//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4: Visions 
// Story: Shadow of the Moon 
// by SilverMuse 
//------------------------------//

	Luna stayed awake the entire night, as was her duty. Shortly after 2 am, little Snowdrop drifted to sleep in Luna’s forelegs. Luna wrapped the filly tightly in her feathered wings to keep her warm. Sighing, she lifted her eyes to the constellation of Sombra. She was comforted by Snowdrop’s words and her guidance. It was so strange to receive tutelage from such a young pony, but Luna was not going to question it. Any friend…any advice was welcome right now.
“And yet you don’t take mine,” the Nightmist snorted.
Luna narrowed her eyes. “Why should I? All you do is taunt and manipulate me. I don’t deserve to be treated that way! I have allowed you to live in my mind…willingly offered to be a host so that you might spare my sister, and what do you do? Toy with my thoughts…hurt me. Make me mourn what I have lost, and I am tired of it, Nightmist.”
The voice laughed darkly in her mind. “What do you suppose to do about it, Luna? I am you, and you are me. We are one in the same.”
“No,” Luna said sharply. “We are not.”
Luna closed her eyes and tapped into her ethereal self. Instead of flying out to help ponies with their nightmares, she dove deep inside of her mind, searching for the smoky, hateful creature that was the Nightmist. Her horn lit the way, chasing away shadows and creating a moonlit sky within her own mind. It took her some time, but eventually she came across the swirling mist. Luna landed upon a conjured cloud, making it look very much like Cloudsdale itself. 
The Nightmist boiled and burned and soon turned into a ghostly form of Nightmare Moon.
“What do you think you’re doing?” the Nightmist hissed.
Luna narrowed her eyes at the creature and thought of Snowdrop’s words and admiration of the twinkling stars. Long it had been since she had last heard the music of her stars. She shut out the voices of her subjects, silenced the Nightmist for one brief moment and listened until she heard it…the melody that burned inside of her. She reached for it desperately, and the words that she sought to use against the Nightmist came to her in song. 
“The moon beams bright o’er Cloudsdale this night,” she sang. “Not a candle to be seen. The stars all dance and twinkle, for their ponies, and their Queen.” She stalked towards the Nightmist and started to pace around the creature. “But in my dreams, your words have churned me all around. Can’t let them in, or no peace shall be found.” 
Luna puffed out her chest and pointed at Nightmare Moon who drew back with a hiss. “I’m not your pawn, I’m not your prey, I’m the Queen of the Night and not of day. Just go away and leave me be. You’ll see!”
She kicked off of the clouds and flapped her wings until she hovered above the haunting mist. “Let me go. Let me glow, and fill my sky with stars. Go away. Free the day, and my strength will go far.” Luna’s eyes glowed white and she flew around Nightmare Moon’s head. “I don’t care what you’re going to say. Let the night gleam on, and bring forth the glory of the day.”
The Nightmist hissed and flew into the sky after Luna. She flared her black wings and tried to send her ethereal tendrils to wrap Luna up tightly. “How dare you? I—”
“You think that you’ll corrupt me,” Luna sang over her and blasted the tendrils away with glimmering blue light. “My soul is not that weak. You took my true beloved and made my world seem bleak.” Her horn flared as she flew higher. “You’re just a shadow of my mind, and my pure heart, you cannot bind. No taunt, no hiss will e’re rule me. Now dream!”
Luna spread her forehooves and moonlight and starlight exploded behind her like fireworks across Equestria. “Of my night, of my light. Let it fill you and break free. Flee my rage. Don’t engage. You’ll never defeat me.” She folded her wings and dove down towards the Nightmist. With a whomph, she landed hard on the clouds and stomped a hoof down. “Here I stand, and here I’ll stay. Let my heart beat strong.”
The Nightmist bared her teeth in anger. She dove towards Luna as if to grab her, but Luna flew out of her grasp and pulled the starlight to her, letting it spin and dance around her blue body to carry her further into the sky. “My powers shimmer through the night into the dawn. Your words won’t conquer me, your taunts are weak, your purpose wrong. And through the darkness I’ll emerge the Queen. My heart is burning strong. You won’t destroy my light!” She flared her wings and sang her heart to the sky. “Let me go! Dreams will grow! And embrace my moonlight night. Go away. Now obey. Or I’ll show you my might.” Luna glared down at the Nightmist, her wings spread. The star and moonlight built behind her and started to rain down upon the image of Nightmare Moon.
The Nightmist shouted in alarm and scrambled back.
“Here I stand,” Luna cried. “Prepared to win. Let my night gleam on!” The silver light wrapped around the Nightmist and smothered her inside the mental clouds. The creature shrieked in outrage, but the sound faded as the clouds trapped her essence. Luna folded her wings and landed on top of the glowing mound. “You cannot destroy the good from within…” 
Luna breathed out slowly, the song still burning in her heart. It was her song…the truth of how she felt. The Nightmist could twist and tamper with her mind, but oh how she would fight it to stay pure and strong. Snowdrop had showed there were those who still loved and understood her, those other than the Nightmist. If she could cling to that truth, then she could conquer the darkness in her heart.
Luna breathed deeply and started to leave her mind to join the rest of her body. She was just about to slip free when she heard a horrible scream in her mind, one filled with pain and fear. Luna jerked back in surprise and realized it was somepony’s dream. She should not have been able to feel it so strongly! 
She flew from her mind and into the ethereal realm where she could actually see the dreams. A faint blue, star-lit sky greeted her, and all around her were stars glimmering with the dreams of her subjects. Luna landed upon a moonlit road in the ethereal plane and ran across it, searching for the nightmare that had shaken her so.
It didn’t take her long to realize that the dream came from Celestia. Her sister’s golden star had a horrible tint of red to it and seemed to drip like blood. 
Oh, Celestia, not again, Luna mourned. How many more times would she have to chase the nightmares of Solar Nightflare from Celestia’s mind? Luna trotted to the red-hued star and threw herself into the dream, expecting to find Celestia trapped inside of the evil mare’s body.
When Luna landed, though, the fires did not come from Celestia’s body but rather from trees, huts, and even the grass itself. Luna gasped in surprise and staggered back. The heat was oppressive and the smoke stung her nostrils. But it wasn’t just the smoke from trees…she could smell burning flesh as well.
“Tia? Tia!” she shouted through the smoke and fire. A tree fell to her right, and Luna had to flap her wings to keep the flames from grasping her feathers. She ran from the carnage, leaping over fallen trees and skirting around collapsing homes. It was dreadful. Even Canterlot Castle was on fire! “TIA!”
“Luna!” Tia’s strained voice cried.
Luna looked around and fought through the fire to find her sister. This dream was different. Normally Luna felt nothing except for what she wanted to feel, but here, she felt as if she was dreaming as well. What could it be? 
A vision, perhaps? I have no control over those! 
Dreams came from the minds of ponies, but visions, those were so much different. Those emerged from magic, and Luna couldn’t stop them.
She pushed aside a fallen branch and found Celestia trapped beneath shards of glass and the throne from the castle. Her mane looked so pale, and the cutie mark on her flank had faded so much that Luna almost couldn’t see it. Celestia heaved in a breath and looked at her sister weakly, her hoof reaching out for help.
Luna jumped to Celestia’s side and used her magic to throw the shards and throne to the side. “Why didn’t you use your magic to free yourself?” she asked.
“I…I can’t,” Celestia replied and staggered to her hooves. Her pink mane and tail fell limp at her sides, void of all magic. “My powers…they’re gone.”
Luna blinked in shock. She stared at Celestia’s cutie mark, and before her very eyes, the remaining picture faded until all she could see was Celestia’s white flank. “Oh, Sister.”
Celestia leaned heavily against her. “What is this? Where are we?”
“We’re in your dream, only, I don’t think it’s a dream,” Luna whispered as she watched another tree fall. She shielded Celestia with her magic and peered through the blazing walls of fire. “Have you seen anything except for the fire and the destruction?”
“Yes…” Celestia said and looked towards the sky. “Something large came and put its…something through the window of the castle and grabbed me. My magic disappeared and I could do nothing to protect myself. That’s when I started to call for you. Something else flew around above me, but I couldn’t see it. I don’t know what it is, Luna.”
Luna licked her muzzle and backed Celestia away from the burning castle. “We have to wait it out, Tia. I can’t wake you from this or make it go away.”
“Can you feel everything?” Celestia asked.
Luna nodded. “It’s so hot…but perhaps this vision will bring light to us of the dangers that might come to—”
Something roared loudly above them. Luna looked up in fright as a massive figure loomed over their heads. It roared again and brought its fists down to crush the princesses beneath its massive form. Luna threw up a shield to protect them, but the blows started to shatter and crumble the magic. Luna gasped in pain and fell to her knees, struggling to keep the shield in place.
“Luna!” Celestia cried.
“Just…just a little longer,” Luna hissed under her breath. She forced more magic into the shield and pushed it upwards, but still the blows rained down and drove her closer and closer to the ground. Just when she thought her shield would shatter, a great power filled her and she looked down to find the alicorn amulet against her chest. “What…where…” She gaped at it and looked at herself in the reflection of her shield.
She stood not as Luna or as Nightmare Moon but rather as something in between. Magic crackled over her body and her eyes took on a serpentine glow. Her blue mane waved wildly around her while her body, now clad in armor, remained azure. She looked up and let the burst of power slam into the shield. It pushed the offending creature back, and it roared again, this time in pain.
Luna threw more magic at it until the sky exploded with brilliant lights of black, white, and silver. The concussion threw Luna back into her sister, and they both fell onto…no…through the ground and into the ethereal world where Luna walked through dreams. Luna flapped and landed on the moon road. She grabbed Celestia and helped her stand. 
The sun cutie mark shone bright on her sister’s flank.
Luna sighed. “Thank goodness. Celestia…you can wake now.”
But Celestia just stood frozen, her eyes wide with fear. Luna blinked and looked down at herself, but it wasn’t Luna that Celestia was looking at. Luna glanced over her shoulder and saw Solar Nightflare flying above, laughing, and flapping her black wings.
Not again… Luna turned back to her sister and touched her head with a hoof.
“Forget this and awaken,” she told her sister and pushed. Celestia fell back through a golden star and vanished from sight, seconds before Solar Nightflare could attack her. Luna spun on the creature and struck her with her brilliant magic. “Be gone!” she shouted, and the nightmare exploded into black feathers.
Luna awoke from her own mind moments later and blinked wildly. She still sat with a sleeping Snowdrop, but when she looked up, she knew that the hour had grown late, and that dawn would soon approach. Luna picked up Snowdrop and lowered the moon more before she kicked off of the clouds. She looked around, wondering where the filly usually slept at night. She loathed to wake her.
“Princess?” Shadowlance called as he flew up to meet her.
Luna glanced at him. “Do you know where this filly lives?”
Shadowlance looked at the small pony and nodded. “I saw her leave her home shortly after dark. Come, I’ll show you.” He banked to the right, and Luna followed him through the clouds and to a little home nestled at the edge of Cloudsdale. 
Luna landed lightly and allowed Shadowlance to go to the door first. He knocked firmly until a light shone through the window. Primrose appeared and gasped when she saw Snowdrop in Luna’s arms.
“Snowdrop!”
“Shh, shh,” Luna urged her and offered a smile. “Forgive me; I thought that you knew she was away. She came to find me some time ago. She’s been with me the entire time.”
Primrose pressed a hoof to her mouth. “Oh, Princess, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean…”
“It’s quite alright,” Luna told her gently. “Your Snowdrop is a wise little filly and she offered me some comfort and counsel this night, for which I am thankful.” 
Snowdrop stirred in Luna’s arms. She yawned sleepily and blinked her eyes open. One ear flicked at the sound of her mother breathing, and she turned her head towards Primrose.
“Mama?”
“Sweetie…” Primrose sighed and reached out to take her daughter. “Thank you for taking care of her, Princess.”
Luna shook her head. “I think she took better care of me, didn’t you?” she asked the filly and leaned forward to bump her nose against Snowdrop’s.
Snowdrop giggled and hugged Luna’s face as much as possible while leaning forward in her mother’s arms. Primrose stared with mouth agape, as if not quite believing what she was seeing. Luna reluctantly let the filly go and glanced between Snowdrop and Primrose. 
“You both are welcome to the castle any time that you would like.”
“What…we…really?” Primrose asked in surprise. “The…the offer is mutual, Highness. I just…I don’t understand.”
“We’re friends, Mama,” Snowdrop said simply. She pointed to Luna. “Luna, this is my Mama. Mama, this is Luna.”
Primrose grew a bit more flustered, but she held out her hoof and shook Luna’s gently. “A pleasure…”
Luna chuckled. “I know this is strange for you, especially at so late an hour. I would speak further, but I must see to my sister.” She gave Snowdrop a look, not that the filly could see it. “You rest, Snowdrop.”
“You too,” Snowdrop said without missing a beat.
Shaking her head in wonder, Primrose brought her daughter back into the house.
There was a moment of silence before Shadowlance broke it with a contented sigh. “You really have a way with foals.”
“I’d like to think so,” Luna said dreamily. Suddenly, she jerked forward, remembering exactly why she had been in such a hurry to get Snowdrop home. She grabbed Shadowlance’s shoulder and leapt into the sky. “We have to find my sister.”
“Er, yes, your highness,” he said in surprise and flew after her.
Since Luna hadn’t joined Celestia in their quarters, she wasn’t entirely sure where her sister was housed at the moment. It didn’t take her long to find out though, for she saw golden light streaming through several windows, a light that could only belong to a certain alicorn. Luna flew towards it and saw five Lunar Guards standing just outside the house. Two opened the door and Luna flew through and landed in the entrance room.
Celestia paced the length of it, her horn glowing brightly while her tail swished back and forth in agitation. Her head was bowed as if in deep thought. Luna stepped towards her and paused at the edge of Celestia’s path. It took the sun princess a moment to realize Luna was there. Celestia lifted her head, brow free of the usual crown, and what Luna saw in her sister’s eyes frightened her.
Fear. Foreboding. Near hysteria. 
“Luna,” Celestia said almost distantly.
“Tia,” Luna replied, trying to speak soothingly for the sake of her sister. She touched Celestia’s shoulder, and slowly her sister calmed down. Celestia closed her eyes and leaned forward to nuzzle Luna firmly. 
“You’re safe,” Celestia said.
Luna blinked and nuzzled her back. “We both are, sister. It was just…well, it wasn’t just a dream. I think it was a—”
“Vision,” Celestia finished for her. “Yes. A horrible vision of what may befall Equestria. You saw it too?”
Luna nodded. “I was in your dreams, remember?”
“I…I thought I had just dreamt you up. I thought I was alone.”
“You’ll never be alone so long as I am here,” Luna told her firmly. She wrapped her wings as best she could around Celestia and hugged her sister tightly. “It was a vision that we were both meant to see, I believe. Even when I wasn’t in my dream world, I heard you cry out to me.”
Celestia sighed and pressed her head to Luna’s. “I was so afraid that…whatever it was…had destroyed you, Sister. I couldn’t bear to lose you.”
“Nor I, you,” Luna replied. She meant it fiercely. As frustrated as she could be with Celestia sometimes, and as bitter as she might feel about the ponies worshiping her sister, Luna still loved Celestia very much and would never, ever want to lose her. They were sisters, and they were all they had left of their family. Their parents were dead…all of their alicorn friends had long perished during the war with the Draconequus. 
They stood there for a while before Celestia finally steadied her breathing and drew out of her sister’s wings. “We should return to Canterlot at once. If we are receiving visions of the threat now, it may come at any day, and I do not want ill fortune to befall our ponies.”
“Agreed,” Luna replied. She glanced at the window and gestured to Celestia. “Perhaps it is time you raise the sun and we return to Canterlot. Oh…” She blushed and flicked her ears forward. “I know this is ill timing, but I offered for Snowdrop and her mother Primrose to visit our castle at any time.”
Celestia looked surprised at this, but very slowly, a smile worked its way across her muzzle. “You have made friends with the filly?”
Shadowlance chuckled behind Luna. “I don’t know who is more attached, the princess to Snowdrop or Snowdrop to the princess.”
Luna smiled to herself and nodded. “She understands my night, Sister, and hears it. There are so few who do. It…does my heart good to have some pony like that around.”
“I understand, Luna,” Celestia replied and kissed her brow. “I am glad that you have found yourself a new friend. Now come. I will raise the sun and then we will depart from Cloudsdale. Your Snowdrop will be busy making new snowflakes anyway, so I hope she will not mind your departure.”
Luna nodded, but as Celestia stepped from the room, she saw Shadowlance watching her curiously. “What?” she asked.
Shadowlance hesitated then dropped his voice, speaking low. “The caves beneath Canterlot Castle are rather chilly this time of year, even with the Spring sun. Perhaps Snowdrop can craft her flakes there as well?”
Luna opened and shut her mouth, surprised that he was taking such great pains to help her remain friends with the filly. “I suppose you’re right. I can mention that to her.” She smiled. “Thank you, Shadowlance.”
He bowed low to the ground, wings sweeping out behind him. “As always, your Majesty.”
The stallion turned on his hoof and headed out the door after Celestia. Luna did so as well, and as she joined her sister, Luna reached out to her moon and lowered it. Celestia, in turn, flapped her wings and leapt into the sky, calling upon her golden orb. The astral bodies passed each other briefly before the moon slept and the sun yawned awake above Equestria.
Moments later, doors to some of the homes opened and sleepy ponies stepped out into the light. They yawned and stretched out their hooves, letting the warm light caress them. 
“Beautiful,” Luna heard someone whisper.
Luna sighed. Yes…beautiful indeed.
She and Celestia sat together, watching as the ponies of Cloudsdale rose and started their daily activities. Many of the civilians came and bowed to the princesses, greeting them with a friendly “Hello” or “Your Majesties.” Most, Luna noticed, looked to Celestia rather than Luna, but when the Nightmist did not make a comment, Luna allowed her frustration to calm. It was the morning; of course they would want to praise Celestia more.
It wasn’t long before little Safyre and his father appeared from the same quarters where Celestia had slept. Safyre bounced happily on his father’s brow while Agate Shield, who fortunately looked as if he’d slept well, trotted towards the princesses. 
“Good morning,” he greeted them.
Celestia nodded. “Good morning, Agate Shield. I’m afraid that we will have to cut our journey short. Are you and Safyre prepared to return?”
Agate Shield looked surprised. “Why yes, of course, but we just arrived here.” He narrowed his eyes and looked between Celestia and Luna. “Has something happened?”
Celestia started to shake her head, but Luna wasn’t about to lie to him. He’d lost a lot a year ago, and she wanted him to know if danger was indeed on the horizon. “Celestia had a vision of destruction. We want to return home and make certain we can stop the evil should it try to come to pass.”
Agate Shield grew somber. Even the normally boisterous Safyre fell silent and sat in his father’s mane. “Very well,” Agate Shield said carefully. “Thank you for telling me.” He stepped to Luna’s side and stood stiffly beside her. It wasn’t out of anger though, Luna could tell. He was just afraid. 
As he should be.
When Mayor Stratus appeared, Celestia rose and nodded to the pony. “I do apologize, but Luna and I must return to Canterlot. We have some affairs that need our attention.”
“So soon?” Mayor Stratus asked in disappointment. She frowned but bowed nonetheless. “Of course. Thank you so much for coming to our Spring celebration. It was such an honor.”
Luna nodded her head. “The honor was all ours. Please give our heart-filled thanks to your ponies.”
“I will, I will,” the Mayor replied.
With a friendly nod to Stratus, Luna, Celestia, and Agate Shield turned and headed towards their already waiting carriages. The Lunar and Solar Guards were gathered, having yet to switch roles. Shadowlance and another bat pony took Luna’s chariot while Aurora and a second Solar Guard took Celestia’s. Two of the Solar Guards decided to accompany Agate Shield. With a quiet order, the Guards took off and headed back down to Canterlot.
Luna looked over her shoulder as Cloudsdale fell away. Though she was glad to return to see what danger awaited them, her heart longed to also stay in Cloudsdale with her new little friend.