Luna flew steadily through the eerily quiet Crystal Mountain Mines; compared to the last time she was here everything appeared to have fallen into disuse. Mighty machines and massive mine carts now lay on their sides in ruin, overcome by rust as they slowly deteriorated.
She hovered in the center of the main chamber, the maze of paths and bridges littering the floor of now cooled lava, the darkness pressing in on all sides. She focused her eyes along the walls of the massive cavern, soon finding a cave with a bit of light in it. She flew through the tunnel and was met with much the same, all the wonderful devices and beautiful works of art had been destroyed long ago. He hoof kicked something as she headed into the light. She looked down and illuminated the floor, she was standing among the remains of long dead bat ponies.
Her eyes widened in horror; had the Nocturne been attacked? Was it a disease that killed them all off? What happened to the race of such noble creatures? She closed her eyes for a moment and payed her respects to the remains, then headed deeper into the caves in hopes of finding out what happened.
She had soon become lost in the extensive cave system, but before she decided to teleport back to the main entrance she heard the sound of laughter, and screams. Horrid, blood curdling screams. She rushed ahead to aid those in peril, all the while the sound of a young mare’s laughter echoed off the walls.
When she entered the next chamber she was met with a gruesome sight, several diamond dogs lay dead in pools of blood, their throats ripped open, while another was on the ground in a broken heap, begging for mercy. Another giggle directed Luna’s gaze toward the left, where a young thestral, just past foal hood but not quite a full mare, was trying on different horseshoes with a casual air, as though her coat wasn’t dripping fresh blood as she licked it from her lips.
“Why should I show mercy to diamond dog scum? I think all those years in the past where we would simply send you beasts running was mercy enough.” She turned back around, her hooves now ending in thestral steel claws. She flexed them experimentally, watching them spark against themselves with satisfaction. “But no, you had to keep coming back with more and more dogs. I don’t know how you filthy beasts overpowered us a few generations ago, perhaps they were too merciful and didn’t really fight back. I’m sick of being your slave. I thought I could grin and bear it, take the beatings, survive. But beating my sister to death because you were bored?”
Luna looked to the other side of the room; another young mare lay chained and beaten, her smaller form marking her still a foal. She narrowed her eyes in focus as she examined the body, she was still breathing!
“You see, that was when I realized something. I can either die a slave, or die for our freedom. I think you realize by now, but I don’t plan on dying anytime soon.” She plunged her clawed hoof into the dog’s chest, easily tearing through flesh and bone as she carved him open.
While she was distracted, Luna hurried over to the wounded mare, her horn lighting up as she stood over her prone form.
“You’re too late, you know. Nothing can save her.” Luna glanced up at the young bat pony, slightly surprised at being found out already. The bat pony was standing over the diamond dog, staring into his open chest.
“I have to try.” Luna responded, returning her focus to the young foal in front of her. She let the healing magic seep into the younger bat pony. The flesh slowly nit back together as her breathing began to strengthen. “My healing magic is more potent than most, she’ll live.”
The other mare let out a pained gasp, Luna looked up to her. She was standing as she was, but tears were flowing down her muzzle and mixing with the bloodied carcass as she tried to hold back her tears. “She, she’ll live?” she was wracked with another sob, “But look what I did… I thought she would die so I wanted to die too! I wanted to be killed fighting them but I won! How am I supposed to live with all this blood on my hooves?!”
Luna frowned, “Taking the life of another is never easy, you must learn to live with what happened. If smiling and laughing helps bear the burden, I would suggest doing so. Live on for your sister; find solace in the fact that by taking their lives, hers is saved. Make the sacrifice of your innocence have meaning, and you’ll be okay.”
She looked up to Luna for the first time and offered a small smile, “So in other words, I’ll never forget what I did here.” Luna smiled softly in confirmation, “I take it your speaking from experience?”
“You could say that.” Luna cut off the flow of magic, the foal now in a stable condition as she placed her across her back. “Are there any others?”
“No, it’s just us and these dogs, the others were taken away a few years ago… our parents among them.”
Luna sighed, “Let’s get out of here then, I’ll teleport us to Canterlot and get you both looked after. I’ll inform the guard what happened and set about liberating your people from their bindings.”
She made her way toward the exit of the cave before pausing and looking to the bat pony, “I don’t think I’ve introduced myself, I am Princess Luna.” She said, holding out her hoof.
“Faina, and my younger sister Ana.” She said, grabbing Luna’s hoof with her own.
“It is a pleasure to meet you.” Luna said as her horn shown bright, and with a flash they were gone, leaving behind the decayed remains of a once great civilization.