Help Is Needed

by Supernova08

Delusion

“You seem… troubled,” the therapist said. The room was cozy, it was toasty and Luna felt like she was melting into the couch cushions. “What seems to be the problem?”

Luna hesitated for a moment. “Well… you see, there’s this voice in my head that I can’t seem to eliminate,” she said. Fidgeting her hooves in the air while she lied down in a more comfortable position.

The therapist paused thoughtfully. Their voice sounded feminine, but Luna couldn’t really tell. All her senses were muddled, buried beneath something she couldn’t quite identify. She could just barely make out the outline of the pegasus before her. Or were they a unicorn? Luna was too exhausted to care anyway. She was so tired she could barely see straight, let alone think straight.

“A voice you say? When did this first start?” the therapist asked. Luna could hear the muffled sound of scribbling on a notepad.

“Well let’s see… hmm…” Luna put a hoof to her chin, trying to reach the depths of her mind for a distant memory. The experience she got in return was like searching through a thick, heavy fog. “Odd, I can’t remember. Everything is hazy and hard to understand.”

“That’s ok, it simply means you’ve had this voice for a long time,” the therapist replied. They walked over and gently, ever so gently, patted Luna on the head. Even with a better view of the pony, Luna still couldn’t make out any defining features. “So, what does this voice say?”

Luna tried her best to remember what she could. “Well, for starters, it tells me what to do,” she said.

“Could you elaborate?”

“Um, for example, it will tell me where to go, what to eat, sometimes even what to say.”

“Does it ever reassure you that it’s your friend?”

“I beg your pardon?” Luna thought that was an odd question.

“Does it ever claim to be your friend?” the therapist repeated.

Luna mulled over this. “Yes,” Luna replied, “Yes it does. Funny enough, every time it does, I am comforted. I guess it… it gives me confidence to know it’s my friend.”

The therapist stayed silent for a moment. Luna could feel the amount of butterflies within her stomach growing.

She didn’t have to wait long, as the therapist soon broke the silence, “Interesting, this is surprisingly normal.” Luna’s eyes widened till they were double in size.

“W-what do you mean normal?” she replied frantically. Her thoughts bouncing like a ping pong in her brain. Somehow, her vision managed to swim around faster.

“Well it’s simple,” the therapist said in a calming voice. “You simply have self-esteem issues and this voice is helping you overcome them.” The therapist tapped their quill against their paper. “I think you should listen to whatever it says, it’s obviously trying to help you.”

“Huh?” Luna stammered out, “Self-esteem issues?” Luna could barely see it but the therapist nodded.

“Well I don’t blame you, with a sister as the sun princess, I would have issues as well,” said the therapist.

“Sister? I have a-“ the memory came rushing back, flashing, as if to say, “I’m here!” Luna gasped. “Oh! You mean Celestia?”

“Yes, you are spot on,” the therapist commended.

“What does Celestia have to do with my self-esteem issues?” Luna asked, pondering.

“You don’t remember? Hmm…” the therapist considered their options. “Aha! I’ve got an idea! Why don’t I just show you.” There was a bit of shuffling as the therapist searched for something. They soon lifted up what seemed to be a crystal object and handed it to Luna, who in turn took it in her hooves. The object was rectangle, flat, and cool to the touch.

“Tap it,” said the therapist.

Luna poked it. An image materialized brightly, making Luna recoil in shock. The familiar colors of greys and greens of the castle courtyard appeared before her. Strangely enough, while her surroundings stayed hazy, the image was crystal clear. Almost as if she were looking at something in the light while the rest was in shadow.

“How intriguing,” Luna said in wonder. There were three ponies in the image. Two alicorn fillies and one unicorn stallion. One alicorn was alabaster with pastel pink mane, while the other was a deep blue with a sky blue mane to match it. The unicorn on the other hand was a dark grey with a white beard and mane. He was wearing a navy blue robe and hat full of stars.

“Somehow, these ponies… they look familiar.” Luna examined the image with curiosity, running her hoof over the flat surface. “The memory eludes me for some reason.”

“That is understandable after everything you’ve gone through,” the therapist said, “Allow me to jog your memory, that is you and Celestia as fillies along with your mentor Starswirl the Bearded.”

Luna put on a thoughtful expression. The very memories were tugging at the back of her mind.

“Ah, I remember now, me and Celestia were preparing to become the rulers of Equestria. We were in charge of the heavens, Celestia the sun, me the moon and stars. I can’t remember much, but I remember us being very excited,” Luna said, smiling at the previously forgotten memory.

The therapist clapped their hooves together.“Correct, you were to become princess of the night, the rightful ruler of Equestria. You were destined for greatness you know. It’s a shame Celestia took that away from you.”

Luna was taken aback by the claim. “Huh? What do you mean? How?”

“Well, let’s start from the beginning. The object I’ve given you will tell that part for me,” the therapist replied. Luna turned her attention back to the contraption. The image began to move and the ponies could be seen performing actions.

Luna had never seen such a thing before and was in awe. “By the stars! How is it-“

The therapist cut her off. “Shh, just watch, it’ll all make sense eventually.”

Luna watched in awe as sound also began to play from the object. Birds chirping, the sound of the breeze rustling leaves.

“Now try not to get too upset as this might be aggravating,” said the therapist.

“Very well, I’ll take consideration of your words,” Luna said, once again focusing back on the moving image.

“Starswirl!” the little blue filly yelled in distress, “Tell Celestia to put me down!” She was suspended in a yellow magical bubble. The white alicorn was looking at her with distaste.

The unicorn stallion made his way over. “Celestia, put your sister down this instant,” he said in a stern voice.

“Ugh! Fine! I was only doing what you told me to anyway. Make a bubble you said, let her try to break out of it you said. It’s not my fault that she’s lagging in magic,” Celestia said in annoyance. She levitated the bubble slightly above the ground and dissolved it. High enough for the filly to fall but low enough that the filly was unable to catch air with her wings.

“Oof!” the filly fell to the ground with a thump.

“Celestia!” Starswirl scolded.

“What? I put her down like you said,” Celestia said in a mocking tone. “Now let’s go, I’m hungry and I think the castle cooks have something in store for us.” Celestia trotted towards the entrance of the castle. Starswirl waited up for Luna.

“Can you believe her?” Luna said, a frown on her face. “Just because I couldn’t break the bubble doesn’t mean I’m less than her!”

Starswirl looked at her with a neutral stare. “Well she does have a point Luna, at the rate your improving, you may never be as good as Celestia in magic,” he said. He moved past Luna to follow Celestia. Luna lowered her head and stared at the floor, tears threatened to escape.

“Well, what do they know? I’ll become the greatest mage Equestria has ever known! I’ll become even better than Celestia,” she announced. Luna turned around and ran towards the library.

Luna blinked, returning to the present. What did she just watch? Why had everypony been so mean to her?

“Shocking is it not?” the therapist asked, breaking her out of her daze. “This isn’t the only time they’ve downplayed you, you know.” Luna stayed silent, contemplating. “After that incident you studied and studied. Going several days without sleep.” The object showed the younger version of Luna reading several tomes. “Eventually, it all payed off. You were more powerful than your sister. But what did everypony do? Did they praise you as they did your sister when it came to magical feats? No, they did not.” The image showed Luna alone performing a complex illusion; meanwhile Celestia was performing a simple light spell and was surrounded by praise and ponies of every kind.

“But why?” Luna asked.

“Who knows? Perhaps it was because your sister was more likable or perhaps it was simply another side effect of ponies being afraid of you,” the therapist said.

“Ponies were afraid of me?” Luna tilted her head to the side.

“Indeed they were. Of course, ponies also feared Celestia, but not in the same way,” the therapist explained, “Here, on the crystal it’ll show you a scene from the day court.” The image changed to an image of a regal solar alicorn talking to awed and enamored subjects while sitting on a golden throne. The image then twisted to the night court, shrouded in shadow but lit up by comforting soft moonlight. The alicorn here was regal as well, but the subjects before her were cowering in fear.

“Was I really feared while my sister was loved?” Luna questioned, a sorrow look in her eyes.

“Yes, it truly was unfortunate, nopony wished to be your friend. Not one reached out, and when you tried to yourself, well… you received quite the rejection,” the therapist said in a sympathetic voice. The image cut to a distraught Luna weeping. It brought an ache to the present Luna’s heart.

“Did I ever go to my sister? What did she say?”

“Your sister did nothing, she brushed you off, telling you to wait, telling you ponies would recognize you eventually,” the therapist spat, clearly angry. “Worse yet, your beautiful nights were never admired, how much work you put into them! All of it was disregarded.”

“Was it…was it really that bad?” Luna asked, taking in a sharp breath.

“Indeed it was, you wept and wept for years.” The therapist paused. “However, things did make a change at some point.”

“Really?” Luna asked with hope in her voice.

“Yes, a friend reached out, a friend that you could keep all to yourself.” The therapist seemed to be excited as their voice grew to a slightly higher pitch. “The voice in your head? It’s real. This voice gave you a new form, more power, enough power to give your sister what she deserved.” The therapist chuckled. As quickly as lightning strikes the therapists tone changed. “But do you know what Celestia did when she found your new form? She banished you to the moon! Her own sister to the moon!” the therapist shouted.

“What!? She banished me?” Luna had tears forming in the corners of her eyes. “Why would she do that?”

“Most likely so she could rule Equestria all by herself, no sister? No problem, it simply means more power and control.” The therapist calmed themselves and sighed. “It’s going to be ok, your friend that speaks in your head will care deeply for you and give you company.”

Luna took a couple deep breaths for herself.“So your saying the voice that’s in my head…is a friend?” Luna asked, surprised by the claim.

“Yes, my little Luna, that’s what I’ve been trying to say, now, do you trust me?” The therapist grabbed hold of Luna’s hoof.

Luna considered her answer. What else could she really do? She didn’t remember anything and this therapist was at least willing to tell her information, not to mention they had left her unharmed. Luna decided that it was ok to trust this pony.

“Yes, I do,” Luna replied confidently.

“Good, very good,” the therapist hissed the words out. “I think you are ready then my dear.” Luna was suddenly hit with a sudden nausea, her head ached, and her muscles went limp. The crystal rectangle dropped from her grasp and shattered on the floor. It felt like her head was going to explode; torrent after torrent of memories came flooding back as Luna relived each emotion, each sensation, over and over again. When it finally subsided, Luna laid still to recover from her pounding headache. She remembered everything, although some things still seemed to be missing, she still had enough to remember each and every event in her life. That included the painful memories as well.

Luna looked up to find her vision clear once again. She looked at the therapist. Staring back at her was a jet black alicorn, she had leathery wings, a wildly starry mane, and two wonderful teal slit eyes.

“Welcome back my friend,” Nightmare Moon said in a sweet voice, “Though I may not be a therapist, I do believe a friend can stand in as one occasionally; am I correct?”

Luna chuckled. “Certainly, while this whole experience has been confusing, I do believe I should thank you for helping me recover my memory anyway,” she said, “How did I lose it?”

“Oh, I thought the keeper of dreams would have noticed by now,” Nightmare Moon teased.

Luna pinched herself. There was no pain. “Of course it’s a dream!” Luna groaned at her blunder of overlooking the oddness of her surroundings. She was supposed to be on the moon anyway. “So… how long until we can get back to Equestria?”

“Oh, I already have a plan.” Nightmare Moon grinned evilly.

“Really?” Luna asked, stunned.

“Really. Take a look at the diagram I was creating.” Nightmare Moon showed Luna the diagram she had been scribbling on the notepad. It showed the stars creating a path towards Equestria. “Our lovely stars are helping us escape, they have created a bridge for us.” Nightmare Moon clapped her hooves together a new bounce in her step. “Now then, it is time for Celestia to pay for what she has done to you, wake up and let us get started.”

“After everything we’ve been through I think we deserve the title of sole ruler of Equestria,” Luna said enthusiastically, “Everypony will be so excited to see their beloved ruler return! I can’t wait.” Luna collapsed the dream before her, regaining her senses as she woke up lying on her desolate prison.

Dusting off her coat, she made her way towards a shining bridge of light and stardust. A new future awaited her and she wasn’t going to pass this opportunity.

Soon, very soon, she would feel their love once again

Author's Note:

Wow, random idea I had and decided to write it. Hope you enjoyed it.

Also any ideas for the tags?

Comments

[True Edge]

Have to say, I, too, feel that tags are super overrated. I mean, who *actually* needs to know what a story is before reading it?

[TheAncientPolitzanian]

11214276
If you scroll down to the story's Author's Note, you'll find that the author is aware of the problem, but is completely stumped as to how to tag the story.

Honestly, I'm not entirely sure how to classify this myself. Sad? Drama?

EDIT: a Drama tag has since been added. If that was a problem, consider it solved.

[Runic Ebony]

Love the story!
Though I was worried at first if Luna had some horrible trauma (Which she kinda does have) and her mind was in a weird place but thank god its only our resident Nightmare Moon.

[Doctor_Den]

given that backstory, I'd like to see a proper sequel, because given that backstory, canon would not be fair to Luna.

[new55]

That was a good story.