Lone Princess
The castle was empty. It was always empty.
As the lone Alicorn walked slowly through the halls, she listened to the echoing of her hooves clopping on the floor of the hallway.
The castle was so big, every room cavernous compared to the equine who roamed it. It scared her... yet it was the only thing she could call home. She felt like she had always been here. Always been alone.
She tried to look out of the windows lining one side of the hallway, but she could see nothing outside. Crystals as black as the deepest cave covered every window, every door. She could not break them. She could not escape.
This place was more of a prison than anything.
The pony prisoner shivered, and coughed haggardly. Her blueish-purple coat was lined with tiny patches of ice in some places. It was so cold. So very cold.
She spread her wings, shaking the tiny icicles off of them. They were too frozen for her to be able to fly, the feathers saturated with ice.
Even her horn could hardly use magic. The freezing temperature seemed to have sucked the magic right out of her.
She sighed, her breath distinctly visible in the frigid air. She continued to walk, aimlessly searching for some form of life... some form of hope.
The pony stopped. She had not seen this room before.
It was a ballroom.
Ice coated the place, making the whole area colored in various shades of blue and grey. The air felt crisp and clear, no sounds daring to penetrate the stillness.
Across the vast room, a set of gilded stairs stood, leading up to a small balcony, on which sat an ice and crystal-encrusted throne.
It called to her.
She trotted across the ballroom, every echoing step of her hooves resounding around the room and beating down on her harshly, emphasizing her isolation.
She slowly climbed up the slippery stairs, and sat in the throne. A startling, painful chill ran up her back. The pony gave a cry, closing her eyes and gritting her teeth.
Then she heard a noise. The pony flicked her ears, opening her eyes quickly. She gasped as she took in the sight before her.
The ballroom was filled with ponies. Pegasi, unicorns, and even earth ponies flooded the dance floor, laughing and talking.
The prisoner sat in the throne, her face plastered with a look of great surprise. Slowly, a smile crept onto her lips. Her heart filled with pure elation. For the first time in a long time, she felt joy.
The ponies began to dance, a wonderful, haunting waltz, being played in the background by an unseen orchestra. The stallions took the mares into their embraces, and the couples twirled and spun across the floor in perfect synchronization. The mares’ beautiful dresses seemed to bring color to the icy realm around the ponies, and the handsome smiles of the stallions brightened the room.
The pony watched in quiet mesmerization, her happiness warming up her entire being.
Then the music faded, and the dancers stopped. They lined themselves up, stallions on one side of the room, mares on the other.
The huge double doors at the opposite end of the room to the Alicorn opened, and a bright light shone into the space. The light melted the ice on the walls away, water cascading to the floor and fizzling away under the heat of the radiance.
A breathtakingly magnificent pony stepped into the room, the light that had melted the ice coming from her long, white unicorn horn. She spread her massive wings, and gave a stunning smile. She wore a dress that seemed to be woven from sunbeams, and atop her head a golden crown glistened. And her mane... oh, her mane... It’s ethereal mass sparkled and flowed like a rainbow, colored with the shades of sunrise.
The prisoner’s heart lurched. She knew this pony. She knew this pony!
Her breath quickening, the prisoner cried out the name of the pony who shone light. But no sound came out of her tattered throat. She tried again, but to no avail.
She could not speak. And as she looked around the room, she noticed that none of the ponies had ever once looked at her during the time they had been here.
Giving another silent cry of the name of the radiant pony, the prisoner lept off of the throne, racing towards the crowned pony. She noiselessly screamed at the one who shone light, trying to get her to notice her.
But as she stood in front of the beautiful alicorn, she could only see that none of them could perceive her.
Pleading, crying, the pony prisoner reached up towards the one who shone light, standing in her large shadow. She reached out to grasp the crowned pony, to embrace the only one she knew.
Her hooves closed around thin air.
The ponies were beginning to fade away, the one who shone light fading along with them. Ice was creeping up the walls again, the cold returning in full force.
The prisoner extended her hoof to reach the last bit of light left... and then it was gone. They were all gone.
The prisoner gave a long, heart-wrenching wail. She could hear her cries now. They echoed around the cavernous ballroom, bouncing back to hit her ears.
Her heart seemed to shatter into countless pieces, scattering around the frozen floor like bits of broken glass. As she crumpled to the ground, the ice creeped up her legs, threatening to engulf her.
The pony had been deserted by the only souls in her world. She was a prisoner in a hellish nightmare, forsaken by those she had loved.
She was alone.
-----
“Luna!”
One word, spoken by a familiar voice, snapped Princess Luna back to reality.
Before her stood a blank piece of stone wall, framed by a dark doorframe, an open wooden door connected to it by two hinges. She was in a deep hole-like cave in the ground, a spiral staircase attached to the sides of the walls leading upwards.
Luna quickly slammed the door shut on the wall, her heart beating abnormally fast.
“Luna!” said the voice again. A large white wing folded itself over Luna’s shoulder.
Luna turned her head to see Princess Celestia giving her a very concerned look.
“What is wrong?! I heard you screaming from higher up the staircase! Are you hurt?” Celestia cried.
Luna did not want to speak. Her mind was still processing the harrowing things she had experienced.
Celestia grew even more worried, performing a whole-body healing spell on her sister. But she soon saw that nothing physical had needed to be healed.
“Luna, please! I need to know if you are alright! Sombra trapped us in here, but I think I've found a way out. We need to stop him!"
“I...”
Luna barely managed to say anything before she burst into tears, embracing Celestia as hard as she could. Her sister’s warm body seemed to help melt away her fears. Unlike in her nightmare, she now had a real pony to hang on to. One who would not abandon her.
Even though she still had no idea what had happened, Celestia began to tear up as well. Seeing her sister cry like that invoked an automatic response from her. Celestia wrapped her wings around her little sister, hugging her close.
Celestia began to sing to Luna, the same lullaby she had sung to her when they were children.
Do not cry,
Do not fret,
Though darkness may call,
Do not forget.
I am here,
I will stay,
Though trials may come,
I’ll keep evil at bay.
The flow of Luna’s tears began to stop. She looked up at Celestia and smiled. Celestia gave a warm smile back.
The door laced with dark magic had shown Luna her worst nightmare. To be alone, abandoned.
But...
When have our worst nightmares ever really come true?
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That was beautiful. Amazing atmosphere, and a great ending. This is one of the best short stories I have ever read on here.
5/5 Fluttershys and everything awesome.
2860222
Thank you very much, your comment was so encouraging to read.
2860246 You're welcome!
Wow, this was so great! Gave me chills actually
Ink Rose, nice job fleshing out one of the fandom's theories of Luna's reasoning for becoming NMM. I agree with Sombrero: 5/5. The music really helped out. Though I played it all throughout the tale. It was still fitting for the moment.
Great short story, well described, easy to read, etc etc.
Still can't get over how simple and short, yet complex it is.
Hats off to you!
Incredible. Beautifully written and really complex for something so short. I actually came here from your comment on Makkon's song, which was nice. It's not often someone takes one of your favourite songs and writes a story inspired by it. And what a story. One of the great mysteries of life is why this doesn't have more views.
I might write a blog post recommending this. I only have 3 followers but it's worth a shot. And if it gets this more views then it'll be more than worth it.
It is done. I hope one of them takes the time to read it.
2939855
That is so encouraging to hear, thank you very much!
I am surprised that my comment on the video brought you here, I didn't think that anyone would actually check this out. XD thank you for reading!
Wow, I loved this, showing a scene before the sisters's battle with Sombra. It reminds me of the scene where Twilight and Spike saw those visions that caused them pain in Sombra's castle... for obvious reasons, of course.
Hope to read more awesome stuff of yours like this! 
The's 2 songs played while I was reading this and they were in such perfect spots of the story...
Little talks by of Monsters & Men
Don't you worry child by Swedish House Mafia
2993133
You just ruined the story before I even got a chance to read it.
2993535
SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh my glob, this story is freaking amazing!
Wow... like man. It was so beautiful and heartbreaking and... and... dang you Ink Rose, I think you just broke my mind.
And then it came true.
Oh my gosh!
I read this while listening to your dramatic reading of the story on your YouTube channel. This is almost as good as My Little Dashie! The images described and your narration really make you feel what Luna is feeling. And then at the end that little bit of foreshadowing. And you're really good at imitating the voices of the characters on the show. It's just so amazing! Everything you can do. Keep up the good work. 
P.S. I also go by Mario Pacheco's Swivel Chair.
This will be in my head canon now regarding what Luna saw in the Sombra's nightmare door.
3134543
Aww, thank you so much! That means a lot.
I had watched the video of your reading first then read this, both times I was amazed by your ability to craft such a beautiful narrative. I love the way you weaved the nightmare in an almost surrealistic way that made us, the audience, aware of the dream like qualities while also making us feel the sadness overwhelm Luna by placing us so close to her. I almost teared up when she tried to touch Celestia. You rock, apparently, at everything you do!
I haven't read anything past the break yet, but I just had to stop and comment. I listened to the song as I read, as you recommended, and the first section's different tones match up so perfectly with the song!
Hello, this is Jacob M. Keene, and I just wanted to let you know that I did a reading of this story on my YouTube channel. Here's the link to it if you'd like:
That, was, AMAZING!!! I even watch you reading on youtube! May I ask, Can you sing that song again?