Lunar Eclipse: The Rock Opera

by CrowMagnon

Part 9 - Take Back the Night

Lunar Eclipse: The Rock-Opera
by CrowMagnon

Sungleam's look of apprehension and shock as she stepped back from Nyx was plainly visible, even in the farthest rows of the theater. As was her anger when she immediately followed it up by magically drawing her crystal blade and pointing it at the thestral.

"Thou dares to seek an audience with her highness while bandying about her sister's name so frivolously?! Does thou have no shame nor sympathy for our sovereign's mourning?"

Seeing Sungleam threaten their protector, the three fillies ran up between them and began protesting on Nyx's behalf. "Don't hurt her," Scootaloo pleaded. "She's a hero!"

Sungleam narrowed her eyes, but slowly drew her sword back and returned it to its sheathe. "Aye. Thou protected these fillies, and that is why I shall not meet thy skull with the flat of my blade. Thou possesses the bravery to stand 'gainst Eclipse itself..." Nyx smiled, only for Sungleam to angrily add, "... but thy words suggest that it is a courage borne of either foolishness or insanity! The Princess of the Night is lost in a sleep without end, and her highness's grief also knows no limit. I shall not torment her further with the nonsensical ravings of a madmare, so speak and explain thyself! If thou refuses, or fail to meet my satisfaction with thy answer, then I shall see these children returned safely to their families and then return to Canterlot alone."

Nyx hesitated a moment. She looked fondly at the fillies, then back into Sungleam's harsh but earnest glare. "Eclipse fears Princess Celestia. For all its bluster and threats, it is driven by its terror of her. Her highness can put an end to it, or at least weaken it to the point that Eclipse can be defeated with ease."

Sungleam paused for a moment, then sheathed her sword. "Thou speakest truly...? Her highness will wish to know of this. How may it be done?"

Nyx stepped forward as she replied, "By doing the one thing that only Princess Celestia can." She then leaned in so that she could whisper into Sungleam's ear.

The unicorn's jaw dropped open as she listened to whatever secret Nyx shared with her. When Nyx finished and stepped back, she told the thestral, "I was correct before. Thou are truly mad!"

It was with that pronouncement echoing through the theater that the curtains closed on the mares.

-----

Once the curtains were closed, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle scampered off the stage to where their sisters were waiting for them. Scootaloo held back to give her mom a hug before following her friends, tugging at her costume the whole way so that she could yank it off and dump the garments onto the floor. "Finally! My wings were starting to cramp up," she complained, rapidly buzzing her little wings once they were exposed to the open air again.

"Oh, come on. Ain't lahk those costumes were all that tight," Apple Bloom retorted. The next moment, she was lightly whapped by the tail of her friend's Mare-Do-Well cape as Scootaloo put it on. "Hey!"

"It's a big deal for pegasi. Wearing something that keeps you from spreading your wings is like... uh..." She looked at Apple Bloom's hooves, but finding herself unable come up with an appropriate simile, she pointed to Sweetie Belle. "Like a unicorn keeping a vice clamped around their horn!" This thought elicited a frightened squeak from the little white filly, who clung tightly to her big sister.

Approaching the group after giving her husband a congratulatory hug, Fluttershy pitched in, "Yes, and you should only do either with somepony you trust very, very much."

Rarity and Applejack both gasped at Fluttersy's comment put their hooves over their sisters' ears, much to the little Crusaders' confusion. Fluttershy's as well, as she asked, "What?"

Clearing his throat, Iron Will quickly clarified, "There was a stage magician who used to do a warm-up act for us. The guy liked his wine and insisted on using Flutters as his 'lovely assistant'. Of course, she was overqualified..." Everypony else rolled their eyes when Fluttershy cooed affectionately at the compliment "... but let's just say red wine and escape tricks are a bad combination."

Fluttershy giggled and looked past the others to see Twilight frantically trying to wave her over. "Whoops, Rarity and I have to get into place! Let's go!"

-----

"Nyx and Sungleam saw the fillies to safety," Pinkamena narrated while the stagehooves behind the curtain worked quickly to set the next scene. The sound of crackling flames was accompanied by red and orange spotlights. "With Eclipse temporarily rendered bodiless, the invading minotaurs were left without a commander, and their confusion granted the ponies time to evacuate to safety.

"Meanwhile, despite her misgivings about Nyx, Captain Sungleam nevertheless saw enough merit in what she suggested to accompany Nyx to Canterlot and bring her before Princess Celestia."

When the curtain opened, the stage had been transformed into Princess Celestia's throne room, where a stained-glass window was painted onto the backdrop depicting Princess Luna's sleeping form. Fluttershy sat upon the throne, her gaze distant and her voice bearing a dull, detached quality as Nyx and Sungleam knelt before her.

"Rise, Dame Sungleam. How fare the refugees?" Celestia asked of her knight.

Sungleam lifted her head and stood as she reported, "Their village was sacked and burnt by the minotaur hordes, your highness. Their homes are lost, but we succeeded in bringing the ponies themselves to safety."

Celestia nodded unethusiastically. "Good. Yes, that is very good. And who is this?" She pointed a hoof down at Nyx. "Rise, thestral. Do you come as a messenger from the colonies, or as a lone volunteer seeking to join the war effort?"

"A little of both, but nearer to the latter, your highness," Nyx replied as she stood before the Princess of the Sun. "I do come as an emissary, as well as to see an end put to Eclipse. Much as I would wish to come with the blessing of my colony, though, it is a higher authority who guides me here."

Sungleam gave the thestral a warning look. "Guard thy tongue, Nyx. We spoke of this 'pon the road. Thou are only to share thy information, and not overburden her highness's heart with these fancies."

Celestia startled Sungleam by scoffing in derision at that notion. "And what burden could either of thee possibly place upon mine heart that would be more than a gnat's weight upon that which We already bear? If it is thy intention to preserve me from despair, Dame Sungleam, then thou art already a blundering incompetent of the highest order!"

Nyx stepped back in shock at Celestia's wrathful tone, but Sungleam regarded her sovereign with calm stoicism and simply bowed her head. "It is as you say, your highness."

Celestia looked down at Sungleam, and though the knight couldn't see it, the princess's expression twisted in self-loathing at her outburst before she hid it behind a mask of cold stoicism. "We trust that We are understood, then. Nyx, is it? Speak thy peace, and do so plainly or not at all."

For possibly the first time, Nyx showed signs of doubt in her mission. Nevertheless, she stepped forward and looked up at Celestia. "Your highness, before the evacuation, I was led to the village whose ponies your forces just saved. While there, I was fated to encounter Eclipse, so that I could report to you its true nature. Three fillies and I were chased by the monster until we took refuge in a cavern, where it could not follow."

Celestia tilted her head, Nyx's testimony having finally aroused her interest. "Speak on. What was it about this cavern which repelled the spirit?"

"Absolutely nothing, your highness," Nyx replied, "except that the sun's light did not reach its interior."

At that, Celestia bristled. "And what doest thou mean to imply by that? Eclipse is a spirit of darkness! It stole Our sister's moon to block Our light from the land!"

Nyx quickly shook her head. "Neigh, your highness. Eclipse is a being of shadow. It stole Princess Luna's moon not to bring darkness, but to cast a shadow across all the realm so that it might move freely. A shadow cannot exist in complete darkness any more than it can in direct light. This was revealed to me before, but I did not understand it until then."

"Revealed?" Celestia asked. "In what manner was this revealed to you?"

Nyx took a deep breath before answering. As confident as she had been before, facing the Sun Princess gave her pause for a moment. "It came to me in dreams, your highness. In them, Eclipse always stalked near you. For a time, I did not understand why, but now I do. Eclipse needs you because it fears what you might do. It sows war and despair in your kingdom so that a shadow will grow in your heart that it can inhabit. Once it takes you as it did your sister, it will have absolute control of the celestial bodies it needs to rule forever. That is why Princess Luna charged me with delivering this information to you!"

In the aftermath of Nyx's claim, the throne room fell utterly silent. Celestia's eyes widened with shock before narrowing on the thestral, her face struggling not to twist in absolute fury. "Dame Sungleam," she said softly, her voice cracking under the weight of the emotions she was trying to keep in check. "Remove this pony from Our sight, lest We do something which We fear We shall not regret."

Sungleam looked between her ruler and Nyx, and then moved toward the thestral. Instead of escorting her away, however, Sungleam drew up alongside Nyx and stood to face her sovereign. "Neigh, your highness. Instead, I beg thee to hear her further."

Once again, shock won out on Celestia's face at Sungleam's refusal. "What madness has overtaken you, Sungleam? For what purpose would you have Us listen to this false prophet whose words are a poisoned dagger in Our heart? Have you become so desperate that you would have me take council from mediums and hoof-readers as well?!"

Sungleam shook her head, just once. "Neigh, your highness, but I have seen first-hoof how she held Eclipse at bay. How it was weakened when pushed out of the shadowed light. I have seen her bravery against our enemy, so no, I am not desperate enough to seek out the advice of charlatans. However, I am precisely desperate enough to incur the wrath of the crown if it means that your highness will hear what must be done."

"AND WHAT WOULD THOU HAVE US DO, SUNGLEAM?" Celestia demanded in the Royal Canterlot Voice, which practically shook the theater with her anger. "SET THE SUN AND FORCE OUR SUBJECTS TO ENDURE THE COLD AND THE DARK IN THE HOPES THAT DOING SO WILL LEAD TO ECLIPSE'S DEMISE?!"

"Neigh, your highness," Sungleam replied, raising her voice to be heard over the echoes of her sovereign. "If Eclipse were to see the sun approach the horizon, it would hide itself away and wait, knowing that you would not abide the suffering of your little ponies. It would wait for the sun to rise once more, and then we would be right back where we began. I propose that we instead make it believe that it is in a position to claim thee. Draw Eclipse out into the open, and then when it has nothing to hide behind, instead of setting the sun... snuff it out."

"... Thou art mad... both of thee," Celestia said, her voice little more than a quavering whisper now. "'Tis dangerous enough to set the sun in this state, but to snuff it like a candle... such a thing has never been done. None know the sun and its power better than We, and to extinguish the sun, then to re-kindle its flame... who could believe that I even have that power?"

Behind the ponies, the image of Luna seemed to pulse with a momentary glow, and her whispering voice replied, "I do..." though the ponies showed no sign of hearing it.

"Princess Luna does," Nyx replied. "She believes, your highness."

Celestia's anger returned again at Nyx's words, and she practically snarled, "Again thou dares to speak Our sister's will? To claim that she speaks to thee and thee alone? If thou seest her face in thy dreams, then..." She choked back a sob before snapping, "Then why has she not visited in mine, these many nights I have spent by her side?! Is she punishing me for my failures?! What grants thee such insight over those who love her most dearly?"

Nyx looked up at Celestia, her ears flattening in sympathy at the sight of the princess's grief. "I... do not know, your highness." Turning to look up at the window bearing Luna's image, she explained, "I have never even seen her face or heard her voice. Not even in my dreams. There, I feel a... a 'presence'. When I was a filly, my mother would take me out of the colony to see the moon and stars at night. She would tell me of the majestic Princess of the Night who ruled over those skies, and it would never cease to fill me with awe and wonder.

"In my dreams of late, I am shown many things. You. Eclipse. The village in which I resided when Dame Sungleam met me. No matter what images are shown to me, though, I always feel that same presence of majesty, and I know that she still dreams. Even if I don't know why, those dreams led me where I needed to be to face Eclipse. They led me here, to help in any and every way that I can. I believe that I serve Princess Luna... and even if I am wrong, then please, let me do as I believe she would wish by helping the one pony she loves most in this world."

As Nyx turned away from the window to face Celestia, the image of Luna began to glow again. "Eclipse shan't have thee..." the whispered voice vowed.

Sungleam gave Nyx a nod as she stepped forward to address the princess. "And while I cannot say that I fully believe her, your majesty... so far as what she says about Eclipse's nature seems to ring true with what we have seen with our own eyes. Thus far, war has only touched our lands lightly. Nothing has been lost which cannot be rebuilt. If we can expose Eclipse and put an end to its slanderous manipulations, we can end this war before it consumes us. Nyx offers us our best chance, if we have the will to seize it."

While Sungleam spoke, a fast, pounding beat of drums and synthesizers built up in the background.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Take Back the Night
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Based on "Light Up the Night" by The Protomen)

Sungleam:

Eclipse's shadow dims the sun's light like the veil of a funeral shroud.

What happens when we cannot go on living and the last of our hope gives out?

If we fail then all is lost

but we cannot fail to try.

As it is, Equestria slowly dies.

Celestia:

To protect Our little ponies We would gladly give up our soul.

And give even more than that if We could but see Our dear sister whole!

Speak your peace and walk away.

Call me a coward if thou please...

Hollow words cannot persuade me

to follow such a plan.

Celestia clenched her eyes shut and flattened her ears to shut out the other ponies, but Nyx refused to back down as she stepped forward to plead with the Sun Princess.

Nyx:

Princess please...

Take back the night!

Don't turn away from what you know to be right!

I tell you Eclipse is afraid that you'll stand.

Afraid that you will not fall in the end.

Just trust in me. Your sister too.

It comes down to you.

You know it to be true.

Only you can take back the night.

The other stage lights dimmed, illuminating the three mares while also drawing the eyes of the audience to the stained-glass image of Luna, which seemed to pulse to the rhythm of the music. Even without her on stage, her voice rang out to join Nyx's.

(Luna:) Nyx:

(Eclipse hides in the shadows!)

Eclipse hides in the shadow that it's created through its theft of your sister's moon.

(But it's a pretender to my power.)

But it's a pretender to her power who is weakened by night's dark gloom.

(The deepest shadow needs a light.)

The deepest shadow needs a light. It needs the sun if it's to exist.

And with this knowledge we can resist.

I'm aware of your doubt,

but if you're willing to believe that Luna still dreams

(Believe in me and take a leap of faith)

believe in me and take a leap of faith.

Eclipse will wither up in the dark.

(If you deprive it of the light)

If you deprive it of the light, then it knows no shadow can be cast.

It preys on your fears and hopes to outlast.

Take it back.

Take back the night.

Though she showed no outward sign of being able to hear her sister's voice, Celestia's hard expression softened slightly, her ears picking up a little as if Nyx's pleas were beginning to pierce through the wall around her heart that her grief and mourning had built. Sungleam took advantage of that to help press their case.

Sungleam:

Don't turn away from what you know to be right.

I tell you Eclipse is afraid that you'll stand.

Afraid that you will not fall in the end.

All of our faith in you is true.

It all rests on you.

You can take back the night.

Luna:

Take back the night.

Take back the night.

Though still pained, Celestia felt her resolve weaken. While Nyx and Sungleam continued to sing, accompanied by Luna's voice, she looked up at the window bearing her sister's image.

Nyx:

Only you can take back the night!

Nyx, Sungleam & Luna:

Don't turn away from what you know to be right.

I tell you Eclipse is afraid that you'll stand.

Afraid that you will not fall in the end.

All of our faith in you is true.

It all rests on you.

You can take back the night.

Don't turn away from what you know to be right.

It casts a shadow in your heart and prays that you will falter, but our faith in you is true.

We will stand beside you.

Because you...

Because you...

You can take back the night.

At last, Celestia looked down, and shook her head. As painful as she might have found Nyx's claims, it was clear from the look on her face that there was only one true option to protect her little ponies.

Celestia:

I cannot turn from what I know to be right...

Deep in this shadow of my doubts, there's a voice that speaks to me. I hear it speak in my heart.

Luna's still in my heart,

and for her...

Yes, for her...

We will take back the night.

Author's Note:

I absolutely love this song. This is the only case so far where I've done the re-written lyrics portion before writing out any of the framing story leading up to it.

Comments

[RanmaChaos]

Great

[djthomp]

Oh my, that's a daring plan, but definitely an unexpected one too.

[Akwala]

So intense! I can't wait to see how this plan turns out in the end! :D

[EvilDustMan]

I always thought this was the action song. I bought the album online and never saw the book, so I didn't realize this was an entirely planning song!

[CrowMagnon]

4556688 Yep. In the liner notes for the original, this was when Joe and Light were planning their assault on the broadcast tower. I could get you some links with the narrative to go along with the songs if you like.

Aside from that, what were your thoughts on the chapter and treatment of the song?

[ZealousChristian24]

Approaching the group after giving her husband a congratulatory hug, Fluttershy pitched in, "Yes, and you should only do either with somepony you trust very, very much

... Glad I wasn't drink anything when I read that, and I'm still getting used to Laughter!shy.

Yeah baby, the awesome train ain't gonna stop accelerating till the very end!

Anyway, a nice chapter, with a on Eclipse's nature I never really saw coming.