> Nightmare Moon > by Haillee > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Self Doubt > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The door gave off a purple glow as it slowly closed behind the dark blue alicorn. She always kept her smile on for her subject but here, she lowered her head with a sigh and walked across the room to the bed. Another long night in which she smiles and protects the kingdom. Celestia always enjoyed her smile so she kept it up. Some days were harder then others. But she must keep up this role, she must never let her sister see how hurt she was. She layed on her bed and just began to cry. Tears felt like fire as they ran down her eyes. Why did none of her ponies love her? She worked endlessly to make the night a magical place for them. Yet they still wanted nothing to do with her. She cried for what seemed like hours until she became unable to breath by the a stopped up nose and soaking wet eyes. She never heard the sound of hoof steps come in over all the sobbing. "Why does an alicorn cry?" Said a voice form behind Luna. Luna jumped and turned to look at the intruder, to find a tall dark figure standing in the darkness. She lite her horn to shine some light and pointed it toward figure. It still did not look like a pony. She had a black coat and no cutie mark despite her height and age. She didn't have a mane nor tail. Though she did have very sharp and deadly looking teeth. Her pupils were nothing but diamonds in a large white eye. She looked like an earth pony but only a lot taller. Perhaps taller then Celestia. "W-who are thee?" She asked frightened by this pony's looks. "I have many names. Though you can call me Moon. I heard your cries and came to see how I could help. But you are not in danger. No, no you cry for another reason. I wish to help though." She said kindly, she looked at the Princess with her narrow eyes. But something in them shined and showed hope. Luna let her horn's light fade into the air. She sat down and stared at the ground. "There is nothing you can do. The ponies of Equestria will always chose my sister over me." She said hanging her head as another tear ran down her face. But before it reach her chin the pony stopped it with her hoof and flung it away. She stood the crying alicorn up in front of her making her stand tall in the room. "Now you listen here. I will not have any of that nonsense crying. Not anymore. Now I plan on helping you, but you have to do something for me. I need you to let me in." She said. The way she spoke it was so kind. As if she knew exactly what to say. But there was one thing that bothered Luna. Let her in. "What do you mean? Let you in?" Luna questioned. "Exactly that. Let me into your life, let me show your subjects what they were missing. Let me help you grow in the light of the moon." This calmed Luna a bit. Like a manger would book a stage for a singer, this mare would help her with her self doubt. Finally her subjects will see her night as she does. Magical. "Deal!" She said as she sent her hoof out for a shake. Moon grinned as she gave a hand shake in return. The smile put Luna off a bit, but after the deal she just made she wasn't about to let a strange smile keep her form her lovely subject. But not even a sec after Moon shook her hoof Moon turn into smoke. She tried to let out a scream, but instead the smoke ran into her mouth and ears. She began to cry realizing her mistake. But it was took late. She felt a sharp pain as her teeth grew larger and sharper. Her eyes grew narrow and her wings to a point. Her legs ached as they grew long and her hair seemed to extend as it became smoke like itself. She blacked out as she heard a laugh much deeper then she had ever known. When she woke up she was in complete darkness. She felt a shake as two bright lights appeared. They looked like windows, only clearer. She stood up and walked over to them. She was scared by how extremely dark everything else was. The room was empty except these windows and herself. She stared out of them trying to see where she was. Only to find that she was looking at the throne room inside the castle. This made no sense, where was she? She thought back to what had happened earlier and remembered the pony that was in her room. She shuddered at the thought. Was she inside her head? These windows sure did look like eyes. They even blinked open and close like them too. How was this possible? She thought back. When she was just a filly her mother told her of a demon that roamed the land. It feed off others self-doubt. This demon used these ponies as a vessel to do as they pleased. Often treating the pony kind at first but once it took over, it was just plain torture. As mother put it they held the pony hostage in their own mind. Making them watch as the demon did its works. As Luna grew older she just brushed it off as an old pony-tale. This was obviously not the case! She need some way to contact her sister. Luna saw Celestia run into view and stared at the creature that was now Luna. “Hello Celestia. Lovely sky today.” Came a voice from the mouth of Luna’s captor. Luna ran up to the eyes and began to bang away at them. At any how to make thins creature feel pain and give Celestia a sign that Luna was in there. But nothing this beast didn’t even rub her eyes. “Luna, what are you doing up? And why do you look like that? Is this another one of your jokes?” Celestia asked trying not to laugh. She thought she looked a tad funny stand on the throne looking like that. It sure was a scary costume. Celestia began to walk toward Luna. “Not another step!” Said Luna as she came stood up. She stared at Celestia for a while until finally speaking up. “Did you really expect me to sit idly by they all bask in your precious light?” Celestia now looked terrified by what was coming from Luna’s mouth. She only stared trying to find a way that this was still a joke. But no that serious of Luna face and her fresh look said it all. Luna however still trapped screamed and begged for it to stop. She didn’t want this she changed her mind. “Give me back my body you demon!” Luna shouted into the darkness not taking her eyes off the scene played in front of her. “There can be only one princess in Equestria! And that princess, WILL BE ME!” The voice bellowed as it smashed into the stone railing. Celestia stood up realizing how dier this was. As the wall behind this creature began to crack all the way up until it stopped and shattered leaving a large hole in its place. Luna cried out as she felt the ground shake beneath her. As the demon rose on its hind legs and raised the front legs into the air. The moon followed her motions as it rose in the sky and went in front of the moon. Luna watch this in horror, she had to do something anything! The demon shot a laser into the roofing bringing it down on the white alicorn in front of her. Celestia flew in the air to avoid it. When another laser shot at her causing her to land. Celestia had enough and stood her ground as she shouted. “Luna, I will not fight you! You must lower the moon it, is your duty!” Luna nodded as she ran straight forward trying to break the eye like windows. She screamed in pain after dislocating her shoulder. She watched as this scene continued. Luna heard the voice which she hated to be her own speak. “Luna? I am Nightmare Moon! And I have but one royal duty now, to destroy you!” Luna looked terrified at this and ran toward the windows again. Trying anything to get her sister’s attention. To do anything to help. But to no prevail. Another laser shot from the demons horn at her elder sister. Celestia fly out of the newly formed giant hole in the ceiling to avoid the fight. “And where do you think you are going?” Shouted the demon as it took after her. Luna watched in horror as this demon shot beams of deadly light at her sister. Celestia trying to avoid each one. The castle they once called home was being destroyed and her sister getting by with nearly misses. Until one last strike went and hit her in the chest. Celestia let out a scream as she fell downwards. Luna cried too trying to smash her hoof through the glass. She cried and begged for her sister. The demon only laughed. Luna stopped smashing. “You BEAST! LET ME OUT!” She hollered. The heard the voice come from a new angle. “Would you settle down?” Luna jumped at this, and turn to see the beast inside the mind with her. This time though she saw its new form and on it was her cutie mark! Luna Charges at the demon, while it only laughed as it horn glowed. Next thing Luna new she found herself in chains. Tied to the ground of what seemed to be an endless room. “Now it is very hard to shot death beams at anypony when someone is trying to poke your eye out! So, settle down, get use to this. This is your new life.” Nightmare Moon vanished as quickly as she had appeared. Leaving Luna only to watch what she would do next. To her relief Celestia came back into view. This time however she was surrounded by what looked like an echo of different colored lights. And the Elements of Harmony quickly spinning around her. Luna looked terrified at her sister. These are the things they used to defeat an awful foe. It turned him to stone! What would it do with her? Before she knew it, she had her answer two rays of light collided and Luna watch as her sister began to cry profusely. The light from her sister horn overpower the demons quickly. The demon screamed as they were speed through a ray. The demon blacked out for only a moment before opening her eyes and giving Luna a view of where they were. They were on the moon.