Short Stories Collection, vol. I

by fallen starr

Nightmare Moon [Sci-Fi]

Celestia simply looked at the Trackers. Her sister was on her knees between them, her hands behind her back. “What is the meaning of this?” Celestia demanded. The Trackers looked at one another, neither willing to speak. “Why have you detained Luna?” Celestia’s eyes traveled Luna. The ever-present goggles she wore were gone. The only bit of technology noticeable on the mare was her Link.

Finally, one of the Trackers spoke up. “This is Nightmare Moon.”

Celestia laughed. “Nightmare Moon? Why would she fight against the very system she helped create?”

The Trackers looked at one another again before shaking their heads. The Tracker from before spoke up. “She is Nightmare Moon. Did you not get the alert?”

“Alert?” Celestia asked. Making sure her goggles were connected to her Interface, Celestia scanned through every way the Trackers might have found her. “I have no alert.”

“She had hacked through the entire system. She…”

“Leave.”

The Trackers turned and walked out the door without looking back. For the first time since entering the room, Luna looked up at her sister.

“Why, Luna?”

Still unable to move from her bindings, Luna defiantly smiled up at her sister. “Because I am Nightmare Moon. I shall rule the empire we have built. As it is, I only control the sleeper cells. But no longer. I shall have it all.”

Celestia’s expression was unreadable as she knelt in front of Luna. “That is where you’re wrong.” Moving slowly, deliberately, so Luna could see exactly what she was doing, she raised a chip. Luna’s eyes widened. “I don’t want to do this, Luna, but you’ve left me no choice. You are trying to destroy everything we’ve built.”

Luna glared at Celestia. “I am not going to destroy it. I shall make it better.”

A look that could have been taken for sadness crossed Celestia’s features. Pushing the chip into Luna’s Link, she frowned. “Sleep well, sister. It’s going to be a long time before you wake.”