Moonlight

by Ocean Heart


Moonrise

Remembering everything is a...difficult thing to do. Where do the lies begin? When do they stop? Perhaps they never ended at all; she tried to remember everything so she could put together what happened. A dream...then a fall...but what happened in the dream?! Why did she feel so powerless, even injured she could normally recall with crystal clear vision...yet that one spot refused to come into focus. Struggling to move, she found most of her body restained securely; she wanted to struggle more, but a soothing voice told her to lay still. A pin prick tapped her left leg and she winced. The voice told her that the pain was a good sign, she moved more to try and gage how secure she was...ankles tied with leather braces, arms held at her side with more straps and chect rising and falling against a set of leather tied to the bed.

"Where am I...?"

The voice came again, comforting and loving.

"Ye are safe...doth thou remember how ye ended up like this?"

"N-no..."

The voice sounded like it was moving, she wished the bandages over her eyes would let her see who the voice was. It sounded feminine and very familiar...yet different.

"Do thou remember thy name?"

"....No."

The voice put a hoof on her arm and loosened the straps a little to make her more comfortable.

"Nightmare Moon, remember?"

It sounded familiar...questions started racking up while the soft touch was lifted, she strained against thr bindings again in the false hope that the pony would return to her side.

"No..wait..."

The voice put a gentle hoof on her stomach, it calmed her down again and she began recalling more and more. Nightmare Moon...so many ponies called her that, it had to be her name. Celestia...she caused this, she put her in this state with her selfish actions. Then there was Acrylic...it was his fault, too; he pretended to love her...he used her. Nightmare Moon felt a little shame that she let such a pitiful stallion so deep into her heart, the touch lifted again and she felt strong enough to keep her composure.

"I will watch over thee...but when the time comes, we will make them all pay."

Nightmare Moon nodded slowly, whoever the voice belongs to was wise to know her vengeance would not go unanswered. Celestia will die the child she always was, Acrylic however...he needed to pay much more dearly. To fight with swords is honorable, to fight by toying with emotions and false promises...he needed to suffer. The doors opened and suddenly the room felt warm, the sound of hooves stoping dead after a few steps made her anxious until the male voice called out.

"She is awake!" The male shouted as he rushed back out.

Nightmare Moon remained calm, she knew an deceit was her only friend; first she needed to be free of these restraints, then she could start thinking of a way to get revenge...in fact...she already thought of a wonderful way to pay Acrylic back for the lesson he imparted.

Don't trust anyone...everyone will hurt you in the end.

It echoed in her mind until it became a motto, a way the future queen would rule her kingdom. Nightmare Moon held back a cool smile when she pictured ponies bowing before her...gryphons and even the lesser species all begging for mercy while the defiant ones like Celestia were erased from existence. A laughing fit broke though her will, a almost demonic cackle as she pulled against the restraints, the leather rubber her chest and arms, sending bolts of excitement though her body as she laughed...

"Luna...Luna please stop this...."

She stopped laughing.

That was Celestia's voice this time, she remembered that an act was needed to get free. Normally a small exertion of magic would free her, yet it seems a spell was cutting her off from the mystic power.

So she had to play their game...

"S-sister...what's happening to us?" She asked, mocking a terrified tone.

"We can't see...please sister, we can't see!"

Nightmare Moon began a false panic attack, thrashing and crying out in fear until a soft glow enveloped the bandages and lifted off her head. The light was blinding for a moment...but soon the visage of the betrayer was clear. Celestia stood by the door in the small room made of stone and marble, worry replaced by a certain disgust when the queen opened her eyes...like vipers seeking prey, they stuck to the sun goddess and looked at her with a hungry edge...

"Sister...what happened?"

Celestia wanted to believe the lie so much...just give in and accept it...but the look in Luna's eyes was feral. That though, was not her concern...it was what the doctor had found; a child...an unborn child that suffered for a crime it did not take part in. The doctor said that it was on the edge of death, and would more than likely pass in the coming days. Luna's lies had not only nearly costed her life, but cost the life of an innocent. How could she even begin to forgive Luna...

Even the doctor's said that she was mentally ill, but she knew such things were below the goddesses...and yet...she still loved her. Luna was unwell, she lied for months and even nearly took her own life...but she was the last thing Celestia had. To lose her would be like reliving the horror of losing Discord, watching him burn a county in his fury and turn to madness; losing Luna would mean the end...

"Luna...I'm so...." She felt water on her eyes well up and fall slowly. "I'm so sorry..."

Celestia lowered her head and stood there, unable to make the decision she knew that had to be made. What could she do that would suffice? How can you punish an immortal goddess with power beyond mortal understanding...so she flicked the restraints with a wisp of magic and they snapped open; it was no longer her decision what happened to Luna, she couldn't bring herself to harm the one thing she loved.

Nightmare Moon was stunned when the restraints were broken, seems Celestia was too much of a coward to deal with the problem herself...

Always a selfish child...

Just another reason she was to be queen, Celestia didn't understand how to make the difficult choices, she was weak. In reality, Nightmare Moon could just obliterate the petty child right now were it not for the injuries still cutting her magic. An annoyance, but minor. It just means that Acrylic can be the first to suffer for his actions. The dark mare got up from the bed and stepped down gracefully, walking around Celestia with no remorse, even spread her wings in a proud manner.

"I thank thee..sweet sister." She mocked.

Celestia sat down slowly and did the only thing she could do...let the tears flow; she wanted to be strong, she wanted to make her mother proud...but she failed. In Celestia's mind, nothing else mattered anymore, so she let the dark stranger pass and what let ever fate befall her.





"Luna! Luna, tell me the child is well!"

Pitiful.

Acrylic was waiting outside her room, the stench of stress reaking off him with the unpleasant smell of weakness. The stallion's eyes were bloodshot, evidence of his worthless tears. Nightmare Moon nearly vomited just looking at him.

Instead of seeing it as a fault..she saw it as an opportunity. Looking down as if sullen, her face tuning to a heartbroken facade, Acrylic was so worried that he didn't even notice her jet black mane. Acrylic on took a step back in horror until she looked up and let put a lighthearted laugh, it chilled the stallion to the bone how heartless it sounded. Nightmare Moon stepped close to him, running a icey hoof down his confused face and laughed softly.

"Oh come now, it was quite obvious that ye did not want a child." She chided.

Acrylic was speechless, he saw the poisonous eyes and heard how cold the voice was..this was not the mare he fell in love with. Yet he didn't know how to explain it, suddenly she circled him like a predator and glared down at him with a haunting smile. The ideas of what she was about to do to him running over and over like her favorite play repeating itself.

"We just did what we thought best, termination..."

Nightmare Moon felt power return, once her mind had time to focus, it all returned. Once she was behind Acrylic again, she forced him into her room and slammed the door behind her, a dark smile growing on her face. Acrylic stumbled in and quickly began to panic, he looked at the balcony doors but even they shut and locked. Wintered Tail's words echoed again the moment he turned back around and saw the looming darkness with its threatening grin.

"Darling...we want thee to call us, Nightmare Moon." She backed him up more until he bumped into the massive bed

"Think of it as a play name...for the fun we're about to have."


Acrylic Evenfall...he needed to suffer. Suffer for his insolence, for his betrayal, for his grave mistake...and what a better way than to toy with his feelings, and eye for an eye as some might say. The poor stallion was still speechless when his arms were bound by sheets controlled by her magic, dragged to the center of the bed and spread like a the vulnerable pervert he was from the start. Acrylic however....his mind was racing with confusion, fear and heartbreak; what happened that drove the love of his life down such a dark path, he fought against the sheets and finally found the strength to speak.

"Stop this! Luna-" He shouted in vain.

"Nightmare Moon! Thou will show respect to us."

Acrylic struggled more until she jumped on the bed and hovered over him.

"Stop. Moving." She commanded.

Fear forced its way deep into his core, the way his love looked at him with overwhelming contempt yet keeping an almost murderous smile. Acrylic's heart raced as a blue light burned in the air over them and created a shard of glass...more deep blue crystal that hovered in the air ominously.

"Luna-" He was silenced by another spell; it cut off his air and the crystal shot down like blue lightning and spilled the first blood ...

The Sun Will Fall...she physically shuttered just thinking of the phrase. Acrylic let out a rough word, unable to hear him though the agony in his voice, Nightmare Moon leaned down again and gave him an ear..

"What have..." He took a shaky breath."Where is my love..? Where is Luna?"

That did make her laugh, and laugh hard; his last defense was keeping the act up. A hope that she might fall for him yet again and free him, neither which would happen. So she sat down on his exposed lap, grinning when his face flushed red and primal desire began to take his body away from him.

"I am Nightmare Moon...my love. I now see that my old self was weak, I even fell for a hopeless, pervasive stallion such as thyself."

Rocking her hips to only make the stallion suffer...

"What is it my love..? I thought ye would only seek to lie with a princess. To just play her emotions and let her deal with thine mistakes."

Acrylic whined quietly as a tear began to form, unable to stop his body from reacting anymore...

"S-stop...I beg thee..." He said quietly...

The crystal twisted and he let out a agonizing scream once it was yanked out, all blocked by the sound barrier. Acrylic's suffering was delicious, it made her a lot more excited than she expected...but she only used that as more torture; the trapped stallion under her complete control. Now was the time to really have fun...maybe an hour..maybe two or three even...she would torture and tear at his body until she was satisfied, then a slow death would be the end for this chapter in her life.

The door was thrown open and Acrylic felt his vision blur from the blood loss, yet the tough look and jet black mane was instantly recognizable...Wintered Tail.

"Demon! Get off my brother!"

Acrylic blacked out just as Luna leapt off the bed and tackled down his last hope...

_ _

How did it come to this?

Over and over she asked herself this question as she looked out over Canterot, the sun was still high in the air and it cast the bright glow on the city below; all those happy faces passing by, unaware of what darkness is creeping to the spotlight. Celestia ignored the knocks on her door, diplomats can wait, protesters or what ever nonsense that desired her attention cant take precedence over thought. Spending hours just thinking of the past and trying to find a rhyme or reason to the madness, it crossed her mind if Discord could somehow be responsible for this; the thought crushed when she began picking apart the flaws in such an idea.

What was she to do?

Luna needed to be examined, perhaps it was grief that had too much time to take a toll on her mind. They needed a doctor, physiologist or just time to work things out. Just the two of them with a few days to let everything out without duty or distractions to make the problems worse.

But how could she stand up to her?

It was family, the last family she has left in the world; 'living immortal' seemed more like death ever lasting more and more. The decisions she had made, friends she hurt and love betrayed...how could she bring herself to harm family.

"Luna...please don't make me choose." She said quietly.

The life she had, royalty, love and peace.

The life she might live....in fear for the coming storm.

What did mother never tell them? As Celestia thought, she realized that the Lunar eclipse was tonight. With no understanding of a deeper meaning, she couldn't see how it affected them...yet the lack of understanding was also what was bring more questions to the table. Mother kept so many secrets to protect them when she passed, but something told her that Mother knew this would happen...but why not prevent it?

Why let her children suffer? What if she couldn't bring herself to tell her only children that one day they might draw blood...?

Would it come to that?

The look in Luna's eyes was cold and unfeeling, no longer the caring and soft spoken sister she grew up with. This hungered for blood; this...thing was going to tear the world apart in its fury...and after another hour passed, she understood this fact. There was only one option, to either let her sister continue and pray she finds the light, or stop her...what ever the cost. Celestia decided to walk to the garden, when she opened the door the guards and maids all were forced back by a gentle push of a light barrier.All of them shouted questions, the captain was there as well...only looking at her with a gaze that cut deeper than any knife.

_ _

The metal pony was a mere annoyance, Nightmare Moon did feel disgusted that she let herself lose control for a moment and attacked him with a much more wild nature that was bellow her. Regardless, the guards had not seen him or had the courage to investigate the noises that came though her room when the stallion struggled on the floor. Wintered Tail was bound by gleaming blue magic, gagged by a pillow case wrapped around his head. A light laugh escaped her when Tail let out a string of muffled curses, a pathetic way to pretend he still had a edge against her; she sat down and let out a chiding hush like a mother to a temperamental foal; resting her body against the ground so she would be eye level with him, an obvious panic setting over him...

"Tis alright, little one." Tail was breathing heavily as he struggled again. Nightmare Moon looked at Acrylic again and smiled.. "Brothers...how cute...we had a sibling once, she will soon be no more. Once that is done, thou will be no more as well...and then Acrylic will join thee in the next life after a little more fun."

Tail screamed against the gag in fury when she got back up.

"A fitting end...a just end."

Acrylic was still unconscious, the blood stopped by his captor so she could prolong his suffering yet...

"Dad!"

The voice make Nightmare Moon blink, whiping around to see a colt standing in the doorway. Anicent Tome knew the moment his father said he was going to the castle that something was wrong. Maybe he came to simply speak to his brother and try to mend the rift still; but the pained cries was all it took to send a horrifying message. Tome and Silent Hope followed to help...but now as the filly walked in and let her jaw hang at the sight....Luna finally felt the glass.

The dream!

Time stopped...it was like looking though a window, she could see and even feel what was happening...but why could she no longer move.

Thou are mine....


The colt rushed past the frozen mare and tried yanking at the gag, getting it loose after a few moments just to be yanked up high by his neck. Nightmare Moon had a grin that put real fear into the metal pony's heart...

"No! Please don't!" He shouted, pleading.

Tome struggled, thankfully he was only being carried; Nightmare Moon walked over and guided the filly in, she was stuck paralyzed in fear, looking to her father to save them.

"Well...I do hope that this will be our last interruption. I'm guessing that these are the two from the wedding...how cute..."

Silent Hope backed up rapidly when the princess leaned down with a soft smile..

"And I don't think I got thy name, little foal."

Leave her alone!

"It's going to be okay, Hope!"

The filly looked back at her father, attention quickly dragged back to the nightmare before her by a gently hoof. It felt like ice, like the blood in the princess's veins were no longer pumping. Hope strained against the touch but found herself unable to move...it was like her worst nightmare...trapped and unable to look away.

"Hope...and what doth thou think of thy princess of the night? Do thou love her? Cherish her night...?"

"Leave her alone!" Tome cried.

Mustering up all the strength he could, he looked down and saw the fear on his sister's face...she needed him..they all needed him. The first spell he could think of bursting from him in a powerful blast of dark magic, Nightmare Moon looked back wide eyed when the blast caught her and threw her off the ground, sailing over Silent Hope and hitting her head against the wall...hard....bring the world around her to a halt.

_ _

"Thou are so weak."

Luna looked out into the darkness and saw nothing, the voice however, was everywhere. Looking around faster as panic set in, her memory was a complete blur; she came to realize she was in a dream...a massive burst of light blinded her...it looked like a doorway..

"But once I am free, I will no longer need thine pathetic powers. I will have my own..."

Luna looked and saw the figure clear, the dark armor and venomous eyes glared into her and caused the panic to become pure fear. Suddenly she remembered every detail...

The door was opened after the wedding...the pony...the thing convinced her to-

The baby!

"What have you done?!" Luna screamed.

The spirit laughed and stepped forward, the doors shutting and light dimming once again; leaving Luna to look upon the ghostly image of...herself?

With mane as black as ebony and eyes with piercing slits for pupils, it walked toward her slowly with a smile that seeped malice. Luna backed up, unable to understand what she was looking at; knowing full well that this...grim figure was not her...and yet it was. It began to frustrate her as the pony kept walking forward, the distance between them seeming great, even though the floor was made of blackness, she tried to step forward; seeking answers from one she felt...a betrayal from.

Luna came to the horrifying realization that shadows clung to her, binding her to the ground,bits and pieces of her memory started to come into view...and when she looked down to confirm the binds made of pure darkness, she looked up to see that her doppelganger had closed the distance in a blink and smiled with nightmareish delight.

"Hello, Lulu..." It said, creeping closer and forcing her to lean back.

"Get away, demon spawn!" She shouted, only coming out as a whisper.

It laughed and took a step back.

"Thou has no voice in this place, and I am no demon spawn."

"Then who art thou?" She mouthed, no sound escaping this time.

"I have had many names...long forgotten in my prison, I am the darkness of the world, the moving shadows and living corruption....but to make it simple, call me, Nightmare Moon."

The name echoed in the air, Luna started to panic and struggle against the darkness keeping her trapped; memories came back in bits. The door...when it was opened, the reflection came forth, speaking of a way to be loved; a way to be better than her sister. How could it end like...the child...

Luna's thought's turned to her child...how could she be convinced to....

No...no, no how...HOW?! T...Thou killed my child!

"No, dear princess..twas ye that killed him."

Luna wanted to cry, or vomit in self disgust; she had left her own hate open the door to this demonic presence, What could she do anymore...? Trapped in the very prison that her subconscious created and by binds made of the dark actions influenced by this monstrosity now in control. It turned around, no longer needing to break down her will, and its time was soon; Acrylic or the metal pony might have escaped, but they were ants compared to what she was truly hunting, Luna was after petty revenge against a lover; Nightmare Moon was after a night more than a thousand years in the making.

Once light shined down on the dark side of the moon, her power would be truly free, no longer a ghost dancing in the shadows and pulling the strings of a pitiful princess....she would be the most powerful force the world has ever known, more powerful than the All Mother herself.

And when the doors to the light closed, Luna felt the darkness close around her and permanently leave her to fester in her own sins.

_ _

Nightmare Moon woke up, Luna no longer under any illusion of grandeur and purpose, Nightmare Moon no longer needed to hide, the power from the moon was starting to free itself. Walked the halls of the darkened castle, Celestia raised the moon once again; irony, Luna would have torn apart a wall for that.

Walking until she entered the court,its tapestries cast in a dark glow the moment she entered the room, Celestia was walking back from the garden when she found her standing atop the thrones, glaring down with hatred and fury. Now was the time to choose, to give in and keep her sister, or put an end to this before the last part of her family is lost to become a dark legend,spoken of in hushed tones and lore that puts fear in foal's hearts.

Nightmare Moon stepped forward and remembered where it all started...the first light...

"Did ye really expect me to sit idly by while they all basked in thy precious light?!"

The eclipse was happening, power flowed though her as it was freed from the dark side of the moon...

"There can be only ONE princess in Equestria...and that princess...WILL BE ME!"