Luna Rising

by AstonMartinLover

1000 Years

Chapter 10: 1000 Years

Celestia looked up into the sky. She saw the cutie mark of her sister fill the air beside the massive mountain. Her expression hardened.

Was it a trap? Was this a surrender? Celestia mentally prepared herself for every imaginable outcome. She knew, for this task of bringing her sister in, she would need both the strength to fight, and the power to forgive.

She looked again to the sky. Where the moon would stand tonight. And she hoped, with all her heart, that she would not be forced to send Luna to that dark, lifeless rock again.

No. That couldn't even be an option anymore. Such a punishment was long since outdated. She would figure something out later.

She flitted out her mighty wings. They were many thousands of years old, and almost immune to the cold. She lifted off and flew towards the mountaintop.

Porthos got to his hooves. He looked through the stain glass window to see the great cutie mark projected in the sky.

His mouth gaped. He turned and stormed off towards the armory.

"Alright. Round up the royal guard. We have a situation."

"What's going on?" Shining Armor asked.

"You wanted some experience on the battlefield kid? This might be your chance. Sidewinder, load up the chariot. Pegasi get in the reins, unicorns set up on the carriage and be prepared to bring heat. I don't exactly know what we're heading into here."

He watched the valiant ponies slip on their armor and helmets bearing Celestia's crest.

"So what exactly is going on?" Sidewinder asked.

"Luna has lit a distress beacon. Which means A: We're dealing with Nightmare Moon, or B: We're dealing with something Nightmare Moon can't handle. Honestly, I really hate both options, it's been a long day already, and I have a migraine, but this is what we've trained for. Mount up."

The unicorns hopped into the chariot, charging up their horns for combat, and adjusting their helmets nervously.

Porthos slipped into his harness and stretched out his wings. "Are we ready?"

"YES SIR!" The ponies shouted simultaneously. Porthos smiled.

"Alright men! Remember your oath! Remember your princess! And remember, donuts at Joe's on me, for anypony that makes it back!"

This comment elicited some grim laughter from the soldiers. The carriage lurched, then took off towards the mountain.

Celestia landed atop the great mountain. She looked around, her eyes sharp for any sign of a purple coated alicorn. But she saw none.

From behind a bush slithered a small cloud of dark blue smoke. Celestia did not seem to notice it.

It floated beneath her hooves, before settling before her.

"Oh no." Celestia began, as her eyes recognized that dark blue cloud. The blue smoke swirled upward, solidified, forming into the smirking, wild eyed Nightmare Moon.

"No. Luna please no." Celestia looked into the cat like eyes of the creature and felt her heart plummet.

"Yes sister. I am back. I have returned to become that which I was destined to be."

Celestia shook her head. "No Luna. Please. Listen to your sister, you don't have to do this anymore..."

Nightmare cut her off with a slap to the face. "I didn't have to do any of this. Not at first. But you...you neglected me. You neglected my nights..."

"Luna, please. I...I've changed. I promise I have! I swear...I do love you! And your nights! You know this, don't you?"

Nightmare was momentarily halted by these words. Sweet words. Empty words.

"You are merely manipulating me. You wish for me to lower my guard. You wish to lull me to rest with your lies. Never again."

Celestia felt the sorrow welling up inside her at the speaking of these words. And, knowing little else she could do, and truly frustrated at the unfairness of it, she hurled herself on the ground at the hooves of the night demon.

"Please Luna! Please I beg you! I've waited for you for so long! I...I can't lose you again! Please! I...I just...I just want my sister back..."

There were tears in the sun goddess's eyes as she pleaded with the corrupted form of her sister.

Nightmare recoiled at this. "You...I knew you were a coward...you beg. Don't you see yourself? You beg and plead. Such cowardice should be met with..." She trailed off, unable to hide her uncertainty.

Celestia stood up shakily. "Luna...please. You are all I have left. I need you by my side. Just...please...open your mind. Open your heart, I love you, you know this!"

Nightmare put her arm over her eyes. But she could not hide the tears. She looked at Celestia and sniffled. She hung her head, her mind deadlocked.

Celestia spread her arms, inviting an embrace from her old enemy. "Come, sister."

Nightmare Moon looked back up at her again. Her face seemed to twitch as she managed a weak smile.

Then, her expression hardened. Her hateful eyes became like daggers.

"1000 years."

Celestia's confidence faded instantly. "W-What?"

"1000 years of isolation..."

"Luna, I'm sorry..."

"It is far too late, dear Celestia. Revenge must be taken. Here. Today."

Celestia began to shake her head.

Nightmare jammed her right hoof against the side of Celestia's face.

Celestia tried to break away in alarm. "What are you doing?"

"Sharing something with you, my beloved sister." She hissed.

Celestia's breathing quickened with fear. "Share? What share? Share what?"

Nightmare grinned a sinister, toothy grin. "1000 years of agony."

Celestia began breathing deeply, then let out a cry as the memories came flooding into her mind. Nightmare Moon began laughing maniacally.

Miles below, Luna was in another world. The landing had knocked her unconscious. And her mind had brought her to a troubling time in her life.

She saw twelve guards standing before her. All were armed, all pointing their weapons at her chest.

"Princess Luna! Stand down!"

The armored night princess smirked. "A noble effort. But I'm sure you have families, families that will miss you. So I suggest you leave this place."

"We have been ordered to make you lower the moon, be it by thy own will or otherwise!" The soldier stated.

"Under who's authority?"

There was loud flapping as her sister landed behind them, her coat tarnished with her own blood.

The two sisters had been battling all day. It had all started days ago, when Celestia had first discovered the rebel plot. She had successfully uprooted it before it began, imprisoning all conspirators. Only one had evaded her. Until today.

And on this day, they had battled. Luna had managed to do more damage, if only because, even with all the evidence presented, Celestia still could not bring herself to seriously injure her own sister.

"Impressive. I thought you dead, sister." Luna hissed.

"Luna. Please. Just give up now before you hurt somepony else." she pleaded, blood running from her swollen right eye.

Luna shook her head. "Don't you talk to me! Princess Luna is gone. I am Nightmare Moon, true leader of Equestria! It is not I who shall stand down, tis you!"

Celestia looked into Luna's eyes, tears in hers. "Luna please. This is insanity. Do you even see what you've done? I mean...I understand the other conspirators, they all had political ambitions, but...you? I...do you see what you're doing? What you've turned into? You've betrayed me. You've betrayed mother and father. You've betrayed all of our subjects..."

"My subjects and their sun loving faces are exactly what must change!" Luna shot back. "They betrayed ME!!"

Celestia shook her head. "I don't know how it's happened sister. But you've become lost. Lost in your own jealousy. Please, for me, stand down."

Luna shook her head. "I will not stand down until you lay DEAD AT MY HOOVES!"

Celestia gestured to the guards. "Gentlecolts? Please take the princess into custody."

Luna grinned at them. "Go ahead. Try."

"Luna." Celestia warned. "Come quietly. If you resist, there's no going back. You will have torn down every last shred of dignity you have left."

The soldiers raised their spears and charged. Luna let out a monstrous roar and powered up her horn. She began firing into the crowd.

One of the soldier's got close with his spear. Luna grabbed it from his hooves and impaled him with it.

What happened next seemed like a bloody blur. Ponies dying every which way. Blood splattering the black coat of the corrupted princess.

One valiant guard remained. Luna recognized him as her former bodyguard. The soldier hesitantly approached, spear raised. Luna fired, snapping the spear in half, then wrapped her arms around the guards neck and held him up.

"Let him go." Celestia said sternly. She powered up her horn. "Or I will send you somewhere much less pleasant than a dungeon."

Luna breathed deeply. "Look at you. Look at what the best soldiers in Equestria have been able to accomplish. Nothing. If you're best ponies were so easily dispatched, what chance do you have?"

Celestia was shaking with fearful anger. "Luna, he is your friend. Put him down."

Luna looked at the battle hardened soldier in her grip. If he was afraid, he wasn't showing it.

"He will just be another body to line your palace wall Celestia."

Celestia shook her head. "No. If you let him go now, I might be able to help you during the trial. It doesn't have to end this way."

Luna raised an eyebrow. "A trial? So you may watch them hang me from the gallows?"

Celestia shook her head. "I...you may have committed an atrocity, Luna, but you are still my sister. And I promise, I will not allow them to execute you. Beyond that...I promise nothing. Please...this can...it can still be fixed sweetheart."

Even now, the only thing that continued to flash across Celestia's mind, was the image of that little purple alicorn filly. That child that she had watched over in the dark hours of night, hours after mother and father had abandoned them. A child afraid of a suddenly empty world, who needed comfort from the only friend she had left.

That innocent soul.

Luna looked down at the pony, and then up at Celestia again. There was a look of hope on her face. Hope was meant to be crushed.

"It was always going to end this way Tia." She replied. With that, she snapped the pony's neck, then let the body drop to the floor next to the others.

She then raised her hooves in surrender. "Very well. I await justice. Take me away sister."

She was smiling. The plan was, after all, to be caught. To be thrown in the dungeon. From there, she would direct her army to begin the civil war that would give her power over all Equestria. All she needed was for her sister to formally arrest her.

But Celestia began shaking with rage as she stared at the body of her sister's former bodyguard. Then she looked up at the smug, cunning villain.

This was not her sister. The innocent soul had been stomped out. This creature deserved no sisterly mercy.

"Princess Luna, I hereby charge you with treason, conspiracy, and multiple counts of cold blooded murder. As you have become an extreme threat to this nation, your punishment must be suitably extreme..."

Luna's confidence wavered a little, and her face seemed to lose some of it's color. "Dost thou not need a jury..."

"Not at all." Celestia replied, the anger not leaving her face. "I hereby find you guilty on all counts. Your sentence..." She pondered over her options.

Her anger told her to simply power up her horn and end this creature. But even after all this...no. That could not happen. She'd raised this creature from foalhood. No, there had to be some punishment, something just merciful enough.

"You are far too dangerous to coexist with our subjects in Equestria...or anywhere else for that matter. Therefore, your sentence, is an eternal banishment to a place of your choice, assuming tis a place far from me and my subjects."

With that she placed the element of harmony over her head. It began to glow.

Luna put up her hooves in protest. "You cannot do this..." She knew full well the power of the element.

"WHERE DO YOU WISH TO SERVE YOUR EXILE?!!" Celestia demanded.

Nightmare Moon was truly afraid now. "T-Tia. I...I'm sorry...you don't need to..."

"Tis too late. Nightmare Moon will never threaten my subjects again." Celestia said, her voice cracking as she felt her heart tear itself to pieces.

And then, came the nail in the coffin. It was but a glance. Luna glanced up at her moon, which she refused to lower from orbit. Celestia followed her gaze.

"Very well."

Celestia fired a blast at Luna. The corrupted alicorn was immediately surrounded by a forcefield of rainbow. She gave Celestia a fearful look. Celestia's face was free of any sympathy now, even as her emotions were set ablaze.

Luna would not be afraid. Not this time. The rainbow tightened around her.

"It's taken me five hundred years to discover who I truly am!" Luna proudly stated. "You think you can just erase me?!"

Celestia forced herself to look away, unable to watch.

"I AM NOT A MISTAKE!!" Luna declared defiantly. "I WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN!"

The vortex powered up. Luna let out a frightened yelp as she was launched into the air, leaving the ground, and the Earth far behind.

She looked up at the fast approaching moon. She let out a cry as her new home got bigger and bigger.

Luna's eyes snapped open. She was nearly buried in snow. She looked around. The snowstorm had let up a little, and visibility had increased.

"Oh forgive me Equestria." She said, remembering Nightmare's betrayal. She had to run now. Far away. There would be no forgiveness from Celestia this time. She had committed crime after crime against Equestria now. And the moon was still a very viable option.

She thought back to that place that she had spent so much time imprisoned upon.

And she asked herself now, why had she ever feared her sister?

"I was the monster. She...she did what she had to do..." She trailed off. "What a great leader would've done."

She lowered her head, and closed her eyes. "I am not a mistake." She paused, looking up at the sky. "Am I?"

She wished that her mother would appear again, say something, anything, to get her away from her own thoughts. But the aurora borealis did not appear.

All she wanted now was to be back on the moon, far from Tia, and the guards, and her subjects. A place where she could not harm anypony else ever again.

Her angsty session of self hatred was interrupted by a piercing scream from the mountaintop.

It was her sister. Celestia.

And suddenly, all that hatred, all that doubt, became focused on one creature. Nightmare Moon.

And she realized now, the chance she had been given.

She had a chance to defeat herself. A physical being, upon which all of this righteous anger could be directed.

Nightmare Moon had been her own creation. Now it threatened her kingdom. It threatened her sister.

Nightmare Moon was going to pay.

She gritted her teeth. That untamed rage. The same rage that had corrupted her in the first place. It ran through her, threatening to consume her again.

But this time she held a firmer grasp upon it. She looked up at the mountaintop.

Nightmare Moon was still there. She could feel it. She rubbed her hooves on the ground.

No more running. It was time to fight.

Celestia rubbed her skull. She had just been subjected to only a small fragment of one thousand years of isolation.

"I...I'm so sorry Luna."

Nightmare shook her head. "No you're not. Not yet. After I cripple you, I'll extinguish your sun. Then I'll kill your little student Twilight Sparkle. Then the rest of that miserable little pony gang that you call on for service. And THEN you'll be sorry. And only after you have seen all that, will I take the pleasure of killing you."

Celestia closed her eyes. "Kill me if you must Luna. But please, let it die with me. They do not deserve death. The six only wished to please me by freeing you..."

"To please you? They wished to please you? Such pathetic subjects you have Celestia. I promise, they shall die swiftly, and painlessly." Nightmare hissed.

"If you wish any harm on my subjects, I will defend Equestria from you Luna. Again. But please. Just...please consider standing down."

Nightmare looked into Celestia's eyes. Once again, she was starting to second guess herself. She closed her eyes and shook her head angrily, a couple more tears rolling down her face. No. Now was not the time to give in.

"I'd love to Tia. I just wouldn't be able to sleep at night, knowing that I laid down at your hooves and surrendered."

"Luna, please, for me..."

"For you? Why for you? What have you ever done for me? You never loved me! You resented me, always! You cared not for my nights! You cared about your subjects, that was all! To hell with your only sister!" She stormed away. "No Celestia. We are beyond the point of surrender."

"Very well Luna." Celestia said sternly. "If you wish to harm my subjects, then I shall do battle with you once again."

Nightmare smirked. "The last time I fought you, you had an entire army on your side." She looked at Celestia, her brain thinking of the joy of watching her big sister die.

"A thousand years ago, I set up an underground army, to help me keep power once you were dead and gone. Obviously it did not work out that way."

Celestia powered up her horn. "What are you saying?"

"Well...my soldiers are all long since dead. However...death means little to a being as powerful as myself." She tapped the ground with her hoof, sending out a blue wave across the frozen ground. Celestia looked down at it curiously.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake. Bits of snow began flying all over. Celestia looked around, alarmed. A bony hoof popped up out of the ground. It was black. The creature that followed was horrifying to the mighty princess.

A skeletal pony, his bones blackened, his eyes a deep red. He looked long dead, but some kind of demonic power kept him alive.

All around, more of these demon ponies popped up out of the ground. They all bore the crest of Princess Luna.

"I would like to proudly introduce, my army of the night!" Nightmare Moon declared.

Celestia looked at the demon soldiers as they encircled. There must have been hundreds of them. Celestia looked back at Nightmare.

"This is your army?"

Nightmare looked upon it proudly. "Impressed sister?"

Celestia looked upon their hungry faces. "If your attempt is to frighten me, then I'm afraid you've learned nothing from being by my side all these years." She looked around at the demon soldiers. "I will engage your army. To the death."

"Then you shall need some sisterly assistance" A familiar voice called out.

There was the sound of flapping wings. Celestia turned as Luna touched down next to her. She greeted her with a grim smile.

"Hello sister."

Celestia's mouth gaped. "What? But then who is...?"

"She's not me Tia. She is not but an idea. She's been brought to life. I'll explain later."

She looked around at the soldiers. She could see her crest on their aged armor. Her expression hardened. Perhaps they would still listen.

"Fair soldiers! She is not real! She is not but a glorified spirit! You need not follow her orders!"

The soldiers looked at each other in confusion. They were undead, and their brains were literally fried. They seemed unable to comprehend.

"I am the real Princess Luna!" She shouted. "It is I who created this army! And I order you to stand down immediately!"

The army seemed to pay her no mind. They slowly began to advance on the two alicorns, their brittle bones making it impossible for them to move quickly.

Luna sighed. "It was worth a try."

Celestia grabbed her sister by her royal necklace and pulled her in close. "You betrayed me. Again. You left me in our old home after agreeing to return to the palace with me. Why?"

Luna looked up at her angry sister, then around at the slowly approaching soldiers.

"Tia, this is undoubtedly the worst possible time..."

"Don't you Tia me! You had me worried sick! Running off like that! Do you even think? Do you even consider what you're decisions do to the people that care about you?!"

Luna looked around at the soldiers, her mouth agape. "Tia! Could we please do this later? It will give me something to mull over during my next thousand year exile!"

That sentence seemed to change the atmosphere of the situation.

The soldiers had stopped advancing. Nightmare Moon sat down, hoof under chin, patiently amused by the spectacle.

Celestia's eyes widened, her face showing pain. "You...you actually think I would do that to you again?"

Luna immediately felt a sucker punch to the heart. Guilt trip.

"Well...no...but..."

Celestia suddenly looked like an offended child. Her lip quivered.

Luna's eyes widened. "Oh please don't do that..."

But it was too much, even for the stoic alicorn. She burst into tears.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU THINK OF ME IN SUCH A WAY!!" She blared. "I...I would never! I admit it Luna, I never wanted to do it in the first place! I was being impulsive and...and irresponsible, and I was just so angry!"

Luna looked around at the observing soldiers, turning a little red from embarrassment. "Tia, tis okay..."

Nightmare Moon quietly snickered as her older sister came unhinged.

"Tia...please cease your crying." Luna said gently, still unable to believe the scene unfolding around her. Of all the times for the leader of Equestria to completely lose it, this was the worst.

"I WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU!!!" Celestia moaned, lunging forward and embracing her little sister in an extremely strong, and rather painful hug.

"Tia! Pull thyself together!" Luna shouted, slapping her sister as gently, but firmly as possible across the face.

Celestia blinked a few times then looked around at the surrounding army. She too seemed to turn a little red.

"Ah. Yes. There is a battle to be won."

She backed away from her sister and tried to regain her composure.

The two alicorn's looked back at the surrounding army, trying to gauge the skill level of their long dead foes.

They put themselves in formation, back to back, so as to have a full view of the massive army.

Celestia shook off her bizarre crying incident, and managed to regain her stern demeanor.

"You are in so much trouble when we get home. In fact, go home. Now."

Luna turned, outraged. "What? Go home? Art thou mad?"

"I can handle this army! Leave! Go home!"

Luna shook her head. "Tis not happening."

Celestia turned, still making sure to keep her vision planted on the horde.

"I'm not losing you now. Not after all this. Besides, you are royalty. Both royal sisters cannot be risked in one battle. Go home!"

Luna looked back at her sister, and smirked. "Celestia, you forget, you relieved me of thy crown. I am not royalty anymore."

"Well then you are my subject, and as your princess I command you to return to the palace!"

"And as your sister, I refuse." Luna shot back.

Celestia's desperation with the issue increased as the soldiers stepped closer. "Please Luna. Return to the palace. Send the royal guard. I'll buy them some time."

Luna powered up her horn. "I'm not leaving you, Tia."

Nightmare Moon cackled. "Oh how wonderfully sentimental. KILL THEM!"

The soldiers began their advance, sharp spears and knives protruding from their hooves. A jagged saw, made mostly of bone, rose out of the backbone of one of the creatures.

The appearance of these creatures was frightening, even for the princesses. Heck, their parents would've probably been sent screaming from the sight of these demons. Everything attached to their skeletal bodies, was a weapon.

"Do not mourn your nation Celestia! You need fear only for thyself!" Nightmare Moon taunted. "Equestria is safe in my hooves. Once I my moon rises, once and for all, we will create a grand empire, greater than anything mother and father ever dreamed of!"

Celestia looked into Luna's eyes. Luna could once again see a trace of her big sister, always trying to be comforting, even in the worst of times.

"Ready Woona?"

"Ready Tia?"

The two mighty horns powered up. Then, with a simultaneous turn, the two began blasting volley after volley of deadly energy into the demonic horde.

The demons let out horrible shrieks as they charged at the two. But the volleys of energy cut down much of the front line, and the fire from the horns became even more rapid as they got closer.

Nightmare watched smugly from behind as her hundreds of soldiers threatened to consume the two leaders.

"Tis only a matter of time. Goodbye sisters."

Twenty minutes had passed. And Nightmare Moon had come to a rather unsettling realization.

Her forces were losing.

The two alicorn's were single handedly holding her army back.

Celestia grunted as she smashed her hoof through the skull of a threatening demon. Luna stood before her, dispatching anything that came close with great skill and finesse. Celestia hated to admit it, but in the years she'd been gone, Luna's skills on the battlefield had come to rival her own.

As she easily dispatched a couple soldiers, Celestia paid no mind to the two skeletal beings that charged at her from behind.

Luna turned, her eyes widening. "Tia! Duck!"

Celestia bent down, allowing Luna to discharge a few shots from her horn. The two creatures fell dead to the snow. Luna smirked in satisfaction.

"Not bad, eh sister?"

Celestia nodded. "Who needs the sisterhooves social when you have this?"

Luna frowned, as she dispatched another demon with a good buck. "Pray tell, what is a sisterhooves social?"

"Perhaps we should discuss it later." Celestia said, as a creature jumped up and pinned her to the ground. A good blast from her horn reduced the creature to charred rubble.

She admittedly was getting a bit nauseated at this whole affair, but Luna just seemed to gain momentum with every demonic foe dispatched.

One of the creatures jumped on Luna's back. She cried out, firing her horn wildly, but was unable to hit the creature.

His hoof cut into Luna's side, sending a sprinkle of alicorn blood flying. Luna dove to the ground, desperate to get the creature off. It maintained it's grasp.

The demon raised a jagged spear and prepared for the kill. Celestia fired a single powerful blast. The demon's skull exploded. His body fell uselessly to the ground.

Luna nodded at her sister in thanks, then returned to the task at hand.

From above came a grand war cry. Nightmare looked up to see the royal chariot streaking towards the mountaintop.

"Oh this will be fun." She sneered.

The chariot flew over once, allowing the unicorn's a chance to fire some volleys into the horde, before touching down.

Porthos barked orders to his ponies.

"Shining Armor! Take the unicorns to the highest elevation and have them provide cover fire! Sidewinder, see if you can find Nightmare Moon! Everypony else, you're coming with me!"

He tore the harness off and hurled himself into the hostile horde.

The unicorns valiantly followed.

Shining Armor headed for higher ground, his fellow unicorns blasting away at the mass of reincarnated soldiers. One of the demons pulled a spear from his back and hurled it at the group. Shining Armor dove out of the way. He stayed on the ground for a moment, feeling the spot on his chest that would surely have been a gaping hole, were it not for his instincts.

He looked up and realized with horror, that Iron Hide had not been so lucky.

The spear drove straight into his chest. His expression changed to one of disconnected terror. He looked at Shining Armor.

"My friend...I feel...co..." He collapsed to the ground. Shining Armor rushed over to him.

"Damn...never visited Stalliongrad..." IronHide managed before drifting off.

Shining stomped his hoof on the ground at the unfairness of it all. Had he stayed up, he would be dead, not Ironhide. Did he have the right to feel grateful?

"I shall avenge you brother. Promise. SOLDIERS! OPEN FIRE!"

Luna let out a growl as she crushed the skull of a demon under her hoof.

The horde was thinning out now. The arrival of reinforcements had worked wonders in causing even more casualties to Nightmare's side.

Luna's crippling fear had taken a backseat now. All she felt now was anger towards the creatures that threatened to plunge Equestria back into eternal night.

"Luna!" Celestia shouted.

"What?"

Celestia gestured. Nightmare Moon stood, walking right through the battlefield, watching her.

Luna's expression hardened. All that sympathy she had felt for her corrupted self over the past few days, had dissolved in the past two hours.

The soldiers seemed to make formation ahead of her, unwilling to allow harm to come to their master.

Porthos was on the wrong side of the equation.

In his lengthy career as captain of the guard, he had never quite known fear like this.

He was face to face with Nightmare Moon. The night demon's eyes seemed to penetrate him, glaring into his soul, breaking him down without laying a hoof upon him.

Porthos swallowed the fear. "You have tormented my princess. Both of them. And you have presented a threat against my nation. I cannot allow you to follow through with your plan."

Nightmare giggled. "Dost thou wishest to hurt me, fair soldier?"

Porthos put up his armored hooves. "I'll do what is necessary."

He charged at the princess. Nightmare closed her eyes and became a cloud. Porthos went through, hooves flailing. He looked around in confusion. Nightmare Moon formed before him. He charged again, letting out all of his pent up fury.

Nightmare disappeared again. Porthos swiped at the air in frustration.

"Never, in my thirty years of service, have I fought a more cowardly creature!" Porthos declared.

The voice was suddenly in his ear. "Thirty years? Perhaps you should've retired."

Before he could reply, Nightmare reappeared, her body curled around his. A blade flitted out from her armored hoof. Before Porthos could fight back, she drove the blade into his side.

Porthos let out a great moan. He had never known pain like this. He looked down at the wound. That only made it worse.

"Beg, my dear soldier. Beg for a slow death." Nightmare hissed.

Porthos could taste blood in his mouth. He coughed the foul stuff up. He managed a smile, which turned into a grimace.

"I am not known to beg, damned demon..."

Nightmare twisted the blade. Porthos led out an agonized moan. Nightmare smiled at the foolish soldier's pain.

"It's a shame. I was...really looking forward...to those donuts..." Porthos managed, a dumb smirk on his face.

Nightmare growled in disgust, then retracted the blade from the pony's side. Porthos felt death's cold embrace, as the blood rushed out of his old, tired body.

Luna dispatched yet another demon soldier, this one with particular finesse. She was in the middle of taking pride in her work, when she noticed Nightmare Moon standing there. She grinned, then tossed Porthos's limp form towards her.

Luna gasped. She ran towards the old soldier.

"Fair soldier! Art thou alright..." She trailed off, realizing how naive and stupid her question was. Porthos looked up at her with those empty eyes.

Luna knelt down next to him, gently stroking his mane as he struggled to take his final breath.

"I am so sorry Porthos. I...I did not mean to fail you all in this way." She looked across the frozen ground, at the other fallen soldiers.

Porthos gripped her hoof and somehow managed a pleasant smile. "I have...no regrets. N-Neither...should you."

A moment later, the captain of the guard was dead. Luna hung her head in shame, unable to even register the battle that still raged on around her.

She felt a chill run up her spine. Then a distant laughter.

"Such foolish bravery. He should receive a medal." The voice sneered.

Luna looked up, and locked eyes with Nightmare Moon. Her anger was full blown now, and she felt it coursing through her veins.

"Yet another pony's blood on your hooves." Nightmare taunted.

Luna looked up at her, shaking with rage. "He'll be the last."

Nightmare watched the little alicorn ready herself for combat. Her expression was that same one that she wore as she counseled Luna in the forest.

The two slowly trotted towards one another. Luna, her face determined, ready for the battle of her life. Nightmare Moon, a sly grin upon her face, wondering how intent her uncorrupted self was on killing her.

"Do you feel anger Luna?"

Luna nodded, gritting her teeth.

Nightmare examined the young alicorn carefully. "Yet still I can see it in your face. You fear me. You cannot beat me with fear in your heart."

Luna could feel her alter ego boring into her soul. Because every word she spoke was true. Deep down, underneath all this rage, she was terrified.

"Are you prepared to die Luna?"

Luna felt more fear run down her spine at the question. She looked down at Porthos's lifeless body. As selfish as it seemed, she was picturing it as her own.

She swallowed. This was not the time for fear.

"To defend my subjects, and my sister, yes."

Nightmare Moon smiled a toothy grin. "Very good."

She charged forth, swinging her hooves madly at the unprepared alicorn.

Luna put out her forehoove and punched at Nightmare.

She deflected the first blow, then backhoofed Luna in the face. Luna was sent sprawling back to the snow. Nightmare laughed.

"I know you have more than that. Let the anger in Luna. Let it consume you."

Luna got up, glaring at her corrupted self.

And she followed her advice. She let the rage flow through her, sending a rush of adrenaline through her system.

She charged forward and bucked the night demon in the stomach. She followed that up with a punch to the chest, then a kick to the side of the head.

She winced as her hoof came back down, having struck Nightmare's metal helmet.

"Impressive. You're utilizing your anger. Wonderful. Now learn little one." Nightmare attacked.

But Luna wasn't done. She put up her hoof and deflected the night demon's kick. Then another deflection. A third. Nightmare looked frustrated.

Luna smirked at her frustration.

Celestia continued fighting off the remainder of the horde. Her own royal forces were getting slaughtered. With Porthos's death, the royal guard lacked organization. Shining Armor was the only semblance of a commander now, but still the soldiers continued to fall.

Celestia looked for Luna. Her eyes widened when she saw her.

She and Nightmare Moon continued to exchange blows right in the center of the battlefield. All around them, soldiers from both sides fell dead to the ground. But neither seemed to notice. They were locked in, both focusing solely on defeating the other.

Luna locked horns with Nightmare. She looked into her eyes.

"You cost me one thousand years of life."

"Did I?" Nightmare asked. "As I recall, you were the one who felt underappreciated."

"It was an eternity!" Luna shouted, swiping wildly at Nightmare, and missing badly.

"You don't think I know this? I was exiled with you! Every agonizing moment, I was there!"

Nightmare swung a hoof at the small alicorn. Luna dove out of the way, falling into the snow.

"Such a coward. Even when I was but a harmless spirit, you feared my mere presence! You will never be anything but a cowardly little foal!"

Luna got up and charged. She tackled the night demon into the snow. The two rolled around in it, still exchanging blows. Luna was at a disadvantage. She had no armor. Nightmare Moon did. While many of Luna's blows simply hit armor, every blow from Nightmare drew blood.

Luna stood up and grabbed Nightmare's chest plate. Nightmare turned to cloud. Luna looked around, confused at the misdirection.

There was silence as the cloud creeped around her.

"Hah! You fall for your own trick!" Nightmare shouted, delivering a hard kick from behind. Luna went face first into the snow.

She lay there for a moment, contemplating whether it was worth getting up. The fear was still coursing through her, clashing with the rage. She wondered whether this creature would actually be willing to kill her.

"You know, I am merely attempting to carry out thine own dream." Nightmare pointed out.

Luna lifted her head from the snow, not wishing to respond.

"Tis only a fool who stands in the way of their own dream." Nightmare sneered.

"It was...the dream of a naive, self obsessed fool." Luna replied.

Nightmare did not seem to like being referred to in this way. She kicked Luna in her side, sending the night princess stumbling back into the snow with a yelp.

Luna lifted herself up, and turned to face her attacker. Nightmare watched her patiently.

"Why must we fight, Luna? This is a shared dream. We should both have a hoof in it's completion. How many ponies get the chance to make their dream's a reality?"

Luna glared ferociously at her alter ego.

"You should be by my side Luna. Come. Together we will meet our destiny. We will prove who the stronger sister is. Mother and father will be so proud..."

"MOTHER AND FATHER HATE US!!" Luna shouted. She charged at the night demon again. Both her hooves came up to strike her. Nightmare put up her hooves and they stood there, hoof pressed against hoof, each trying to overpower the other as they stared into each other's eyes.

The bloody blade shot out of Nightmare's armor yet again. She held it there, lining it up with Luna's chest.

"I do not wish to kill you, Luna. I truly do not." Nightmare said gently.

Luna gritted her teeth. "No more. I shall listen to no more of thine lies."

Nightmare stood there a moment. Luna could feel herself being overpowered. She could feel her muscles giving way to the strain. She waited for Nightmare to drive the bloody spike through her, to end her disappointing life. She closed her eyes, waiting for the end.

The end did not come.

She opened a single eye.

Nightmare Moon stood there. Her eyes seemed empty. She closed them.

"I refuse to kill you Luna. My fight is with Celestia, not with you..."

And then it hit Luna square in the face. Nightmare could hurt her. But that was all.

"You...you cannot kill me can you? We are still connected, aren't we?"

Nightmare did not respond. Luna's mouth gaped. Her silence had spoken for her.

Nightmare's face hardened again. "Enough of this." She turned her head. Celestia stood before her, battling the savage demons.

Nightmare powered up her horn. A fiendish grin spread across her features. "She dies now."

Luna looked at the blade extended from her hoof. She grimaced as she realized what had to be done.

"Celestia!" Nightmare Moon shouted.

Celestia turned to see the horn aimed directly at her chest.

"NO!" Luna shouted. She grabbed Nightmare's armored hoof, then, with minimal hesitation, drove the blade into her own chest.

There was a moment of silence. Then the shock wore off, and Luna felt the cold object that had slipped through her lung.

Celestia frowned at first, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Then Luna began to let out moans of pain.

"Luna. Luna...what have you done?"

Nightmare stood there for a moment, a look of pain written on her face. Luna managed a smirk.

"Equestria...will not be yours Nightmare."

Nightmare grasped her own chest. She looked at Luna, wide eyed. "You...you didn't..."

Suddenly, she began laughing. She removed the hoof from her own chest. Then she leaned down, and whispered in the confused Luna's ear.

"Always so gullible Luna. The moment I entered the fountain, our connection was broken."

Luna looked up at her, and realized with horror, the reality of her words.

She slowly shook her head. "No...no no no no no..."

Nightmare sighed. "A foal's life. A foal's death. I'm disappointed. Goodbye Luna."

She roughly drew the blade out of Luna's chest, causing almost twice as much pain.

Luna collapsed to the snow, pressing her hoof against her chest in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding. The pain was so extreme, it brought tears to the alicorn's eyes.

Celestia could not believe her eyes.

There knelt Luna, desperately holding her chest together. Nightmare strode away, powering up her horn as she prepared to raise the moon, and complete her plan.

Celestia charged over to her, her heart pounding. "LUNA!"

Luna looked at her, pain written on her face. She could taste blood in her mouth. She spit, splattering the snow an ugly red.

The demon soldiers took the opportunity to grab hold of the distracted royal guards.

In one swift domino effect, Nightmare had taken the upper hoof.

Celestia knelt down and grabbed a hold of her sister. The demons stepped forward. Nightmare put up her hoof. Even with all the evil and cruelty in her heart, she knew this was no way to kill Celestia. She had to allow the 'tyrant' to mourn.

"Luna. Luna no. Look at me." Celestia said desperately. "What is wrong with you? What have you done to yourself?"

"I thought I could fix this...I was so wrong, big sister...forgive me..."

Celestia pressed her forehead against Luna's. "Luna, you didn't need to fix a thing! I forgave you a long time ago."

Luna looked up at her, finding little to no comfort in these words. "Tia, about what happened in the forest..."

Celestia could see the fear in her sister's eyes. She was dying. And even the strongest creatures could succumb to fear of death, Celestia knew this all too well.

Celestia wrapped her arms around the alicorn lovingly. "No...shh. No more apologizing Luna. You never did anything wrong..."

Luna nodded weakly. "Yes I did...Nightmare..."

"No. It was my fault Luna. I was ignorant towards you. I didn't see what you were becoming. I should've...taken more time for you. Had I known how limited our time together would have been, I would never have sent you..."

Luna shook her head. "No...don't...don't do that...you did...what you had to..."

Celestia clutched the dying alicorn close. She looked up at the sky, then at Nightmare Moon, as she began the process of raising her moon. Celestia was finding it hard to care.

She looked down at Luna. "I love you Luna. I love you so much. I know it hasn't felt that way since your return but I do, okay?"

Luna looked up at her sister's crying face. And she realized how long it had been since she'd heard these words from her sister. She buried her head in Celestia's chest, finding comfort even now in her greatly pained state.

"I love you too sister."

Tears flooded down the great ruler's muzzle now. "And after a thousand years of you being gone, I can't live through another day without you..." She trailed off, the tears getting in the way.

Luna nodded. "Yes you...you can Tia. You were always...the strongest." She stared off into the distance, already feeling death grabbing a firm hold of her.

Shining Armor turned to Sidewinder. He could feel the spear of the demon digging into his back. He threw Sidewinder a wink.

Sidewinder nodded, then turned and beheaded the demon with a firm chop of his hoof. Shining Armor pulled out a concealed sword and jammed it into the ribs of the creature. The other guards turned and dispatched their captors as well. The remaining demons charged them. Nightmare Moon continued working, the great white orb coming into view now.

And now the sisters were alone. The battle had moved down to the other end of the mountaintop.

"Go." Luna said weakly. "Now is your...chance dear sister. Nightmare Moon is distracted. Leave me here, I'm not but...but dead weight."

Celestia looked down at her and slowly shook her head. "No Luna. I promised I'd never leave you. And I've already broken that promise one too many times." She looked around, then back at Luna, realizing how rapidly she was fading. She needed to keep her talking.

"Do you remember the night I made you that promise?"

Luna smiled. "I remember." Her thoughts drifted back to her foalhood. And to all the silly things she and her sister had done together after their parent's departure. All the good times they had had while Luna slowly grew up.

"Tia?"

"Yeah?" Celestia asked.

Luna coughed up some blood on Celestia's coat. Celestia seemed not to notice. Or to care.

"You were the best...big sister ever."

Celestia chuckled, as she searched for some words of comfort to reply with. She smiled as she found some.

"You were a pretty good Princess Lunestia."

Luna managed a laugh, despite the pain it caused.

"Please sister. I was the BEST Princess Lunestia."

Celestia could feel the life leaving her sister. She could hear every breath becoming more and more labored.

She looked around in desperation for something that could bring Luna some peace. Some comfortable place to lay down. A comfortable place to die.

Instead, all she saw was the fountain. And an idea popped into her head.

She began dragging Luna towards the frozen fountain.

"Hang in there just a bit longer Luna. I have an idea."

Comments

[King Sombrony]

No Luna. Don't leave us

[Dan50]

NO NOT LULU!!!

[Mecha G]

Wait, the fountain ...