• Published 18th Sep 2018
  • 689 Views, 5 Comments

Voice in the Night - Allenator05

  • ...
0
 5
 689

Nighttime Therapy

Luna tried to sleep, but being in a strange place in a strange form while hearing Nightmare Moon’s constant chattering made rest futile. Luna opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. She didn’t know how much time had passed, but it couldn’t have been more than a few hours.

Luna sighed and rubbed her eyes. This was getting her nowhere and her exhaustion was growing worse. Luna rolled out of bed and slowly got dressed. She crept through the house, hoping to not wake Hildr. Luna felt badly for Hildr. She knew Hildr was trying her best, but Luna knew she wasn’t making it easy for her. Luna wondered if there was some way to pay her back. As quietly as she could, Luna opened the front door and stepped outside.

The air was crisp and cool. Luna looked around, but saw no one else. She assumed they were all sleeping. Most of the lights had been turned off, giving Luna an unhindered view of the night sky. Behind the clinic was a small plateau and Luna climbed up. She sat down and looked up in awe at the night sky. She recognized none of the constellations and wondered if any of the stars were the same as back home. This brought Luna’s thoughts back to Equestria. What time was it there? Was Celestia raising her moon properly? Unlike last time, Luna left behind specific instructions for proper placement of the moon and stars. Luna sometimes wondered how the seafaring ponies and races managed to navigate without the correct star alignment.

Or had they simply become used to the way Celestia had handled the nights before and Luna was the one who changed everything. This thought brought more guilt to Luna’s heart. Even when she tried her best to make things right, it only ended up worse in the end. Luna tried to push the negativity aside, but it was hard. Instead, she turned her focus to the moon. It looked larger and Luna could see that it was misshapen in some way. She frowned and decided to ask Hildr about it later.

Luna lay back in the grass and closed her eyes to meditate. She could feel the power that existed in this place. It was different than her Magic in that it had more weight and substance. It felt sharper and more defined. Luna assumed this power was the Light that Hildr talked about. Luna could feel her own Magic was intact, but it felt compressed by the density of the Light. Luna wondered how Hildr was able to manage with both Light and Magic and make it into something new.

Luna looked up at the moon and wondered if her special connection was only to her moon or any moon that existed. She closed her eyes and focused her magic. Unknown to Luna, a circle of light appeared on her forehead and the outline of a horn faded into existence. Luna tentatively reached out to the moon with her magic.

Hello moon, I am Luna.

Luna felt like she had run into a brick wall at full speed as she was instantly assaulted with horrific images, the likes of which she had never seen. Screams of the dammed pierced her ears and the disgusting stench of death and decay filled her nose. A power so vile and evil enveloped Luna and threatened to drag her under for all eternity. Images of gothic horror and unspeakable acts filtered through Luna’s mind. Icy fingers pried at the edges of her mind threatening to tear it open and learn all her secrets. Luna felt like her very soul was being sucked out of her body, leaving behind an empty husk to be filled with pure malice and hate.

All of this was nothing compared to the weight of the Darkness that held it all together. Luna herself was a creature of the Night, but this was something else entirely. This was a Darkness so deep, it existed before Time began and would endure after the last star in the sky went dark.

And it was hungry. It wormed its way into Luna’s mind through her magical connection. She tried to break the link, but the Darkness was too strong. It probed her mind and attempted to force itself into her deepest memories. Luna had never felt so violated in her life.

The Darkness spoke to her, whispered to her in a way Nightmare Moon never did. It saw her weakness and tried to exploit it. It showed Luna the great and terrible things it had done and could do. Entire civilizations snuffed out. Whole galaxies sputtered and were consumed. What hope did she have to stand against such a thing?

WHO DARES? You do not know with whom you are dealing!

The Darkness seemed to laugh at Nightmare Moon’s statement. It started to pry deeper, but Nightmare Moon stood strong. BEGONE! she commanded and unleashed a powerful blast of Dark Magic that drove the Darkness back. Once it was gone, Luna was able to sever the connection.

Luna’s eyes flew open and she scrambled to the side and vomited. The things she had seen were permanently burned into her memory. The disgusting greasy feeling the Darkness left behind made Luna squirm and made her feel tainted and unclean. She wasn’t sure if the feeling would ever go away.

When she was done dry heaving, Luna sat back and collapsed on the ground. This was a mistake. She never should have come here. She now realized that Hildr had greatly underestimated when she told them how bad her world was. How could anyone live like this? Why had they all not fallen into despair? What hope did they have to survive against what she had seen?

Luna heard footsteps and Hildr appeared in her field of view. Luna noticed she had a sad expression on her face. Hildr helped Luna sit up and Luna looked away in embarrassment. “I am ashamed you have to see me in such a pitiful state,” she said.

Hildr looked to where Luna had thrown up and handed her a glass of water. “Here. Rinse the taste out of your mouth,” she said.

Luna took the glass and swished a mouthful before spitting it into the grass. She drank the rest and handed the glass back to Hildr, who then poured out a measure of pink liquid into the glass and handed it back to Luna. “This is to help settle your stomach,” she said.

Luna warily took the glass and sniffed at the contents before taking a sip. The pink liquid was thick, a bit chalky, and tasted like mint. Luna finished drinking and chewed on the remains in her mouth.

Hildr gently sat next to Luna, who refused to look at her. “I’m sorry,” Hildr said. “I should have warned you first. It didn’t occur to me that your special connection to the moon would work here.”

Luna shuddered at the thought of what she had seen. “What happened to your moon?” she asked. “I know that we ponies in Equestria live a somewhat sheltered existence compared to you, but what I witnessed, I have no words to describe.” Luna shook her head.

Hildr looked up to the moon and made a disgusted face. “What you saw is the work of an enemy we call The Hive. Since you have already seen, there’s no reason to explain anymore,” she said.

Luna turned to face Hildr. “How do you do it? How do you continue to live here knowing that you face such evil?”

“Because of the Light that the Traveler has given to me,” Hildr said, “Rather, the Traveler unlocked the potential in me to do great things. Like I told Sunset Shimmer, I am not an altruistic person. I don’t do this for the glory or the recognition. I choose to help others because I have the power to do so.”

A faint grin appeared on Luna’s face. “That sounds very altruistic if you ask me,” she said.

Hildr shrugged and bumped her shoulder against Luna. “I know you are tired after your long journey, but it seems that neither of us is going to get much sleep tonight.”

Luna nodded absently and asked, “How did you know I was outside?”

Hildr grinned. “You may be an all-powerful pony princess, but you are a novice at being a human. I heard you knocking about upstairs.”

“Oh,” Luna said and tried to hide her embarrassment. “I wasn’t trying to wake you.”

“Don’t worry. I’m a light sleeper anyway,” Hildr said. She became curious and asked, “What else did you see?”

Luna shrugged. “Darkness, the likes of which I have never seen. I felt like I would drown in it.”

“What stopped it?” Hildr asked.

Luna opened her mouth and stopped. She was unclear as to what happened herself. Her mind felt like it had been on the verge of breaking when the pressure suddenly lifted. Even stranger, Nightmare Moon was silent. “I do not know. My mind is fuzzy,” she said finally.

Hildr stood up and helped Luna to her feet. “As much as I enjoy the outdoors, I enjoy a comfortable seat even more.”

“Agreed,” Luna said and they walked back inside the clinic. Once they were seated, Luna let out a big sigh. “Sometimes, I think there is a disconnect between what I know in my head and what I know in my heart,” she said. “For instance, I know in my head that my sister cares deeply for me, and the ponies of Equestria acknowledge and respect me, but deep in my heart, I believe none of it. My heart tells me that I will never be truly loved, not in the way that I desire. And perhaps this is true. One thousand years is a long time to anypony that is not immortal. Ponies forgot who I was. Before that, I was Nightmare Moon, and before that,” Luna let the thought hang while she looked down at her hands. “The time that I was Nightmare Moon and my banishment is hazy and unclear, however there are certain things I remember with clarity, such as my return and subsequent exposure to the Elements of Harmony.”

“What was it like for you?” Hildr asked.

“I imagine it was similar to your exposure to the Fire of Friendship,” Luna said. “The Elements opened my heart to the truth and showed me all the pain and suffering I had caused. Truly, I did not know. I only wanted my efforts to be noticed and appreciated by everypony. Instead, I became the very thing that goes bump in the night to frighten small children.”

Hildr hugged her knees to her chest and rocked back and forth. “Sunset Shimmer told me the Elements did the same thing to her,” she said. “But in Sunset’s case, she knew what she was doing, but I think she underestimated exactly what would happen.”

Luna stared off into the distance. “I have given a lot of thought to what you said to me back in Equestria,” she said.

“Which part?” Hildr asked. “I remember saying some not very nice things.”

“Nice or not, some things needed said,” Luna replied. “But I was referring to what you said about my condition.”

“The hearing voices, delusions of grandeur, and blurring of fantasy and reality?” Hildr asked.

Luna nodded. “You said that such ailments often stem from some kind of trauma or accident that the mind tries to forget.” Hildr nodded in reply.

Luna hesitated. Even now, some moments were crystal clear while others seemed like they were happening to somepony else. “You see, my sister and I were born as alicorns, but we were not always princesses.”

Needless to say, Hildr was shocked. “But I thought princesses were made into alicorns, or something like that,” she said.

Luna shook her head. “My sister and I were different and we were almost fully grown before we received our cutie marks.”

Hildr let out a breath and shook her head. “Figures that you and Celestia always played by different rules.”

Luna narrowed her eyes, but let Hildr’s comment slide. “Starswirl the Bearded found us and trained us in the ways of Magic. Due to our status as alicorns, my sister and I eventually surpassed him. After we received our cutie marks, we were named as Rulers of Equestria.”

“How did the ponies take it?” Hildr asked.

“About as well as you can guess,” Luna replied. “A majority of the ponies supported us, but a small group of nobles banded together in opposition. And why wouldn’t they? Here we were, two upstart sisters with no knowledge of the world, claiming to be rulers. Who were we to force them out of power?”

“Figures,” Hildr spat.

“Even then, my sister favored a more diplomatic approach. Thanks to her efforts, civil war was barely avoided. A compromise was reached that the nobles grudgingly accepted,” Luna said.

“Let me guess, the Royal Court?” Hildr asked.

Luna nodded. “At the same time, I was held to an oath that forbade me from using a pony’s dreams as leverage against them or for my own betterment.”

“Oh, well that explains that then,” Hildr said.

Luna managed a small chuckle. “I suppose I failed to mention that fact before,” she said. Luna then grew somber as she searched her memories. “From then on, it was a struggle to maintain the kingdom. The neighboring countries thought we could be bullied, but I showed them how wrong they were. My sister prefers to let ponies figure out their own problems for themselves and offer guidance as needed. I, on the other hoof, prefer a more direct approach. But even so, my sister is no pushover. There is a reason the Badlands of Equestria are still a desert wasteland.”

At this, Hildr’s eyes went wide. “Oops. I almost feel bad for antagonizing Celestia,” she said.

“Don’t worry. She needs it from time to time,” Luna said. “It was during this time that I realized my power was changing. I discovered I could turn my body to mist and control shadows. I could influence the dreams of others, and I began experimenting with Dark Magic and its properties. I was thrilled. I thought I was discovering new abilities and power. As it turns out, I was simply awakening my true potential.”

“And what was that?” Hildr asked.

Luna turned to Hildr with sadness in her eyes. “The thing that goes bump in the night. You see, if you become that which others fear, anything less will not bother them.” Luna turned away and traced lazy patterns on Hildr’s desk. “The whispers started, and by the time I realized what was happening, it was too late.”

Hildr put her arm around Luna’s shoulders. “I truly am sorry. I can’t begin to imagine what that must be like,” she said.

“For a long time, I kept everything a secret and suffered in silence,” Luna continued. “But there was one event, the catalyst that started the downward spiral.”

Hildr could feel the tension in Luna’s body. “You don’t have to tell me if you are not ready,” she said.

Luna shook her head. “I shall show you my memories and then you will understand.” Luna turned until she was facing Hildr and held out her hands. Hildr sat forward and put her hands in Luna’s. “Close your eyes and concentrate. Feel your energy and synch it with mine,” Luna instructed.

Hildr closed her eyes and reached for her Light. Due to her proximity to Luna, what little Magic Hildr had left began to react. Instead of fighting it, Hildr let her Magic reach out and touch Luna’s. She felt a rush of power as Luna’s Magic connected with hers. It was different than the Fire of Friendship. Luna’s magic felt colder, darker, more sinister. It was like a tightly wound spring, ready to go off at the slightest touch. An inky blob appeared in front of Hildr and quickly engulfed her in darkness.