Chronology notes:
Stop! You are reading the Third story in the series started by The Kindness of Strangers!
Please read The Kindness of Strangers first!
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/389/
This story is the direct sequel to Putting the Pieces Back Together found here:
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/407/
Midnight in the Heart of Equestria
Chapter 1
Blue Moon...
Midnight, Luna was always awake at Midnight. The Alicorn didn’t need to sleep as much as other ponies, she could manage two or three hours every night, tops. The Night was her responsibility, and she needed to be awake for it, it was her duty to all pony kind. It was fortunate that she didn’t need to sleep much; otherwise it would have been during the day. The time when the ponies of Equestria were awake... or at least, that’s how it had been a thousand years ago.
A thousand years ago, pony kind was afraid of the night, now, Luna had discovered that larger portions of the population were awake more during the night. Her night was appreciated in the modern era. Everything she was jealous of when she had refused to lower the moon that fateful day was no longer true, and it made her guilty that she had been so selfish about it, she wanted her night to get it’s due attention and respect. If she had only waited, she would have gotten it. Instead she had wasted a thousand years consumed in anger and jealousy.
It would be midnight when she would hear a small voice nagging at her from the back of her mind. Poisoning her thoughts with rage, anger, and jealousy of her older sister, the voice of Nightmare Moon had nagged at her for years before it finally took over and sent Equestria into eternal darkness. Forcing Celestia to utilise as much of the Elements of Harmony that she could use to overpower her and send her to the moon.
A thousand years of exile. A thousand years wasted. Luna knew that her sister had regretted sending her to the moon; she had confided in her that she wished she had come up with a better solution, but simply found that she hadn’t the time. Balance in the world needed to be restored, and she hadn’t the time to find something better.
Though, now it seemed that Luna’s destiny was to be locked away. A thousand years in the moon, and now about to be two months in the Royal Hospital’s Psychiatric Ward. Luna agreed that she belonged here, she had attempted suicide when the Alicorn Overdrive invaded her mind and assaulted her with horrible images and terrifying thoughts that she could still remember, horrible things that could not be unseen. She was punished for lying to him, and now she was still suffering the consequences of it.
She’d gotten better lately; she no longer needed the straight jacket that had held her close for nearly a month. Therapy was helping, Doctor Nightcaller, the pitch black earth pony with amber eyes was one of the best. Luna appreciated his help. She was beginning to get her life back together.
Luna looked out her window to see her bright, beautiful full moon. She smiled, it was her creation, and she loved it dearly.
The quiet night air was broken by a muted warble, and a faint ticking noise, causing Luna to jump. She recognised it and felt her heartbeat sky rocket; she was frightened because she knew what was coming.
From underneath the door a plume of thick black smoke poured into the room, whirring and clicking as it moved towards her. Three pitch black ponies stepped from the smoke, one of each race, leaving no trace that there had ever been smoke at all.
“I should have known,” Luna said. “It was so obvious, but I wanted to believe that it was coincidence, I want to believe you were helping me.”
“Luna, my dear, we have always been helping you. We have always had your best interests at heart,” the leader, an earth pony, said.
“Don’t lie to me Nightcaller!” Luna screamed at him.
Nightcaller smiled at her. “I do not lie, my princess. I do not lie.”
The three ponies galloped at her, returning to smoke and entering the younger princess’ body. Everything went dark, and Luna passed out.
…
“Tia...” Luna whined as her sister ushered her into the royal carriage.
“Don’t you ‘Tia’ me little sister!” Celestia said with a smile. “You’re going. That’s that!”
“Tia. They’re going to hate me.”
Celestia looked at her younger sister warmly. “Luna I assure you, Twilight Sparkle is incapable of hate, and I am sure she is going to be very happy to see you again. You’ve been back for nearly a year and you need to make some friends!”
Luna frowned at her as she stepped into the carriage. “You don’t have any friends.”
Celestia was taken aback, surprised by her sister’s jab. “I have... lots of friends!”
“Name one.”
Celestia used her magic to jab one of the guards, causing him to move the carriage, sending Princess Luna off towards Ponyville.
Luna scowled at her sister as she left.
Not to misunderstand, Luna had nothing against making friends. She was afraid that Twilight Sparkle and her friends still had hard feelings over what she had done to them. Luna had barely forgiven herself. Let alone expecting anypony else to forgive her.
Soon enough the carriage touched down, Luna exited and thanked the guards for the trip.
Just as Luna had expected, nopony was there to meet her. She frowned, the carriage departed, there was still a chance to sneak back to Canterlot before nopony noticed she’d even come at all.
Lost in her thoughts Luna didn’t see somepony bump into her.
“Oh I’m so sorry!” the Pony, a colt’s voice called out. Luna turned to look at him, standing before her was an earth pony, his mane and coat were pitch black, and his eyes glowing amber. Clearly this pony recognised her for who she was, because he panicked and bowed. “Your highness! I am so very sorry, I wasn’t paying attention... I know that’s no excuse, but please forgive me.”
“It’s okay,” Luna said softly. “What’s your name?”
“My name is Nightcaller,” the earth pony said, offering another bow.
Luna smiled at him. “You don’t have to do that. It’s nice to meet you Nightcaller.”
No. Something was wrong with this situation. This wasn’t how it happened.
“Your Highness,” another voice belonging to a filly called out. Luna looked up to see Twilight Sparkle and her friends, bowing before her.
Luna looked around, finding earth pony from before had disappeared... but she was struggling to remember his name. “You really don’t have to do that,” Luna said gingerly kicking a rock that was on the ground next to her.
“Hello your highness!” Twilight said with a beaming smile on her face. “Do you remember us? I’m Twilight Sparkle, and these are my friends Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash.”
Luna remembered them. “Hello... Um, will you excuse me? I need to...” She found her voice trailing off and she dashed off, the memory of the black earth pony was escaping from her mind, she couldn’t remember his name, or his face, all she remembered was that his coat was black.
“Your highness?” Twilight Sparkle said from behind her. Luna turned around and looked at the Unicorn; she shut her eyes tightly and groaned slightly. She had completely forgotten the earth pony. “I can’t remember...” she mumbled to herself, not loud enough for Twilight to hear.
Twilight looked at the Princess with confusion. “I’m sorry; I didn’t hear what you said.”
Luna shut her eyes again, and spoke somewhat louder. “Why are you, of all ponies, talking to me? You have every reason to ignore me. You should hate me.”
The fact that she’d even seen a black earth pony had completely left her now.
“It’s okay. I don’t hate you. We don’t hate you! All my friends and I have been looking forward to seeing you! We didn’t get to know you very well and we want to be your friend! If you’ll let us,” Twilight said smiling at the shy mare before her.
“You... you don’t really mean that, do you?” Luna asked worriedly.
“I DO mean it. I want to be your friend, and I’m sure other ponies do to. So come on! Let’s be friends!”
Luna thought about it for a moment. This was why she was here right? “Okay...”
Twilight smiled brightly. “Great! Come on; let’s go find my other friends. They’re going to love you! I promise.”
Luna smiled back at her. She had no memory that anything had even been bothering her.