After the short but lovely breakfast, Princess Luna ventured off into the courtyard of the castle to partake in some fresh air. Since her return, everything about her birthday was just reminding her that most of the ponies she knew were long since dead.
“A thousand years…” Luna said, as the cool air lightly passed through her mane.
“I got you know Princess…” said a whisper from behind her.
In an instant Princess Luna stopped in her tracks, her legs shook and her eyes widen, as the voice continued.
“You can’t escape Princess…” the whisper said, as if it were roaming around within her head.
It was then she felt a nudge followed by a slight tap on her leg, it was a small filly that was looking at the princess with much concern.
“Uh…Princess Luna?” spoke the small filly. “are you alright?”
At first Princess Luna did not hear what the small filly was saying, instead she just stared at the filly with eyes much like Nightmare Moons.
The filly began to cry as it ran away scared for its life.
Luna blinked once, her vision was becoming very blurry, she blinked a second time, it was then she noticed a warm sensation coming down her nose. She reached up to touch her nose with her hoof and brought it towards her eyes, it was blood.
Luna felt faint; her head was beginning to spin as she collapsed to the ground. The last thing she heard before blacking out was one of her guards shouting for help.
~~*~~
Celestia was resting in her chambers when she heard one of the royal guards shouting for more help, she instantly jumped out of bed, fearing that something might have happened to Luna or worse.
By the time she had arrived to the courtyard, three guards had placed her sister on a stretcher and were taking her to the infirmary.
“What happened…is she alright?” asked Celestia, towards one of the three guards.
“Your highness, Princess Luna has seemed to have fainted upon the courtyard, we are investigating if it were foul play” said the Royal Guard “but some witness said that she had fallen on her own accord”
“I will accompany you to the infirmary” spoke Celestia as she walked with the royal guards towards the castles main infirmary.
~~*~~
Princess Luna awoke in the middle of the courtyard, her head throbbed with every beat of her heart, and she immediately noticed that the sky was dark.
“How long have I been asleep?” thought Princess Luna, as she picked herself up.
Luna was not sure whether Celestia had drawn the night without her; she had hoped that her sister was not mad.
Upon leaving the courtyard Luna could hear somepony arguing in the distance. She began to walk towards the voices of the many ponies that were arguing among themselves.
As she drew near, her eyes widen at the unbelievable sight, it was as if a mirage was playing in front of her.
The ponies that were arguing in front of her had to have been a bad memory, since they were long since dead.
“Luna please stop this!” shouted a blue skinned colt who was dressed in old royal golden armor. Luna remembered his name it was Star Gazer, but that couldn't be possible.
“She doesn't deserve this, I am the rightful ruler of Equestria!” shouted a young Princess Luna, as her mane was beginning to change to a midnight blue.
“Celestia is your sister and you are both the rightful rulers!” shouted an orange skinned mare who wore dark grey armor. Luna remembered her name as well it was Summer Blossom, her mind was spinning, this was not possible the memory that was playing in front of Princess Luna was the same night that she challenged Celestia, and had turned to darkness.
Princess Luna began moving backwards, but she was cut off when a third pony stepped and passed right through her, tears instantly fell from her eyes as
the brown skinned colt walked towards her younger self.
The younger Luna began to look at the two ponies that were in front of her, her eyes were beginning to change; the slants were forming within her eyes.
“No! None of you understand how I feel!” growled the young princess.
“Luna please we do not want to hurt you” pleaded the third pony, his brown skin coat was streaked with red markings as he wore a broken dark gray royal armor. “Please…don’t…make us”
Luna’s eyes began to fill with tears, as the third pony spoke, she remembered his name very well, it was Brave. The horrible memory that played in front of her was one she had wanted to forget for so many years.
“No! For many years have I stood behind that glorious light she so many times produced” cried young Luna, as her body began to change. “And never once has anypony thanked me for all the things that I have done for them while they slept through my nights!”
The three ponies circled around the young princess, their horns began to glow.
“Please Luna don’t make us do this” pleaded Brave as he looked towards, the young princess.
“You wouldn’t even dare” shouted young Luna.
The first two shot a beam of magic that each attached around her hooves, as Brave walked towards the struggling princess with teary eyes.
“I am sorry” Brave whispered as he shot his own beam of magic, the three walked around the young princess as a force field of magic began to form around her.
The young princess stopped struggling, as she began to laugh hysterically.
“You are fools to think you can seal me away like the others!” shouted young Luna, whose skin was beginning to darken.
Darkness was engulfing the young princess; it formed into a ball within the magical force field.
“Don’t listen to her she is just trying to distract us” shouted Brave.
The three ponies’ spells were having no effect on the dark ball that was increasing in size. A hysterical laughter erupted, causing all three ponies’ spells to break in unison.
The dark ball evaporated into smoke surrounding them, as the dark princess emerged onto the world in her new form.
“Now it is my turn” spoke the new Princess of the Night, as she stepped forward chuckling at the attempts her former friends had failed at.
Luna continued to step back as her old self attacked her old friends, butchering them one by one, till only Brave was standing.
Nightmare moon stood over the extremely wounded colt, his armor now a heaping pile of scrap clinging on to his bloodied flesh.
“Brave, how you never cease to amaze me” Nightmare moon smirked at the wounded colt, as she lifted him with her magic. “My sister will never love you the way you want”
Braves eye fluttered open, his voice could not be heard by Luna, but she remembers very well.
“I have you now….Princess….” Brave said as he performed a forbidden spell, his horn sparked with a bright light as tears fell from his eyes; his entire body was engulfed in the light which exploded instantly in front of Nightmare moon.
Brave was gone, his sacrifice was in vain, Nightmare Moon stood unharmed as she changed back to her original form.
Luna screamed in agonizing horror as she saw Braves body disintegrate in front of her yet again.
“Nooooo! Stop Make It Stop Now!” Shouted Luna, as she ran from the horrible scene she never wanted to revisit.
“And where do you think you are going?” spoke young Luna walking towards her older self, “did you think you could run away?”
Luna stopped and turned, but what approached her was not her former self, but the darkness she feared so greatly.
The darkness began to wrap its self around Luna choking her, consuming her body as she struggled, fighting the darkness off of her.
“Happy Birthday….” Chuckled the darkness as Lunas’ mind grew dark. “I have you now”