> Princess Celestia Has a Nightmare
>  by twilightsparkle3562
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Celestia's Scary Nightmare
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You've failed us for the last time!"

"You're Reign is Over!"

"How dare you send an enemy of Equestria after another enemy of Equestria?"

Those were the cries of anger being heard as Princess Celestia, stripped of her crown, gold horseshoes and gold chestplate was dragged through the streets of Canterlot by her rear legs while her subjects angrily threw fruits, vegetables and anything that would cause injury, while the hard gravel plucked her once proud alicorn wings and cut into the snow white coat of her body. For they, her once loyal subjects, had now finally had enough of Celestia's failures.

Tirek had been re-imprisoned by Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends, but there was no excuse for Celestia's poor decision to send Discord, the spirit of chaos, after a dangerous creature like Tirek. Had she sent Twilight and her friends instead, then maybe they would have been more sympathetic.

But, that was not the case.

Bringing her to a small platform, Celestia looked up in horror as she saw what appeared to be a gallows with a noose attached to it. Celestia was scared, a fear that she had never felt before. It appeared to her that her subjects, her most loyal subjects, had turned against her and now wanted her wiped from existence.

"Please," Celestia sobbed as she was roped around her neck. "I'm sorry for what I did to you all, but you must understand why! Give me a chance, please! I beg of you!"

It was very obvious that they were not going to listen, for in the minds of her bloodthirsty subjects, Celestia had put them in mortal danger and they were going to not listen to her beg for mercy.

"Hang her!" shouted the bloodthirsty mob as the unicorn pony in charge placed a black hood over Celestia's face and then levitated his magic to open the trapdoor, sending Celestia to her doom. "Do it now! Do away with this pathetic leader who calls herself princess!"

However, just as Celestia was roughly dropped below the trapdoor, she felt a bright white light consumer her and all of sudden, she found herself gasping loudly and crazily gasping. Celestia was no longer in the streets of Canterlot. She found herself in her bedroom frantically looking around for any sign of danger towards her. But instead, she heard a wild knock at the door and could only fear that it was a mob of ponies, come to take her away to her doom.

"Sister!" cried a voice. "Sister, are you in there?"

Celestia let out a sigh of relief for the voice on the other side was that of her younger sister, Princess Luna. Still, the events of her nightmare were still freshly planted in her mind and Celestia could only freeze in her bed, not wanting to move a muscle.

"Sister, please let me come in!" cried Luna again and Celestia knew that she didn't have a choice. In her mind, perhaps it was all a trick, a changeling that had come to finish her off while disguised as Luna.

Slowly climbing out of bed, Celestia slowly walked to the door and opened it to reveal a very worried Princess Luna on the other side. Luna could not believe what she was looking at in terms that maybe, just maybe, this was a pony who had literally been through hell and back. Celestia's eyes were heavy, her neatly flowing mane was a rough and tangled mess and her snow white coat was stained with sweat.

"I sensed you had a dream, sister," said Luna, a concerned look on her face. "And it is a dream that is all too familiar to both of us."

Celestia said nothing and merely just lowered her head, quietly beginning to sob as Luna walked into her older sister's bedroom.

"Its happened again, dear sister," cried Celestia, sitting on the edge of her bed with Luna at her side. "My subjects, my most loyal subjects, had turned on me again. They want me dead because I failed to protect them from Tirek!"

"You didn't fail them, sister and you know that," replied Luna. "You did what needed to be done and they was no other way. They just didn't see that and it pains me to see you like this, being tortured by the ponies we've sworn to protect."

"I did fail them, sister!" shouted Celestia through her sobs. "It was a mistake that I sent Discord after Tirek instead of Twilight and her friends! Discord had the powers to stop Tirek from causing any damage or harm, but how was I supposed to know he would betray us, Luna? Answer me that!"

Celestia gave herself up once again and began to cry loudly again. Luna then levitated a handkerchief to Celestia so that she could dry her eyes. She hated seeing her sister in this condition. Yes, both Luna and Celestia had their differences and like all sisters, they had their qualms. Nevertheless, there was no excuse whatsoever for the nightmares that Celestia was putting herself through.

"None of us knew that he was to betray us, sister," comforted Luna, as she allowed her older sister to cry into her shoulder. "But, Discord learned the error of his ways and his journey to reformation had come to an end. Still, there is no excuse for what transpired."

Even Luna herself was also feeling a little scared of the events with Tirek: the betrayal of Discord, surrendering her magic to Twilight and being shunted off to Tartarus like a garbage bag along with Celestia and their niece, Princess Cadence. Both Luna and Celestia could still remember the hellish nightmare like it was yesterday and there was no doubt in Luna's mind that it was going to take time to heal.

"You must also know that our subjects are very forgiving of your actions, sister," said Luna. "They don't want to see you like this just like me. If there is one pony who is unforgiving of your actions, it is yourself, dear sister."

Celestia stopped her sobs for a moment and then pulled away from Luna, realizing what was happening. Luna was right, she was not forgiving herself for her own actions. But, these were actions that Celestia took very personally. She knew deep down that she had failed, but Luna wanted her to not believe that.

"What can I do then, little sister?" she asked. "What can I do?"

"I know you are much older than I, big sister," replied Luna. "But, I must tell you to find a distraction, something that you can use to take your mind off of the nightmares that you've put yourself through."

Celestia then realized that Luna was right, she needed to think of something positive. There was a reason that she wanted Discord reformed to begin with. Discord was a creature that only wanted to cause chaos, not harm or even kill anypony. In fact, the Grand Galloping Gala was coming up and given the fact that the last Gala was fun, there was no question that Discord would be invited and liven things up.

"You are right, little sister," said Celestia, weakly from all the crying she had done. "I need to not focus on the negative, only the positive. But, the scars…"

"…may never fully heal," interrupted Luna. "Knowing from visiting several dreams that the memories will still be there, but I always encourage our subjects to focus on what is good in their lives and I think you should do the same."

Heeding Luna's advice, Celestia crawled back into bed, eager to fall asleep again after letting out all of the emotions that had been pent up inside of her. This time, however, she felt a little better that Luna was able to talk her through this hell she was in.

Still, what was done was done and all that mattered now was moving on from all of this…