"Is it time yet sister?" asked Luna laying on her back on a giant pillow in front of the desk Celestia was working at, "Is it finally time to raise the moon?"
"Patience, Luna," replied Celestia working on signing mass produced enlistment letters due to the recent increase in ponies signing up for the Royal Guard. It was the least she could do for all of the young colts and stallions answering the call of duty because of the threat of Warlord Bloodmoon returning and waging war on all of Equestria. "About five more minutes and it will be time. I won't be going to bed until I've signed every last letter regardless."
It was the evening of the Summer Sun Celebration and Princess Luna eagerly awaited the moment in which her older sister would lower the sun in order for her to, once again, raise her beautiful moon. Not a single cloud was in the sky, which made her all the more excited because she knew that meant that the stars would be out adding to her night sky's beauty.
"How was your day sister?" questioned Luna in order to waste time.
"I've spent most of the day doing exactly what I'm doing right now." Replied Celestia, "The only time I set hoof outside this room was this morning when I raised the sun. What I wouldn't give to have spent the day in celebrating with my subjects. But these are troubled times, I guess, and Equestria needs leadership now more than ever."
"Why not get Princess Twilight to help you?"
"The time for her to play her part is coming, but for now I wanted her to spend more time with her friends so I sent her back to Ponyville for the day. I want for her to be relaxed for what I have planned for her to do should the Empire of the Sands resurface."
"What exactly will you be having her do?"
"When the time comes, we will sit down and discuss it together but for now I'd like to keep it to myself... Have you even started on signing your letters Luna?"
"I have the entire night to do that, sister."
"Are you forgetting that tonight is the shortest night of the year and that on top of these letters you have your nightly duties to perform."
"All of the letters will be finished by the morning, sister," said Luna rolling over onto her stomach, "don't worry about them."
"Uh-huh," replied Celestia coming out from behind her desk, "Come on then, it's time."
"Finally!" shouted Luna springing up from her pillow in excitement and running up to her sister to join her as they both headed out onto the balcony overlooking the city of Canterlot which was patiently awaiting the setting of the sun and the rising of the moon.
Celestia raised her horn so that it was perfectly vertical pointing straight at the sun and began to use her magic to move it slowly across the sky towards the horizon. The sky's colors gradually changed from blue to red to black as it hid itself underneath the mountains where the sky met the land. One by one the stars began to appear in the sky until all of the stars were out and accounted for awaiting the moon's grand arrival.
Princess Celestia stepped to the side in order to make way for her sister to finally raise her moon. Princess Luna joyfully ran up next to her sister and pointed her horn towards the opposite horizon, closed her eyes, and began to use her magic to raise the moon. She slowly lifter her horn until it was perfectly vertical indicating that the moon was at just the right place in the sky when she heard, "Luna, did you do that?"
Princess Luna opened her eyes to see the moon bright red in color as if it was dragged through a river of blood shining into her eyes menacingly. Thoughts began running through her mind as she questioned as to why her moon ended up like this. Was it something she did differently?
"W-what is this?" she whimpered, "M-my moon."
Her thoughts suddenly came to a grinding halt as an unbearable ringing noise began to sound throughout her mind bad enough to cause her physical pain. She fell to the ground screaming out in agony holding her head tightly trying to make the pain stop.
"Guards!" shouted Celestia dropping down and cradling Luna's head in her hooves, "Please, somepony, anypony! Help!"
"What's going on? What's all the commotion?"
"It's the moon. It's... red."
"What? No way. Let me see... It is!"
"I've never seen it do that before."
"What do you think it could mean?"
"Alright, alright, get back in your racks, you have a big day ahead of you tomorrow. I'm sure we'll have more information about what is happening in the morning."
"Yes, sergeant, right away."
