//------------------------------// // 22 - Of Love And Loss // Story: Of Love and Loss // by tom117z //------------------------------// Canterlot Castle Princess Luna sat alone in her study, laying on top of some dark blue coloured cushions in front of the welcoming warmth of the fireplace. Paper and scrolls were scattered atop of her nearby desk, left where she had cast them aside. Luna had tried to press on with her work, but her thoughts and her soul just wasn’t available to them, her mind was elsewhere. ‘Was this really how Tia felt all those years ago?' Luna thought sadly to herself. ‘All that believing that she hated me, and cared not for me. Twilight must believe something similar, and I now understand both sides of the coin… and I don’t like it very much.’ Luna gave a sad sign, bringing up and taking a sip from her nearby coffee. ‘Oh Tia, I wish you were here. You would know what to do.’ Luna stared down into the boiling liquid within her cup, watching it swirl gently around. All the misery and suffering, it had to stop. Luna just wanted things to go back to the way they were. “The way they were?” Nightmare Moon questioned, sitting to Luna’s right. “We know it’s far too late for that.” “What are you doing here?” Luna spat. “There is no you or us, only I,” Nightmare said solemnly, looking into the fire. “We are one and the same, and we always shall be.” Luna snarled. “I am not-” “Luna,” Nightmare Moon interrupted. “It’s time to let go, it’s time to accept who you are and what you were. Nightmare Moon shall always be a part of you, and that is a part you need to embrace.” “And what? Bring about an eternal night?” Luna scoffed. “No,” Nightmare Moon shook her head. “We are long past that. But our denial of ourselves has led our love down this terrible path… She can only heal if we allow ourselves to heal…” Luna looked over at herself, looking Nightmare Moon straight in the eyes. “What if it’s too late?” she asked shakily. “Even if she does succumb,” Nightmare started, placing a hoof on Luna’s shoulder. “Celestia never gave up hope in us, and neither should we in her. We can save her, but we cannot do it if we are in constant conflict with ourselves. Our inner conflict caused the Tantabus to run amuck and distress to our friends and family, and it denied us our love. It is time to end this.” Tears slid slowly down Luna’s cheeks. “For so long I have tried to perceive Nightmare Moon as a different entity, another pony. A parasite, or curse of Sombra’s design. But that was never the case. Our jealousy was there long before the Crystal Empire, and Sombra exploited that. He accelerated my fall, but it may have been inevitable either way. My jealousy tore my family and Equestria apart, I broke both Celestia’s heart and my own.” “But Celestia was at fault too,” Nightmare stated. “Perhaps, she acknowledged as such in the long talks we held after my return,” Luna said with a small smile. “But while I had though her love for me had faded, it had not. And it took a wonderful mare, and her friends, to allow me the opportunity to retake what I had so foolishly cast aside.” Luna’s smile became peaceful, and she was alone in the study. “I am Nightmare Moon. And I am Luna. Our life experiences creates who we are, and to deny even our darkest days is foolish.” As she spoke, her eyes morphed into familiar teal slits, but there was a gentle softness to them. “Twilight,” Luna spoke softly as she levitated a picture from her desk, the picture displayed all four princesses on the day of Twilight’s coronation, the mare in question standing right in the centre. “I’m so sorry, for everything. But I will make things right, my love.” Luna’s eyes returned to normal, and she placed the picture lovingly back onto her desk. The Mare of the Moon looked up out of the window, the day was bright and hopeful. She would help her family, Cadance too if she could. And in her acceptant of herself, her determination was renewed. But it was then that she felt it. All of her prior bravado seemed to evaporate as the bright sun outside seemed to turn, the world outside the castle being bathed in a red tint. And then there was the scream. A terrifying scream of anger and colossal pain echoed throughout the castle, assaulting Luna’s ears as it was carried by the royal Canterlot voice. “Twilight?” Luna’s voice was filled with horror. The temperature began to rise, and a sense of dread overcame the Lunar Princess. “I’m too late…” Crystal Empire Throughout the Crystal Empire, screams and gasps of shock spread throughout the populace as the sun began to shift and change. A great amount of fear invaded each and every pony within the city and beyond, and for the first time in a very long time Princess Mi Amore Cadenza had left her room. Cadance now stood on the palace’s central balcony eyes moving over everything that was occurring outside. She had felt the moment it had happened, the moment Twilight’s heart had shattered into billions of fragments, and then was put back together as something dark and dangerous. When she focused in on the sun, Twilight’s heart felt… hollow. Like there was nothing left to combat the dark. She had succumbed. “Twilight, no…” Cadance was shaking from the horror of it all, disbelief running through her being. And then she saw her panicking subjects, fearful and lost. She knew her daughter was in Canterlot, and could handle herself. Flurry Heart would be there to deal with what Twilight had become, but right now the crystal ponies needed somepony to look to for guidance. With a focus and purpose that had been lost to her for so many years reasserting itself, Cadance spread her wings and flew down towards the city, intent on calming her ponies during the crisis at hoof. And seeing their previously despondent princess back in action, coming to them in their time of need, the morale of the Crystal Empire quickly rose back up. The Crystal Heart remained strong through their efforts, and the barrier keeping out the frozen north would also keep out the rising heat. As long as the ponies remained strong, the empire was safe. Canterlot Princess Flurry Heart flew above the city, eyes on the sky as the sun continued to heat up the planet. Civilians were either running amok in a panic in the streets, or retreating back into their homes. She imagined the rest of Equestria, and in fact the world was having similar reactions. She could only guess at the panic and confusion spreading in the Griffon Empire, Zebrica, Minos, Saddle Arabia and other nations. “Princess!” a Pegasus guard flew urgently up to Flurry Heart, followed by several others. “What is happening?!” Flurry Heart knew only one reason why the sun would act in such a way. “I want you to organise with the other guard, all divisions including the Lunar Guard and the few Crystal Guardsponies that accompanied me here,” Flurry Heart ordered. “You will be on damage control, and protecting the civilians.” “Damage control?” the guard’s eyes widened. “There is about to be a battle, but for now you must not engage. You will be outmatched in every way.” “Y-yes, your highness!” The guard saluted, and quickly departed with his fellow guards following closely behind. Flurry Heart looked back down upon the city, mentally preparing herself for what was about to happen. And then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw her. Nightmare Nova sped down towards the city, horn already charged and ready. The moment she came into range, she unleashed a devastating beam of magic that ripped through several buildings as she flew by. Screams began anew as ponies scrambled to flee away from the alicorn as she came around for another pass. Several more bolts were unleased down unto the city as she weaved between the buildings. Nova then flew up high into the air, and her eyes lit up with dark magic as her horn began to bubble. Black and green flames was unleashed from her horn, and was hurtled down towards the city right where a large group of civilians was attempting to flee. They saw the dark magical flames closing in on them, and held onto one another tightly as they waited for the end. Only for a golden shield to form around them, absorbing the flames as Nightmare Nova gave an angry shout. Nova looked around for the source of the shield, and a short distance away found her own niece hovering in the air, gazing directly at her. “Ah, Flurry Heart,” Nova smirked. “I was wondering whether you or Luna would be the first to show. Though it may have been wise to come together… no matter.” “Aunt Twilight, why are you doing this?!” Flurry shouted out in anguish. “That’s not my name!” she shouted back. “I am Nightmare Nova, and I am Equestria’s end!” “I know you are hurting, but please stop this! You don’t need to-” She was cut off when she was forced to avoid a lavender beam of magic hurtling directly towards her. “It is far too late to stop!” Nova shouted in anger. “This ends here!” Flurry hastily dodged two more magical attacks before being intercepted by one, which she placed up a quick shield to absorb. However, the impact sent her falling from the sky momentarily before Flurry Heart able to get her bearings and fly back up. “I’m sorry,” Flurry whispered with tears in her eyes, horn charging up. Golden magic lanced out towards Nightmare Nova, who flew to one side as Flurry’s attack trailed after her. The acrobatics display that followed would have made the Wonderbolts envious as each alicorn dodged and weaved to avoid each other’s strikes. Flurry Heart flew down low through an empty section of the city and dodged through several buildings as Nightmare Nova pursued. Nova fired several bolts in quick succession, which Flurry Heart managed to avoid, but caused one thankfully empty building to collapse into rubble. Flurry then shot up into the air again, did a flip and shot back down directly towards Nova. She released several short bursts of her magic which was met precisely with Nova’s own, and just as the two barrelled into each other both created a shield bubble around themselves. They kept their shields raised as they disengaged, and then struck each other over and over again in mid-air, their shields deflecting one another as each tried to break down the other. The golden and lavender spheres danced around a few moments more, before both shattered and Nova quickly unleashed some dark magical fire towards her niece, which she only just managed to avoid. Flurry flew close and attempted to buck the side of Nova’s head, but it was largely deflected by her helmet. Nova responded by lashing out with one hoof and catching the side of Flurry’s muzzle, causing a small yelp of pain. Flurry flew back a little, and spat out some blood from her mouth caused by the blow, before firing more magic in Nightmare Nova’s direction. In the castle, Luna ran through the many hallways as guards hurried about around her. She could hear the sounds of a furious fight in the distance, and she stopped out a window that held a view of the city below. Her eyes widened as she saw Flurry Heart locked in a confrontation with her aunt. Both were giving it their all, but Flurry Heart was seemingly being forced onto the defensive as her spells began to be overpowered. Not wasting any more time, Luna charged her horn and shattered the window with a single blast of magic, taking a run up and jumping out of it and she raised her wings and took to the air. Flurry Heart did a quick teleport to avoid a beam of pure dark magic, which hit an unfortunate hay burger stand and melted it into nothingness. When she reappeared Nova was quick to press on the attack, a normal beam of destruction magic chasing after Flurry Heart as she quickly flew to avoid it. When the beam stopped, Flurry Heart did a quick spin in the air and called on the largest and most powerful beam she could, the golden lance striking out towards her corrupted aunt. Nova had similar plans, and unleashed a lavender beam of her own simultaneously, the two colliding mid-air. Where the lavender and golden magic collided a huge maelstrom of magical energies formed amidst a large bright light. The two beams fought for dominance over one another, both gaining and losing ground. However, a mix of Flurry Heart’s continued reluctance to fight her aunt, and Nova’s rising anger caused the latter to quickly gain ground over the former after a few moments. Dark magic mixed in with the light, and the deadly combination pushed back against Flurry’s own magic until it reached her horn, and the ensuing explosion knocked the injured Flurry Heart from the sky where she fell rapidly down into a small market square below. Flurry rolled along the concrete before painfully coming to a stop. The alicorn tried to get to her hooves, but didn’t get very far before she fell back to the ground. Nightmare Nova landed a short distance away, and began to approach with a fang-filled smirk on her face. “A valiant effort, my dearest niece… but not enough,” she taunted. “The heat shall rise, and the world shall burn along with all who live in it.” “You’ll… you will kill yourself too… in the end,” Flurry Heart spoke, she was in a lot of pain. “Not before all of you have long since perished,” Nightmare Nova stated. “My death is inevitable to be sure, but I don’t care. My last moments will be of victory as the charred corpses of you all lay at my hooves.” “That’s not going to happen,” a voice calmly stated from behind Nova. Nightmare Nova’s smirk widened viciously as she turned around to face Princess Luna. Luna looked at Nova with not contempt, hate or even pity. Her gaze was soft and understanding, and that caused Nova’s smirk to fall away. “I won’t let it,” Luna told Nova. “Princess Luna,” Nova greeted. “Come to meet Flurry Heart’s fate?” she taunted, unleashing a beam of lavender magic at the Lunar Princess. Luna met it with a beam of her own just before it hit her, she tensed for a few moments before she was able to push the beam away from her, before knocking both attacks to the side and disengaging them. Luna quickly shot an individual bolt at Nova, which the latter met with a shield, standing completely unfazed. “Not bad,” Nova stated. “You may be somewhat of a challenge.” “Your power is great,” Luna noted. “But I have lived a very long time, and have walked paths light and dark. I will not fall easily.” “I should hope not, Princess Luna. For that would take the joy out of standing over your lifeless body when all is said and done, ruin the taste of victory over you,” Nova stated, her pupils narrowing dangerously. Luna sighed. “Deep down, you don’t mean that.” “I beg your pardon?” Nova growled. “You’re screaming in pain, you’re fractured and broken and believe you have nopony to turn to. You’re lashing out at a world you believe has abandoned you, that has taken so much from you. And I don’t blame you. We alicorns are just ponies in the end, not gods and goddesses, and there is only so much a pony can take.” When Nova flinched, Luna knew she was getting somewhere. “I know… Twilight,” Luna spoke softly. “I know how you feel.” “You know how I feel?!” Nightmare Nova raged, stamping both hooves into the ground. “You insolent bitch! You speak such nonsense to me, claiming to know my inner thoughts and feelings… but how you could you?! You dare claim to know such things?!” “TWILIGHT SPARKLE!” Luna shouted in her Royal Canterlot Voice. “DO YOU FORGET TO WHOM YOU SPEAK?” Luna’s blue coat shimmered and shifted into a black colour as her starry mane became smokier in nature, her teeth morphed into sharpened fangs as familiar armour formed around her. Finally, her eyes shifted as her pupils became narrow slits that gazed on at Nova. “Does this remind you?” Nightmare Moon asked Nightmare Nova. The moon raised high into the sky at the command of its master, moving to block out the sun and cause an eclipse. The sky darkened and stars became visible as night began early, the heat immediately beginning to drop to something more manageable. Nova snarled, and released a torrent of dark magic towards Nightmare Moon. Nightmare opened her wings and took to the sky to avoid the dark magic, while shooting a few quick weak bolts at Nova to keep her attention, and draw her away from Flurry Heart. Nightmare Moon flew rapidly away from Mount Canterhorn and the city that sat upon it, Nightmare Nova following closely behind. Nightmare strafed from side to side to avoid incoming spells, spells that hit down safely onto the countryside below them. With the city left far behind, Nightmare quickly decelerated and spun around to face Nova, who charged into her. The two grappled with one another in mid-air, plummeting from the sky and down to the ground below. The two smacked painfully to the ground, the impact separating them as they rolled away from each other. They were a short distance away from the mountain on an open plain with the only notable feature being a nearby hill with a single tree sat atop it. “It’s not too late to stop this!” Nightmare Moon shouted as they both got to their hooves. “You can still come back from this!” “What do you care?” Nova scoffed, launching another quick attack that Nightmare Moon sidestepped. “I admitted my feeling to you, and you spat it back in my face, Nightmare Moon!” Nightmare Nova launched another strike at Nightmare Moon as she began to approach with tears forming in her eyes, the Lunar Princess staying where she stood as she deflected it with a shield she formed around herself. “Sombra showed me your rejection!” She launched another bolt. “And he was right! He showed me the deaths of those I hold dear… and he was right!” Another shot was fired as Nova came closer still. Tears rolled down Nova’s cheeks, and yet she continued to speak amidst the sobs “I lost my friends!” Another shot. “My family!” She fired again. “Everything!” she shouted in anguish, firing one big bolt of magic that finally shattered Nightmare Moon’s shield, and yet the she remained where she stood. Nightmare Nova was right in Nightmare Moon’s face now, her horn charged violently with her magic. Only now, Nova’s tears were joined by Nightmare Moon’s own. “So tell me, Luna! What do I have to live for, huh? What… do I have… TO LIVE FOR?” Nightmare Moon’s breathing was shaky as she looked into Nightmare Nova’s pleading eyes, her mind long made up. “This,” she responded simply, grabbing Nightmare Nova and pulling her into a loving kiss. Nova’s eyes widened in surprise, before they slowly closed and she melted into the kiss, returning it with equal love. Both mares shimmered as their nightmare forms fell away, leaving Luna and Twilight behind still locked in their embrace. Finally, the kiss was slowly broken off. And Twilight Sparkle looked into Luna’s equally tear filled eyes. “B-but… I thought…” “Shh,” Luna cooed, gently pulling Twilight into an affectionate hug. “I know, but I’m here now. And I love you so, so much.” “I love you too, Luna,” Twilight buried her head in Luna’s chests as their sobs, which were both sad and yet full of joy, filled the air around them. Flurry Heart flew through the air away from Canterlot. Her injuries were painful, but she needed to find her aunt and Luna, and nothing would prevent her from doing so. She had been searching for a good hour, ever since the moon lowered and the sun returned to normal. She had left the guard to keep the peace and help any ponies in need. Now she was flying over the plains not far from the mountain, scanning both the sky and the ground. And that was when she finally saw them... Down below under a tree atop a hill, a lavender and blue alicorn lay together contently in the shade of the tree. They appeared to be asleep and the blue alicorn had her wing wrapped around the lavender alicorn, both held smiles on their faces as they enjoyed whatever dream Luna had conjured up for them both. Seeing they were both fine, and with a particularly satisfied smile, Flurry Heart turned around and headed back to Canterlot. Maybe, just maybe, things would get better after all...