Divided we stand, together we fall.
For over a millennium loneliness has been the supreme constant throughout my troubled existence. Whether it was being ignored and forgotten by my own subjects or being forced to watch as the world carried on without me, only solitude remained as my closest companion.
The thing about always being alone is that it gives you plenty of time to think. All I wanted was the same level of appreciation that was always being directed towards Celestia, but instead I was forsaken and neglected in a way not so different from that of a common beggar pleading for help. Many times I tried to share my concerns with her, the one pony who I thought would always be there for me, but she always dismissed me as overreacting.
I believed everything that came out of her mouth at first. I never was big on socializing with others. Perhaps it wasn’t as serious as what I made it out to be, and besides, Celestia was older and wiser so who was I to question her judgment? That changed one fateful day when I discovered that a growing number of our subjects didn’t even know that I existed. I think that was when my descent officially began. As time carried on, my jealousy grew, slowly coursing through every cell in my body like a disease. Before long I began to fantasize about how good it would feel to get rid of Celestia and rule the kingdom by myself.
Those wicked thoughts … inevitably turned into action.
***
“Did you really expect me to sit idly by while they all basked in your precious light? There can only be one Princess in Equestria, and that Princess … will be ME!”
“Luna, I will not fight you! You must lower the moon! It is your duty!”
“Luna? I am … Nightmare Moon.”
***
I always laugh a little whenever I think back on that day. Not because of the pain that I caused Celestia, but because of how quickly my plans fell apart. All that hot air, all those hours spent planning step by step how I would lead the kingdom into a new era, and yet she was able to end my reign before it could even begin.
I’d never felt so utterly humiliated. The outcome should have been different. By all means there was no reason why I shouldn’t have won. Even though she may have had an edge over me in terms of physical and magical ability, she still had one major flaw that proved detrimental: she didn’t have the heart to cause me any deliberate harm. This, of course, was a weakness that I didn’t share. It was because of her weakness that I was able to defeat her with little resistance upon my return. After her feeble attempts at talking things over had failed, all she did was sit there while I knocked her across the palace. She didn’t even try to defend herself. Even as I taunted her with promises of a kingdom filled with my absolute order instead of freedom, fear instead of harmony, and darkness instead of light, all she did was mumble about how she couldn’t bring herself to hurt me again. When I close my eyes I can still see the saddened look on her face as I readied the spell that I used to seal her away all those years ago.
“Celestia, you fool,” I muttered to myself as I walked through the ruined halls of what used to be her castle, entire sections collapsing and damaged beyond all hope of repair.
Why couldn’t she have just fought back? It’s not like anypony would have actually cared, or even noticed for that matter, if I were to disappear for good. My name had already been reduced to that of an urban legend, a myth, a ghost story to be told around a campfire. I could survive for all of eternity and I still wouldn’t understand what that mare was thinking. All of this was her fault. She should have just killed me when she had the chance. Not that it matters anymore because she’s gone and perhaps it’d be best if things stayed that way.
After my insurrection had been completed, I realized that Celestia hadn’t really surrendered without a fight. She had chosen an avatar to fight in her place, her own apprentice, Twilight Sparkle.
I think I understand now what it was that Celestia was trying to do. First, send that filly off to the Summer Sun celebration in order to keep her safe upon my return. Next, have her befriend five other ponies who were capable of utilizing the power of harmony. Those chosen by the elements automatically attract one another, so it shouldn’t have taken very long. Lastly, have them journey to our old castle, gather said elements, and then use them to defeat me. If everything went perfectly then Celestia would be able to stop me without having to actually engage me in direct combat.
There was just one problem with that plan …
***
“Um, Twilight, dear, I thought you said that this was going to stop her,” questioned Rarity as she stared at the dark alicorn that stood before them.
“I … I don’t understand!” Twilight said while backing away. “The elements should have worked! That’s how Princess Celestia beat her last time! Why didn’t it work?!” A sudden chill had overtaken her form as her body quivered with fear.
It was then that a new sound began to fill the air. It was hard to hear at first, but then it slowly began to grow in volume, like the sounds of an enemy war march approaching from beyond the horizon. It was the laughter of Nightmare Moon, which held within it the promise of insidious intent. “Foolish little filly …”
Twilight yelped in surprise as she suddenly felt herself being lifted into the air. She could feel Nightmare Moon’s magic wrapping around her neck, choking her until the world around her began to blur and distort. ‘She’s trying to strangle me to death!’ Twilight thought to herself as she lit up her horn in a desperate attempt to break the magical hold, but try as she might she couldn’t break free.
“Hey, leave her alone!” shouted Rainbow Dash, who then took flight and rushed towards Nightmare Moon with Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Fluttershy following close behind.
“The last time that the elements were used against me I found myself sealed within my own moon for a thousand years.” Rarity began her attack first by firing wave after wave of magic on Nightmare Moon. Not even a second later, Rainbow Dash had closed in and started to rain down a relentless barrage of punches and kicks to the alicorn’s side.
“Did you truly believe that after all of that time I wouldn’t have made any effort to come up with a plan in the event that they were ever used against me a second time?” Pinkie had jumped onto Nightmare Moon’s back and was trying to pull back on her mane, only for her hooves to pass through the cosmic mass as if it was non-existent, Applejack was doing her best to knock Nightmare Moon over the same way she would a tree on her orchard, and Fluttershy, not knowing what else to do, had started to bite down as hard as she could on Nightmare Moon’s left hind leg.
Each one of their attacks had little to no effect and had gone from amusing to slightly annoying. In one swift motion, Nightmare Moon flapped her wings with only a single beat, creating a powerful gust of wind that flew out in every direction. The five mares who were trying so desperately to free Twilight were all blown away and scattered to different sections of the room with devastating impact. The alicorn then used her magic to squeeze Twilight’s neck with even more force. From the unicorn’s point of view, the world was beginning to dim in color, and the sounds of her friends’ panicking voices were beginning to fade.
“If it’s any consolation, I have nothing against you. I don’t hate you or your friends. You were just some poor young mare who got dragged into a feud that should have only stayed between me … and her. I’m sorry that it had to be this way, I see why she chose you as her student.”
Twilight’s friends had all gotten back onto their hooves just in time to see her body go limp shortly after a loud snapping sound echoed throughout the ancient throne room.
“No …” Fluttershy mumbled as she fell to the ground, suddenly losing her ability to stand.
Their fighting spirit died as Nightmare Moon carelessly tossed Twilight’s lifeless body to the side. It was then that the truth had become clear. The fight was over. Nightmare Moon had won and they had failed.
The alicorn turned her attention towards the rest of the group. Rarity was glancing around the room, debating whether or not to try and make a run for it, Pinkie was staring down at the ground, her hair somehow deflating, Fluttershy had begun to sob uncontrollably, and Applejack and Rainbow Dash were both glaring daggers at Twilight’s killer.
“Do not mourn her loss. I am not without mercy.” Nightmare Moon’s eyes were now glowing with an arcane light as her horn began to crackle with power. “You will all be reunited soon enough.”
***
It’s been a little over 50 years since I took over. Only about 1/20th of the amount of time that I spent locked away on the moon. Within that short timespan, things had steadily gone from bad to worse. The vast majority of the ponies living in Equestria didn’t take too kindly to the news that their beloved princess had been overthrown; they were even less enthusiastic to the news that the sun would never rise again.
Despite my best efforts to help my new subjects survive in their new habitat by doing things such as teaching unicorns across the land a simple spell that could provide crops and plant life with artificial sunlight, many ponies still didn’t approve of my presence. By my fifth year in power Equestria was split in half, those who were having trouble accepting that Celestia was gone, and those who realized that they were better off bowing before me. I tried to quell any forms of rebellion before they could even begin, but I was too late.
Too much time was wasted fighting against my own subjects instead of trying to help maintain Equestria’s status as one of the world’s largest and most powerful of nations. To make matters worse, enemies both old and new tried to wreck havoc across my land one after another. Discord was almost successful in taking the throne away from me. I found a way to destroy the idiotic fool once and for all, but the fight left me in a weakened state for several months. Sombra and I were able to work out a deal. In exchange for me agreeing to provide him with resources and a small portion of Equestrian territory, he would agree to send in some of his forces to help me restore order.
For the first time it looked as if things were finally going to get better, but then Tirek came back and ruined everything. By the time I was finally able to send him back to Tartarus where he belonged, Equestria had fallen into shambles. My military had been decimated and most of my subjects had been rendered powerless thanks to Tirek’s ability to absorb magic. I still have my magic, but Tirek really did a number on me physically. To this day my wounds still haven’t completely recovered.
Then, like sharks smelling blood in the water, kingdoms, tribes, and armies of all sorts began to attack Equestria with the intent of claiming parts of the land for their own. I tried pleading for Sombra to help me ward them off but that ungrateful stallion betrayed me by deciding to join in on the “Territorial Everything Must Go Sale”. Chrysalis and her army of bugs have been giving me the most trouble. Many of her drones have infiltrated what’s left of my kingdom and have been slowly destroying it from within. Currently, Equestria is only about 1/3rd of its original size.
It’s only now that things have gotten so bad that suddenly everypony who’s still alive suddenly approves of my role as the Princess. Day after day they plead for my forgiveness and ask for a miracle, always eager to obey my every command if it’ll help drive out the invaders and restore Equestria to its former glory. It’s just as Starswirl once said, “Nothing unites ponies faster than a good tragedy.” Unfortunately, it’s too late for any of them. Perhaps if they were a bit more supportive in the beginning then maybe things wouldn’t have gotten so bad. Either way it doesn’t matter now, what’s done is done.
Now, as I sit here upon the throne of a dying kingdom, my body that of a battered sword and shield from years of fighting battles that were every bit as pointless as my own existence; I find myself looking into the heavens where the sun used to shine. A single thought enters my mind, and, for what feels like the first time in eons, it has nothing to do with wrath, envy, or pride.
‘I’m sorry, for all that I’ve done, … sister.’