Envy

by SergeantBuck

Shadows

Chapter 1: Shadows

---

Before I turn in envy, I learn through sorrow,
I burn with envy and go to the wall
~"Envy" - Chevelle

---

Luna stared out at the moon, basking in its pale glow in the confines of the Canterlot Archives. Why must everypony sleep through her beautiful night? It seemed everyday that Celestia would go out into the kingdom and meet with her subjects, and whenever she went for a midnight stroll she never met anypony. It wasn't that they didn't want to speak with her, they were simply all tucked away in their beds while she wandered alone. It didn't seem fair. Why should she be in charge of the moon if nopony wanted to walk with her in the moonlight or fly with her among the stars?

"Luna?" her sister said from the doorway. "What are you doing in here so late? It's time for everypony to sleep."

"It's not fair, Tia. It's just not fair."

Celestia came and sat beside her younger sibling, staring out at the night sky with her. "What isn't fair?"

"Night time isn't fair, Sister. Nopony comes out to see me at night. You go to all sorts of places during the day and meet all sorts of interesting ponies. All I ever get to talk to is the captain of the night guard."

"Doesn't Captain Silverbeam have such excellent stories?" Celestia said, trying to change the subject.

"But I've heard them all many times. I don't want to dwell in the dark any more. Can I try raising the sun?"

Celestia chuckled at her sister. "Someday, Luna, I promise I will let you raise the sun in my stead. But until then, you need to learn that it is your royal duty to raise the moon every night. I was just as eager to take over Father's job of raising the sun when I was your age, but I was patient."

"How different can raising one heavenly body be from another?" Luna asked as she looked at her sister.

Celestia didn't answer her question. "Please, Luna, come along now. It's time for bed."

---

The first few rays of sunlight peered through the blinds in Luna's bedroom as she awoke. Celestia was already awake and had raised the sun. So much for her promise. She levitated her crown and necklace to her from the nightstand and looked at herself in the mirror, adjusting her attire before pulling a robe over herself. It was almost time for breakfast now, and Celestia would be expecting her. She descended the stairs and made her way to the dining hall where, as she thought, Celestia was already sitting and pouring herself a cup of tea.

"Good morning, Luna!" Celestia said with a smile. "Please, sit down! I made a pot of jasmine tea for you."

Luna's mind was still lost in the conversation from the night before. She gazed at the bright light pouring through the windows and at her sister's equally bright smile. She knew she should be happy, but instead all she felt was anger.

She took a seat and watched the smile fade from her sister's face. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair.

"I'm not hungry. And I don't want any tea."

Celestia frowned at her upset sibling. "Is this about last night?"

Luna scowled at her. "You promised that I could raise the sun!"

"I did promise, Luna, but I never said today. You'll have a chance to raise the sun someday, but you're too young. I'm afraid you won't be able to do it. Raising the sun can be very taxing on a pony's body."

"But I can raise the moon. I asked you before how different it was and you didn't say anything."

"Luna," Celestia said in motherly tone. "You're simply not ready."

As Celestia levitated a cup of tea to her, Luna's eye's fixed onto the sunlit stained glass windows in the dining hall. She jumped from pane to pane and only one thing jumped out at her. Every pane bore an image of Celestia and her magnificent sun. Not a single pane was for Luna.

Why? What made Celestia so special? She was always her father's favorite, and time and again Luna would aspire to be "just like Tia," as her father always wanted her to be.

Luna's eyes flashed and a bolt of lightning lanced from her horn to the extended mug, causing the porcelain vessel to erupt into a cascade of white shards.

White. That was all she saw, everywhere she looked. White and gold on the castle walls. Never any blue or violet. Everything was about her perfect elder sister. As always, Luna was second rate.

Celestia recoiled in shock. "What has gotten into you all of a sudden?"

"It's because I'm not you, isn't it? Daddy always liked you more than me. Always wanted me to be like you, but I couldn't. And now when I want to be like you, you won't let me. You don't want me here."

"Luna, please! Stop talking like that!"

"Admit it. You hate me."

Celestia's mouth hung open. "Of course not! You're my sister! I love you, and you know Father loved you as much as me!"

Luna stood from the table, sparks beginning to fly from her horn. "No, he didn't! He was always talking about you when we had parties! Celestia this, Celestia that! 'Luna, you should be more like your sister!' I'm sick of you besting me!"

"You don't mean that," Celestia said. "We both know you don't mean that."

Luna looked at her sibling, her anger boiling over into rage. "I hate you!"

Without another word, Luna galloped up the stairs to her chambers and collapsed on her bed. The slam of her bedroom door echoed through the castle halls. The Princess of the Night buried her face in her pillow, her body shaking with sobs as she mumbled to herself.

"It's not fair. It's just not fair."

---

It was midnight now, and Luna had been in her chambers all day. Celestia had tried to coax the midnight alicorn out of her rut, but it didn't matter. Nothing Celestia could do would fix her second rate status. She stared at the portrait of her family on the wall. They all smiled at her with the same beam that Celestia had given her at breakfast.

"What are you looking at?" she shouted at the painting. "Stop smiling at me!"

Laughter echoed between her walls. Her father's deep guffaw and the lighthearted chuckling of her sister and mother filled her ears.

"Stop it! Stop it! STOP IT!"

A spark emanated from Luna's horn and lightning bolts arced to the painting, burning away the faces of her family and leaving her own intact. The portrait hung at an awkward angle from the impact of the bolts before crashing to the floor. It wasn't long before she heard her sister's hooves return to the door.

"Luna, is everything alright?" Celestia called.

A vase crashed against the door."Go away! I'm not talking to you!"

"Luna, I'm worried about you! Let me in so I can talk to you. I promise, you can raise the sun tomorrow morning!"

The younger alicorn directed a wave of magical force at the door, knocking loose one of the hinges.

"You're lying, just like this morning! You won't let me do anything because you don't want me to be better than you! Just leave me alone! Stop trying to suffocate me!"

A second wave threw the door from its hinges and into the hall. Luna stepped out of her bedroom, eyes burning white with magical energy as she glared at her sister.

"Luna," Celestia said again. "Please..."

"SILENCE!" the Princess of the Night shouted. "You are no sister of mine!"

Luna left her sister and began wandering the halls. She glanced at the panes of glass bearing Celestia's likeness and one by one shattered them with a wave of energy as she passed. Beneath the tinkering sounds of glass, she heard a voice calling to her.

"Luna...come to me..."

"Who's there?" she called back. "Show yourself!"

The voice called again from the direction of the library and she chose to follow it. As she neared the library, it hissed at her again. "Luna...I am here to help you..."

She followed the voice among the towers of tomes until she stopped in front of a shelf coated in webs. A black book, bound in leather sat in the middle, the voice calling louder from between the pages.

"Let me help you...I can grant you what you seek..."

Comments

[10000 B_C]

Looks good so far. Tracked.

[aquilerafroot]

Wow, that was fast.

[SergeantBuck]

337249 Not sure why I felt like trying to crank out the second section, I just did. Killswitch Engage for whatever reason triggers my writing abilities and then I can't stop writing.