> Afraid Of The Night
>  by AkumaNoNeko
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Afraid Of the Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a dark and dreary night in Canterlot and Princess Celestia was up thinking about the last few days events.. Nightmare Moon's return and defeat... Twilight and her new friends becoming the new holders of the Elements of harmony.. It was a lot to take in.
Suddenly. Celestia heard muffled sobs through the wall. She looked up slightly, cocking her head, confused of what the sound was. Then she realized what it was. Her sister. Her little sister that had spent a thousand years on the moon in isolation. The sister that had one tried to take over Equestria in eternal night.
Celestia got up slowly off her bed, walking towards the door and used her magic to push it open. Walking down the hall of the castle, memories flashed before her eyes. The night Luna had become Nightmare Moon.
"There is only room for one princess in Equestria! And that princess is ME!!"
Celestia's eyes reopened, she was breathing heavy.The words echoed chillingly through her mind, over and over and over and over, like a disc on rerun. Her sister was not that monster anymore. She wouldn't do it again.
Celestia waked towards the door into Luna's room. Softly, she pushed it open with magic.
"Sister?" Luna's voice filled the empty, dark space in the room. The only thing in Luna's now torn apart and dusty rom was herself and a bed. " Why are you still awake?"
" I think the real question is why are you still awake?" Celestia spoke softly, walking into the dreary room which shenow saw was mostly occupied by cobwebs and dust bunnies. " Even the princess of the night must sleep as well as I must."
Celestia then turned to see Luna, coiled up on top of her bed, staring blankly at the comforter. Her small figure and blue mane was only made out in the shadows by the slight glow of her horn. Her eyes had dark circles under them and her cheeks were tear stained and wet looking. 
" Oh.. I was just up thinking." Luna mumbled, trying to sound convincing, but it was not very reassuring.
"As was I. But I don't believe that is the case, Sister." Celestia said, squinting her eyes at her younger sister.
Luna then looked depressed and gloomy. Her dark coat looking messy and marked by tear stains everywhere. She was not the same. Never would she be the same as she was before she had been Nightmare moon.	
"Oh sister! I don't want to sleep! I will dream darkly of the lonely nights on the moon. And the nights I felt so envious of your beautiful day with the sun shining down on the ponies as they played. And the silence of the night, through which they always slept through. Not caring of its wonder and beautiful mystery!" Luna looked so helpless and desperate for her night to be loved by the ponies of Equestria. It was almost sad. Not almost sad, but actually, truly sad.
" I think what you fear.. Is your ex persona, isn't it? Nightmare Moon scares you doesn't she?" Celestia looked at her sister through the chokingly dark shadows, which she was only a dark shape.
" Yes. I fear she will take me over again. She will take my envy and turn to the evil it was for a thousand years. I don't want to be in the moon anymore, Sister!" Luna, choked out before starting to sob again. Her eyes slammed shut and tears spilled from them. the tears hot, running down her face and falling onto the bed.
"It was for the best Luna" Celestia whispered, only barely being able to be heard by the crying Luna.
" Any what did it help Tia?! Did it pleasure you for those thousand years to be able to look up and say you put your sister in the moon!?" Luna was losing her temper, trying so hard to keep sanity. But it was useless. They always knew, one day they would have this conversation. And nothing could have prevented it.
" No Luna it didn't! I regretted every single night I had to raise the moon in your place, every night that I saw the dark shadow on the moon! I'm sorry! There was nothing else I could do!" Celestia said, her tone rising a little, finally bursting into tears herself, hugging her sister. " I'm sorry"
" I'm sorry too" Luna whispered, hugging her sister back. " I wish it had never happened, I love you big sister" she said, tears still streaming down her face.	
" I love you too, little sister" Celestia said, crying softly into her sister's front legs.
> Epilogue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

From her place in the darkest, starless place in the sky. Nightmare watched down, seeing the two sisters hugging, crying in each others arms.
"You must be kidding.." The dark mare said to herself, rolling her eyes. " My hearted soul is that forgiving to someone that trapped her on the moon for a thousand years?! This is stupid." 
"Indeed it is very stupid." Her mind echoed through the darkness, " Heart fully stupid." her mind was now the only company Nightmare had anymore. Since she herself had been defeated by the Elements of harmony, she was banished to a place of no light or stars. And worst of all, no way out.
" One day, that stupid princess of the night will learn. She must take power of her 'loyal' subjects and her dimwitted older sister won't even see it coming. But this time, that royal brat, will be defeated. And nothing will be in her and my way! We will rule in eternal night! And those stupid elements of harmony won't defeat us! WE WILL BE INVINCIBLE!!"
" Great plan" Her mind flickered dimly to signal doubt, "One problem though. How is that princess going to figure out what she really wants?"
"Oh she will. In time. In very sweet time my dear." Nightmare replied, smirking her sharp-fanged grin. " And I will be watching until the day she realizes it."