Marry the Night

by Cadence5

Chapter 3

Luna awoke in a pile of glass shards. It was now raining all along the inside of the moon but the lightning had died down. Nightmare Moon was struggling to get up. The chains had released her, but they were still crisscrossed along her back. She took a step forward and collapsed, her front right leg buckling under her weight. Her blue helmet was across the room covered in burn marks from lightning and Luna's fireball. The rest of her armor was covered in scratches and small dents.

Luna stood up slowly feeling pain in her left flank which she noticed had a deep gash in it from a rather large piece of glass. Blood was running down her leg, and her moon cutie mark was stained red. The glass slightly reflected her appearance. Luna's mane was tangled and wet and there were scratches all along her face and neck. Bits of glass stuck out of her shoulders and as she moved away from the pile of glass a small trail of blood followed. She was limping slightly from the gash to her side.

Luna watched as Nightmare Moon slowly got up and moved the chains off her body. The black mare limped slowly towards Luna a slight gleam of anger in her eyes. Her wings slowly unfolded from her sides as if it was painful for her to do so. Luna did the same a bit quicker and winced as a sharp pain ran down her right wing.

Nightmare Moon flew at Luna who couldn't run due to her leg. she leaped into the air trying to fly to the other side of the room, but Nightmare Moon was too quick. By turning sharply, she was able to close her mouth around some of the feathers in Luna's wing, and as she flew away the feathers were ripped from her wing. Luna let out a cry of pain as she fell and landed on her back left leg which collapsed under her weight. It was too painful for her to get up, so she lay there as Nightmare Moon walked slowly towards her an evil smile on her face a huge shard of glass in her magical grasp.

"I should have killed you a long time ago, Princess. When I first had the chance. I had you trapped under me. I could have snapped your neck right there, but I didn't. I should've. I wouldn't be here if I had! I could have killed you and taken your magic making myself stronger than Celestia!! But I didn't. Why? I don't know... but I can kill you now. Nobody is here to help you...." By now Nightmare Moon's eyes reflected the madness that had overtaken her. She raised the glass above her head, "Say goodbye, Princess!"

The glass shot through the air towards Luna who closed her eyes and braced herself. She hoped it would be a painless death, but it never came.

"How dare you!?!" cried Nightmare Moon.

Luna opened her eyes. A black figure was standing above her and as she watched, he pushed Nightmare Moon across the room, used the chains that were still on the floor to pin her to the wall, and then he began splitting up the furniture like it had been when Luna first arrived here. Then she felt gravity disappear as she floated into the air. The slivers of glass in her shoulders came out as the see-through wall began to rebuild itself. The cracks mended themselves and she could tell her spells were put back in place because a piece of paper dropped back onto the desk as it was about to float away. Nightmare Moon was unchained and her furniture returned to its positions against the walls, chains in place once again. She was placed upon her bed from where she stared at the newcomer in shock and confusion. Then the stallion turned to Luna.

He was jet black with a galaxy cutie mark. His mane which was like Nightmare Moon's except instead of just stars it held constellations, galaxies, and planets. The front was brushed back and his mane came down past his shoulders as though it hadn't been cut in a while. The ends flowed slightly like Celestia's or Nightmare Moon's. Then Luna looked into his eyes, and she let out a small gasp. They were ice blue, and it was as though there were actual stars in his eyes. Luna felt as though they were piercing through her learning all of her secrets. It made her blood run cold, but at the same time she had butterflies in her stomach. She had never seen a stallion that looked like him before.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

His voice was smooth when it flowed across Luna's ears,and it had a slight accent that sounded older than Equestria itself as he replied, "I am Night."