Luna Rising

by AstonMartinLover

A Dark Angel

Chapter 13: A Dark Angel

The chariot glided smoothly through the air as Canterlot came back into view.

The mood inside the cabin was surprisingly light. Luna was staring at Canterlot through the window, a wave of relief rushing over her.

Celestia was watching her, also relieved. The last day had been a great test for both of them. It had been many centuries since they had last fought together against a hostile armor.

And seeing Luna, now close to fully grown, lifted a weight off of Celestia's shoulders. She was now relieved of the guilt of stunting Luna's growth with her thousand year banishment.

They approached the castle to find quite a ruckus.

A swarm of ponies were gathered outside the castle gates. Celestia did not need to hear their chants to know what they wanted. They wanted Luna's head.

"You might not want to look out that..."

Of course, Luna was already watching the crowd quite intently. Celestia winced.

"Oh glorious. I believe I can see my own firing squad, Tia." Luna said lethargically. Even with her new, stronger body, her energy was depleted. Celestia knew that nightfall was less than an hour away.

"Do not worry about them sister." She said gently.

"So, are we going straight to the dungeons, or the trial?" Luna asked, her eyes drooping.

Celestia sighed. "You used to be so much more fun, dear sister."

Luna frowned. "Fun? You know, some day you will have to teach me all the words thy society has created in the thousand years I was gone."

Celestia smirked. "Where's the fun in that?"

Luna glared at her, frustrated. But she was far too tired to get into it with her sister now. The chariot came to a halt in the hanger next to the armory.

The battered soldiers tumbled out, Shining Armor looking triumphant, if bittersweet about the whole affair. He very nonchalantly lifted the body of his mentor, Porthos, over his massive shoulder.

"Sleep well, my friend." He said softly, as he lay the old soldier on the ground and brought a blanket up over his head. Luna watched, her ears flat against her head. Shining Armor stared at the covered body for a few moments before looking up at Luna. Luna shied away from his eye contact.

"Forgive us, dear soldier. We...we would like to apologize. All that we've..."

Shining Armor raised a hoof. "Please. Just...stop. With all due respect milady, the fact that you are alive, it...it means his death meant something. Please just...don't talk that away. Let him keep his honor, please."

A thousand years ago, Luna might have imprisoned a soldier for speaking to her in such a way. But she had been a different ruler then. A jealous schemer, on the very edge of madness.

So she simply nodded. She opened her mouth to say more, then awkwardly trotted away, leaving the other soldiers to mourn their fallen commander.

Celestia led Luna through the halls of the palace. Luna relished in the warmth, the cleanliness of it all. The forest had been daunting for more reasons than just the demonic spirit plaguing her thoughts. Even with her love for it, the cold had been simply too extreme.

"So, what dark, dank hole shall I sleep in tonight? Or am I going back to the moon?" Luna asked.

Celestia giggled, until she realized how serious her sister looked.

"Neither. My bedroom. Must you be so dark and grim all the time? Your project for the next month is to lighten up. Considerably."

Luna tried to process everything her sister had said, but could make no sense of it, in her sleep deprived state.

"Right. Wait. Thy bedroom? Not mine?"

Celestia chuckled. "Your bedroom is quite uninhabitable. It's under almost a foot of snow, and we haven't even fixed the window yet. Although, you always have been a fan of snow..."

Luna quickly shook her head. "I've decided to take a break from snow. Indefinitely."

Celestia trotted off towards her room. She gestured for Luna to follow.

It was like stepping back in time. The palace had changed, but little else. Two sisters, exhausted from a full day propping up a nation, ready for sleep.

Luna trotted to the bed and promptly collapsed. She then grabbed every blanket on the bed and wrapped them around herself.

Celestia cleared her throat. "Do you wish to sleep on the floor?"

Luna groaned, then threw the blankets at Celestia. They were seized by the sun princess's magic in midair, and flung over the head of the blue alicorn.

"Very mature Tia." Luna grumbled, her head popping out from under the covers.

Celestia slid into the bed. "You started it."

There was a silence. Luna found great solace in it. No more voices telling her what to do, no more spirits stalking her, tormenting her. Just silence and a cool breeze.

Celestia watched her sister, absorbed in such deep thought.

"Luna? Is something the matter?"

Luna let out a long sigh. "No. Nothing."

"Luna, I know you far too well. I thought we were going to trust each other now?"

The night alicorn closed her eyes and tried to see how she could put her troubling thoughts into words.

She was formulating a question, but she knew it was one Celestia would be quite troubled by. An ages old question. So instead she looked around the room for something else worth discussing.

She noticed Celestia had already raised the moon. The stars were up with it.

Luna frowned and pointed to them. "Celestia, do you look at the sky when you place the stars?"

Celestia got up, eyebrow raised. "Yes."

"And you did it the same way, every night while I was gone?"

Celestia shrugged. "I tried."

Luna sighed. "Well sister, not to be a bother, but the Cygnus constellation must be much closer to the Cepheus. The Ursa Minor goes above the Draco. And where is the Lyra constellation? Didst thou forget it?"

Celestia frowned. "What?"

Luna ignored her. "Ah there it is. Next to Cassiopeia. Tis a mystery why. It goes above the Cygnus..."

Celestia smiled. "Admittedly, I know little to nothing of the stars."

"Clearly." Luna remarked. Celestia sighed and lay herself down, pulling the covers up to stay warm against the nights chill.

"Perhaps you can teach me one day."

Luna's ears perked up. She turned to face her sister.

"You wish for...me? To teach you?"

Celestia was amused at how alien an expression her sister was showing her now.

"Sure. You know far more about it than I, clearly."

Luna laid down on her side of the bed. "Well...that would be a change. You've taught me so much in thy lifetime. I'm...not sure I'd be a very good teacher."

Celestia had already fallen asleep. Luna sighed. Exhaustion from a full day of battling. "Perhaps we will discuss it more tomorrow morning."

She closed her eyes, and rather quickly, slipped into sleep.

"Did you not think I would return? Did you think you could simply destroy me? Did you not think me immortal?"

Luna snapped awake. She was sweating profusely.

"NOOOOO!" The royal canterlot voice was loud enough to wake everyone in the city. She was amazed that the sturdy windows had resisted to urge to shatter.

"What?!" Celestia shouted, her hooves clapped over her ears. "What is the matter?!"

Luna sat up in bed and buried her head in her hooves. She muttered something inaudible.

"What?" Celestia asked, slowly approaching her wounded sister.

"I have not beaten her!" Luna declared, her voice wracked with grief and fear. "She's...She's still in there. She still speaks to me..."

Celestia wrapped her forelegs around her shaking sister. "It's okay. Shh. Shh, come now, we can deal with this..."

"No! Don't you see? The battle? All those casualties? For nothing!"

Celestia shook her head. "They were not for nothing. You saved us. You saved Equestria. You stopped her from completing her plan. You gave us your best."

Luna looked up at Celestia, her breathing heavy. "But I did not defeat her. I...I must be locked away. For the good of our subjects. I am a danger to this kingdom..."

"No." Celestia said sternly, clutching Luna against her chest. "No. Not again. Never again."

Luna felt the tears seeping down her face. "You must..."

"I can't. Luna, it weighs down on me every day, the fact that I sent you to that purgatory for a thousand years. Can't you see how much it has aged me? How much I have changed since we last met? We are supposed to be ageless. Yet the trauma of your absence aged me well beyond my years."

Luna was silent, absorbing her sister's words.

"Now I don't know how we will handle this, but we'll find a way. We must. Because I already told you on that mountaintop, I will NOT lose you again."

Luna nodded soundlessly. "O-Okay."

Celestia lay back on the bed. Luna plopped down next to her, forcing her new, wavy mane under her head, where she hoped it would lay still.

Celestia looked over and saw the fear wracking her features. She sighed.

"Come here sister." She spread her forelegs wide.

Luna frowned. "What?"

Celestia gestured. "Come here."

All those years ago. Luna would become so afraid over things ranging from the sudden departure of their parents, to trivial things such as thunderstorms. And Celestia had always been able to quell those fears. Perhaps she still could.

Luna edged over and hesitantly dug her head into her sister's chest. Celestia wrapped her forelegs around her, pulling the not-so-little alicorn into a warm embrace.

"You don't have to fight her alone anymore." Celestia said gently.

And for the first time in a thousand years, the fear truly went away.

"Tia?"

"Yes Luna?"

"I...I think I shall be alright. Perhaps...I can learn from my mistakes the first time. She will be easier to contain now. She's weaker, I can feel it."

This brought a smile to Celestia's face. "Okay. But if you ever feel she's out of control again, come to me. I can help you."

The sisters lay there together for only a few more minutes, before exhaustion took over and they finally slept again.

Luna remained in bed as the sun washed over the room. Celestia was already preparing today's speech. The throng of protestors outside the palace had to be satisfied.

"What dost thou plan on telling them?" Luna asked, rising from the bed.

Celestia sighed. "I honestly don't know. But I want you there with me."

Luna arched an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I kinda wrote you a speech." She noted the look of alarm that appeared on Luna's face. "But you don't have to read it if you don't want to."

"Oh thank you sister. So...where should I go?"

Celestia's face tightened up as she thought. "Well the Equestrian Justice Department is ready to arrest you. So...just stick to the shadows. But stay close to me, alright?"

The crowd was gathered outside the gates. The royal guard assembled itself around a hastily assembled podium, which bore a new crest. Half of it was composed of Celestia's sun, the other half of Luna's moon.

As Celestia trotted out into the daylight, she turned and whispered something to her sister. Luna nodded, then closed her eyes. She formed into a blue cloud, and floated into the shadows, away from prying eyes.

The crowd began chanting as Celestia approached.

"TO THE MOON! TO THE MOON!" They chanted, hatred in their eyes. Celestia knew the hatred was not for her.

"So unfair." She said under her breath. The truth was, by sending Luna to the moon for a thousand years, she had made her even more of a monster in their minds. She had taken on the form of a storybook villain. And these ponies had been told stories of Nightmare Moon's cruelty, and her severe punishment, from foalhood.

Celestia took note of the Equestrian Justice Department officers, in uniform, standing extremely close to the podium.

Celestia put up a hoof patiently. In a sign of respect reserved only for the most beloved of leaders, the crowd went silent almost instantly.

"Good morning my little ponies. I have come to believe that the hostility level toward my sister has increased quite a large amount in the past week."

This brought disgruntled murmuring from the crowd.

"First of all, I would like to say that any news stories regarding my sister were...GREATLY exaggerated."

This brought even more muttering from the crowd.

"I would also like to say, in an unrelated note, our royal guard engaged a hostile force yesterday..."

"Your highness, did that have anything to do with the mistimed raising of the moon yesterday?" A purplish-red unicorn asked.

Celestia sighed. "Yes, it did..."

"And was Ni...Princess Luna involved in that skirmish?"

Celestia took a deep breath. "No. She was not. She was recuperating from a...growth spurt."

Luna chuckled from the shadows as lie after lie was presented to the crowd.

"However, it is of great sorrow that I report, our captain of the guard, Porthos, was struck down in combat, along with fifteen other loyal soldiers. My best wishes go out to the families. And I am naming Shining Armor the new acting captain of the guard.."

"Is it true that Princess Luna has been relieved of her authority?" A journalist pony interrupted.

Celestia huffed silently, annoyed by the rudeness of her subject. "Yes. Indeed she has been."

"And is it true that an arrest warrant has been placed on her name?"

Celestia gritted her teeth. "You seem quite knowledgeable about the subject."

The journalist pony grinned at what he construed as approval from his princess.

The pony whose name was not important stepped in between the two officers from the Equestrian Justice Department.

"And just where is the ex-Princess?"

Celestia glared at him. They had met, and clashed before several times over the treatment of criminals in Equestria. Celestia had always been merciful towards law breakers, ever since the disastrous punishing of her sister. The unimportant pony had the opposite problem.

"She is recuperating." The sun princess replied.

"You said that. The question is, where?"

"Right here." A voice called out.

Celestia grimaced as Luna rematerialized behind her. The crowd erupted.

"What are you doing?" Celestia asked quietly.

"The shadows are boring." Luna replied in a very younger sibling tone of voice.

The pony whose name was not important raised his hoof. "Officers. Take her into custody."

The officers trotted toward her. Celestia put up a hoof. They stopped.

The tension seemed to be killing the crowd, for they had surprisingly gone dead silent.

"I guess, as long as she is not royalty, and merely an unprotected subject, legally there is nothing I can do to stop you." She turned to Luna and winced. "Sorry sister."

"Tis quite alright Celestia."

The officers resumed approaching the night princess. Celestia paused.

"Well...there is one thing I could do."

"What?" The pony whose name was not important snapped.

Shining Armor trotted towards the podium, his magic encompassing a large metal box. The officers had surrounded Luna now, ready to take her away. But they stopped to watch the situation unfold.

Celestia opened the box and smiled at the contents. The unimportant pony narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"However royalty is still beyond your authority." Celestia said. Her yellow aura surrounded the blue crown inside of the box and levitated it over the officers, before setting it gently on Luna's head.

"I hereby reinstate PRINCESS Luna."

Now the crowd made noise yet again. Cries of outrage rang out from the Canterlot citizens.

The officers backed away, then rejoined the fuming unimportant pony.

He frowned. "Well played your highness."

Celestia smiled cheerfully back at him. She turned to Luna. "Anything you'd like to say, Princess?"

Luna took a deep breath. She noticed the cards Celestia had been reading from, sitting on the podium. Next to them were darker colored cards. She trotted forward.

She summoned the cards in her magical aura and flipped through them. Blank.

"Tia. Why are my speech cards blank?"

"Luna, you never stick to the cards anyway. I don't see how it's a problem."

Luna looked at the angry throng of outraged subjects, and turned a little red from embarrassment, sweat pouring from her brow. Improvisation was not her specialty. But she was even worse at reading from cards. So in a way, her sister had been merciful.

"Well pray tell, what am I to say?" Luna hissed out of the edge of her mouth.

"Just go from the heart. It'll be better that way."

Luna sighed. She was not a strong speaker. She was a terrible speaker. The kind of speaker who took lots of awkward pauses, and who was sweating profusely a good hour before getting in front of a crowd. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach. Her sister patted her gently on the shoulder.

She prepared to speak. But the crowd noise was massive now, and the chants began again.

"TO THE MOON! TO THE MOON! TO THE MOON!"

Luna shrugged. "Well, I suggest you give them what they want Tia, I guess I cannot give a speech..."

She prepared to walk away. Celestia blocked her path with a force field spell.

"Oh no, young lady. You get back up there, and you give them something. Anything."

Luna groaned, then trotted back to the podium. She cleared her throat.

The chanting continued. Luna waited patiently. When it showed no signs of letting up, she came to a hasty decision.

"SILENCE!"

The eruption of the royal Canterlot voice caused windows on either side of the podium to shatter. Celestia put a hoof over her mouth, signaling a lowering of the volume.

Luna turned a little red. "Um...greetings everypony. Uh...we would just like to say..." She was sweating heavily now, as she looked over to Celestia.

Celestia cocked her head towards the crowd, beckoning Luna to go on.

"We would like to say...I would like to say that...I'm sorry."

The crowd remained silent. Celestia frowned. The dropping of the royal 'we.' That was new. She looked out upon the crowd, trying to gauge their reaction. It appeared to be genuine confusion.

Luna took a deep breath. "I know I should have...said that immediately upon...my return. And...well...I know that I have no right to ask you for thy trust. Especially after all that I've done, but...I...I wish for you all to know..."

The crowd all collectively seemed to hold their breath, waiting for more words from the creature of their nightmares, or at least for her to burst out into Nightmare Moon and light them all up.

"I never believed in change myself. I didn't believe that...anypony could change. But I stand before you all now and swear..."

She coughed, the anxiety getting to her as she delivered her words. "...to my mother and father, that I WILL change. I will devote every waking moment to...to redeeming thy once noble name." She sniffled, the emotions getting to her as the crwod remained silent.

:Take thy words as thou wishest. But I swear on this day, that I shalt work doubly hard to gain back the trust of every single one of you."

There was a silence as the crowd absorbed the night princesses words. Then a group in the very front of the crowd began stomping their hooves on the ground. Luna beamed.

Of course, moments later their applause was drowned out by intense boos, and restored chants of "TO THE MOON! TO THE MOON!"

But it mattered not, to Luna. That she had made anypony in this crowd a believer, much less a whole group, was a great victory.

All the same, her ears fell back and she curtly stepped away from the podium.

"Lost the royal 'we', sis?" Celestia asked. Luna shrugged in reply. Celestia looked at the crowd, the majority of which, looked outraged.

Luna let out a long sigh. "Well...I tried."

Celestia giggled. "There is still much to be done. Come here."

Luna frowned. "Why?"

"This may shut them up somewhat." Celestia embraced her sister in another bone crushing hug. Luna thanked the gods above that her evolved body was so much stronger. She still managed to hug her sister back, as she sank her head into Celestia's shoulder. The chanting stopped, though the boos continued at a lower intensity.

"You're still grounded though." Celestia whispered into Luna's ear.

This elicited a nervous chuckle from the younger sibling. Then, together with the royal guards, they trotted back through the gates, and into the palace.

One month later

Celestia walked with her sister through the darkening hallways of the palace. Luna had just raised the moon, and the stars had been carefully put into place with it.

And tonight, as embarrassing as it was to admit, was the first night since returning from her journey, that Luna would be sleeping alone. Her room had been repaired, and her fear of the creature possibly still inside her had dimmed.

"So, you don't wish to go on patrol tonight?" Celestia asked.

The sisters had been discussing returning to an old tradition of having Luna shift occasionally to nocturnal watch over Equestria. One sister to watch over the day, the other to watch over the night. But Luna was far too exhausted to do it today.

It had been her first day since returning that she had officially returned to duty. And my oh my, there was a lot of paperwork and legislation just waiting for her.

As they arrived at Luna's new, somewhat more spacious bedroom, Celestia looked up at the bright moon in the sky.

"Well, I'm sure your night guard can handle one more night of watch."

Another thing Celestia had granted Luna in the past month. A new breed of guards that had not been used since before Luna's banishment. Night guards, dark, somewhat intimidating looking pegasi with bat wings. A perfect match for the alicorn they now served.

Luna sighed as she took off her royal accoutrements and tucked herself into her bed.

"You need me to tell you a story?" Celestia asked, a teasing grin on her face.

"No." Luna snapped. She had been babied far too much since her return. Celestia would not let it go for a while. The fact that Luna had had to share a bed with her, to get over her dream world anxiety. The teasing had been just short of merciless. But what are big sisters for?

"How about a lullaby, eh wittle Woona?" Celestia teased again.

Luna buried her head in her covers. "Go away."

"Oh come now. That's no way to say goodnight."

"Goodnight then." Luna replied curtly.

Celestia sighed. "Before I go, I would like to remind you that Nightmare Night is coming up. You might want to make plans regarding that. I've heard the Ponyville celebration in particular is quite a treat..."

"Just what I need. A holiday built around thy failure." Luna moaned. Celestia gave her a look of exasperation. "Ugh. Very well then. I will attend. For you. Because I'm such a great little sister."

Celestia chuckled, then turned to leave. Luna watched her and suddenly remembered something. Something she wanted to ask. She felt ready to ask it again.

"Tia?"

Celestia stopped and turned. "Yes?"

"I...I would like to ask you something."

Celestia trotted towards her. "What?"

"Well...I know I've asked you this far too many times, sister. But I shall ask it only this one more time. I swear."

Celestia's face tightened, sensing the upcoming question.

"Tia...did mother and father leave because of me getting my cutie mark? Please...tell me the truth, I swear on their spirits, I will not inquire any further."

Celestia sighed. "Luna..."

Luna's eyes were pleading with her now. Celestia lowered her head. Now was the time to tell that ages old truth. That one that had been buried under fifteen hundred plus years of lies. The time to drop the hammer that she had relished dropping all those millenia ago.

"No Luna. That's my final answer. They left because they were needed elsewhere. A faraway planet, far from earth, was in chaos, and it's balance needed to be restored. They were called into service. That is why they left. It had nothing to do with us."

Luna let out a deep sigh, at first looking unconvinced. Then, a broad grin spread across her features, as though the weight of the world had been lifted off her shoulders.

"Thank you Tia. I shall keep thy word."

Celestia smiled, fully confident in her lie. Luna had so much on her conscience, even now as she was finally set on the road to redemption. She still didn't deserve the truth about mother and father. In fact, Celestia figured it best that Luna never discover the truth. For her own sake, as much as everypony else's.

She leaned over and kissed her sister on the head. "Sleep well Luna. It's an early start tomorrow." With that, the sun princess took her exit.

Luna tucked into her blankets and rolled over, a peaceful smile on her face. It remained there as she drifted off into sleep.

Luna opened her eyes. She was no longer in her bed. She looked around, confused as to her surroundings. The ground was white, and rocky. The air was cold. As she breathed in, she realized the air was not air at all.

She looked up at the darkness above her, hoping to everything holy that her moon would be up there, staring back down at her. It wasn't. The earth was.

"No. No...this can't be. No...NO!" She looked around in desperation for a way out.

"TIA! TIA HELP!" She shouted. Horrible thoughts flashed in her mind. Had it all been a dream? Was she still imprisoned on the moon? Was she still Nightmare Moon?

She looked down at her hooves. They bore no armor. Just her usual royal slippers. Her royal moon necklace was wrapped around her neck. Her coat was a dark blue, not black.

Her brow furrowed in confusion. She was not Nightmare Moon. But why was she ON the moon?

Had Celestia changed her mind? Decided the punishment must be more severe? No. Celestia would not do such a thing. Yet here she was.

"Tia?" She called, quieter now. "WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS CONFOUNDED PRISON?!" She called in the royal canterlot voice.

"To teach you, dear Luna." Celestia's voice called out. Luna turned to see her stern looking sister approaching. "To teach you that you cannot simply walk away. Not from what you were. You must be punished for your insolence."

Luna shook her head. "No. All was forgiven..."

"In the public eye, certainly. I must appear as a tolerant and loving leader. But make no mistake child. Your suffering is not over. It has only just begun."

Luna backed away as Celestia advanced. "No. No please..."

"Go ahead. Beg thou weak foal."

Luna stopped backtracking. Her expression hardened. She recognized those words.

"Thou art not my sister."

Celestia appeared shocked. "Of course I am..."

But Luna was already off. She charged forward and struck Celestia across the face. The alicorn was knocked back. She crashed into the moon's surface and let out a groan. Her white coat began to fade away.

"My sister loves me. Not even all of your treachery could change that." Luna declared.

The white coat turned to black. A significantly weaker looking Nightmare Moon looked back up at her.

"An idea is immortal, Luna. You may have destroyed my body, but my spirit remains in you. And I WILL return."

Luna frowned. "You said an idea cannot be destroyed?"

"Correct."

Luna shrugged. "It can still be ignored." She turned and trotted away.

Nightmare Moon struggled to her hooves. "I cannot be ignored forever! One day I will rise again!"

Luna turned around. She smiled proudly. "And I shall be waiting. To fight you, and defeat you once again. Rest well Nightmare."

Luna's eyes snapped open. A wave of relief rushed over her. It had indeed been a dream. She lifted herself out of bed and trotted out to her balcony.

There it was. Moon. In all it's glory. It took her little time to realize that there would be no more sleep for her tonight.

So she slid on her horseshoes, her necklace, and finally, her crown.

The night guard was out patrolling. One of them sat on the far end of her balcony, watching over the dark city.

She awkwardly tapped the guard on the shoulder.

The guard swiftly bowed. "What is troubling your highness tonight?"

Luna took a deep breath of her cool night air. "Call off thy soldiers. Tonight, I wish to patrol."

Celestia lay awake in her bedroom, unable to find sleep. Having two cups of coffee before bed often did this to her, though she had a short memory on the matter. And so she rolled around the bed, trying desperately to find a comfortable, worthy of sleep.

Though she would think such a thing childish to admit, she could really go for a Luna sized pillow to snuggle up with. But that time had passed. Little Woona was all grown up now.

She looked out the window, and caught sight of her sister on the balcony. The night princess was staring up at the moon. A night guard walked past her, back indoors.

Tonight was the night. Celestia got up and watched her, a proud smile on her face.

The night alicorn spread her mighty wings, and launched herself off of the balcony. She pumped her wings and began gliding over the city.

The darkness. Oh how she loved the darkness. She could see the lights from the city below, she could even see a few lights coming from the sleepy town of Ponyville, several miles away.

And some pony's walking in the street. They looked up to see the massive shadow that fluttered overhead. Her subjects.

And whether they knew it or not, the creature that they feared, and hated so, was watching over them all now.

It might take years before they accepted her. Maybe never. But for the first time since her return, Luna could shut all that out. Because it was her duty to.

She fluttered up to the top of Fancypants Towers, the tallest building in Canterlot. She perched herself and watched the city lights, wary for any threats, perfectly silhouetted against her beloved moon.

With new enemies forming in the west, shape shifters apparently, she knew her job was about to get a lot harder.

But she cared not. She was the guardian of the night. A dark angel. A dangerous force, not for evil, but for good.

And finally, after a thousand years of exile, she was truly home.

The End

http://images.wikia.com/thehungergames/images/6/6f/Princess_luna.png

Voice Cast

Princess Luna/Nightmare Moon: Tabitha St. Germain

Princess Celestia: Nicole Oliver

Porthos: Edward James Olmos

Shining Armor: Andrew Francis

Queen Ariadne: Meryl Streep

King Nightfire: Liam Neeson

Twilight Sparkle: Tara Strong

Rainbow Dash: Ashleigh Ball

Pony Whose Name is not Important: Some actor who is equally unimportant

Authors Notes: So yeah. First story i've written here that isn't about Rainbow Dash. Frankly, I think it could've been much worse, and I'm kinda proud of it. And yeah, I know including a cast list is cheesy, but I always try to think cinematically about stories like this. Sorry, it's just my style. So anyway, to anypony who followed this story to the end, thank you so much for your comments, your favorites, etc, they really kept me going. I hope to hear from you all again on later fics.

-AstonMartinlover

Comments

[Jphyper]

One error I'd like to point out. "Thy" means "you". Thou art using it as if it means "me" or "my".

[Dan50]

Great ending to a great story :D

[zero588]

Great story! An appropriate tale of our favorite night princess. I applaud your work.

[Nessos25]

Linds is right, it's a shame that your story is not appreciated, others less better stories coming in to the "feature box" and this not? That just makes no sense.

[pitter_patter]

This is without a doubt my favourite story on this site. It really does deserve more recognition.

[Smug Anime Girl]

Really good story, has some kinks, but it's still alright.

[Shadow_Quill]