enslaved my ponies, the crystal heart isn't shining anymore. I, can, prevent things from happening. But that means sacrificing my own pureness. All of my energy within the crystal heart, it will keep me alive, but makes me mortal. Unlike the two of you.” Cadence replied under a sigh. The plan was ridiculous without a doubt but it might have been crazy enough to actually work.

        “So, you want to give up your own immortality, to save the Empire, is that correct?” Celestia said with a raised eyebrow towards the idea. It wasn't something which she truly expected to come out of the mouth of her niece. Yet she was the one who had peace with it.

        “That, is correct, aunt. As long as you cast an age reversal spell on me that will set me back to a filly when I reach the age of dying,” replied Cadence to the words, “then it should all work out.” She had rather chosen another way, but they simply weren't. The decision was the best option they had.

        “Are you, I don’t know, mentally sane!?” Luna shouted up towards her. She understood the dangers of the magic the two could cast. One small mistake and Cadence was gone. Unborn or dead on the spot. Luna found that the risks were too great to prosecute the actions.

        “This has to be done this way! If that heart doesn't glow, the entire Empire is good for nothing! That heart is what makes it so powerful. And it will be that that shines upon it. Without it, it’s nothing except gems ready to be picked up by any salvager. Do you understand me here, aunts? And, who knows, maybe there is a way to regain my true immortality again,” spoke Cadence before she turned herself around and looked out through the window. “It’s my only chance...”

        The two sisters nodded to one another and they spread their wings. For the first time in a long, long time they would go to war with a force darker than anything they had ever seen. A force that was nearly unstoppable yet they had the tricks up their sleeve in order to do so.

                    
Hours went by and they turned into days which on their turn turned into a week before the trio could be seen flying through the skies. They had left the Empire after the battle had taken place. And Cadence was no longer the true same mare she was before they went on the trip. For she had given up her own immortality to keep the crystal heart going, to keep it shining over her ponies. But the magical powers of the terribly tyrant of Sombra which went combined with the depressions of its citizens had a nasty and unforeseen side effect. The heart couldn't be saved and the sisters of night and day had to take it over from their niece. And with their powers combined, they managed to banish the stallion into the ice of the Frozen North itself.

        But the stallion wasn't a fool either. Somewhere in the mere seconds before he got locked away into the icy prison, there where he would spend an eternity, Sombra managed to put a curse on the Empire. A curse that made it vanish into thin air. Never to be seen again, or so he wanted.

        The three mares were devastated by the loss of the Empire and decided to never speak of it again as long as it remained untraceable. It would remain a mystery of the Equestrian legacy but all three of them knew one thing more than well. The fact remained that one day it would return to the land and then it would be the time to defeat the wicked king once and for all. But the darkness with what the stallion ruled the lands, had left a rather big impact on Luna. Even though she never wanted to admit it, she did like the manner he held his hooves around the subjects in an iron hold. It was just seconds she had seen it, but that was only for the better.

        Of course the force that was haunting through her mind also helped a lot with it. For the force inside her head was slowly forming itself into an alter ego. A beast that would be lurking for the right moment to strike. Waiting within the darkest parts of her mind. Feeding itself off of the hatred that Luna had been building up over the years.

        As they flew back to Canterlot it was Luna who separated herself from the company and went her own way. Thus it was up to Celestia to comfort the heartbroken and powerless Cadence. Even though Sombra was locked away, he still won the battle. That very thought would fuel the mortal alicorn until their next encounter. An encounter that would be a thousand years in the future. She would reclaim what she was one way or the other. Not to mention that she would restore the Empire into its former glory and status.

 
The princess of the night landed once again in the dead courtyard from the castle she had visited days ago and she tucked her wings against her body. Her eyes slowly went over the deceased sight to be seen and her eyes closed themselves a bit. Every flowers was gone thanks to the gears of time, not a single leaf grew on the trees. Under the sounds of a sigh she turned herself over to the broken down gates of the castle. Within the walls everything was shrouded within the darkness of the night.

        Luna charged up her horn to create a source of light within the walls. Her eyes watched over that was there to be seen. She carefully walked down the main hallways and allowed her eyes to fall upon the many paintings there were to be seen. Painting that had versions of the unicorn princess as a mighty ruler as well as a soft hearted pony despite the harsh conditions her subjects lived in.

        “Still got more worshiped then I do,” muttered Luna to herself. She proceeded up to the throne room. She ventured down the hallway and then came before the broken down majestic doors that led over to the throne room.

        Without a second thought that crossed her mind, she just entered it and gave her eyes the time to look at that was to be seen. A broken down room that was stripped away from all of its values was there to be seen. But also it resembled the room her sister and herself sat on their daily bases. “So this is where they got the inspiration from,” spoke Luna softly before she walked up to the throne. Her hooves didn't wore her signature glass hoof shoes and she was thus barehoof on the near ancient grounds.

        The more she approached the throne itself, the more a cloud of darkness formed itself on the original chair of Platinum. “What in the name of..?” she spoke up in a soft mumble to herself as her eyes narrowed themselves. Her horn was still charged and thus the only source of light within the room but even that light fell into the nothingness of the black hole that emerged before her.

        After the passage of a few seconds there was a set of cat like eyes that opened themselves within the shadows. The eyes themselves were more than enough to make her recognize them deeply. It were the eyes that had been plaguing her in her dreams for years. “You,” she spoke in a growling tone before Luna lowered herself through her forelegs. She assumed a battle ready pose and her wings spread themselves to make an intimidating posture. “What do you want this time?” she asked towards it and her eyes kept themselves narrowed.

        There was something different however and the princess could be feeling that very fact. Where it normally would catch her within her dreams, she was wide awake by then. Certain things within the equation caused different variables to clash against one another within the calculating mind of Luna.

        “I don’t desire that much from you, except your attention,” a voice that sounded like a much darker version of the princess’ echoed softly through the room. “Sit down and listen.”

        “What makes you think I am that foolish?” Luna spoke in response as one of her eyebrows rose itself up in curiosity.

        “Because, foal, there are a few little things which I wish to show you and if you listen to me, I shall explain them to you,” the voice within the darkness plainly replied.

        “Fine then, have it your way,” said Luna before she lowered her behind to the ground and assumed a sitting position. She dropped her levels of harmony within her body and it was the action that caused her mane to turn back normal. To its non flowing, hairy state. “...I shall listen.”

        “Hmhmhm, wise filly,” the voice replied under a dark chuckle, “to business then. I know you have been looking up against your sister for years now. All the fame and worship she had gotten to her, all the subjects that praise her like a goddess for her deed of raising the sun. But what do you get for raising the moon and removing the dreadful twilight?”

        “I,I get nothing, except the nightmares it gives them...” Luna spoke up as her point of defense. Though unknown to her was that the darkness didn't originate from behind the throne. For the fact was that it came from her horn. Invisible to her eyes and numb through her body due to the harmony levels being drops. She was projecting the very thing that had haunted her mind like a motion picture.
        “Exactly. But what if you could change it? Make them worship the night as they are supposed to be doing it?” the voice spoke up in a persuading tone.

        “That, that is possible?” Luna asked out of sheer curiosity. If the being before her was right to her, the option of ruling the night with so much more joy would finally be an option for her. Never would she just stand in the shadows of Celestia again. Never would she be considered a seat warmer again. In her heart she was happy, but in her mind she questioned the terms the being would handle.

        But as per usual  had her heart managed to win it over her mind. Her eyes twinkled a little bit from the words spoken as they had opened themselves widely. “Can you, make it possible?”

        The voice released another deep chuckle which slowly died down to just the dark voice itself again, “no Luna. I can not make it possible. But we can. Together we can give the very thing that it is you desire deep within your heart. All I ask in return is nothing but a rather simple thing. But do you accept my offer to make the night last longer or even, forever?”

        Luna was simply unable to hold her joy for any longer as the voice finished the spoken words. “Yes, yes I accept the offer! Anything to make them love me more. Anything to make them worship the being I actually am!” she replied in a joyful tone. But below that, there was the cry of desperation to be found. A smile of utmost glee managed to form itself on her face and she closed her eyes.

        The darkness had a bit of different plans all together. It saw Luna as a vessel for itself. A host of which it was able to consume rage and internal suffer. When the princess had her eyes closed, the darkness saw its chance and it rushed back and over to the horn of Luna. What happened next would be the first step into the decaying of princess Luna as a being of harmony. Yet it was also the first step of the raise for her as a monster of destruction and power.

        The darkness swirled around the lit up horn, it mixed itself with the flow of magic and thus was brought through every part of her body. It was free from the mind and able to take control whenever it wanted. The darkness and the princess merged together with one another like they were a jigsaw puzzle. Luna coughed a couple times. There was some of the darkness that was stuck in her throat. After a loud spit on the ground was it revealed that the very thing that left her body was a thing that was simply known as liquid shadow, a substance that looked like black tar but less sticky.

        Luna glared over it in utter surprise before a power surge went through her brain. A surge that was powerful enough to knock her into a different reality. A reality where she would live in from that day on. Her irises closed themselves in a sideways manner which created a set of cat-like irises. And those irises were only visible for a mere second. Then they turned back to normal and Luna shook her head a couple times. “Ugh, that, what am I even doing here?” she questioned herself. During the surge, some of her memory had faded away including the meeting she had with the being and even the reason of why she came down there.

        It was the perfect cover up for the being that took over her mind and body. Over the course of time it would mix with the personality of the royal before the truth of the beings deeds became known. And the land of Equestria itself had all the reasons to fear the lunar princess.

                    
Luna flew back to the royal castle and landed on the balcony that was connected to the throne room. Celestia herself could be found sitting on the throne with a worried gaze as her own mane were the pink one she used to have as a filly. Her eyes laid themselves upon the landing pony and she released another deep sigh. “Sister, my sister,” she whispered to herself.

        The princess of the night then entered the throne room with an unusual grace. A grace that was even odd to Celestia. “Tia, could you come with me, please? I have some matters I want to discuss with you,” she spoke up to her sister. The elder alicorn gave a nod in an understanding way and left her place from the throne.

        The two of them left the throne room as a whole and ventured through the many hallways of the castle. And as the doors fell shut it was Luna who spoke up first. “Sister, I have been thinking lately, especially today. As you know, our subjects worship you even more than they do me. It is time to bring a change to that. I have a proposal that I would like to hear your agreement about.”

        “I first would like to know just what the proposal you have come up with, my dear sister,” replied Celestia in a sisterly manner. Her eyes laid themselves first on her sister before they went over through the windows of the hall. Within her eyes she caught the statue garden and once again she was reminded of her mistakes in the past. She released another sigh before her eyes turned themselves back.

        “I want that the night lasts longer, sister. So that our subjects will not only worship you, but also me,” Luna boldly stated.

        The eyes of Celestia widened as big as possible and she shook her head deeply afterward. In her mind she tried to understand the very reasoning of her sister for such a proposal. But as the seconds passed by, she found herself unable to discover them. “W-Why would you ask me such a thing my sister? The day and night are meant to last for eleven hours and fifty minutes. In the twenty minutes that remain are for us both to raise the sun or moon,” she spoke up as her defense.

        “You don’t understand it, do you?” Luna growled to her sister. “You are hailed like a goddess! I am nothing more but a seat warmer in their eyes! But if the night lasts longer they will understand the importance of the night!”

        “Luna, the words you are speaking to me right now are nothing more but gains of power for your own good!” Celestia snarled back, “we were meant to rule like sisters. I would do the day, you took the night. That is what we promised Mother and Father. The night will not last longer, Luna. It will remain as it always has been. Eleven hours and fifty minutes. So then we stand equal to each other and our subjects won’t go crazy over the differences.”

        “You are blinded and afraid, Tia! You fear that if the night lasts longer, they won’t worship you as you are used to. You love their attention and want to keep it all to yourself!” Luna snarled back to her sister. It had been ages since the two had an argument like they had with one another. But everything was set into motion by the dark force that had nestled itself deep within the heart of Luna. And that force, was the greatest threat of all.

        “I am neither blinded nor afraid Luna. And that what you are speaking to me is utter insanity! Now if you will be so kind to excuse me, I am going to bed,” said Celestia while she looked deep into the eyes of her sister. "And I suggest that you calm that head of yours."

        Yet Luna looked back with a gaze that was colder than the stone where Discord was imprisoned in. The younger alicorn opened her mouth in order to speak her words. “You are excused, but consider that what I have said during your sleep. You know I am right sister.”

        “Ugh, seriously here, Luna? Are you actually serious about making the night last longer?” she spoke up under a deep sigh. “Since when are you out of your mind?”

        “Out of my mind, sister? Hahaha! I am not the insane one here Tia, I am the one who sees how the word actually works.”

        “Enough! I have had it with your words,” Celestia replied in an angry tone. After that, she just left the hallway and walked up to her own bedroom. The elder alicorn sister was in the need to get her much needed sleep and she needed it badly.

        But Luna on the other end had a set of different plans on her mind. She turned herself around and took a steady pace through the castle. Along the way she encountered some of the guards and she gave them all looks that made the shivers go down her spine. Celestial or lunar would all received the same treatment.

        In the end sat Luna down on the throne and her eyes closed themselves for a moment as a smirk formed itself upon her face. But behind the eyelids it were the cat-like irises that formed themselves again. The being didn't actually took over the body of its host but merged together with it. The being that haunted her dreams was still clustering itself in the soul of Luna.

        If you don’t accept my offer, the night shall last forever, Celestia. And then they will know just who is the supreme ruler of the land, she thought to herself. A being the lives under a different name then Luna...