Wild Moon

by WildmoonNH

Prologue

Prologue: A walk through the palace grounds

Rare is the sight in Equestria than the sight of an alicorn - a creature of great majesty, one of unparalleled magic, beauty, and grace. So many generations were used to seeing only one such alicorn - Princess Celestia, she who would raise the sun and moon and left cues to her subjects of the changing of the seasons. Her mere presence inspired awe and respect, and no one questioned her wisdom.

The shock became greater when the year's Summer Sun Celebration had two such creatures.

Celestia's sister Luna, rescued from the madness of exile, was now among ponykind. She remained glued to her sister's flank through all the festivities, saying little as the din of the festival shocked her ears and dazzled her eyes. The cold of the moon, the silence of the night, and the dust under her hooves would linger in her memories but this strange welcome of those that first quaked at her presence almost confused her.

It was a week or two after the celebration where she felt rested enough to walk the grounds of the castle. Celestia accompanied her; it seemed she had much to discuss. What was the future of their family? Where were the others? The halls of the castle were almost as quiet as the moon itself, save the slow walk of the two sisters through the grand halls.

"Are you becoming more acclimated to being home, dear sister?" Celestia asked gently as they walked.

"I am well," she replied hesitantly. "Why do you house so many guards, but none of our Family? Where hides our brothers and sisters after all these long years? Has time scattered them as I was...?"

Celestia didn't want to respond to the second part of the question immediately; she wasn't sure if Luna was prepared for the truth. She chose to answer the first portion. "The guard compliment was increased as my duties had increased, sister. The guards are here to do more than protect just this castle.

"I have employed earth pony guards at the castle proper for tasks and court. They live here as travel for them from this castle is very treacherous. If they wish to bring family, I have permitted so and given them quarters to accommodate."

Luna nodded, so Celestia continued.

"The pegasus guards are the eyes and ears of the castle, and transport for the many unicorn students that study here. They are also our field agents in many other matters. They are typically my most experienced guards - some have backgrounds as sheriffs and detectives in other cities before being selected to come to Canterlot."

Luna looked away, recalling how she buffeted them away on that night....

"The unicorn guards are mostly for the interior of the facility...." Celestia's voice trailed off as she saw that Luna had stopped walking.

"Sister, there are windows missing from our great hall." Luna declared as she suddenly paced up and down the long hallway, looking at the ornate stained-glass windows that showered their own rainbows up and down the halls. She recognized the Discord window and his tortures of the masses, but the one that spoke of the resolution wasn't what she remembered. Same, too, for another window that showed the sisters in a circle, as if chasing each other on some cosmic carousel. She recognized herself immediately, a hoof balanced on the moon, and Celestia as the other half of the circle, hoof balanced on the sun. "This is not correct," she mused aloud, "there were others.... were there not? Where are the others?"

Celestia did not respond.

"Sister, you MUST know that this history is wrong! Where are the others?"

Celestia looked away.

"Sister, I DEMAND an explanation for this!" Luna's voice found strength it had not had since her return.

Celestia looked back, her expression stern. "We will speak of this in no other place than our private Chambers," the white alicorn ordered. "Where you CAN hear the story and why it is told this way."

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Prologue part 2: the house divided

"Sister, do you remember the last night the family was together?"

The two alicorns had retreated to a luxurious room in the castle, adorned with ancient art and exquisite furnishings. Thickly-padded couches, softer than new spring clouds gave them a place to relax or sleep, and the floor littered with giant cushions in a faded spectrum of color. Luna added a few to her couch, levitating them in place with her horn, before she replied.

"I... remember so little... the anger... the darkness... the night...." She looked away in regret. "Why must you bring this up..?"

"This is difficult for you, and knowing you remember only makes this more so. But on that night, you may not recall the battle that ensued – a battle that ended your time here for a thousand years. The punishment that I had found just..." Celestia's voice trailed off. "Just, when I had done so."

Luna blinked in surprise. "Sister, I...."

Celestia looked up again. "I will tell you this tale only once, for it shall never be committed to a scroll for anypony's eyes to see." The white alicorn's voice grew distant as her horn lit anew, and a chaotic scene spread out before them.....

It was Canterlot, all right.... all its majesty that could still glow even under the light of a shimmering full moon. Luna recognized the position of it - at its zenith, a summer's moon as a reminder of the coming Summer Sun Celebration.

There was no celebration below, however - the scene shifted regularly from one pony village to another, and ponies were wide awake and galloping in random directions, wide-eyed and panicked. The fervor was even more distressing in its silence. Luna gasped as she saw ponies running headlong into forests, deserts, even dragon's caves in their fear. The scene showed Canterlot from the distance, where the moon trembled in the sky and the eastern horizon burned in protest. The castle itself shook as the grounds resonated with enormous magics that spooked the unicorns, petrified pegasi and scattered earth ponies to the four winds.

The image then slowly focused closer on the castle, where flashes and sparks of magic cracked the walls and shattered the windows in the Great hall. Luna's expression melted from shock to despair as the view entered the castle.

She saw herself as Nightmare Moon. She saw herself angrily defending her beloved moon and night sky against her own sister and two of their brothers. She wanted to look away, but she could not. Her eyes widened when she saw that other family - other alicorns - lay still on the battleground. She opened her mouth to speak but her voice was silenced by a sight she could not comprehend.

Nightmare Moon didn't stand alone. Another black alicorn, adorned in armor the color of storm clouds, stood at her side. She gasped when she recognized his mark.... three black crescent moons. The other alicorn's midnight-blue eyes were glowing from the exertion as they tried to hold the moon in place as the others tried to push it westward. There still was no sound but her memories filled in the crackle of magic, the thunderous argument and ignored demands from both sides. Luna saw her sister and their oldest brother still standing, badly wounded and holding their ground only with the assistance of the Elements of harmony hovering around them. The older brother faltered in the battle, just long enough for the two black alicorns to attempt one last push to victory.

Luna steeled her resolve as she saw her sister lower her horn one last time. The Elements themselves had been swirling around her and the oldest brother, and they locked in place around the duo as the darkness swooped closer. Celestia reared at the approaching darkness, and with help from their brother cast a shimmering bolt of force that shattered the incoming gloom and launched across the room to their opponents. Both alicorns were struck by the blast, but Nightmare Moon was swept away from her one ally. She kicked and fought against the white magics before she was subdued by its forces.

Luna then saw the one sight that she missed as her life in Canterlot ended that night and her exile began.

Tears.

Tears in the eyes of Celestia and elder brother Solaris. Tears as the elements encased her in a chrysalis and shot her toward the moon that she herself would not lower. Tears as there was no chance for a farewell or an explanation.

Tears of rage in ther other black alicorn's eyes as he saw the elements - and his relations -collapse from exertion of the battle. Tears of frustration as his horn glowed a brilliant blue, petrifying the elements around them before launching out the remaining intact window in the hallway- the window of Discord.

The last image before it faded from sight were the two white alicorns in mourning. Luna quietly wept, understanding the fate of two of their bretheren because of her rash actions. Another tear shed for her "ally", who had no words of comfort for the family sundered by her. She lowered her head, wishing she could simply bury herself under the cushions until she could forget what she had seen......

"Sister, mourn not for the past. As long as we are now together we can continue our rule."

"What of our brothers?" She sobbed. "Lapis.... Solaris.... Aphelion... Cepheid...."

"What we did was for the sake of Equestria - even our own Family's needs had to be swept aside for this. Solaris left the duties of Equestria to me while Aphelion and Cepheid were-"

"They're dead, aren't they?"

"Mourn not for the past," Celestia repeated.

"I.... yes, sister."

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