Sunset, Sunrise

by Star Scraper


Sunrise

The Nightmare searched the ground below as she flew. In her bodiless ethereal mist, she had no eyes nor ears, but she could feel all the magic and life around her further than any natural eyes could ever see. She could feel the wind blow through the grass on the far side of distant mountains, the warm life-magic of the gentle heartbeat of a mouse, burrowed in its den even farther off, and hear the breath of an owl, sitting in a tree, waiting for the mouse to come out.

But there was another creature on her mind. A strong stallion, weak from running most of the night, hiding deep in the forest and as terrified as the distant mouse should have been.

The starry cloud descended through the canopy like water pouring through a net, and gathered into her towering, inky form.

The stallion cowered, then quickly dove for cover into a small, natural ditch.

She grinned. “Oh, you pitiful creature, I just found you through the canopy and from ten thousand yards in the sky, do you really think you can hide from me now?” She chided, grabbing him in her magic, and pulling him out of hiding.

“Spare us both some torturing – it's been a long night for myself, as I believe you may have seen, and I grow tired of it. Who are you? How has Equestria prepared for my arrival? Why did you go with Celestia?”

He glared at her. “I-I saw the contract made! You can't harm me! You can't even imprison me! Why should I tell you anything?” He yelled defiantly.

“Oh, so you did see that, did you?...” A cruel smile spread on her lips as she formed a whip in her magic, “Why don't we find out just how far that contract goes, shall we?” She didn't give a moment of pause before she unleashed it on him.

He barely had time to cower, guarding his face with his forelegs. He screamed all the same. Before he could recover, he was once again gripped in her magic and held in the air. With his head back, he couldn't point his horn at her for any of his attack spells.

“So I can still inflict all the pain I need. Excellent.” Her grin grew even wider. “Now, perhaps, you'll tell me who you are, and how Equestria has prepared for my arrival?”

He spat. “I don't even care that it will hardly make a difference – I will never do anything to help a horrible -”

“Enough.” She cut him off, strangling him as she clenched his throat with her magic, holding him in the air with it.

He gagged and began writhing, reaching for the magic noose in vain.

“Now let's see how this magic works, yes? If it does at all. It's been a long time, perhaps Celestia was a little senile with her preparations? Oh yes, she's dead now, you know. But at least you'll join her shortly.”

His horn flared, and he vanished in a flash of light.

“Oh, a teleportation spell,” She calmly noted. “How wonderful, I've found a rather powerful unicorn. This will make things more fun. I need a little hunt to break in this world.” She calmly scanned the air with her magic. She turned to her left and scowled into the distance. With a flash of light, he re-appeared next to her.

“Gotcha,” she playfully told him as she grabbed him in her magic again.

“What are you after!? I can't tell you anything if I'm dead!” He barked at her, meeting her condescending gaze with a hateful glare.

She started calmly circling him as she talked, holding her chin up in the air in front of her, not even looking at him. “Oh, I'm just experimenting with this little contract Celestia put me under, now.” Gripped in her magic, she began nonchalantly wrapping her magical grip around his neck again. “I'm really not afraid of anything you petty mortals can do to me. I'm not even bound to my body, you could strike me with a cannonball, and I could merely re-form myself. I'm not nearly so fragile. And my magic is unmatched. I was impressed by your ability to teleport, but I can reach back and pull you right back, and as long as you're in my grip -” she turned and bore down on him with a glare and a victorious grin, “You can't escape.”

His pupils shrank to dots. He tried teleporting again – nothing happened. “B-but...” his mind raced for solutions.

She returned to her cool, aloof attitude, turning away and pacing around him. “I can reverse it as you cast it, teleporting you right back within a millionth of a second – like you were never gone at all. Far superior to Sombra's magic,” She paused, putting a hoof to her chin, “Hmm, but you don't even know who that is, do you? Not even a legend?...

“No matter, I'm curious to know how this magic will work. I could spear you, or pull your head off, but something so sudden, and so directly by my hoof may backfire on me. The spear may find its way back to me, or whatever creativity this root magic comes up with. So I've chosen something more detached from myself, and that will slowly, slowly blur the line in-between life and death, so I can see when it kicks in – when it draws the line in-between torture, like the whip's lash that it allowed, and execution, which the contract forbade. Let's see now whether the contract even works, whether it saved you...”

She turned and met his gaze yet again, “Or if it was just dumb luck.”

A defiant grin spread across his face. He hadn't thought of a solution, but something else had come to mind in his fast thinking. “You lose the dramatic effect by doing that little glare twice. And this monologuing is path-”

Her magic clenched down on his throat, silencing his word halfway through with a strangle. “Your choice of words is even poorer, as the situation clearly shows. It's hard to take criticism seriously from a mortal who will be soiling himself as he dies in a few seconds, you idiot!” She seethed with anger with the last word, constricting even harder with a jerk.

She grinned wide again, bearing her sharp teeth. “Oh, you have any more witty remarks for me? I can't quite hear them. There seems to be something caught in your throat – speak a little louder?” she leaned an ear in as she spoke, then laughed.

His eyes were squinted shut as he fought for a solution and struggled against the magic grasp. His eyelids snapped open and revealed glowing white eyes.

“What!?” the Nightmare whipped her head around to him, “Here, now!? But-”

A purple bubble exploded outwards from his horn, knocking the alicorn back and tearing a nearby tree apart. He gently landed on his hooves inside, breathing clearly.

The elder being gawked at the sight.

In another flash, he vanished, and the bubble melted away.

“Shield magic? Shield magic!? He had a shield on his cutie mark... He was clearly a guard, but...” She began pacing more quickly, “A shield and stars... I should have known, I should have known!” She yelled. “I've known few ponies ever who could cast that kind of magic... And with a magic surge, too? But...”

She cursed Celestia, then quickly ran to where he'd vanished, repeating what she'd done before. “I'll end this now, you stubborn foal...”

With another flash of light, nothing appeared.

She froze when she saw it. Nothing. It took several moments before it dawned on her; “He teleported twice... Clever pony. I'll block your magic, and have you executed later. I'll have somepony else carry out the sentence – no magic spell forbids them from killing each other... But first, I have a throne to reclaim...” She melted into an ethereal cloud again, and shot into the sky, heading straight for her old castle.

 * * *

Along the way she saw the grand city on the side of the mountain, and many towns she had never seen before. Most seemed unusually empty, and another seemed bustling over the brim for its small size, and not a pony was asleep. She listened in to many distinct conversations as she flew by – a festival – summer sun – Celestia was to raise the sun...

What a brilliant little party to crash... No better place to say hello, than a little “raising the sun” party thrown for that traitor of my sister... She dove for the town hall, and waited for her cue.

The pathetic creatures haven't the slightest idea... Still, it seems as though that little contract Celestia made may actually be a threat... It's best I reserve displays of power for later – I would only make a fool of myself if I had another failure like with that guard earlier. No, I will use fear and force them to kill each other, later...

The mayor pulled open a set of curtains on a balcony with an introduction; “...Princess Celestia!”

The balcony was empty, the princess, missing. The gathered crowd chattered nervously amongst themselves.

“Remain calm, everypony,” The mayor tried to sooth them, yet fear edged at her own voice, “ - there must be a reasonable explanation.”

The fear continued. Let it sink in, let them really know it, I want to hear them say it...

A white unicorn trotted out to the central balcony, “She's gone!” she announced.

Now, I am here...

Her mist spread over the balcony, then gathered together in a shell and exploded outwards to reveal her towering alicorn form. She proudly spread her wings. Scanning the crowd of ponies with a satisfied grin, she addressed them; “Oh, my beloved subjects. It's been so long since I've seen your precious little sun-loving faces...”

A cyan pegasus shot up; “What did you do with our princess?!” Some earth pony bit her tail to hold her back.

Nightmare Moon laughed. Oh, what a sweet question... “Why, am I not royal enough for you?...” she teased, before a realization came to her. Wait... Do they not even recognize me!? “Don't you know who I am?” She asked, anger biting into her voice. She approached a yellow pegasus, leaning in to her face to force an answer, “Does my crown no longer count now that I have been imprisoned for a thousand years?”

The pegasus cowered back, too terrified to answer She would probably just start crying if I pressed... She turned to the unicorn who'd announced Celestia's disappearance, expecting more courage and knowledge from a pony with a streak of leadership, “Did you not recall the legend?” She flicked the unicorn's chin with her ethereal mane. She smiled as she readied herself for more violence, “Did you not see the signs?”

“I did!” A young unicorn called out, interrupting her moment. “And I know who you are - ” Nightmare Moon stood up from the other unicorn, satisfaction resting smugly on her face. Go ahead, introduce me, my little pony, let them know to fear me... “ - You're the Mare in the Moon – Nightmare Moon!”

The crowd collectively gasped.

I like this pony... “Well well well, somepony who remembers me...” Perhaps she'll do well as one of my servants. Or, if she's disloyal, a public example... Let's try this; “Then you also know why I'm here.”

“You're here to - “ The unicorn glanced at the ponies around her, pausing and gulping “ - to...” She couldn't bring herself to say it.

Nightmare laughed. How pathetically cute. “Remember this day little ponies, for it was your last. From this moment forth, the night. will last. Forever!” She laughed madly as she felt sweet victory – helpless ponies cowering before her, little foals squirming under her power. Her mane and tail swirled with glee and rippled with lightning.

“Seize her! Only she knows where the princess is!” The mayor shouted out to the guards. A flight of guards bore down towards her.

She hesitated. “Stand back you foals!” Enough force to knock them away, not enough to kill them lest Celestia's magic make a fool of me here! She brought down lightning from her swirling night – doing exactly as she willed, blowing the mortals back but not threatening to trigger Celestia's protective spell. She laughed at the thrill of the power blowing them away – and quickly broke herself into a cloud again, fleeing madly for fear of Celestia's spell retaliating.

This spell – I did not consider that I would fear it so much! Yet I cannot deny it – I cannot risk it – what happened with that guard was clearly the work of Celestia's spell, making my enemies grow only stronger... I cannot attack them directly. I must be clever, indirect – how indirect do I have to be, before it is no longer me that slays them? And if that fails, I can only turn them against each other...

What of that one unicorn? She was the only one who remembered – so she might also remember how Celestia imprisoned me!...

She would be proven right in her fear. So she set out, trying to slay them less and less directly, hoping the spell wouldn't keep gravity from killing them – or another being altogether; a raging manticore. Nonetheless, the root magic was too smart, too aware of her intentions, and they continued unharmed from anything she did.

So she desperately tried to stop them with fear, by making a river impassable so that by entering it, they would slay themselves against the sea serpent, and when all else failed – even turning them against each other.

But again and again, her attempts would prove fruitless, and with the ancient magic returned, the Nightmare would be slain, and Luna would be set free from her grasp.

Weakened by the beast that had consumed her, the small figure lay amidst the charred remains of Nightmare Moon's armor, unconscious.

* * *

“Princess Luna!” A familiar voice brought her back from the dark.

She gasped as her eyes opened and she faced her elder sister once more.

Luna froze. The memories were vivid and clear – a lucid nightmare. She knew she had done those things, and they horrified her even though some other being had done them with her hooves – still, she saw the memories from her view, and it was her hooves that had been covered in her sister's blood.

Yet, for the first time in so long, she felt the morning breeze, and was surrounded by the gentle sunlight and light blue sky, streaming its peace in from the gaping hole in the roof, and enormous windows all around. For the first time in so long, just as she was free from the darkness of night, so she was free from the old hatred that had held her captive.

The morning birds chirped outside – a beautiful sound she had long forgotten.

The burning rage, jealousy, and madness of power were gone, instead, she was only well aware of how small and weak she was.

“...It has been a thousand years since I have seen you like this.” Celestia sat in front of her, coming down to her level. “Time to put our differences behind us...”

Her eyes went back to the shards of smoldering armor behind her. A-after all that I did?... All that I did as Nightmare Moon?...

“We were meant to rule together, little sister. Will you accept my friendship?” She stood back up.

She looked away and shut her eyes.

A-after all of that? But I killed you, I!...

She looked back up at Celestia. You called me 'sister'... You never called Nightmare Moon 'sister'... Nay, you said you would spare m-Nightmare Moon because of who was held in her maw, not who she was... Because... You don't believe I'm Nightmare Moon...

Luna looked down to her chestpiece. It had formed on her when Nightmare Moon had been stripped away. Am I Nightmare Moon?

Her coat and chestpiece were different colors from Nightmare Moon's. She suddenly realized the sharp difference in-between the humility and smallness she felt, and the thirst for power and raving hatred Nightmare Moon had.

It crashed over her all at once – she was free from the beast's maw, free to start over, free to not be Nightmare Moon, a great and marvelous power the beast had lacked. She could finally choose to be somepony else, and no tantibus of hatred was forcing her to be consumed by anger and false power and suppressing her true nature with jealousy and fear -

She flew forward without a thought, and the words flew from her lips, unable to be held back – “I'm so sorry!” She landed right on Celestia's chest, and looked up at her – she didn't even look the same.

No longer the lying, traitor and whore-queen Nightmare Moon had seen, instead, she saw the gentle, loving and wise sister she had only known more than a thousand years ago. “I missed you so much big sister!” The tears poured from her eyes uncontrollably as she finally saw her once more, as herself.

Celestia rested her chin on Luna's head as she spoke, in a gentle and warm embrace.

It was over. The nightmare was over.

“I missed you, too.”