For those of you that need the context for this story...
Princess Luna is a dreamwalker, a mage that moves in the realm of slumber. She spent years discovering, experimenting, and learning the art of Dream Magic. Not even Celestia, with all her power, could do what she could...
Then...Nightmare Moon...
What she learned to help, could also be used to punish...and what pony deserved punishment more than the blue Alicorn who almost brought extinction to Equestria?
(This was written for the Writers Training Ground challenge of Equestria Daily, and is submitted for that. The imagery can be a little...strong. Especially if you love the Benevolent Princess of Kind Nights a lot. Because I do.)
But I also admire the hell out of her. To take on what she did...rash and foolish as it was, speaks of a spirit of tremendous love and character.
And I was surprised at just how much my characterization of her in "Derpy Meets The Doctor" parallels that of Larson and Co. To find out all of you were thinking the same things about her long before they made this episode?
Damn. Maybe I really am good at this...
This story was an interesting read.
Unfortunately, too many times I was drawn out of the story by confusing events. So despite the tugging on my heartstrings, I can't upvote it.
However, this story still is very emotional and has a very nice theme, so I can't downvote it.
All I can suggest is that you get an editor to clean it up a bit.
Nah, I'll upvote this because it mentions Snowdrop and has received way too many downvotes.
I'll add some time markers...the first part before the page break is just before Luna enters the Throne Room and changes to Nightmare Moon; the next part just after she returns and creates the tantibus. The final is an epilogue after her salvation by Twilight.
Good points...Thank You...
Crystalheart
Awww it's so touching
6221069
That's what I was looking for. When I saw the episode, (S5, Ep.13, to those reading), I was, to be frank, astounded.
I HATE bad dreams. It takes me a couple of days to get it out of my psyche. And here Luna INTENTIONALLY does that to herself!
For punishment.
Wow. That's a real complex place to be coming from. So I really turned up the heat on her. What could she have done, that was so horrifying that self-torture is seen as a way to make amends?
Attempted murder. Even under the control of Nightmare Moon, our Benevolent and Kind Princess of the Night would be so tortured by the thought of this...that the tantibus would seem to be her only solution...
If Luna isn't Best Princess for you now, the concept that she would force nightmares onto herself as atonement and reminder of that day...should make you re-think it.
She's won my heart. And I thank Twilight for saving hers...
Crystalheart
6221972 Well thanks for commenting back, I am truely honoured. You also made a touching comment
That explains a lot thanks
P.S you really have a way with touching words, don't you?
6222001
I hope so...
I really started writing when I found myself in the throes of a divorce after thirty-plus years, and I needed a way to cope with the emotional upheaval. My story, "On Writing..." detailed that emotional state I found myself in...
And here was Luny, dealing with something similar, just as the final order from the court was finalized...
The Writing Training Ground on Equestria Daily opened with the outlined premise, so, here we went...
Thanks for reading it...because candy-colored ponies deserve it...
Crystalheart
6222737 HOPE life goes well for ya, its only starting for me
6228579
LOL!
Good for you! Live, Love, Laugh!
Crystalheart
Incredible story! good job! I just posted my own fic of snowdrop and luckily I found yours
6295150
Thank You very much!
I tried to get the crushing guilt Luna must have felt over all that happened; horrible guilt so overwhelming that she would create the tantibus to literally torture herself over what she did...
I know Luna's regarded as "Best Princess"...but boy, is she a complicated personality under that flow-y mane...
Thanks for enjoying it!
Crystalheart
>> Heavyhauler75622 Maybe a second part of the story would be interesting. I would like the idea of a dream that the tantibus had created about snowdrop, and herself turturing Luna. And maybe when this is gone, she finally had a good dream of snowdrop.
Found this story in an author's note in a story called "Just a Little Batty" by I Thought I Was Toast.
The Tantibus comes from the Latin word for Nightmare and was one of the darker elements of the show canon. In fact a lot of things in the show have pretty grim implications if one looks beyond the Rainbow and Candy-colored setting. I particularly liked your take on how Luna didn't just immediately jump back into society but had to take several months or more to get her bearings. The attempted murder was sufficiently dark without going full bore Grimdark and as someone who sometimes struggles with an over-sized guilt complex, I could feel for Luna. I've done dumb things that I sorely regret and even 10-15 years after the fact I still occasionally wake up in the middle of the night with that insufferable little voice in my head. I wish I had a magic dream guardian Princess to talk to.