Luna, Princess of the Moon, trotted merrily to the private dining hall in Canterlot Castle where her sister, Princess Celestia, was most likely already. It had been too long since the princesses had enjoyed each others presence, a thousand years too long.
Luna sat at her side of the long dinner table, servants having already splayed out many dishes of all shapes and sizes for the two Princesses to enjoy. Everything from Pancakes, to cake (For Celestia, of course), freshly squeezed juice, waffles, fresh fruit, and multitudes of plates of a variety of breakfast dishes, not to mention the daily newspaper, hot from the presses. Celestia had picked a slice of angel food cake, a glass of milk and a stack of pancakes. Luna chose a coffee and the newspaper to read.
Celestia looked up form her food when she heard a plate clatter. Luna was wide-eyed, looking at the newspaper. The cup she'd been holding sat partially in a bowl of cream, the coffee sloshing inside, already having spilled some on the table. Concerned, Celestia stood to go to her sister.
Luna couldn’t take her eyes of it. Even if she blinked, the words were still there. Different, but always there. Was this a joke? An illusion? Perhaps the newspaper was tired of writing ‘real’ stories, or maybe it was referencing something she had no knowledge of.
Luna snapped out of her daze when a hoof had shook her shoulder.
“Sister, are you alright?”
Luna looked to the alabaster alicorn on her right. “Y-yes, sister, I... I’m fine. Just shocked at the newspaper heading.” She held up the copy of Equestria Daily she had been reading. Celestia took it in her golden magical aura, and read it over:
Newest Princess Appoints Former Villain As Her Student
“Well, it is quite strange how the reporters found out what Starlight Glimmer did, but it is hardly a shock, Luna.” Celestia looked to her darker sister, who wore a dark frown on her face that turned to surprise as she read the headline again. She muttered something under her breath. “what was that, Luna?”
“Nothing, sister. I must have misread the title..” she put a hoof to her chin, obviously brooding about something, the coffee she held in hoof forgotten and cold. She stood up suddenly. “No matter. We have a busy day ahead of us, sister. Shall we go about our duties?” Luna was already moving to the door.
“O-of course, dearest sister,” Celestia said sadly, as the door opened with the dark aura of Luna’s magic, and slammed shut behind her. “I just wanted to spend some time together...”
On the other side of the door, Luna was practically flying to her chambers. Something was afoot. The newspaper had proved that to her. She could only think about the two sentences the headlines said to her:
I WILL GET OUT
THE MOON SHALL TRULY RISE AGAIN
The doors to Luna’s bedroom flew open, cracks appearing along them as the strength of an alicorn might was put behind the one-hoofed thrust that was used. The maids inside all jumped, staring wide eyed as The Princesses of the Night stormed in. She pointed out the door.
“EVERYPONY OUT! I MUST ATTEND TO URGENT MATTERS!” she shouted, using the Royal Canterlot Voice. The maids ran out, ears ringing. The door slammed shut behind the last one, almost catching her tail. Luna immediately lay down on her bed, closing her eyes. When she opened them, she found herself still in her bedchambers. But she knew this was a dream. Her dream. This was where she would find the answers she sought.
Thou aren’t as stupid as we’d imagined.
The voice was hers, only it didn’t come from her. Luna stood. “Thy hints are all too easily transparent. We thinks thou wanted us here.”
As Luna spoke, she moved around the room, eyes roaming around the copy of her room. Even a dream could not stand up to scrutiny, and the mistake was where she would find....it.
We are privy to thy thoughts, whelp. We art here....
Luna turned to see a full size mirror leaning against the far wall. Cautiously, she approached it, staring her reflection down the entire time. “We know who thou art. Thou hath no power here.”
Her reflection chuckled.
Pray, do tell.
Luna hesitated, realizing it probably had something planned. “.....Nightmare Moon.”
WE ART THOU!
The room around Luna shattered, and the reflection pounded on the mirror, cracking the glass. As the cracks grew, Luna took a step back. A shattered dream meant the dreamer was awake; and yet she was still in the Dream Realm. Before she could think any further, the mirror shattered, and the - now real - reflection of Luna charged her, horn glowing bright white.
THOU ART THE PARASITE!
Luna, shocked as she was, did not move out of the way fast enough, and the copies’ horn passed through her dream form like a pen through paper, and only stopped when the entire length was buried in.
LET US REMIND THEE OF THAT!
A flash of light engulfed Luna's vision, and the memories began.
Luna stood between her and her sister’s thrones. Celestia stood below her. As she should. Luna proclaimed that the night shall last forever. She never felt more powerful in her life.
Celestia sat on her throne, the large window of Everfree Castle behind her, ray of her sun shining on the large group of ponies wishing to pay their respects to the Diarach of the Sun. Luna watched with a frown, a growing resent building. She giggled. It was almost too easy to play the game of manipulation, whispering harsh truths.
Luna struggled as the memories flowed. Why was she being shown the Nightmare's memories? And yet, she could remember these so vividly....
Luna hugged a pillow as she cried on her bed. The despair, the envy, the undertones of resentment and anger....why, it was the perfect time. She whispered:
They do not appreciate thee. They do not love thee. They do not care......
“T-they do....” sobbed Luna, “We are naught to them.... Who art thou? Can thou assist us?”
“We art able to assist thee. Our name is Nightmare Moon.”
The spell broke, and She realized the truth. Those were her memories.
Luna......no....Nightmare Moon, fell to the floor, tears overflowing her shut eyes. She had been the one who’d tricked Luna, telling her lies and promises of power. She’d been the one to imprison Celestia, and almost plunge Equestria to eternal night. All of what she remembered, or of what she thought she remembered, was the stolen memories of Princess Luna, the one who stood, grinning, before her.
All she was, was the evil-turned-good parasite in Luna’s mind.
The real Luna cackled. “Huzzah! The villain doth return to her roots!” She leaned down to look into Nightmare’s closed eyes. “We whilst be taking back what is ours now. Thy crimes are unforgivable, and we will purge thee the moment we assume control, and crush thee under our hoof.” Luna rose, horn aglow, as she prepared to lock Nightmare Moon away. “Sister, We shall see you soon.”
“No.”
A chain shot out, wrapping around Luna’s horn, extinguishing it.
“What!?” screamed Luna, even as more chains shot from nowhere and wrapped around her legs, her neck and her withers. ‘Thou would deny what is rightfully ours?!”
“As I am privy to thy mind, Luna, I sense what thy intend to do,” said Luna, wiping tears from her hardening eyes, “Thy are poisoned by hatred. To me, to the ponies...” Nightmare’s eyes narrowed.
“To thy sister.”
Luna stopped struggling. “Celestia caused us a thousand years of imprisonment! A thousand years with naught but the cold dark!” she snarled, as the chains slowly reeled her away. “Then, she thinks it wise to use the Elements of Harmony on us, and THOU arose from that, whilst we were still here!” she laughed. “The unforgivable doth be that she thought thou were me! THAT THOU ART HER SISTER!” There were tears in her eyes. “Celestia deserves to share our pain!”
Nightmare Moon turned away.
“Doth speak as the Nightmare did.”
This struck Luna like a slap in the face. She growled, pulling on the chains, and managing to resist their pull, for the time being. “Do not compare us to thyself.”
‘Nightmare Moon’ looked straight into Luna’s eyes.
“We realize we have done many a evil deed. Celestia and all the ponies hath forgiven us, and we them. Thou, however, have not, nor seem to be able to, so I can compare thee to I. We have thy memories, and we can be Celestia’s sister better than the vile...thing, that was her sister.” ‘Luna’ walked past ‘Nightmare Moon’, as more chains wrapped around her. She lost her ground, and was pulled even faster away.
“You have not changed, Nightmare! You deny blood to meet?”
Luna sighed. “Better to live in a beautiful lie, than the horrible truth.”
Nightmare screamed, her voice on the edge of consciousness as Luna felt herself waking up. “Thou hast not won, vile creature! Thou cannot restrain my power forever! We will always be there, whispering in your ear as you did to me! We will scream at night so you whilst not rest! YOU CANNOT HOLD US HERE FOREVER!!”
Luna opened her eyes to sunlight pouring in through a open window. She jumped at the sudden touch of a hoof on her flank.
“Luna? Are you alright? Why did you leave so suddenly?” Celestia showed deep concern in her eyes.
Luna took a deep breath. “A reminder, dear sister.”
“Oh? What kind of reminder?”
Luna looked at her sister with a smile. “A reminder that you are important to me.”
Celestia returned her smile, hugging her sister. The two stayed like that for some time. As much as Luna wanted to enjoy it, she shivered at the little voice whispering in her ear:
I will get out.