A lonely alicorn princess lays in the dark recesses of thought that house both pleasant dreams and fear-filled nightmares. However, she has no interest in the dreams of anypony today. Instead, she lies in the grass clearing of her own dreamscape. She’s been moody and aggravated lately, it puts her on edge. She hates to admit it, but she has been feeling angry and has unintentionally snapping at everyone. She finds that her own mind is the place to go when she needs to calm down, but even her own mind isn’t helping her frantic thoughts.
“Argh!” Luna shouts in exasperation out into the forest surrounding her mind. She launches attack after pointless attack at the closest tree. The magical energy used to power the various attacks bursts every time it collides with the tree that doesn’t actually exist, they’re only figments of her dreaming mind. As Luna let’s up on the attacks she can see the fault in her actions, she just looks dejectedly at the unharmed `tree`.
“I must say Princess, you have a great sense of design,” Luna’s head jerks up at he voice. Her eyes dart around in search of the source, Luna finally turns to find a mysterious unicorn mare. “Hello Luna,” the mare takes a seat right in front of the princess, Luna just stares at the unicorn with wide eyes.
“You, who are you?” Luna asks warily as she raises a hoof, she concentrates her thoughts on her hoof going through the pony. She retracts her hoof in surprise when she touches the soft fur covering the pony, any object of her dreamscape should be able to be manipulated in any way she can imagine. Since this mare couldn’t be manipulated, it only means one thing. This mare exists outside of her dreamscape, but if that’s so, how is she here?
“Oh, no one important,” the mare replies with a non-committal wave of her hoof.
“We think it is, state your name. We order you as your Princess,” Luna counters in calm demanding authority. Luna is taken aback when the mare giggles, Luna attempts to regain her composure.
“Very well, but I’m not actually one of your subjects. Simply put, I would prefer if you let up on the Princess act. can we simply talk as equals?” Luna’s mouth hangs open as she thinks on what this mare is saying, she manages to snap her mouth shut as soon as she realizes it’s open. “Starlet Mint, that’s my name,” the mare answers as soon as Luna’s attention is back on the conversation. “So, what do you say, Luna? Can we talk as equals?” Luna looks incredulously at the mare, she feels a spark of anger deep inside her. This mare has guts, to stand up to a princess like that. Surprisingly, her anger is drowned out momentarily by admiration. It actually feels good not to be on a pedestal, to be respected as another individual. This mare has seen her as normal, this mare is trying to level with her.
“Very well, Starlet. We can speak as… equals,” Luna relishes the word as it rolls off her tongue, it feels nice to not need her royal authority. “Who are you?” Luna asks once more, but with a much more laid back tone. luna can finally feel some of the tension she’d been feeling lately leave her, `maybe all I need to do is loosen up more,` she muses.
“I’m a helper, I’m here to help,” the mare replies with caution, almost as if she could guess Luna’s reaction.
“Dost thou thinketh that we need help?!” Luna shouts in rage, the anger that had been boiling below her calm demeanor now makes itself visible.
“There’s that fire…” Starlet muses, “Simply put, yes. I think you’re hurting, and I wish to help,” Luna’s rage boils as she see’s the soft look in the mare’s eyes.
“We need not the help of an insolent little filly!” the alicorn spits the words with indignation as she grinds her teeth in fury.
“You don’t really believe that,” Luna’s features contort in anger. “If I were just some filly, I wouldn’t be here.” Starlet gestures to the dreamscape around her. “we are alone in your mind, Luna. You’re safe here, your secret is safe with me. Why don’t you tell me what’s on your mind?” It wasn’t exactly a question, but more of a suggestion. Luna can’t help but feel comforted by the mares words, she can tell that Starlet speaks the truth. Luna has no doubts about the mares words, yet this does nothing to ease Luna’s mood. looking at this mare Luna can’t help but see her sister. The image of her sister, the Princess of the sun, seems to fit perfectly on this mare. Even though her sister’s shining brilliance is a stark contrast to this mare’s shady disposition, there is an undeniable resemblance in their demeanor.
All of these thoughts should comfort Luna, put her mind at ease. Luna loves her sister dearly, at least she’d like to think so, yet the image of her sister sends bitter memories dancing through her thoughts. Lunas’ mind races to find why she feels so much anger towards Starlet, it feels so unrational. Her mind reminds her of the reason she felt aggravated in the first place, Luna felt like a joke. Luna feels like the lesser princess, `My sister obviously always outshines me. This mare is making a mockery of me, equals… She just wants to bring me from where I should be! My place is on a throne, not at the level of just any other mare!` Luna silently fumes at this mares perceived antics.
“Princess… Luna, I… I don’t mean to talk down to you. I only wish we could not have to deal with technicalities such as rank. You wouldn’t be able to let me help you if you feel a need to compose yourself as a princess. You need release, your emotions are becoming unstable. If you continue without help your actions will only become erratic. You’re at the risk of hurting yourself,” the mare is pleading for Luna to understand, but Luna’s judgement is severely impaired by the rage she feels. Her vision has turned a bright shade of red, her body shakes as she tries to compose herself.
“You think we cannot deal with our own problems, because of my rank?! I am a completely capable princess! I don’t need some foal dealing with things she doesn’t understand! I can handle myself just fine!” Luna’s voice has raised to the loudest version of her royal canterlot voice, the booming echo shakes the ground for seconds after the shout.
“Please, Luna, Please…” Starlet mutters as she looks into the princesses cold eyes. There is no sign of fear or terror in Starlet’s eyes as the princess stare back, but there is a hint of sadness. Luna swings a hoof at starlet with all the force she can, her hoof catches Starlet across the muzzle. Starlet stands her ground as the hoof meets her face, the red starts to fade from Luna’s vision. Luna looks at the mare, her face full of shock at what she has just done. She has never hit anypony before, not for the reason she just had. Luna looks over the damage, there is blood dripping from a cut across the mare’s muzzle.
Luna reels back in terror at her own actions, the most concerning thing is that Starlet never stopped staring at her. It isn’t a look of shock, or disgust. Luna would have prefered any of them to the look she is receiving, Starlet doesn’t even look surprised at her actions. Starlet’s eyes seem to suggest that she isn’t concerned about getting hit, almost like she’s used to it. The most disturbing thing is the emotion beneath her eyes, it speaks of pity and guilt. The pity seems to tear at Luna’s steely resolve and the weight of her actions catches up to her. The guilt somehow suggests that Starlet feels that this is her own fault, it makes Luna feel worse about what she’s done.
“I’m sorry… I am so very sorry for you,” those words were not Luna’s, but Starlets. Luna’s own apology gets caught up in her throat as she hears those words, she can’t find the will to say anything as the mare walks away. The last words Starlet had spoken before leaving hang in the air, Luna wants desperately to call out to the mare. to stop her, to apologize. Unfortunately, Starlet is gone, Luna just collapses to the ground as the rest of her anger is washed away by her own sorrow. This sorrow turns back to anger, her sadness empowering the rage she feels. This anger isn’t as aimless as before, it’s directed at herself. Luna continues to brood until she can’t take it anymore, she gets up and walks to a tree. Turning around to face her hind hooves to the tree, she lets out a cry in anguish as she bucks the tree with all of her might.
Luna jolts up in her bed, her fur drenched from the sweat that had gathered during her sleep. Luna drearily gets up from her bed to look out her window, according to her sisters sun it’s only about noon. Moving to the mirror, Luna finds her eyes are slightly bloodshot. The thought of blood brings a scowl as she remembers the contents of her dream. Her mood only worsens as her mind flits about in a meaningless attempt to justify her actions or mask them with anger, the thought that all of her justifications are wrong is enough to fuel her temper.
In a futile attempt to calm herself down, Luna tries to find solace in the hallways of the castle. Luna stomps through the castle as the mostly empty corridors let her hoofsteps echoes be the dominating sound. All the guards stand to the side, they’re clearly intimidated by the angry princess. This just puts more wood on the fire, the Princess of the night grows even more agitated at her subjects reacting in fear. Luna stops by a tall window to look out at the pegasi flying in the distance. She can barely hear what the one in front yells to the one in back, but she hears enough to make her increasingly sour mood even worse.
“If you keep going that slow, we won’t make it home till after dark. And I don’t want to be stumbling around delivering packages at that time,” Luna doesn’t hear the rest as she turns her attention away before she does something she might regret. Again.
`Of course they would try and finish before the night, nobody ever appreciates my work I put in every night for everypony! Nobody ever appreciates my night, but everypony simply adores my sisters sun!’ Luna seethes as she quietly saunters through the halls, an eerie quiet replaces her previous clunking steps. She moves through the hallway like a ghost as her mind races with fury. Her stomach churns as she thinks about her sister, she’s starting to feel physical consequences for her internal conflict.
Luna continues on through the hallways as her mind picks up on all the small things that irk her. Her mind picks up on every single example of disrespect she bears in a single day, picking up on all the perceived injustice she can find. before she slinks around a corner, she halts at the sound of voices. Normally she’d just pass them by, but their conversation had piqued her interest. She had heard just a snippet of conversation, but it ruffled her feathers. she listens intently to see where the conversation goes, she is regretful about ever caring.
“Celestia’s sun sure is bright…” A stallions’ voice carries around a corner.
“Stop avoiding the question,” another stallions’ voice calls.
“What question?” the first stallions’ voice carries a hint of fake innocence, and a hint of wary fear.
“You think Luna’s going crazy?” Luna stiffens as she hears the question.
“I don’t want to answer if she is… you shouldn’t speak ill of the Princess, she might hear you…” the first voice replies in a hushed tone.
“She’s probably still asleep,” the second stallion laughs and is sure to add a quick quip, “She’s always sleeping while the rest of us are hard at work,” he hadn’t meant to and would never insult the Princess while she was around, but he hadn’t known she was just on the other side of the corner. Luna’s vision turns a dark shade of red as she turns the corner and strides right past the two stallions.
“You think she heard us?” she hears the second stallion whisper to the first. Luna spins around and faces the stallion. She leans close to his face and stares at him hard.
“Yes,” Luna deadpans, you could hear a pin drop in the resulting silence. The silence is broken as Luna spins back around and stomps through the halls. She’s essentially on auto-pilot as she rages internally. She’s sick of being the lesser princess, sick of being looked down at. Her hooves carry her bitterly towards the throne room, she can feel her sisters magical signature on the opposite side of the room. Consumed with rage, Luna walks into the throne room blind with anger. She walks in blind to her own intentions, blind to what is going to happen.
“Not another step.” Luna calls out as she walks into the throne room. She glares at her sister as she stands on the other side in surprise, she’s taken aback by Luna’s tone. Luna remembers being soft spoken once, but now she will be the take charge pony equestria needs. Luna interrupts her sister before Celestia has a chance to ask anything, “Did you really expect me to sit idly by while they all bask in your precious light?” the enraged Princess walks up to the ledge between the two thrones.
“There can only be one Princess in equestria! And that princess will be me!” the last word is emphasized as Luna’s hooves come crashing down on the stone guard that bordered the ledge she’s standing on. Luna feels power surge through her as her eyes shine brightly for a second. Luna can feel the raw and uncontrolled power surging through her body and the environment around her, she surprisingly feels the elements of harmony’s power amongst it all. Luna sees the room darken slightly and she can feel the gentle tug of the night increasing into a gust of power surging through the energy around her.
Theres a shattering sound as a window above her breaks into a million tiny shards, light from the sun peeks through the resulting hole. Luna forces her moon into the sky, eclipsing the sun and forcing the day to turn to a bitter night. Energy manifesting in the form of shadows seeps into the room and blankets her surroundings in darkness. The black energy swirls around and closes in on her. She can feel the pressure building as the shadows increase their speed into a swirling mass of energy.
She isn’t focused on what is happening around her as her thoughts pound into the side of her skull. As a wound swells and inflames the body, her thoughts swell and inflame her mind. She can feel all the falsehood and wrong in her anger that she hadn’t noticed before. All the pain and rage is only fueling the energy pressing in around her. Luna realizes too late her fault, she had let herself lose control. Luna curls into a ball as she regrets her decision, she can’t help but feel guilty about everything that’s happened. It had been a mental tug of war between herself and her anger, and she’d given up.
“I’m sorry sister…” Luna whispers as the energy turns dark and consumes her. A single, unnoticeable, tear falls to the ground. It lands with a small plink as it hits the rubble below the whirlwind of energy that drowns out all other noises in the area. The storm ends with a burst as the pony that had once been known as Luna, Princess of the night, Steps out. This pony, however, is not Luna. Luna, is long gone.
In Luna’s place is a shadow of who the Princess once was. A pony with small slits for pupils, the jagged teeth of a carnivore, and a stare so cold it could freeze lava. All traces of Luna are either gone, covered, or corrupted. No more was the little sister that loved her subjects, instead there is a monster that rules with terror and forced power. This is the monster known as Nightmare moon.