Luna was running. The wind was before her face as she sprinted down empty halls. Twisted tapestries and warped pillars donned with horrid cracks flew by as she did not even bother to look back.
Luna was unsure why she ran but for the horrid throbbing sound behind her. The way the floor beneath her crack and splintered like chipped wood indicated the thing was close. The walls dripped with the thick black ooze dripping down and sizzling on the marble floor creating holes to nothingness. Luna paid no heed to them other to sway and duck from the hanging liquid that stretched to the floor.
Suddenly the walls of the castle themselves disappeared into a thick black forest. The branches stretched out like demonic arms. They sprung to life with intent ferocity and lashed out heedlessly. The thick claws of wood tore at the surface of her skin leaving long bloody marks across her once stainless coat.
Luna used all of her strength to smash through the thick bush. Pain came as but an afterthought to the fear that had claimed her. The wicked sounds behind her only fuelled her adrenaline.
She did not care for nor notice the change of scenery to the evil wood. Luna could only run. There was little else to think about. The sentient wood did all that it could to slow her. Rocks and discarded branches attempted to obstruct her path.
Luna found herself constantly turning to avoid the obstacles but she never looked back. She couldn’t look back least she lose herself to the madness. Confrontation with whatever horror was behind her was the last thing she could bear.
She sped away as figures within the trees sped after. Shapeless forms of shadows with blinking lights for eyes, the glint of golden armor at the edge of her eyes. Luna could only urge her legs to go faster. The foul wind slapped her face causing tears to come to her eyes.
Words echoed through her skull, memories of hurt that was long ago buried. Draconic teal eyes looked on with a certain glee as she passed. Luna was ignorant to its presence. She could heed the sounds around her. The sounds of the din of war contrasted against the songs of fillies singing in their youth. She passed images and rooms of distant past. Grand balls, laughing nobles and a small lavender pony smiling up at her. The world seemed lost and lonely. Not that Luna paid heed to it.
Luna swerved to avoid a swipe from the darkness. Luna attempted to use magic but found herself struck from the side sending her flying across the wood. She then smashed into a tree that had an odd shape. She swore she had seen the shapes on it on some jewellery before. Though she had little time to think as the tree cracked under the pressure of the blow. Luna dodged the falling tree only to be struck again.
With great speed, Luna felt herself smash through what felt like glass. Broken images lay scattered in the shape of a broken heart. Each shard cutting deep into her already battered body. Luna got up slowly and found that the shadow was now at the window where Luna was sent through. Turning around Luna looked for help but her calls were drowned out by the roar of some battle in the distance.
Luna spun around and scraped viciously against the walls of the stone building as if to find a week spot to which she could escape through but it was to no avail. Her wings were but clumps of fur and skin leaving flying out of question. Her eyes filled with terror as her breath came in short, panting bursts. Like a caged animal, Luna could only throw her head out in defiance against the dark, her horn raised in a trembling stance with weakened legs.
Another blast sent her crashing to the floor in agony. Luna looked up with teary eyes as she could only croak her next few miserable words.
“Mercy. Please.”
The shadow approached with dark intent that suddenly gave way to blinding light. Luna cowered before its heated rays.
From this light emerged Celestia. Her coat glowing with the power of the sun. Her eyes were empty of compassion or love as she walked towards the broken alicorn of the night. Her hoovesteps caused the marble plates beneath her to crack and shatter as little flames jumped from her golden horse shoes.
“I trusted you! This was not meant to be!” boomed Celestia’s voice. Her words caused both glass and rock to shatter and shake. “You have betrayed everything I have worked for!”
“ I have sinned.”
“You were supposed to help me bring harmony to this world not leave it in chaos!” roared Celestia as the flames grew around her.
“I am all but guilty” whimpered Luna.
“This foolish passion of yours. The weakness of your emotional needs. You must realise that you could never replace me. The eternal sun.” Celestial flared out her wings to emphasise her point. “An everlasting night would have only destroyed the very ponies’ love you seek. This madness cannot continue.”
“My sorrow for my crimes know no end.”
“I see it now,” seethed Celestia. “Here at the end of things will you only understand how far you have fallen sister. I am afraid you are beyond my help.” Celestia looked downwards to the cowering creature before her.
The enraged Celestia did not see the cowering and teary Luna, her sister, but instead saw a fanged creature of purest black. Its eyes glaring daggers at her, an uncontrollable hatred directed at her and her very being. A creature that lived off the death and ruination of everything Celestia loved. It was not her sister. Her sister was incapable of such damming cruelty. The contempt to which she bore the thing that was once her sister was but an endless pit.
It didn’t deserve to exist. It shouldn’t have existed. How dare it touch her ponies. How dare it call itself family. How dare it assume that they were equals.
“There is no other way.” Celestia charged up her horn. Six stones were raised into the air menacingly. Luna’s eyes widened.
“Please sister. I beg thine forgiveness sister!”
“Let all the water of the oceans absolve me of this horrid deed and let my heart ache forever more,” shouted Celestia. Celestia began to float above Luna casting a large shadow onto Luna. The elements span ever faster as they corresponded with each of Celestia’s words like the striking of a clock at midnight.
“And let the world cry that Celestia has killed sleep and that she may sleep no more.” Luna could only whisper out futile prayers beneath muffled sobs. “But let it be known that I am content, for only at the end….”
“No!” screamed Luna as the elements charged up. A black rainbow burst from the elements, unlike the regular colour of the elemental rainbow, as it bore down on the defenceless Luna like a scythe before grass.
“…did my sister find the peace she so wholly desired.”
Celestia could only watch in horror as the image of the nightmare was replaced by a bleeding blue navy alicorn as the tools of destruction brought the most important thing in her life to a close.
Celestia awoke with a gasp. Her lungs seemed starved of oxygen as the horrid nightmare repeated itself over and over again in her mind.
The very thought of her actions within the dream haunted her so. To suggest such an action towards her sister almost made her sick. Yet she couldn’t ignore the guilt that gripped her so.
Celestia decided to go to the bathroom. The moon was still out but had lowered significantly showing that it was nearly time for Celestia to get up. Thoughts of the work of the new day faded in comparison to the horrors of her night.
Celestia entered the white marbled bathroom and faced the mirror. Looking rather downtrodden and glum Celestia went about fixing her appearance. Her mind still buzzing with the dream suddenly intersected with her perceived grievances that her sister currently had with her. It would only add to Celestia’s misery upon informing her sister of Blueblood. A creeping reluctance had set into her a feeling of innumerable amounts of guilt washed over her anew. She wondered why she even woke in the mornings sometimes.
Yet she had her part to play. As her nightmare had been keen to point out, ponies looked mainly to her for guidance and perfection. It was an endless burden to be shared with the weight of immortality. Trapped by her own image.
Perfect by nature. Little time for the flaws to which she knew she bore. Celestia took deep breaths a she took the towel with her magic and slowly wiped her face. She then smiled as best she could. The utter insincerity behind it was disturbing to Celestia but that was the sacrifice she had to make. She wasn’t perfect.
Everpony knew that, but unfortunately she had to be the closest to perfection as one could be and that was the true tragedy. No flaws when one had to pretend. Even for her sister. Celestia could only slump as her smile faded into a neutral expression. These terrors would only continue to haunt her. As they always had. But she persevered no matter how much heart ache she suffered from. Equestria’s needs were her priority. She could only pray that she was not making the same mistakes as before.
After washing her face of the tears that had stained her face during her sleep, all Celestia could do was look out at the moon and reflect on her regrets and the impossible task of repairing her damaged relationship with her sister. Celestia cursed herself for her cowardice and soon lost count of how many hushed apologies she spoke to no one in particular until the dawn of her ever perfect day.