Mirage

by 1pony4all

Prologue

“Go away...”

Princess Luna was walking down one of the many hallways that filled her and her sister's castle in Canturlot, a rather annoyed look on her face. She had just raised the moon and bid good night to her sister, Princess Celestia.

“But dear Luna, don't you see?”

“There is nothing to see, I'm talking to myself...” Luna looked around again in vein. The voice was coming from her own head. She turned a corner and walked towards the ballroom. The halls in the castle were dimly lit, Luna had been using her magic every night to light the castle lanterns with a pale, white light, much like the moon's own. She never figured it would bother anypony since they were all sleeping, save for the night guards and her small staff of cooks.

“If you are talking to yourself, then why don't you show yourself a little respect and listen to what you have to say.”

“This is ludicrous...” Luna sighed. The voice in her head had been bothering her for a few weeks now, ever since the Grand Galloping Gala. At first is distressed her so much that she feigned illness to avoid going to the Gala, but she had gotten used to it by now, and was even getting the hang of suppressing it, until tonight anyway.

“What is ludicrous is the fact that you deny yourself what you want.”

“And I suppose you know exactly what I want?” Luna rolled her eyes to herself and tried to block the voice out again. She rounded yet another corner and found herself at the entrance to the ballroom. It was dimly lit by the full moon that had just barely risen from the horizon. All of the tables and chairs from the Gala had been packed into storage for use at the next big event in the castle. The empty room was enormous when there was nopony around, it was the perfect place for Luna right now.

Spreading her wings, the Small, dark blue alicorn took off into the air, flying to the top of one of the dozens of pillars that held up the upper level of the ballroom. Quickly finding a ledge to perch herself on, she turned and faced the moon, her moon.

“You're the only one...”

“Perhaps you didn't pick up on my sarcasm last time.” There was a hint of anger in Luna's voice, “Let me spell it out for you: Whatever you are, you live in my head, you WILL listen to me, now be quiet.”

Luna repositioned herself on the ledge to gain a more comfortable stance, and then, softly, she began to sing. She sang to her moon, she sang of it's beauty, of it's grace. Luna sang out her soul for her moon. The stars in the night sky seemed to respond to her singing, twinkling in unison to her inflections, dancing with her rhythms. Even the moon itself seemed to move with her voice. Princess Luna and her moon were dancing.

Slowly, Luna flapped her wings and rose into the air, gently, every move deliberate, careful, planed according to her melody. As she conducted the sky full of her performers, she to became part of the show. Spinning, twirling and soaring throughout the ballroom , Luna was on stage in front of all Equestria. Her singing grew louder without her noticing, she lost herself in the song. She didn't care if anypony saw her now. She was with her night, and her night was with her. Together they danced for hours.

Finally, little Luna was exhausted, her wings were numb from keeping her aloft for so long, her thought sore from singing. She gently landed on the ballroom's red carpet and looked at her moon again. It was much higher in the sky now, it must have been close to midnight. She smiled to herself, the moon was happy, she could feel it in her heart.

Suddenly, she heard hoof clops coming from behind her. Somepony was applauding her.

“Dear Princess Luna, that was truly breathtaking.” It was the voice again, but something was different, it wasn't coming from inside her head anymore.

“Who's there!? Show yourself!” Luna spun around to the source of the cloping. She saw nothing.

“It's quite a shame nopony saw you but me.” It was behind her again, from near the large window in the back of the room.

Luna spun around again, her horn glowing a deep blue as she prepared to defend herself, “Guards! There is an intruder in the castle!” She cried, but when she looked at the window, there was nothing there again.

Two of the castle's Pegasus guards crashed through the door and quickly came alongside the Princess, ready to defend her with their lives.

“Princess, are you all right?” One of the guards exclaimed.

“Where is the intruder?” The other guard asked, looking around the room.

“I-I...” Luna wasn't sure what to say, “I... I must be more tired than I thought.” She said sheepishly. She looked at the window again, still nothing.

“As long as you are safe Princess.” One of the guards reassured her, “We will double our patrols tonight, just to be sure.”

“Thank you.” Luna smiled weakly. The guards turned and headed back to their posts. Luna decided to head back to her room.

Walking through the dimly lit corridors again, Luna allowed her mind to wander a bit. She thought about her dancing. She had done it every night since she had started to live at the castle. At first, it was because she was happy to be back with her sister, back with her people. Slowly, though, she began to dance for the sake of the night. While she was... away, Her sister had taken the responsibilities of raising both the sun and the moon, but she never learned about the night, about it's subtleties, about it's wants and desires. She had neglected the night...

“No no no!” Luna cursed herself for allowing her to think that way, “Celestia couldn't possibly have been able to find the time for such things. She had a kingdom to rule, and I...”

“And you were locked inside of your own creation.” Again, the voice was back, and again it was outside of her head.

Luna was suddenly overcome with fear. She dashed straight toward her room as fast as her legs would take her. She had recognized the voice this time, she'd never thought too much about it before, thinking it was some kind of Post Traumatic Stress, but now she knew what it was.

Luna rounded the last corner, she could see the door to her bedroom. Using her magic, she threw open the door from afar and dove in, slamming and locking the door behind her as she landed on her bed. The voice was her's. It was her's, but different. It was deeper, smoother, full of anger and hate. It was the voice of Night Mare Moon.

Luna quickly looked around her room, it was empty, save for her belongings. She breathed a sigh of frustration and relief. “I must be imagining things... She's gone... She's gone!” Luna yelled. Grabbing the closest pillow and stuffing her face into it, Luna cried.

Suddenly, the room grew cold, darkness swirled around the small alicorn, suddenly, Luna felt a hoof on her shoulder.

“Young Luna... why do you cry?” Night Mare Moon's voice was soothing, almost motherly.

“No no no no NO!” Luna dashed off of her bed and into a corner. “You're not real, you can't be real!” Luna looked up at Night Mare Moon, she was a shadow of her former self, once a large, black alicorn with a deep blue mane full of stars, she was now nothing more than a translucent silhouette save for the bright blue helmet necklace and shoes which were glowing and seemed as real as anything else. “The armor!? It was destroyed!”

“Hm, indeed, the armor was broken when those ponies used the Elements on us. Fortunately, those six ponies were not skilled enough to destroy me completely,” Night Mare took a few steps toward Luna, “they merely separated us from one another, encasing me in this armor. It took months, but I mustered the magic I could to repair it and to give myself this poor excuse of a body.”

Luna was shivering uncontrollably in the corner, to afraid to speak.

“Luna, why do you cower so? Do you not remember that we are the same? Do you not remember when I came to pull you out of that pit of despair over a thousand years ago?”

“N-no... I'm n-not you...” Memories flooded back to Luna, memories of the jealousy, the hate she felt so long ago. Memories of when she fought with her sister, memories that she would rather forget.

“We could be powerful again, we could rule the lands, rule the night!” Lightning cracked outside the castle walls. Night Mare stepped closer to Luna again, “We could make them love us.”

Something inside Luna lit up at that moment. She was loved, her sister had forgiven her, she had made friends with the locals in Canturlot. She had discovered people that do appreciate her night. She no longer had a reason to be Night Mare Moon, no reason to fear Night Mare Moon.

Princess Luna rose to her feet, “I don't need that kind of love. Things are different now, I don't need you!” She spat the words at Night Mare.

Night Mare laughed softly, “Well well, it seems you've changed quite a bit since our parting.” Luna looked her right in the eyes, no fear. “I tried to be polite about this young princess, but now you leave me with no choice.” Night Mare's armor began glowing brightly.

Suddenly, Luna felt something wrap around her legs and neck, something very heavy. “You'll find I've changed quite a bit as well my child.” Night Mare cackled as she lifted Luna into the air with the jet black chains that enveloped her body. “It was not an offer, your powers will be mine again, like it or not!”

“No! Let me go! Guards! Guards help!” Luna screamed in vein. Before she could even begin to muster a spell of her own, the two of them disappeared in a blinding flash of light.