A story about Luna's transformation into Nightmare Moon
The Legend of Nightmare Moon. Simple, right? Not for Princess Luna, who must bear the burden of her mistakes. Since her return, she has never been able to talk to anypony about the night she embraced her inner darkness. At least, not until a visit from Twilight Sparkle.
From misery, we have turned away Ignite the past, let the bridges burn. ~"Let the Bridges Burn" - Killswitch Engage
Princess Luna gazed out at the sunset over Canterlot, awaiting the arrival of her sister's pupil. She knew much about Twilight Sparkle, yet at the same time oh so little. The only reason she'd agreed to meet with the unicorn this evening was to get to know her a little better, and she admitted to herself that being able to talk to somepony intelligent other than Celestia about magic would be nice for a change. It was rare that she ever talked to anypony, save for the occasional guard. Night time was always so boring what with everypony being asleep, but being home was no comparison to the millennium she'd spent alone on the moon.
It was nearly seven o'clock now and Luna made her way to the library where she and Twilight had agreed to meet. The little unicorn sounded very excited in her letter when Luna had told her that she could see the raising of the moon. It wouldn't be long before her guest arrived. She made her way to the library and sat down in the middle of the large room, continuing to stare at the setting sun. It was long before she heard the clop of eager hooves on the marble floor and she turned to see Twilight Sparkle trotting in, her saddlebags filled with a variety of textbooks. Astronomy, magic, romance novels, cooking, all manner of instructional texts. Was it normal for everypony to consume such a wide variety of media?
"Princess Luna!" Twilight exclaimed. "I'm so happy you agreed to see me this evening."
"We are..." Luna stopped and shook her head, trying to rid herself of the old language. "I am delighted to see you again."
"Still trying to learn modern Equestrian, I see?"
"Yes. The adjustments are somewhat strange. We have...I have grown accustomed to speaking in the old ways."
"As long as I can understand you, it makes no difference to me, Princess."
The sun sank below the hills, painting the skies a orange that faded into a deep indigo. Luna rose from her spot and walked towards the window.
"Are you going to raise the moon?" asked the little unicorn excitedly.
"Yes, I am," the Princess replied sternly. Twilight set her bags down on the couch and stood beside her mentor's younger sibling, her eyes on Luna instead of the sky.
"This is unusual. I have never had an audience for the raising of the moon, save for Celestia on occasion."
"Just pretend I'm not here, Princess."
"Please," the midnight blue alicorn replied. "Call me Luna. We're friends, are we not?"
"If you say so, Princess."
Luna looked out at the sky until it had faded to a dark blue and the first few stars ventured from behind the clouds. She closed her eyes and let every muscle in her body relax. Her horn began to glow and she opened her eyes. Once aqua blue, her pupils were now a stone gray. Twilight watched the sky with interest as the moon rose across from the setting sun and climbed higher into the air, casting its light over the Princess. Her eyes returned to their original shade and she sat beside the lavender unicorn.
"That was amazing, Princess!" Twilight said.
"Yes," Luna replied in a dull tone. "Yes, it was."
Twilight was puzzled. "What's the matter?"
"When you do the same thing every night, it loses its special value and becomes no more than routine. A millennium and a half ago when I was but a filly, raising the moon was an amazing feat. Now it feels like nothing. Just one more thing I do every day as part of my ritual. Ask Celestia the same thing about raising the sun and she'll say the same."
"Is that why you became Nightmare Moon?" Twilight asked.
Luna's gaze shifted from the night sky to Twilight's violet eyes. "Why do you ask that?"
"Earlier this week I found a book on dark magic in the library and...well...I was wondering if you'd be able to tell me anything about it. I don't want to learn any spells from it, I just want to know what it's like."
The unicorn levitated an ancient black bound book to the princess. The phrase Cor Somnia was etched into the cover in red cursive letters. Luna felt her stomach tighten when she looked at the tome.
"It's all in Old Equestrian," Twilight began. "I can't read it, but maybe..."
"Cor Somnia," the Princess repeated. "It means 'Heart of Nightmares' and I'm all too familiar with that text. Please, remove it from my sight."
Twilight set it back in her bag and looked back at Luna, who had gone back to gazing out at the sky. That book, that cursed tome was responsible for her imprisonment and there was no way she'd let anypony suffer the same fate.
"You know about that book?" Twilight asked.
"That thing contains all sorts of strange and twisted magic. Death spells, curses, shapeshifting, empowerment, all of them requiring some sort of cost of the caster. Raising the sun and moon may be incredible feats of magic, Twilight, but none of them possess consequences as dire as what resides in that...thing."
"You used that book to become Nightmare Moon?"
"I was young, reckless, eager for power and attention. I didn't know that I would be selling my soul to obtain what I lusted after."
"Tell me about it."
Luna looked back to the unicorn. Nopony had ever asked about her past. She and Celestia had agreed to never speak of it after her return, but it always chewed her up inside. Perhaps this was how she could redeem herself? Stopping somepony from reaching a similar fate?
"Very well, Twilight Sparkle, I will tell you about how I became Nightmare Moon. But you must promise me something, first."
She leaned in close to the unicorn and gritted her teeth as she spoke. "You will never try to translate that book. Ever, do you understand? That book is not to be meddled with. The burden of Nightmare Moon is my curse and something nopony should live with."
"Yes, Princess," repeated Twilight without batting an eye. "I promise to you, as Celestia is my witness, that I will not try to read anything in that book."
Before I turn in envy, I learn through sorrow, I burn with envy and go to the wall ~"Envy" - Chevelle
Luna stared out at the moon, basking in its pale glow in the confines of the Canterlot Archives. Why must everypony sleep through her beautiful night? It seemed everyday that Celestia would go out into the kingdom and meet with her subjects, and whenever she went for a midnight stroll she never met anypony. It wasn't that they didn't want to speak with her, they were simply all tucked away in their beds while she wandered alone. It didn't seem fair. Why should she be in charge of the moon if nopony wanted to walk with her in the moonlight or fly with her among the stars?
"Luna?" her sister said from the doorway. "What are you doing in here so late? It's time for everypony to sleep."
"It's not fair, Tia. It's just not fair."
Celestia came and sat beside her younger sibling, staring out at the night sky with her. "What isn't fair?"
"Night time isn't fair, Sister. Nopony comes out to see me at night. You go to all sorts of places during the day and meet all sorts of interesting ponies. All I ever get to talk to is the captain of the night guard."
"Doesn't Captain Silverbeam have such excellent stories?" Celestia said, trying to change the subject.
"But I've heard them all many times. I don't want to dwell in the dark any more. Can I try raising the sun?"
Celestia chuckled at her sister. "Someday, Luna, I promise I will let you raise the sun in my stead. But until then, you need to learn that it is your royal duty to raise the moon every night. I was just as eager to take over Father's job of raising the sun when I was your age, but I was patient."
"How different can raising one heavenly body be from another?" Luna asked as she looked at her sister.
Celestia didn't answer her question. "Please, Luna, come along now. It's time for bed."
The first few rays of sunlight peered through the blinds in Luna's bedroom as she awoke. Celestia was already awake and had raised the sun. So much for her promise. She levitated her crown and necklace to her from the nightstand and looked at herself in the mirror, adjusting her attire before pulling a robe over herself. It was almost time for breakfast now, and Celestia would be expecting her. She descended the stairs and made her way to the dining hall where, as she thought, Celestia was already sitting and pouring herself a cup of tea.
"Good morning, Luna!" Celestia said with a smile. "Please, sit down! I made a pot of jasmine tea for you."
Luna's mind was still lost in the conversation from the night before. She gazed at the bright light pouring through the windows and at her sister's equally bright smile. She knew she should be happy, but instead all she felt was anger.
She took a seat and watched the smile fade from her sister's face. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair.
"I'm not hungry. And I don't want any tea."
Celestia frowned at her upset sibling. "Is this about last night?"
Luna scowled at her. "You promised that I could raise the sun!"
"I did promise, Luna, but I never said today. You'll have a chance to raise the sun someday, but you're too young. I'm afraid you won't be able to do it. Raising the sun can be very taxing on a pony's body."
"But I can raise the moon. I asked you before how different it was and you didn't say anything."
"Luna," Celestia said in motherly tone. "You're simply not ready."
As Celestia levitated a cup of tea to her, Luna's eye's fixed onto the sunlit stained glass windows in the dining hall. She jumped from pane to pane and only one thing jumped out at her. Every pane bore an image of Celestia and her magnificent sun. Not a single pane was for Luna.
Why? What made Celestia so special? She was always her father's favorite, and time and again Luna would aspire to be "just like Tia," as her father always wanted her to be.
Luna's eyes flashed and a bolt of lightning lanced from her horn to the extended mug, causing the porcelain vessel to erupt into a cascade of white shards.
White. That was all she saw, everywhere she looked. White and gold on the castle walls. Never any blue or violet. Everything was about her perfect elder sister. As always, Luna was second rate.
Celestia recoiled in shock. "What has gotten into you all of a sudden?"
"It's because I'm not you, isn't it? Daddy always liked you more than me. Always wanted me to be like you, but I couldn't. And now when I want to be like you, you won't let me. You don't want me here."
"Luna, please! Stop talking like that!"
"Admit it. You hate me."
Celestia's mouth hung open. "Of course not! You're my sister! I love you, and you know Father loved you as much as me!"
Luna stood from the table, sparks beginning to fly from her horn. "No, he didn't! He was always talking about you when we had parties! Celestia this, Celestia that! 'Luna, you should be more like your sister!' I'm sick of you besting me!"
"You don't mean that," Celestia said. "We both know you don't mean that."
Luna looked at her sibling, her anger boiling over into rage. "I hate you!"
Without another word, Luna galloped up the stairs to her chambers and collapsed on her bed. The slam of her bedroom door echoed through the castle halls. The Princess of the Night buried her face in her pillow, her body shaking with sobs as she mumbled to herself.
"It's not fair. It's just not fair."
It was midnight now, and Luna had been in her chambers all day. Celestia had tried to coax the midnight alicorn out of her rut, but it didn't matter. Nothing Celestia could do would fix her second rate status. She stared at the portrait of her family on the wall. They all smiled at her with the same beam that Celestia had given her at breakfast.
"What are you looking at?" she shouted at the painting. "Stop smiling at me!"
Laughter echoed between her walls. Her father's deep guffaw and the lighthearted chuckling of her sister and mother filled her ears.
"Stop it! Stop it! STOP IT!"
A spark emanated from Luna's horn and lightning bolts arced to the painting, burning away the faces of her family and leaving her own intact. The portrait hung at an awkward angle from the impact of the bolts before crashing to the floor. It wasn't long before she heard her sister's hooves return to the door.
"Luna, is everything alright?" Celestia called.
A vase crashed against the door."Go away! I'm not talking to you!"
"Luna, I'm worried about you! Let me in so I can talk to you. I promise, you can raise the sun tomorrow morning!"
The younger alicorn directed a wave of magical force at the door, knocking loose one of the hinges.
"You're lying, just like this morning! You won't let me do anything because you don't want me to be better than you! Just leave me alone! Stop trying to suffocate me!"
A second wave threw the door from its hinges and into the hall. Luna stepped out of her bedroom, eyes burning white with magical energy as she glared at her sister.
"Luna," Celestia said again. "Please..."
"SILENCE!" the Princess of the Night shouted. "You are no sister of mine!"
Luna left her sister and began wandering the halls. She glanced at the panes of glass bearing Celestia's likeness and one by one shattered them with a wave of energy as she passed. Beneath the tinkering sounds of glass, she heard a voice calling to her.
"Luna...come to me..."
"Who's there?" she called back. "Show yourself!"
The voice called again from the direction of the library and she chose to follow it. As she neared the library, it hissed at her again. "Luna...I am here to help you..."
She followed the voice among the towers of tomes until she stopped in front of a shelf coated in webs. A black book, bound in leather sat in the middle, the voice calling louder from between the pages.
"Let me help you...I can grant you what you seek..."
Deeper, I'm falling into the arms of sorrow Blindly descending into the arms of sorrow There must be serenity ~"The Arms of Sorrow" - Killswitch Engage
As Luna levitated the book from the dusty shelf and set it on the table, wisps of black smoke trailed from its sealed pages. She shut the door to the library and magically sealed it, making sure her sister wouldn't discover what she was up to. Without warning, the tome opened and the trails of smoke became a cloud before the princess. There was a brief explosion and the smoke dispersed to reveal a large black unicorn at least twice her size. She wore a suit of obsidian armor and a helm with a large spike jutting from the forehead, covering her horn. Her mane appeared to be made of pure fire. The strange pony bore a set of transparent gray dragon wings and when she spoke, she sounded as though she had not one but a multitude of voices varying in pitch and tone.
"Greetings, fair Princess Luna," the unicorn said to her. "You may call me Deathbell."
"What is it you want?" Luna demanded.
"Typical. Somepony frees me and I introduce myself, and the first thing they do is make demands. No cordial introductions, just a simple 'who are you and what do you want?' Sometimes I wonder why I even bother returning to this plane. Anyway..."
A gout of flames shot from Deathbell's horn and wrapped around Luna. She tried to retreat from the fire, but stopped when she realized that it wasn't hurting her. She felt a little warmer, but nothing had burst into flame and she wasn't sweating like a pig.
"That was to simply get your attention, my dear. Now, you freed me from my prison made of paper so in exchange I will grant you one gift. Anything you want, dear Luna! Money, fame..."
"Power!" Luna cut in. "I want enough power to be able to defeat my sister!"
"Oh?" Deathbell seemed intrigued. "I seem to get along well enough with my own sisters...of course, I haven't seen them in almost four hundred years now. What does your sister have you so upset about?"
"Everything!" Luna said. "My whole life, I have been nothing but second rate to her! I want the power to show her that she isn't the strongest alicorn in existence!"
"Very well, then. You'll have your powers, but I simply require something from you first. Something material."
Luna removed her crown and necklace, but Deathbell held up a hoof. "Not like that. I need a piece of your soul."
The alicorn stopped. "What in Equestria would you need my soul for?"
"One cannot be granted something without giving something up in exchange. Giving this gift to you is merely a favor of mine seeing as you inadvertently released me."
Luna had read about soul exchange spells. They were deadly, and if the subject survived, they were bound to suffer some after effects. It didn't matter. She wanted power, and she wanted it now. Something to prove to Celestia that she was capable of moving the sun.
"I accept!" Luna declared.
"Very well, turn to page three-forty-seven in the book if you'd be so kind. Do you read Old Equestrian?"
Luna proceeded to recite a few lines of poetry in the old language, much to the delight of Deathbell. "Excellent! That makes things easier for me. I believe that spell is called Ira Stellarum and it should suit you quite nicely."
"Wrath of the Stars?" Luna translated. "What does it do?"
"It's quite simple," the demonic unicorn began. "If you want to best your daybringing sister, the only way to do it is with eternal night. Plus you'll be able to do some other neat things. Shall we begin?"
As Luna began to read the text from the ancient manuscript, sparks danced through her skin. She began to feel warm and had the sudden desire to break something. Tear open a book, smash a vase, break somepony's neck. It didn't matter what it was, it needed to be broken. Muffled voices spoke from beyond the sealed door to the library.
"Captain, I want you to seal off the exits and gather as many men as you can," she heard her sister say. "Whatever happens, Luna mustn't leave the castle. Gaia only knows what's going on behind those doors."
"Aye aye, ma'am," Captain Silverbeam replied. "Shall I tell the Platinum Knights to fetch the adamantine battering ram?"
"Yes, at once! I need to get in there and find out what my little sister is doing to herself."
Are you prepared, my dear sister? Luna thought to herself. Soon you will know what it means to be second rate.
A voice whispered in her mind, this one different from Deathbell's. "Come to me, Midnight Goddess. Let me feel your anger. Let me enter your soul."
Luna stared at the text, mindlessly reciting it as she felt the flames of rage begin to rise. A tide of sadness, envy, despair, and hatred washed over her for an instant, followed by a numbing cold growing in the tips of her hooves.
The flame at the end of Deathbell's horn withered and burned out. "How do you feel, Princess Luna?"
Luna didn't know what to say. She wasn't sure if she was angry or sad. She wanted to laugh, to cry, to scream, but couldn't bring herself to do so. She simply stared at the words on the page.
"Empty." The alicorn didn't know how else to put it.
"Don't worry, dear child. Once Lady Sanguina penetrates your essence, your problems will be solved. Now, I must take my leave and return to the Seventh Circle of Hell. Farewell, Luna!"
In a brilliant flash of flame, Deathbell was gone. Luna sat there in the darkness as the new voice continued to speak to her.
"The soul of an alicorn such as yourself is a rare treat indeed...yes, you are quite powerful, Nightmare."
A loud thud sounded from the door. The magical barrier flickered for a moment, but held. It wouldn't be long before there were here.
"You will be Luna, Princess of the Moon no longer. Arise, Nightmare Moon, Empress of Midnight!"
THUD! The barrier threatened to drop again.
A spark emanated from Luna's horn and threw a pulse of magic through the room. Books toppled from their shelves and the contents of the table before sailed through the great glass window. A beam of moonlight illuminated Luna's silhouette in the darkness. She shivered as the cold crept up her hooves into her shoulders. Her crown and necklace grew heavy, taking the form of a pale blue spiked helm and a matching breastplate of pure moonstone. Pain lanced through her scalp and flanks as her strands of blue mane and her elegant tail shifted into a deep indigo cloud, small stars swirling about in the new masses of midnight.
CRASH! The barrier to the library door gave way and the heavy wooden portal slammed to the marble floor. Princess Celestia stepped through the door in a suit of golden armor, followed by at least a dozen pegasus guards bearing swords and platinum full plate.
Luna turned to face her sister, her eyes burning blue with anger. Bands of black began to etch across her body, her midnight blue coat fading to the blackness of space. An evil grin crossed her face as Luna felt the cold seep into her heart, disposing of her emptiness.
"Baby sister," Celestia stammered. "Why?"
The guards stood firmly behind their princess, but she could see in their eyes and their hearts nothing more than fear.
"Tell me, dear eldest sister," Luna said. "Do know know the feeling of powerlessness? Or of being unwanted by your family? Answer me!"
"Luna, please! Stop this now!"
The jet black alicorn hovered in the air, held aloft not by her wings but by some unknown force.
"Luna is no more! From now on, I am Nightmare Moon! The beasts of this land shall tremble before me and bask in the glory of Eternal Night!"
Tears ran from Celestia's eyes as she gazed upon what her younger sibling had become. "My darling sister..."
"Stand aside!" Nightmare Moon commanded. The guards stood their ground, only to be cast aside like leaves in the wind from another pulse of magic. The Empress of Midnight looked at her sister, who stood stoically beside her fallen comrades.
"And you, Celestia? Must I cast you aside as you did to me?"
A shimmering spectral blade appeared before Celestia's eyes. "You...you're not my Luna."
The Princess of the Sun directed her spectral sword at the remains of her sister. To her surprise, Nightmare Moon made no attempt to dodge the weapon. The transparent blade slammed against her breastplate only to shatter into a million stars that were immediately warped into the nightmare alicorn's mane. With a particularly powerful wave of energy, Celestia felt the ground vanish from beneath and the air forced from her lungs as Nightmare Moon slammed her against the wall of the library. The pale alicorn crashed to the floor and stared at the alicorn towering over her.
"Say farewell to your sun, Celestia." Nightmare Moon melted into a cloud of stars and drifted through the shattered library window, leaving her sister in tears on the floor.
The Age of Eternal Night was nigh, and Luna's time had come.
Let the skies turn black, let the infection burn This is the new beginning, embrace eternity Let it all fall Set this world ablaze ~"World Ablaze" - Killswitch Engage
She liked this new form. Strong muscles, quick wings, and an untold number of new spells. Dawn was supposed to break an hour ago, but she had little trouble in repressing her sister's own ability to raise the sun. Just as Deathbell had promised, her powers were more than enough to best the abilities of the once-mighty Celestia. It would only be a matter of time before she would replace her sister on the throne of Equestria and allow all of her loyal subjects to bask in the glow of the moon.
As she flew over Canterlot, she spied the first few residents waking from what their clocks told them to be morning. They stumbled about in the streets gazing up at her starry skies in confusion. In due time, they would learn to adjust. She landed in the town square before fountain bearing a statue of her mother and father.
"Look at me now, Father!" she bellowed at the stone figures. "Are you proud of your little Luna now?"
She examined her reflection in the water, staring back at her draconic, aqua blue eyes and her new, more muscular body. A shadow of her former self. She looked...beautiful? No, terrifying. And that is exactly what she wanted to be. If nopony would love her, then they would grow to fear her. All eyes were upon the black mare as she strode through the city. Nopony spoke to her and all averted their eyes when her icy glare fell upon them.
A stray pony stood in the middle of the road, her eyes wide as she stared at the nightmare advancing towards her. The alicorn stopped and examined this frightened obstacle before her. The quivering pink coat, the dilated yellow eyes, the uncontrollable, quavering squeak in her throat. The sight brought an evil grin to Nightmare Moon's face.
"Stand aside, peasant," the alicorn ordered. The pony simply sat there, too overcome by fear to move.
They will not obey, a voice echoed in her ears. Show them who their true master is.
Two black swords materialized before Nightmare Moon, their glistening blades coated in violet flames. She pointed one at the mare and spoke again.
"Defy me, will you? Such disloyalty shall not go unpunished!"
A pair of guards dropped from the sky and stood before her bearing spears, barring the path between herself and her victim. They leveled their blades at the demon and stood their ground.
"Hold there, abomination!" one guard shouted. "You go no further!"
"Abomination?" The fires of her rage burned bright again. "That is how you wish to address your Empress?"
Thunder shook the sky as a blast of energy erupted from her mouth, sending the two guards toppling through the stand of a nearby vendor. She stood before the defeated pegasus and glared at them.
"You worthless dogs shall submit to me," she growled. "Or I will make you wish you had never been born."
The guards shook themselves and stood. Nightmare Moon grinned as she lifted them up and smashed their heads together with a resounding clang! She wouldn't kill them. As much as she wanted to be feared, a dead servant was a useless servant. The sound of heavy boots soon reached her ears and she found herself surrounded by a group of Platinum Knights, her ex-personal guards. All of them drew their blades and pointed them at Nightmare Moon. Captain Silverbeam hovered at the head of the pack and was the first to speak.
"Luna, stop this insanity immediately! This isn't you."
Nightmare flashed the Captain an evil grin. "You're correct, my captain. I am not Luna. I am a monument to the stars and the Mistress of the Moon! I am Nightmare Moon!"
Her spectral swords whirled about and pointed at the captain. Silverbeam drew his own sword.
"If that is the way you wish to play it," he said. "I'm sorry, my Princess."
Silverbeam raised his gladius and charged at the alicorn. She deftly sidestepped his attack and whirled about, sending her moonblades after him. As he spun to face his opponent, the first blade rapped his hoof with its flat and forced him to drop his weapon. The second blade slammed its hilt into his wing, sending him crashing to the dirt.
Pitiful, Nightmare Moon said to herself. I expected so much more from a Captain of the Platinum Knights.
She stood over her defeated opponent and held her blades above his head. Silverbeam sat up and stared into her reptilian aquamarine eyes.
"What are you waiting for?" he challenged. "Kill me!"
Nightmare Moon withdrew her swords and unsummoned them. The voice called to her again.
"Why? Why won't you kill him? I grant you power and you refuse to use me?"
"No," she said to both the captain and the entity in her mind. "Why kill you when I can use you instead?"
Celestia stirred in the library, overcome with shock. What could she do? Her father's spellblade was useless against whatever foul magic her sister had accepted, and Luna had been granted enough power to keep the sun from rising. She stood up, grimacing from her aching muscles before wandering the halls of the castle. After a while, she found herself in the throne room staring up at a portrait of her family. Her mother and father stood proudly, Celestia between them with little Luna between her legs looking up at her sister with an innocent smile on her face.
She couldn't help but feel sad looking at the image of her sister, or rather what she once was. It all seemed so perfect before. Luna was so happy when she learned how to raise the moon, and for centuries she had prided herself on being its keeper. She turned about to examine the shattered stain glass windows, the shards of glass glistening in the moonlight as a collection of fallen stars. A chill breeze drifted in through the windowpanes, causing Celestia to shiver beneath her armor.
"Luna...so young...so foolish...what must I do to get you back?"
A clap of thunder rocked the castle and Celestia rushed to the nearest balcony. Pulses of blue light ebbed from the city of Canterlot, and beneath the hum of magic she could hear the cries of her subjects. She wanted to be there, fighting the demon that had taken her dear sibling, but what could she do?
"Lady Celestia?" said a voice from behind her. She turned to see Captain Silverbeam standing before her, his armor dented and his face bruised.
"Captain!" she exclaimed. "Are you injured?"
"A few bruises but nothing serious. The same can be said of my men."
"Not a single fatality?"
"No, milady. The demon who calls herself Nightmare Moon seems to intend not to kill us, though she has no qualms about assaulting us openly. She bested my men and defeated me in a duel."
The Princess of the Sun looked back at her city. Blue flames began rising from some of the buildings.
"She has little control over her power," Celestia observed. "In time, she will learn to master it."
"Milady?"
She closed her eyes. "Could you do it?"
Silverbeam was confused. "Do what, milady?"
"If a sibling of yours lashed out violently and began destroying all you held dear, could you condemn them to death?"
The captain's eyes shifted to the floor. "No, milady, I could not. Though I would have little reserve about imprisoning them."
Imprisonment. There was no other way. Celestia hurriedly began walking back through the castle with the Captain hovering by her side.
"If I cannot best Luna alone, I will need help from a greater source."
"What, milady? Shall I send for aid from the land of the griffons?"
The Princess stopped before a large vault bearing the seal of the royal family. "No, captain. The only way to defeat magic is with a greater form of magic."
Celestia inserted her horn into the lock on the door, twisting a quarter turn to the right as her mother had taught her. A weapon like this was only to be used in case of emergencies, and she saw no other means to keep her sibling from burning Canterlot. The seal glowed with a pale pink light and the doors to the vault opened, bathing the alicorn and pegasus in a blinding flash.
Nightmare Moon soared above Canterlot, beaming at the sound of the frightened ponies below. Their laments were music to her ears, and all the while the strange voice said things to her.
"Yes, child, let your malice be your sword. Show them what you are capable of. Make them tremble before the Lady of the Night."
She delighted in seeing their fear. The tears of a lost filly or their shrieks of terror when she flew overhead. The sight of buildings vanishing at her whim. The world was hers and all she wanted was to watch it burn. If they would love her beautiful night, she would make them fear it. She landed in the middle of the city and looked at the trail of glorious destruction she had wrought.
"BE STILL!" Her voice echoed throughout the city. In an instant, the chaos came to a halt and the terrified citizens of Canterlot stood stock still before her. They still wore looks of panic on their faces, but their attention was on her.
"Citizens of Canterlot, you are all hereby subjects of the Empress Nightmare Moon. Kneel before your new ruler!"
The worried ponies looked about at each other in the crowd, beginning to talk amongst themselves. Nightmare Moon eyed her new subjects with discontent. Why wouldn't they obey?
"You forget, dear Princess, that words will not suffice. You must make them listen to you."
"I said kneel!" A second wave of energy burst forth from her words, bowing over the first two rows of the gathering crowd. The rest of the crowd was quick to follow, and soon she had the whole of Canterlot cowering before her.
"You'll do no such thing!" a voice called. Why did it sound so familiar?
A large, cloaked figure emerged from the shadows of an alley and advanced towards Nightmare Moon. The alicorn of the night faced the mysterious figure.
"Who are you to deft your Empress? Kneel before me with the rest of these commoners or I shall make you!"
The figure threw off her hood, answered by a chorus of gasps and cheers.
"You!" Nightmare Moon stammered.
Princess Celestia bowed her head. "Luna, I've tried to reason with you. Think about what you're doing. To Equestria, to yourself. To me."
"So you come groveling to me looking for any apology?" Nightmare Moon sneered. "You shan't receive one! If I recall, you are the one who should be apologizing."
"I'm giving you one chance, sister. Redeem yourself. Let go of your malice so that we may rule together!"
Nightmare Moon laughed. "You really think I'll return to that castle so I may spend eternity beneath your hoof, raising the moon for you every night as if I were another one of your servants? Never! I have the power to vanquish you and your tyranny!"
The cape fell away, revealing a beautiful golden necklace adorned with six jewels of varying colors, each gem burning bright with magic.
Laughter, Kindness, Generosity, Honesty, Loyalty, and Friendship...the Elements of Harmony, the most powerful source of magic in Equestria.
Nightmare Moon began to back away from the Princess of the Sun as she materialized her duskblades.. "You keep those things away from me!"
Celestia's horn began to glow, and the stones began to hum. There was a faint chiming sound before six rays of colored light shot towards the black alicorn, spinning around her in a technicolor tornado. The voice that had been with her for so long shrieked with pain in her mind's ear.
"Goodbye, my sister," she heard Celestia say.
The last thing she saw before the storm engulfed her were the tears flowing freely from Celestia's eyes.
This distance, this dissolution I cling to memories while falling Sleep brings release and the hope of a new day Waking the misery of being without you
Surrender, I give in Another moment is another eternity For comfort, for solace For the end of my broken heart ~"The End of Heartache" - Killswitch Engage
Light. It was all she could see in every direction, pale white light. She had returned to her normal form, but that didn't matter. The image of Celestia in tears as she was whisked to a new dimension was all she could think about .
The word around her began to change, taking shape in the familiar world of the castle. Luna found herself at the entrance to the Great Hall and she began to walk towards the empty throne. The only signs of life were the guards, and voices from the upper floor carried to her.
Where am I? Why am I here?
As she ascended the stairs, the sound of fillies at play reached her ears, accompanied by the tune of a familiar nursery rhyme. Luna felt her pulse quicken as she followed the sound down the hall to her bedroom. When she opened the door and peered inside, her heart began to melt.
This wasn't her bedroom. It was her nursery from childhood. Bits and pieces came flying back to her as she looked about. The sun and the moon painted on the ceiling, the rocking dragon in the corner. The books her parents would read to her before bed. And there in the middle of the room, a white alicorn filly with a flowing pink mane sat in a chair, her front forelegs resting on the edge of a crib as she gently rocked it. Luna peered over the alicorn's shoulder and saw a little midnight blue filly wrapped in blankets.
Herself.
The white filly wore a motherly smile on her face as she hummed a tune to the bundle of blankets, gingerly kissing the filly's forehead when the song was done.
"Good night, little sister. I love you."
Celestia...forgive me...
The nursery melted away to sunlight and greenery. Luna found herself in the gardens of the castle surrounded by falling cherry blossom petals. A slightly older Celestia walked past, little baby Luna riding on her back with the tip of a hoof in her mouth. Her parents stood in the courtyard above, a watchful eye on their children during their afternoon walk.
"See, Luna?" Celestia said as she pointed a hoof at some birds in the trees. "Those are called 'cardinals.'"
Filly Luna popped the hoof from her mouth and squealed with delight. "Birdies!"
Celestia giggled at her little sibling. It had been ages since Luna had heard her giggle like that.
"Yes, Luna. Birdies."
The elder Luna inhaled deeply, letting the warm air fill her lungs. When was the last time she'd stopped and sat beneath the sun?
Celestia set Luna down in the grass under the shade of an ancient oak tree. The little filly stared up at her sister with her big aquamarine eyes, waiting for her older sister to lay down before snuggling up beside her wings.
"Luna, are you sleepy?" she asked.
The filly didn't answer. She'd already tucked herself beneath her sister's wing and curled up into a little blue ball. Her sister nuzzled her gently and gazed up at the clear skies.
Luna watched herself sleeping beside her sister. What was the purpose of these visions? To prove to her that her sister loved her? As regret began to take hold, the memory began to change again. Sunlight vanished, replaced once again by the walls of the castle interior. She found herself looking down on Celestia's chambers. Why here?
Her elder sister sat on the bed in silence, eyes at the ground. Her pink mane had picked up the first few traces of blue and green. Two alicorns stood in the doorway, talking to her as if trying to console her.
"There there, my sweet Celestia," Mother said. "Life must run its course."
"But why did he have to die today? We've lost pets before, but on my birthday?"
"We both knew that his life was reaching its end. He's been so sick these past few weeks."
"Today was supposed to be such a good day," Celestia sighed. "Why must we live forever?"
Father gestured into the hallway. "Come along, Terra. Let's leave her alone for a little while."
Luna looked back to where her sister sat, now visibly shaking with sobs.
I remember now...Celestia's birthday...the day I gave her the my most precious gift.
"Tia!" shouted the younger version of herself from down the hall. It was strange to replay the memory not through the eyes of her younger self, but through her own eyes.
The filly walked into the room and looked up at her sister. "Tia, why are you crying?"
"Oh, Luna." Celestia got off the bed and walked to her little sister. "It's Galeam...he's gone."
"Gone? Where'd he go?"
"He went far away, and I don't think he's coming back."
"Can't we go look for him? Who am I supposed to play with while you're learning magic?"
Celestia smiled at her sister's innocent ignorance. "We'll find another pet for you to play with."
"Maybe I could get you a pet for your birthday? I didn't get you anything."
The elder sister gave Luna a kiss on the cheek. "That's very sweet of you, but it's alright. Having you here is enough for me."
Without another word, Celestia strode off into the hall. Luna watched herself stare out of the open window.
"If Tia wants another pet, maybe I can find her one in the gardens? Maybe she'd like a phoenix!"
Luna couldn't help but chuckle at herself. As a child, the idea of a pet phoenix seemed within reach, yet now seemed completely impossible. The little filly spread her wings and leaped out of the open window before flying in the direction of the gardens. She hovered above the colorful flora before landing in the old oak tree. Phoenixes would usually roost there this time of year, and she remembered Celestia talking to Mother about an abandoned nest.
The alicorn filly sat on the tree branch, one hoof on her brow as though she were a lookout. After a minute, she spotted the nest she'd been searching for. Inside it was a single unhatched egg, bright orange and adorned in flames. She picked up the nest and egg with the levitation spell that her sister had taught her and hurriedly flew back to the nursery where an open, unwrapped box was waiting for her. She set the nest down gently in the box and tied it shut before skipping through the halls of the castle, a smile on her face as she called for her sister.
"Tia! I have something for you!" she called out. "Tia! Where are you?"
"Up here, Luna," her voice called back, still somber from the loss of her pet tortoise.
The filly trotted to her sister's room. "Tia! I found a gift for you! Come quick!"
Luna's heart began to ache. It seemed so trivial at the time, giving her sister a phoenix for her birthday. She had no idea that the bird she was giving to her sister was just as immortal as she was. It only began to dawn on her how special this gift was.
Celestia followed Luna into the nursery, a hoof over her eyes. "What is it, Luna?"
"Open them!"
The elder sister's eyes fell on the small parcel in the center of the room. Luna pushed it towards her sister with a wide grin on her face. "For you! Open it!"
"Sweetie, you didn't have to do this for me."
"But you looked so sad before. Please, Tia, open it!"
Her horn glowed as she unwrapped the gift, releasing the ribbon and pulling the lid off. She looked inside and to the surprise of the filly, her jaw went slack.
"Luna...I don't know what to say..." She started crying again as she lifted a small ball of fiery feathers from the box.
"What's the matter?" filly Luna asked. "You don't like it?"
In the equivalent of a hug, Celestia opened her wing and closed it over Luna, drawing the filly in close. "Luna, I love it. It's more than I could ever ask for."
Guilt struck Luna like lightning. She would give everything to be that little filly in her sister's embrace again. To be home, where she would be loved. The memory began to wash away again, replaced instead by darkness pockmarked with stars. Luna looked around and shivered as the warm sun became replaced with cold emptiness. She was no longer in the castle, surrounded by guards in shimmering armor and walls to keep her safe. She was atop a canyon of grey stone looking out at the Earth
Carcere in Astra...the Prison in the Stars...
Luna laid down and began to weep as she realized the mistakes she'd made and what she'd done to her sister. She was alone. Her sister couldn't come and make it all go away. Nopony was here to keep her company in this cold world.
"Celestia, I'm sorry," she said between sobs. "I love you too."
Tear down the veil That bars your heart from feeling this Dedicate yourself Become the voice of compassion ~"Reject Yourself" - Killswitch Engage
Twilight looked over at her mentor's sibling. Luna's gaze had hardly shifted from the moon as she'd recalled her past for the last two hours. It seemed to shake her again, and the unicorn felt a slight pang of regret for the emotions she'd dredged up from the Princess.
"What about the voice in your head? Did she leave you after..." Twilight hesitated before speaking. "After you were banished?"
Luna stared out at the stars for awhile longer. "It was a reckless mistake of mine. Jealousy is a fickle friend, Twilight, just as fame or fear. It drives you to do things that you'll regret. They seem like right decisions at the time, but they can destroy you. And Sanguina? I had assumed that the Elements of Harmony had purged me of her iron hoof when Celestia imprisoned me. I was wrong."
"She came back?"
"It would be a long time, but eventually she returned. And she was not pleased."
It had been almost a millennium now and Luna still remained on the moon. How much had changed since she was gone? Time stood still on the moon. She lost track of the days after the first decade and had spent most of her spare time building a castle from the rocks. It wasn't as if she needed a place to hide, but it was a place she could call home until her return.
As she stared at the earthrise, a figure appeared before the Princess of the Night. An alicorn mare colored of blood marched towards Luna's makeshift castle, her black cape trailing behind her. She tossed about her deep crimson mane and twisted her neck, emitting an audible cracking sound as she flexed it about. Something about this pony seemed familiar, yet Luna knew she had never seen her before in her entire life.
"I have returned for you, my vessel," the bloody mare spoke. The voice in her throat was the same one that had spoke to her half a millennium ago, when she became Nightmare Moon.
"Who are you?" the midnight alicorn asked.
The red mare let out a throaty laugh. "I am Sanguina, the Fallen Angel of War. And you, Princess Luna, are in my debt."
"Your debt?" Luna repeated. "What do you mean? I owe you nothing."
Sanguina smiled at her, revealing long snakelike fangs jutting from her upper row of teeth. "You should know by now, Luna, the perils of a Soul Pact. I gave you my power and you squandered it on your own pitiful dreams of revenge upon your sister. It is your turn to perform a favor for me."
"If I refuse?"
"Then I shall take you by force. When I am done avenging my own imprisonment on Princess Celestia, I will leave your soulless husk to wander the depths of the Everfree Forest, one more restless demon in the darkness."
"You wouldn't dare!" Luna lowered her head, directing her horn towards the demonic alicorn standing before her.
Sanguina sneered at her. "I have tasted your soul, Luna. If you will not willingly submit, then I have no choice."
Luna felt a familiar cold seeping through her, watching as the war alicorn vaporized into a fine cloud of mist and enveloped her in it.
"Who placed you in this prison, Luna? Who is the one responsible for the last millennium you spent alone?"
"I am..." Luna said, trying to hold back her tears. She watched in horror as her hooves faded to black, the darkness creeping up her legs and over her shoulders. Sanguina's voice her head spoke again, and she winced as pain shot through her body.
"Why do you fight me? Let go. It's useless."
The moon slowly began fading to black. It was useless to attempt fending off Sanguina's hold. She laid down in the dust as she waited for the blackness to take her.
"Celestia," she whimpered. "Help me."
"What happened next?" Twilight asked excitedly.
"The rest of the story is what you already know. After Sanguina dominated me, she paraded through Canterlot as Nightmare Moon, trying to surprise Celestia at the Summer Sun Celebration. My sister had hidden herself away and I wasn't freed until you and your friends used the Elements of Harmony to vanquish her. Sanguina was expecting Celestia herself to face her, not a young unicorn and her five friends. She greatly underestimated what you are capable of.
"But if we were the ones to free you, why didn't the Elements break the curse a thousand years before?"
"There are only two explanations that I can find. First, it was the end of the Soul Pact. Any sort of pact is a powerful magical bind that cannot be broken by any means until the pact is complete. Once Sanguina had used me as her vessel to return to Equestria, her end of the pact had been fulfilled."
"And the other?"
Luna sat beside Twilight on the couch. "It's no more than a theory, but I believe that the Elements produce power depending on how many ponies are wielding them. Celestia's magic was enough to banish me to Carcere in Astra, and I assume it was then that Sanguina left me to consider her options for revenge before returning, which meant that the curse had not been broken yet. When the six of you welded the Elements, there was enough power to not only sever Sanguina's bond to me but repair my fractured soul."
"You can do that?" Twilight's eyes were the size of saucers.
Luna smiled at her sister's pupil. "You have so much to learn about magic, dear Twilight. When you struck me with the power of the Elements for the second time, I felt something I hadn't experienced for an age."
"Which was?"
"Friendship. I had been alone for so long, and the power of your friendship restored me." Luna felt her eyes begin to well up.
"Thank you, Twilight Sparkle. Thank you for freeing me and for listening to me."
The little unicorn let out a long yawn. "You're welcome, Princess."
Luna levitated a blanket from one of the library cabinets and draped it over Twilight, who was now snuggled up beneath her wing. She turned her neck to greet the gentle footsteps of her sister stepping into the library.
"Look at her," Celestia said softly. "She's so cute when she's asleep. Did you two have a good time?"
"Yes, we did."
As Celestia turned to leave, Luna held up a hoof. "Tia, wait!"
"Yes, Luna?"
"I love you."
Celestia smiled at her sister before stepping out of the library. "I love you too, little sister."