Chapter 6
Chapter 6: Nightmare Moon.
***
Blueblood and Celestia approached the castle of the two sisters with great hesitance. They still didn't know what quite to expect.
"Who is this enemy Luna spoke of?" Blueblood queried in a whisper.
"I do not know everything about my sister. We have always been... different. With my governing the sun and her the moon, we never quite understood each other."
They walked down long, empty hallways, headed towards the throne room.
Blueblood had never been in the castle of the two pony sisters and, despite the gravity of the situation, could not help but admire the architecture.
As they entered the throne room though, his breathing halted.
Two thrones sat across from the entryway on top of two flowing flights of stairs. One of the chairs was golden while the other was a shimmery blue. Above them hung two tapestries of the same colors.
As they approached the thrones, a voice resounded through the empty room.
"Not another step."
Luna emerged from behind the blue throne with a look of severe hatred upon her face.
Blueblood felt something inside him stir. This didn't feel right. He started to back away.
"Did you really expect me to sit idly by while they all basked in your precious light?"
Not again.
Luna walked past the throne and onto the balcony which connected the two thrones.
"There can only be one princess in Equestria, and that princess will be ME!"
Luna slammed her hooves down upon the balcony, which shattered with her forceful blow. The shock wave traveled up the wall, opening up a large crevice through which you could see the sun.
Luna flew into the air and raised the moon until it blocked out the sun completely.
Shafts of darkness shot from the moon and Luna was encased in flurries of dark, sinister magic. The black magic condensed into a glowing, orange ball from which you couldn't even see the pony inside. The orange orb was engulfed in another wave of dark magic and the orb burst to reveal an entirely different pony than Luna.
This pony had sharpened teeth, cat-like eyes, and full armor. Her mane flowed out like a blanket of darkness.
Who is this and where has Princess Luna gone? Thought Blueblood as he stared at the maniacal mare, whose cackling unsettled him.
The mare's diabolical chortling stopped as she cleaved the ceiling in two with a magical spell, causing chunks to fall near Celestia and Blueblood.
Celestia flew into the air as if she was about to attack, but the mare shot a shaft of magic towards her. Celestia barely dodged out of the way before the bolt shot clean through the ceiling.
The mare emerged from the cloud of dust caused by her carnage.
"Luna," Celestia said, folding her wings, "I will not fight you. You MUST lower the moon. It is your duty!"
"Luna?" replied the pony Celestia still considered her sister, "I am... Nightmare Moon."
Blueblood found himself rolling his eyes despite the desperate bind they were in.
Night-MARE Moon? he thought, Really Luna, the puns!
"I have but one royal duty now," said Nightmare Moon, "to destroy you!"
Nightmare Moon let loose with a bolt of blue magic that Celestia just barely dodged. Celestia flew out the hole in the roof.
"And where do you think you're going?" Nightmare asked as she followed close behind.
Blueblood had all to perfect a view for the fight. He saw his aunt dodge blast after blast from the pony they had both loved.
Celestia held out for as long as she could. When Nightmare Moon finally hit her, she was too tired to retaliate. She screamed and plummeted out of the sky.
Celestia hit the ground with a low thud, whilst Nightmare Moon cackled overhead.
Blueblood ran over to his aunt, who lay hurt. As he examined the burn on her flank, he feared her dead.
With much pain Celestia stood, much to the elation of her nephew.
"Oh dear sister, I am sorry. But you have given me no choice, but to use these."
Celestia opened up a hidden vault in the floor and from it rose a strange sculpture with the Elements of Harmony displayed on them.
So this is where they've been kept, thought Blueblood.
Celestia took the Elements from their places of honor and they began to spin around her. They spun so fast that one couldn't even distinguish them from each other. A magical aura encased Celestia and she flew up to meet Nightmare Moon once again in battle.
Nightmare Moon summoned another blast of magic and fired it at Celestia.
Celestia, with tears in her eyes, used the Elements to fire a bolt of magic back at Nightmare Moon.
The two shafts of power met in the middle and jostled for dominance. In the end, the Elements of Harmony were more powerful that Nightmare Moon ever anticipated.
"NO!" she screamed as the wall of magic engulfed her.
It rocketed to the moon where, when magic met moon, two things happened.
Firstly, a sonic rainboom erupted from the moon's surface and secondly, an image of a pony's face appeared.
"What happened?" Blueblood asked when Celestia landed, "Where's Luna? What's that on the moon?"
"She had darkness in her heart Blueblood," Celestia said, with tears streaming down her face, "She is truly the mare of the moon now."
"No..."
Celestia and Blueblood sat forlornly as a glimmering golden carriage pulled them home to Canterlot.
Their moods did not match the chariot's cheerful colors.
Blueblood looked over to his aunt and noticed that she hadn't stopped crying since last night. Her coat was matted and wet from salty tears. Her regal bearing was gone, replaced by a shroud of mourning.
Why would Luna even have done this? He pondered to himself.
"Celestia?" he asked in barely a whisper, "Auntie? Do you want to... talk about what happened?"
Blueblood smiled inwardly about how, in less than a month, their roles had been swapped. Now it was Celestia who needed comforting at the loss of a loved one.
"I,I..." Celestia said, her words catching in her throat, "I don't know what to say. Why did she do this? Why did I have to..."
Her voice trailed off.
Blueblood placed a hoof on his aunt's shoulder and what happened next shocked everypony, even Celestia herself.
Celestia broke down into a fit of sobs in a way that no ruler ever did. She threw her hooves around Blueblood's neck and cried freely into his mane. The facade of being okay was gone.
Blueblood, slightly shocked at his aunt's state, put a hoof around her, trying his very best to comfort the Princess of the Sun.
I guess sometimes all somepony needs to do is cry.
***
"You cried about that?" Luna asked, leaning over to her sister, "What's the matter Tia? Getting soft in your old age?"
She elbowed Celestia in the ribs playfully.
"Make fun all you care to," Celestia said, "I'm just glad you're back to your old self."
She wrapped her hooves around Luna, squeezing the life out of the Princess of the Night.
"Awwwww," Pinkie said, "That's so cute!!!"
"Well anyway," said Luna, escaping her sister's death grip, "Get on with the story."
***
Blueblood sighed as he entered the grand hallway again.
It had been months since the banishment of Nightmare Moon and the citizens of Equestria barely seemed to notice Luna's absence.
Celestia had recovered from her grief enough to announce the Grand Galloping Gala would be on time.
So now Blueblood found himself lost in a sea of ponies on the ballroom floor, with his aunt greeting guests outside.
Blueblood shifted his weight nervously. The last party was still fresh in his mind and, he suspected, everypony else's.
"Ah Prince Blueblood," came a voice from behind him.
He spun about to see Silver Dollar behind him, this time with a different mare at his side.
"Oh, uh, Silver Dollar. Pleasure to meet you... again."
"Yes, look here old boy," said Silver Dollar, "We got off on the wrong hoof last time. And I for one am quite fine to forget it ever happened."
Blueblood was about to inject something about how it had not been his fault but then he remember his warning from Aunt Celestia.
If I want to make friends, I'll have to compromise.
"Thank you Silver Dollar. I'm glad that nasty ordeal is behind us."
"Why yes," said Silver Dollar, "I mean anypony can see there is a great difference between you and that awful Sombra."
Blueblood gritted his teeth and endured it. He had heard how famous Silver Dollar was. If he wanted to get in good standings with everypony in Canterlot, this was the way.
"Yes well, thank you," he said, thinking of a way to divert the conversation, "Would you like a drink Silver Dollar?"
"Why yes," said Silver Dollar.
A pretty, young mare approached them with a tray on her back.
"Champagne?" she said.
"Yes," Silver Dollar said without even looking at her.
Adjust and adapt, Blueblood thought as he copied what he saw.
The mare placed a drink in Blueblood's hoof and passed Silver Dollar another drink.
Being an earth pony and unable to use magic though, she couldn't get a good enough grip and spilled it on Silver Dollar's dinner jacket.
"Oh," she said, backing away in fear.
"You imbecile!" Silver Dollar exclaimed, "Do you have any idea how much a jacket like this costs? More than your yearly salary that's what!"
"I'm so sorry," she said in an diminutive, contrite voice.
"I should think you are," said Silver Dollar, "Well don't just stand there, get a towel and clean this mess up!"
The mare retreated to get a cloth.
"It's so hard to get good help these days," said Silver Dollar, rolling his eyes.
He then began a conversation with Blueblood as if nothing had ever happened.
Why did he treat her that way? thought Blueblood as he observed the mare clean up the puddle.
She was a sweet-looking pony who looked as nice as could be. Blueblood couldn't fathom what would make Silver Dollar treat her as he did.
I'll have to ask Auntie about it, he decided as he chatted with Silver Dollar about stocks and social events.
"Auntie," Blueblood said, walking into Celestia's room, "Can I talk to you about the party?"
"Hmm?" Celestia said, looking out her window through a telescope.
Blueblood shut his mouth when he saw his aunt was raising the moon.
"Approximately seventeen degrees from the zenith," she muttered, "Two degrees west and... perfect!"
She looked up at her night's work and smiled.
"I do believe I'm getting the hang of this."
Blueblood smiled. He sure hoped so.
The last few months had had some... well unusual nights. The first night Celestia forgot to raise the moon entirely and the night-shift ponies bumped into stuff all night. About a week ago, Celestia had started adding the stars back in. That had made for some wacky constellations. Scorpio had had twelve legs and two heads that night.
Celestia yawned.
"I don't think I ever gave Luna enough credit. This raising the moon stuff is hard."
Not to mention the moon should have been up two hours ago, Blueblood thought with a smirk.
"Well Blueblood," said Celestia, "Was there something you wanted to talk to me about?"
She smiled sleepily.
"Yes, but if you want to get some sleep I understand," Blueblood said.
He had been worrying about his aunt lately. She had been burning the candle at both ends and her royal duties during the day made power naps impossible.
Celestia yawned again.
"No no, please, go ahead."
"Well..." Blueblood began.
With that he recounted the entire night's escapade to his aunt. All about the poor mare and a few other instances when he had been confused about what to do.
"So I don't know whether I should just go along with the crowd or stand up for the other ponies," he finished, feeling like a large stone had been removed from his back.
He looked up to see Celestia asleep, standing up. Her snoring had been drowned out by Blueblood's tale until then.
Smiling and rolling his eyes, Blueblood put her to bed and then returned to his room to retire.
He would discuss it with her tomorrow.
Two. Weeks.
Blueblood shook his head.
It had been two weeks since the Grand Galloping Gala and Blueblood still hadn't found a spare moment to talk to his aunt.
He didn't blame her it's just that, with all her royal duties, she didn't have time to talk to him.
The only ponies who really had time for him were Silver Dollar and his friends. They had become quite good friends lately. Blueblood was something new to them. He was a royal without the constant duty of ruling. So he was always able to attend their charity auctions, parties and polo games. He had found the Wonderbolts derby to be his favorite event of all though.
So Blueblood smiled as he donned his best jacket and headed out to meet his friends for just such an event.
Blueblood trotted out of his room and down the now familiar hallways. He no longer felt so intimidated by the grand scale of the castle. It had become his home.
"Auntie!" he hollered as he passed the throne room, "I'm leaving!"
"Mmhm," Celestia answered, glancing up from the stacks of paperwork she had to do.
I'm glad he's finally found some friends, she thought, smiling.
Although friends weren't the best description of Blueblood's entourage.
"Ah, Prince Blueblood," Silver Dollar said, with yet another mare at his side, "We're so glad you could make it."
Blueblood trotted over to his friends and sat down.
Today, they were attending a charity auction followed by a banquet. For some reason, Canterlot ponies only seemed to donate money at auctions. Blueblood had reservations about this worldview, but he had adjusted.
"Have they put the first item up yet?" he asked.
"No," said Silver Dollar, "But according to the program, it's a Rembraynt painting. I'm hoping to acquire it for my collection."
Blueblood scanned the program Silver Dollar passed him. There were a few paintings, mostly by Rembraynt, Ponycassio and Lipizzaner De Vinci. Also there was a grand piano that had previously belonged to Ludwig Van Braythoveen.
Blueblood read the description and smiled.
Anieghdeus would love this! he thought.
The first painting went up on the block and Silver Dollar (of no surprise to anypony) won it.
After a couple more paintings and pieces of furniture were auctioned off, on came the grand piano.
Blueblood examined it.
It was a brilliant white and didn't have a scratch on it. Despite it being older than Blueblood himself, there was not sign of age other that some wear and tear on the keys, seat and music stand.
Blueblood thought of how amazing Aneighdeus would sound on it.
"Starting bid, seven-thousand bits," said the auctioneer.
Blueblood waited to see if anypony else wanted it.
A snobby-looking filly was tugging at her father's sleeve and pointing at the piano.
The filly's father raised his hoof.
"I see seven-thousand, do I see seventy-five hundred?"
Blueblood raised his hoof.
"And seventy-five hundred from the prince. Do I see eight-thousand?"
"Blueblood," said Silver Dollar, while the auction played on, "I didn't know you played piano."
"I don't," said Blueblood, raising his hoof again signaling eighty-five hundred, "This is a gift for somepony."
"You're willing to spend eighty-five hundred," Silver Dollar corrected himself, "I mean ninety-five hundred bits on a gift?"
"Of course," said Blueblood, raising his hoof again.
"Who's this for?"
"Well, he's a friend of mine called Aneighdeus Motzart and he likes to-"
"I haven't heard the name. Is he perhaps from the De Lis family?"
"Uh no. His father is a shoe salespony, named-"
"A shoe salespony?!?!" Silver Dollar exclaimed.
He grabbed Blueblood and shook him.
"Surely you don't mean you associate with commoners?!?!"
"Going three times... SOLD to Mr. Insanely Rich and that little girl of his."
Blueblood groaned when her realized he'd lost.
"Silver Dollar! You distracted me. Aneighdeus would've loved that piano."
"Well I'm glad I did. You, as a prince of Equestria, cannot be giving expensive presents to any common pony around. That's what we come to these auctions for. We donate money, and some, other pony takes care of others."
"But why?" Blueblood queried, asking his first question in two weeks.
"Because you are better than those ponies!" Silver Dollar hissed.
He turned to his friends.
"Tell him."
Blueblood felt a strange pressure as all his 'friends' began to nag him.
I need to talk to Auntie, I need to talk to Auntie, I really need to talk to Auntie, Blueblood repeated over and over in his mind as he returned to the castle.
"Where is my aunt?" he asked a guard.
"She retired some time ago my prince."
"Thank you."
Blueblood crept into his aunt's room. He hated to do this, but he needed somepony's advice.
"CELESTIA!"
Celestia bolted up in bed.
"Whuzz... I was snorking the fitzgerald and then somebody zonked me to zlap."
Some-BODY???
"I was honking the murkle and then you tonka truck the canary."
"Auntie? It's Blueblood, I need to talk to you."
"Oh Flu-bod, please, go ahead and caulk. I'm all sears."
Yeah, I'm not getting any good advice from HER right now.
"Goodnight Auntie," said Blueblood.
He exited the room and called a servant and a guard.
"Dark Cloud," said Blueblood to the guard, "Please tell my aunt I left for Manehattan."
The guard nodded.
"And Feather Duster," Blueblood said to the servant, "Please pack me a suitcase of casual clothes and things."
Feather Duster bowed and went to do just that.
"It's time I use that open invitation," he said.
Stats
Page generated in 0.018 seconds
Total duration
1,019 users online
2,141,843 hits today, 2,561,572 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Not quite.
Blueblood can not fly.
This is a popular theory I have came across. Blueblood becoming the snob he is known as because that was all he was taught and Celestia was too busy to notice or do something about it until it was too late.
6726865 I didn't specify clearly enough in my comments I guess. He was doing different things than Twilight (like he stayed on the ground when Nightmare Moon and Celestia chased each other around the castle), you just can't see him in that wide-angled shot where Twilight is sitting and crying by Celestia's knocked out body. In my head cannon, when Twilight drank the potion, it showed her only what she needed to see. The theory I have backing this up is that when Celly and Lulu defeated Discord, you didn't see anypony around. Unless Discord killed everypony, (which I doubt he did since he likes annoying them much more) there should have been SOMEPONY around! So the potion had limited powers and showed Twilight only what she needed to see. I'm trying, but having to fit this inside the show's cannon can be really hard sometimes!!!
I'm sorry if the plot line is cliched to you. I hope you still enjoy it nonetheless.
But I must thank you for all the constructive criticism you've been giving me.