For the first time in years it was not Luna that raised the moon. Having exhausted much of her magic Celestia had delegated Twilight into raising the moon that night.
In hindsight perhaps it could have been a slightly hasty decision, as she heard the news of the death of the element of laughter. She had torn away her student from her grieving friends. Sending the letter at the most inopportune time, right when Twilight was due to give her eulogy.
That being said though, it simply had to be done. Detaining a mad Princess Luna was nothing short of a feat of legendary proportions. Showing vast amounts of restraint while the Lunar princess lashed out with full force. Exhausting vast amounts of energy protecting her guards and many servants that would find themselves in the crossfire. All the while barking orders while Luna shouted commands in mad ravings that brought much of the palace in disarray.
Chaos of such magnitude as to nearly bring forth bouts of infighting.
"Guards at arms!" Luna would say. "Guards rally to me!" Her royal Canterlot voice resounding loudly across the city scape.
Celestia stood by the door to her sister's cell and watched her sister wide-eyed in insanity. She was frothing at the mouth and wriggling and struggling against her restrains. A mere straight jacket would not do. She is simply too strong. What had to be done was an enchantment upon the room that nullified any magic that wasn't it's own. Wrapped around her were layers and layers of ropes and chains imbued with the same enchant of the room.
In her state of mind, the moon crashing into Equestria was not entirely implausible.
"I'm sorry this had to be this way sister." Celestia looked through the bars of the steel cell door and looked piteously at her beloved sibling. She had promied herself to never mistreat her when she had return and yet here they were again. The guardian and her prisoner, once again. Luna seemed to fathom what she had said as she wordlessly snarled in response in between her bouts of ravings. She seemed to be ordering some sort of invisible army, fighting against some intangible foe.
Whatever ailed her, Luna was fighting. At least that's what Celestia wanted to think.
"Princess Celestia." Twilight cantered over slowly and purposefully. Her face was a look of the utmost neutrality. Almost unsettlingly so. Moving a Celestial body was no small feat and the loss of a true friend was something was felt deep inside. Mentally as well as physically, Twilight should be completely exhausted.
"Is everything alright, my student?" Celestia was concerned in ways that only one of her position could be. Everything was now, after so long, so uncertain.
"It's nothing princess. Everything had just come at such a great shock. I don't think it's all sunken in yet." Her voice was monotone. As if her very soul had just died, lost to some endless void.
"Rest assured. Everything will be just fine. Equestria has gone through alot before and it endured. I'm sure things will soon come back to normal." Celestia was trying to be as convincing as she could. But it didn't seem to reach her student one bit. She was too entranced with the sorry state of princess Luna. Her ravings of impossible promises and temptations filling her stomach with lead.
At least that what Celestia thought she felt. As surely as she could feel them herself.
Twilight...
Twilight.
Twilight?
Twilight!
"Twilight!" Twilight shook out of her reverie and looked towards Celestia who was all too desperately searching that her student was still all there.
"Are you sure you can handle the task I've assigned you?" None of Canterlot's psychiatrists and magical scholars and astrologists could decipher Luna's and her moon's condition. Twilight was Celestia's last hope.
If anypony could discover what was happening it would be Twilight.
"Rest assured. Everything will be just fine. Equestria has gone through alot before and it endured. I'm sure things will soon come back to normal." Twilight smiled and in reply Celestia could only give a shaky nod of approval.
*********
"Don't resist Luna." It was more a demand than request.
"I know you resent ponies for favouring your sister. I know you wish revenge for the wrongs they all did to you. Spill their blood, Pile their skulls high as you slaughter them in my name."
Images of Equestria flowing red with blood came her. She could feel the satisfaction. The glory of the slaughter. The thrill of her power. She was invincible, absolutely second to none. Her sister, hated Celestia was at the mercy of her hooves. No more hiding in her shadow. No more sitting beside her sister's throne. In the world she saw, she sat upon a throne of skulls where no one dared oppose her. Not as a mere queen but an absolute queen.
"Nonononononononononoooooooooooooo. Get out of my head!" Luna screamed as the horror and realisation of what she envisioned
disgusted her to the core. That delicate core dispelling what evil influence was tempting her.
Her victory was only met with laughter.
"Hahahaha what a simple fool... he doesn't understand you like I do Luna. He only wishes you to be his little monster." Another voice whispered in her mind. It was so beautiful, so angelic and yet impossibly sultry. The sound of his voice both silky and yet purred with an absolute allure.
"You know to not resent the simple whims of the simple folk. It is not their fault your sister shined brighter than you." The voice was right. The moon, who borrowed from the light of the sun, could never be as bright as it's elder sister.
"But listen to me. I can help you teach them the error of their ways. If you side with me, you will have all of ponykind worshipping you. Their devotion absolute, their addiction never ending. You will be loved by all and be as beautiful as you feel you deserve to be. Every pleasure and temptation. Every whim and word holding no limit to you."
"Just let yourself go." Another wave of visions visited upon Luna's mind.
Her body convulsed, her eyes were rolled back. her mouth opened as she moaned in ecstasy, drooling from her mouths she shivered in absolute pleasure.
In Luna's fragmented mind she could see a sea of flesh writhing and moaning and screaming. Ponies died for her amusement or tortured to the same effect. Ponies fought for her attention. Ponies of every kind experienced every debauchery. Mare, Colt and child. And Luna was the center of it all, constantly in a state of ecstasy, surrounded by her most favoured and most beloved. Delicacies of Flesh, she tasted and sampled only to be replaced at any kind of whim, upon her pleasure.