“Step back Twilight,” Lock Light barked as Princess Luna came towards them.
“Lock Light what are you doing?”
“Step back,” he ordered again “she’s pure evil.”
“What do you mean?” Twilight interjected “she’s no longer bad Lock Light.”
“She’s no longer Nightmare Moon,” Fluttershy said as a whisper.
“What do you mean, no LONGER?” Lock Light said backing up as Princess Luna came closer.
“We mean,” Applejack said “that she’s no longer Nightmare Moon. Just that, she’s not evil, and quite nice actually.”
“You all don’t understand,” Lock Light said still backing up “I was there Applejack, I was there the DAY she became Nightmare Moon.”
“But that was…”
“Lock Light,” Princess Luna said “I assure you…”
“Don’t treat me with your lies and deceits again Luna,” Lock Light spat now standing his ground wings flaring “I remember clearly the last time you spoke to me.”
“Wait you two know each other?” Applejack asked
“Yes,” Princess Luna said “but it’s a complicated relationship.”
“You shattered everything I believed in Luna,” Lock Light spat and the others gasped.
“Shouldn’t you address her as Princess?” Pinkie Pie asked shocked.
“It’s alright,” Princess Luna said trying to calm the situation down “Lock Light please, listen to me.”
“Why should I?” Lock Light snorted and then Applejack stepped between them.
“Now hold on ya’ll,” she said “why don’t we just calm down here. What the hay is going on?”
“She is evil,” Lock Light said his eyes flashing in the night. They had drawn quite a crowd by this time and ponies who were enjoying the festivities of Nightmare Night had stopped what they were doing and stared. Lock Light looked nowhere else except at Princess Luna.
“How could you have Princess,” he snapped “after all we had been through together. After we had spent many moons fighting off evil, from convincing Scorpan to join us, to the fall of Lord Tirek, you were there every step of the way.”
Twilight thought furiously, that was hundreds of moons ago. How could Lock Light know…
“You were the one pony that I looked up to,” Lock Light went on “after my past which you know better than any of these ponies here. After everything I had been through, to see you turn to the evil which you swore to protect Equestria from.”
Princess Luna’s eyes brimmed with tears as Lock Light, in his furious indignation “I was loyal to you, I served you as a soldier. I counselled you as my friend, and yet you let your jealousy rack your heart until you brought Equestria down to the foundations upon which it was built. Did joy and happiness of others not matter to you anymore? Do you know how difficult it was for me, to betray the one pony whom I thought I could rely on? Whom I had trusted with my soul?”
“Lock Light,” Princess Luna said “I…”
“And not only that,” Lock Light interrupted “but to not see you, for the many life times it seemed. To see the flowers wither and fade, and the trees pass into fall, and the winters come, and always remember the joy I once experienced at being by your side and serving you, when I had every right not to.”
“Lock Light,” Princess Luna said “please let me explain.”
“Tell me,” Lock Light said “pray, tell me, in fact, tell every pony within ear shot of what changed you to become the real Nightmare Moon. Tell us what drove you to such madness and insanity so as to shroud the world in eternal night. To take away the freedom which we once restored to the Crystal Empire together. Tell us!”
There was a moment of silence as all eyes turned to Princess Luna. She raised her head, and her midnight blue star streaked mane flowed effortlessly in flawless beauty towards the ground.
She looked at Lock Light and spoke in a sheepish tone of voice “You’re right Lock Light,” she said “I did grow jealous. I wanted every pony to enjoy the night as much as they enjoyed the day. I wanted ponies across Equestria to look upon the beauty of the stars and the dusk. To not look upon it with fear and apprehension, but to see the deeper beauty of the heavens as they looked up above. I wanted…I wanted them to feel more than fear at my creation.”
“But you can’t force that upon ponies Princess,” Lock Light said “I told you that back then as well.”
“I know that now,” Princess Luna said “and though it’s taken me many years, I realize that not every night can be as this, where ponies thrill and are excited to be in the night. But I see that I must help them sleep and protect them while they can’t protect themselves.”
She looked directly into Lock Light’s eyes “I’m sorry old friend,” she said “I wish things could have been different. But my jealousy blinded me and I fell…”
“You fell into a darkness from where I couldn’t go,” Lock Light said, his eyes suddenly brimming with tears as well “I couldn’t follow you. And instead, I had to go denounce what had once been the only constant in my life…the one thing that I could rely on was that you could be there…”
“Lock Light,” Princess Luna said “you were always right. I was wrong, I was young and naïve. I had let the lust for power cloud my mind. It…it…”
“It doesn’t seem so impossible now does it?” Lock Light asked “how one can fall from prominence and grace…down to the very depths of below Tartarus.”
“What are they saying?” Pinkie Pie whispered as she poked Rainbow Dash who nudged her back and said “I don’t know, I want to keep listening!”
“So what in the hay is going on here?” Applejack again asked. She was still standing between them blocking both of their paths. Her hat was obscuring one eye but she caught everything which had happened “Why are you both mad at each other then?”
“It’s…complicated,” Lock Light said finally after thinking about it “you wouldn’t understand Applejack. I think that the only pony here who truly understands is Twilight, but even she doesn’t have the clearest picture.”
They all turned to her except Luna and Lock Light who kept looking at each other. The argument still raged inside their minds.
I loved you once, Lock Light thought angrily to Princess Luna that is partially why I served you so devotedly. How one so young, and beautiful, and regal, would have me of all ponies, protecting her and fighting for her. If another pony had done what you did when you became Nightmare Moon, I would have killed them. But…I couldn’t raise a hoof against you.
“So,” Rainbow Dash asked Twilight “what is going on?”
I know Lock Light, Princess Luna thought in turn back to Lock Light but my love for you at the time was different. You were, are, and always will be good. But I could never love, especially after what we had gone through. And you’re right…the over throwing of King Sombra, the defeat of Lord Tirek, and then…me.
“Well,” Twilight said “I think it would be better if we were in private. It is rather a long story.”
My whole life was kept a secret after you left, Lock Light thought back she thought it would be safer if no pony even knew I or my brother existed. Only one pony apart from her knew about me, and that was YOU. I would have gone with you, I would have gone with you to the very gates of Tartarus and back. But my heart wouldn’t, couldn’t, let me.
The ponies began to shuffle away and Twilight said “Let’s go back to the castle girls.”
“No way,” Applejack said defiantly “no how. These two still have to explain themselves.”
And for that I will always be grateful, Princess Luna thought back to Lock Light if you had come with me, I would have stayed as Nightmare Moon. With you at my side, I would have thought that we could have defeated Princess Celestia.
“Lock Light?” Twilight asked looking at him. He and Princess Luna were looking intently at each other, and had been staring at each other for the past ten minutes without blinking. Lock Light spluttered “Huh? What?”
“Are you coming?”
“Coming where?”
“To my castle of course,” Twilight said “didn’t you hear anything?”
“Oh,” Lock Light said “the castle…right. Do you mean, the Castle of the Two Sisters? The Canterlot Castle? The Crystal Castle or…”
“No Twilight’s castle,” Rainbow Dash said “she has one of her own you know.”
“Alright, alright Rainbow Dash,” Lock Light said “no need to bite my head off. We’ll both come.”
“I’m still gonna walk between you two,” Applejack said “until I get the full story, from both of you.”
As they walked, the conversation between Lock Light and Luna continued oblivious to Applejack, but Twilight picked up a tingling in the back of her mind. She knew magic well, and had studied briefly on telepathy, but she’d never perfected it. She attempted to try out what she’d read now. Focusing her mind, but also walking steadily, she listened in on the conversation.
…Overthrow Celestia? Lock Light thought how could you have possibly thought, that even a thousand moons ago? Not only that, but with the Elements of Harmony, she could have defeated anything or anypony. You really were insane back then. You do realize that now don’t you?
Yes, Luna thought ashamedly but as I said, I was young and didn’t understand the way things properly worked. Just because the night isn’t loved by all, doesn’t mean that it should be forced upon everypony.
But why didn’t you come up with that before? Lock Light asked then none of this would have happened. I could have still been with you. I could still have been serving you.
But then were would you be? Luna asked you wouldn’t be here, and there are far better reasons why you should be here and not with me.
Such as? Lock Light thought.
I have seen your dreams, Luna began but was interrupted.
I thought I learned to block those and keep them private? Lock Light interjected.
Dreams cannot be protected, Princess Luna thought not the true dreams which come from your heart in the realms of deep slumber. I have seen your heart’s desire, and it’s very sweet of you.
What do you mean? Lock Light asked.
You and Applejack would make a lovely couple, Luna mused and Lock Light blushed slightly when the thought danced across his mind.
Is it that obvious?
Of course it is, Princess Luna thought but only to those who know what to look for. Why do you love her so?
I guess, Lock Light thought it’s because of my relationship with her Aunt Apple Rose. Do you remember?
The slave girl you helped? Luna thought back yes I remember. She was sweet when she was a filly.
She never speaks of that time, Lock Light thought or so I’m told.
Could you ever blame her?
No, Lock Light thought back resigning but Applejack’s different. Honest, loyal, true, direct…
You have always liked direct ponies who were straight with you, Luna thought after all, that’s why you liked my sister and I so much.
But I didn't like you guys for that reason, and I think somepony’s listening by the way, Lock Light thought looking directly at Twilight who gasped having fun?
Oh, Twilight thought I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to hear anything. I was trying out a new telepathy spell.
And what exactly, Lock Light mused did you think would happen if the spell worked?
I just…she began but then she ran smack into a tree. Rainbow Dash looked down at her “Are you okay Twilight?”
“Um…” Twilight said “yeah, I’m fine.”
“You do know you’ve walked this path like a million times and you’ve never hit that tree before,” Rainbow Dash said “right?”
“I know, I just,” Twilight said “I lost focus.”
“How can you lose focus walking?” Pinkie Pie asked bouncing up from behind.
“Uh,” Twilight began gesturing awkwardly “it doesn’t matter. And oh, ha, look right there. There’s the castle. How about we all go inside?”
Lock Light and Princess Luna both looked at her, Luna with sympathy at her innocence, and Lock Light with slight annoyance.
Hurriedly she thought back to Lock Light I promise, I won’t tell what I heard.
It wouldn’t matter if you did, he thought back she would never go for a pony like me, not in a million years.
I don’t think that’s fair, Twilight thought to rule out Applejack like that. I’m sure if she knew…
If she knew the truth, Lock Light retorted she’ll reject me with an abstinence and horror…just as you will.
No I won’t, Twilight thought and what do you mean by that?
All will be explained in due time, Lock Light thought, and instantly she saw an impenetrable thick wall which soared into the sky. She walked in, and they sat at the table in the central atrium. The map wasn’t there, and two more seats were brought up for Lock Light and Luna. She looked at them all, and asked “What would you like to know?”
“What I wanna know is,” Applejack started “why you two hate each other so much? And why it’s SO darn complicated?”
“That,” Princess Luna said “is something that I can’t fully tell. I can’t start it at least.”
“Yes you can,” Rainbow Dash interjected “you can tell us anything.”
Princess Luna looked at Lock Light who then spoke “It’s complicated because I’m not as young as you all think I am…you see…I was there a thousand moons ago, on the very day that Princess Luna became Nightmare Moon.”
“But that means,” Pinkie Pie said “that you’re really, really, really, really, really, really, really, SUPER old!”
“Yes,” Lock Light said “I am able to retain my youth through magic, and immortality.”
Fluttershy countered “But I thought you are a Pegasi, you can’t use magic.”
“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash said “there’s absolutely ZERO magic in our veins we can’t even levitate rocks and things. The only thing we can do, is be better fliers than anyone else in Equestria.”
“That…is where you’re wrong,” Lock Light said “I am a Pegasi yes…but also…I’m an Alicorn.” And flicked back his mane.
They all gasped “Twilight,” Applejack asked quizzically “can’t only mares become Alicorns?”
“I don’t know,” Twilight said “that’s what I thought. But a stallion Alicorn? How is this possible Princess Luna?”
“As you know,” Princess Luna said “Alicorns are created through the use of deep magic. Only when a unicorn, earth pony, or Pegasi is ready, do they usually become Alicorns. But with Lock Light…it was a different story.”
“I never wanted to be an Alicorn,” he said “when I was born, I was a Pegasi just like you Rainbow Dash. But it was forced upon me when I became an Alicorn. As Princess Luna said, you can only become an Alicorn through the use of magic, but once you know the spell which creates Alicorns, you can use it at will just like any other spell.”
“But you’re immortal,” Twilight said “and you aren’t automatically immortal if you are an Alicorn.”
“There are special ceremonies and rites which one must undergo to become immortal,” Princess Luna defended “Lock Light, just as myself, has performed those rites.”
“Okay,” Rainbow Dash said “we get the picture, but why do you hate each other again?”
“Before I became Nightmare Moon,” Princess Luna said “Lock Light had served faithfully in my guard for many years. Together, we fought against many enemies, including Lord Tirek, and his brother Scorpan before we turned him…I…betrayed every pony I loved, all for the sake of power…”
“And for many years,” Lock Light “I was bitter. My whole world was shattered in an instant. I thought that no royal pony, especially one like Princess Luna, could turn evil. At least, not after the horrors she and I both witnessed. I was devoted to her…and the day that she invited me with the other captains and revealed to us the desire to become Nightmare Moon…I couldn’t follow her.”
They all listened to his narrative, eyes not even blinking “You must understand how difficult it was for me. I am a very loyal pony, and especially when after Princess Luna offered me a second chance at life…I wanted to be with her, to defend and protect her. But where she was going I could not follow. And I loathed and hated her for it, even as I sped off into the clouds and to the Castle of the Two Sisters where Celestia was and told her. I hated her for making me turn against the pony I came to know and love so much. But I had to do it for the good of Equestria.”
He paused, and then continued “In the battle that ensued, it was mostly between Celestia and Luna. However, myself and Doctor Whooves also helped. He used a vortex teleporter to banish her to the moon. But Celestia cast a spell to keep her there, which was that only on the night when all the stars were aligned would she be able to come back. I didn’t see her again until tonight, over a thousand years.”
“Now do you understand?” Princess Luna asked looking at them all.
Twilight nodded “Of course,” she said “it’s completely understandable. The last time Lock Light saw you was when you were Nightmare Moon. It would have been difficult for anypony.”
Applejack kept starring at Lock Light who looked back at her. Suddenly things were starting to make sense but she asked him “How old were you when you became an Alicorn?”
“Well,” Lock Light said “I was about Shining Armor’s age.”
“Why didn’t you tell us before?” she asked again.
“I thought you wouldn’t understand,” Lock Light said.
“Apparently,” Applejack said “you thought wrong. We’re not as stupid as you think.”
“Applejack,” Twilight asked “what’s wrong with you?”
“Everything is making sense now,” she said “how he was able to get so much done in one night. Why he is able to work so fast. Remember when he was working on the farm? How he MAGICALLY seemed to open your locked doors Fluttershy?”
“Why yes,” Fluttershy began but was cut off by Applejack who whirled around back and faced Lock Light.
“Why do you care?” she asked “why do you care so much about my family? What have we ever done for you?”
“Please Applejack,” Princess Luna said trying to calm the situation “you need to calm down.”
“Don’t tell me to be calm,” she said “I AM calm!”
Her eyes darted back to Lock Light “You helped out on the farm so that we were always on schedule, even though there was way more work that should have needed to be done. You left enough gold over the years to be able to BUY Sweet Apple Acres, AND, you knew EXACTLY what to get Apple Bloom for her birthday. So WHY do you care about the rest of us…and me?”
Lock Light looked at her bright emerald green eyes and sighed “I have a long relationship with your family Applejack. I was there when your family first moved to Ponyville and settled here. I helped them plant the Zap Apple trees which gave them their first crop, I helped them build their first barn. I knew your Granny Smith, her cousin Apple Rose, great grandfather, and your father very well. I…I was even there the night your parents died.”
“What?!”
“I was,” Lock Light said “I…”
“If you were there,” Applejack said angrily, so furious that none of her friends had ever seen her this mad before “then WHY didn’t you save them if you cared so much about them?!”
“I wanted to,” Lock Light said “I helped them fight off the pack of Timberwolves which were attacking your family. I was out on patrol that night and in the Ponyville area when I saw what was happening below. Your parents fought bravely…but when things looked their bleakest, they told me…”
“Told you what?” Applejack barked stomping her foot.
“…that I had to keep you safe,” Lock Light said after a pause. Applejack was stunned into silence. The only thing keeping her from being even more angry was her shock. She stared at Lock Light, who sniffed and brushing away a tear he continued as he looked up “I had to keep you safe at all costs. No matter what, even if it meant sacrificing my own life, I had to keep you and your brother safe and get you back to the farm. So, following orders, I picked both you and Big Mac up, and sped back to the farm as quickly as I could. I’m not as fast of a flyer as Rainbow Dash, and it was too far away to teleport. I dropped you off and then flew back to the Everfree Forest to rescue your parents…but by then, it was too late.”
“You mean,” Applejack said “you rescued me? YOU’RE the reason I’m alive?”
“Yes,” Princess Luna said “I saw it all happen. I couldn’t go because I wouldn’t have reached there in time.”
“But at least you could have TRIED to save them,” Applejack blurted out her mind racing “at least Lock Light TRIED!”
“I couldn’t do it Applejack,” Princess Luna said “your parents were already dead by the time Lock Light got there and he was miles ahead of me. He even fought off the Timberwolves that were trying to eat the bodies of your parents and bore them back to Sweet Apple Acres.”
“The burial took place later that week,” Lock Light said “you wouldn’t remember…but it was a good ceremony. Princess Celestia herself gave the eulogy…I even held you in my arms that day as you cried on my shoulder.”
After another pause, Twilight spoke “Are you alright Applejack?”
“No,” Applejack said, and for the first time since their friendship began, she burst into tears “I just don’t get it. I don’t understand anything anymore.”
“It’s alright,” Fluttershy said embracing her “we’re here for you.”
They all gathered around her, but only Twilight saw Luna look at Lock Light and them both fly off into the night.