> On Nightmares and Moons > by Rarity Belle > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- In one of the many bedrooms of the palace was one mare alone. A dark blue coated alicorn who was accompanied by a short azure blue mane, while her cyan eyes gazed upon the blue skies and the sun which stood high in it. “Why Tia..? Just, why..? Why may I not raise the moon on my own, why may I not go around the world myself, why may I not practice my own magic, on my own..?” A deep sigh was released before a small tear began to build up in her right eye. The tear made its slow way over her cheek. Only to be meeting the blankets in which the mare had wrapped herself in. Though the more she thought and questioned, the more tears began to roll from her cheeks. “Just why, Celestia?!” she yelled before bursting out in tears and pulled the blankets over herself, only to sob underneath them. “Just, why..? What have I done to deserve this..? We are meant to rule together, not you alone!” the broken mare spoke through her sobbing. “Am, am I not strong enough? Is that it sister?” The more the mare talked to herself, the deeper she got tangled in a web created by herself. It didn't take long for the moon to shine down through the windows of the bedroom and the mare uncovered herself from the blankets, staring thoughtfully at the rock she had been on for so long. Slowly the mare sat upright in her bed and let out a deep sigh as she wiped her tears away carefully. Yet every time she looked at the wet fur after each wipe. “Tia...” ---   The princess of the sun entered the magnificent looking throne room under a thick gloom after she raised the moon. “My sister... How could I have been so foolish to send you there? I, I shouldn't be a princess, not after everything I’ve done. I am so sorry my sister.” The mare turned her attention back to the moon as a small tear ran down her cheeks. “Why couldn't you see..? Why couldn't you see it?” Under the sounds of a deep sigh and the soft clapper of her golden shoes she made her way to her own bedroom. “Goodnight, sister,” said Celestia when she passed the room of her sister. Though it was not too late afterwards that that same door unlocked itself and the dark blue coated mare trotted out of it. She began to make her way to the throne room. The moderate cyan eyes gazed once again on the moonlight coated throne as the quiet clatter of glass shoes came nearer and nearer, from a barely perceptible noise to about the noise level of a mouse scurrying across glass floor. The mare took place on the ever so mighty throne under a deep sigh. After one-thousand-years of sitting rock, this thing was so unusual yet so familiar to the mare. “Why... am I even needed..?” she questioned herself. One of the guards looked up to the mare and spoke to her with a respectful tone. “Something the matter, your highness?” "No guard... There... There is nothing. Just, thoughts running around freely...” the alicorn of the night replied. During her words, she kept her attention to the moon. The guard gave a respectful nod before returning to his post. ---   Minutes slowly passed by and there she still sat, her attention fixed to that giant rock of sorrow as tears flow freely over her cheeks before falling down to the ground. But all the sudden the mare began to boil in anger. Her face started to twitch slightly and it didn't took long before she began to shout towards the moon. “Why am I even needed!? We are meant to rule together as sisters! But yet, now that I am back finally after one thousand years of loneliness and sorrow, you barely even make the effort to talk to me! Sister, what have I done to you do deserve this!? Why!? Just why!?” All the guards in the room where shocked by at the suddenness of the eruption. Though the mare calmed herself down under the sound of sobbing. Yet none of the guards dared to even approach the mare but they couldn't stand the sight of her like that either. Tears streamed down the cheeks of the dark blue mare as she slowly spread her wings and jumped off of the throne. “Answer me!” Her eyes kept themselves fixed on the moon as her breathing increased and became heavier from the sadness. Some guards began to walk up to her with a questioning look in their eyes. Though the mare kept walking up to the railing of the balcony. She just stood there and only gazed upon the moon with widespread wings. Trails of tears left the throne but the guard waded through the puddles of tears that were already creating little streams and leaving the throne room. Before the guard could speak she made her reply. “Please... Answer my cries... Just why?” As more and more guards carefully made their way to the door of the balcony, keeping their eyes on her. They all had same thought, is she alright? Yet there was one young guard who was either was foolish or brave enough to move further up to the mare. ---   He could hear her light sobbing as the head lowered itself on the railing. His armor clattered lightly before he came to a standstill. “Are you, alright, princess?” he spoke to her in a soft voice. Her ears perked a little but she made no other attempt at responding. “Princess, please tell us, what is troubling you?” Before he could get any form of answer in word, the mare answered him in deeds. She rose back up from the railing and placed her front hooves on it. Without a single word nor warning did she jumped off of the railing. The young guard got the scare of his life as he rushed over to the railing but didn't dare to look down, as down there was nothing more but a long drop before the ground came. He gently took off his helmet and his sapphire blue mane mixed with dark blue and cerulean dropped down as his head lowered. The eyelids began to cover the cerulean eyes as a small tear rolled out of them. “G-Goodbye, princess,” he mumbled softly. But as he stood there, a wind blew through his mane. Although it was not a normal wind of any kind. But a wind that came from below and seemed to be going up. The kind of wind created by pegasus wings lifting off while a couple tears fell on his head. > Chapter 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The dark blue mare flew high over the castle there were more tears fell from her before changing the heading and shot towards the ever so mystical Everfree Forest. All the guards looked up in awe at the scenery presented before them The young guard looked up to his princess as a small smile began to appear on his face. “Best of luck, my princess,” he whispered before placing his helmet back on and returned to the throne room where his eyes falling upon all the other guards. “Return to your posts.” The other guards nodded to the words and did as ordered as they all saluted and spoke in unison. “Yes captain.” In time did the princess of the moon found herself flying high in the air and she was looking through her watery eyes for something she regretted seeing for so long. One of her hooves was used to wiped away the many tears that left her eyes. For every wiped one, a new one took its place. She passed over the ever so quiet town of Ponyville and didn't even want to look down on it. The reason was that it held just a bit too many memories then she would have liked. Instead was her attention turned over to the rock in the skies. Yet upon its gazing would there only have been more tears that travelled down her cheeks. The rock in the skies, her home for a thousand years. Her gaze turned itself again away from the rock and placed itself on the forest, she was looking for something, something of what the mare herself didn't even know what it was. Answers? Prayers? Power? Redemption? She didn't even knew it herself as her mind was filled with chaos. But she knew one thing for sure, that there is one creature that would know more about it all. “I will show you, I will show you, we are meant to rule together, sister,” she whispered to herself. In the distance did her destination came in sight and she growled a bit. “And you shall tell me... Of all the beings alive.” ---   The old and broken castle slowly come closer towards her. Only when she could would Luna have set in for the landing. The princess eventually landed on all four of her hooves as she tucked her wings in against her body. “The old castle,” the alicorn mumbled in a quiet tone. Her cyan eyes fell upon the ruin and she had a good look over it. “The place where it all began, and ended.” Her mind brought her unwillingly back to the ungrateful day where everything went to Tartarus, if not worse. The day that the creature of darkness that caused the most dreadful event in the life of the young princess. A deep sigh left her mouth as she slowly made her way into the ruin, looking at the damage still present. “Why do I remember it so, lively?” she questioned herself out loud. “I was locked away, you had a hold over my body. So, why..?” The more her eyes fell on the ruin, the more flashbacks she got of the events. Luna shook her head after every single one, but it didn't help. No matter where she glanced, a flash happened. Sometimes from her point of view, other times her sister’s. “How could I have been so foolish?” Eventually had Luna reached the room that once housed the elements of harmony. There was another deep sigh that left her mouth. She walked up to the stone statue that held the orbs in previous times. The more her eyes rest on it, the more her eyelids began to close themselves and her most suppressed memory began to crawl out of its hiding place to haunt the troubled mare.   “Too late Celestia. I shall rule the land, in eternal darkness!” “I won’t let you...I won’t let you do that Luna!” “There is nothing you can do for it, except tremble...” A deafening blast filled the room and all that could be seen was a bright light, a light as bright as the sun as two screams rose above it all… “No!” “Sister, help me!” As the creature opened its eyes, darkness surrounded it as millions of stars could be seen, but this, was not Equestria, this was its punishment. ---   Luna shocked up from the memory and pressed it again deep within the realms of her mind. “Why? So many question I have, so many left unanswered. Why was I given this form of redemption? Why was I deluded by her dreams of power and might. How could I not foreseen the trap I walked in?” Her eyes opened themselves again. The wings spread themselves and flapped a couple times. A thing which resulted in her hovering before the statue with a set of both sad and wondering eyes. She knew that something or somepony could help her in the matter. Though Luna wasn't sure to do it or not as her aid could turn against her. Her heart and mind clashed heavily against each other over it as she lowered herself again, resting her hooves back on the ground. Her eyes left the statue and took a turn around the room, looking at scenery and suffering the memories they brought up. But something in a corner, caught her attention. The lids lowered and raised themselves a couple times, making sure her eyes were not lying to the mare. “No... That is impossible, it, it just is impossible!” she said while her attention kept itself fixed on the item. ---   The soft clattering of hooves filled the room as she carefully made her way over to it. The closer she got, the more she noticed, and sadly recognized, the shape of this thing. “How..? How in the name of Tartarus, did that survive it all?!” The sad look of the princess her eyes got transformed into a look of utter anger. She charged up her horn just a little bit. Thus allowing itself to coat in the cobalt blue color. Soon enough it was the item that got surrounded in the aura as well and carefully removed itself out of the dark corner and was brought before Luna. Who only boiled more in anger which slowly turned in rage as the thing only got closer. This thing was something she used to wear it with pride so long ago but now, she despised it with whole her heart. “My helmet... No, your helmet,” spoke Luna to herself. The helmet turned itself around and she gazed in the holes meant for the eyes. “You got destroyed... Sent to the Void where you belong, yet this cursed thing survives... Maybe, just maybe... No Luna, you, you are only cursing yourself with it. But what if she does know it? What if she knows the ‘whys’ I walk with?” The princess placed the helmet in the middle of the room and walked back to the statue, keeping her eyes on it as she let go another sigh. “Sister is going to send me back for this, but I need to know. There is no other way that makes me capable of doing it.” A couple deep breaths began to fill the room before the mare said the chant. “I hereby call upon you, creature of the darkness, I hereby call upon you for I need your help once more. Please, hear my call...” But nothing happened, except the beating heart of Luna, there was nothing. “I call upon you once more creature of the Void, I need your help again, hear my call for you!” She repeated but this time charged up her horn a little as a beam was cast to the helmet, connection the being and the object. Again, there was nothing. The mare closed her eyes and began to abandon the hope as new tears rolled over her cheek. “C-Could it be true then, t-that you are truly, g-gone?” ---                      But just after she said those words, there was a purple mist started to crawl out from below the helmet. It was raising all of the sudden upon itself before the mist tried to take shape of a figure. The figure of an alicorn but seemed to have failed to get any physical form and gave up on forming. So it just stayed there while it changed its shape as the mist flowed freely. A set of catlike eyes with cyan irises opened themselves in the helmet and gazed upon the crying princess. You, echoed through the room. > Chapter 3 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Why have you woken me again, foal? The princess of the night wiped away her tears with care. She then stared into the eyes of the mist that had gathered before her. She allowed the voice to bury itself deep into her mind, prying open even more memories of sadness. “The, the reason for it, is because, I am not the same. She, left me changed. My rage, uncontrollable. My sadness, unmatched. My reign of the night, is no more...” So you woke me up... Just so I can hear your whining!? The mare shocked up a little from the sudden tone change of the mist as her eyes shrunk a little. “N-No! Not at all! Well, p-partly maybe...” The mist only huffed loudly as the eyes kept themselves pierced at the mare before it. “Please, I need your wisdom!” Wisdom you ask? You ask the wisdom of the creature you despised for over one thousand years!? The mist moved a bit closer over towards Luna. It would have slowly pressed the helmet against the forehead of the princess. Only to be followed by another huff of disgust. You blamed me for everything, kept my fires of hatred burning for so long... It was you, who helped me to become the creature I am today! If it wasn't for your hatred, I wouldn't have done the things I did, and not ending up in the Void… Luna let got a loud gulp at the spoken words from the mist as she knew they were true, one thousand years alone on the moon, she only blamed the creature she had in her, but didn't look to herself. “W-What else was I supposed to do!? I was, no, we are locked there for a millennium! It was only us two on that big rock I was supposed to reign over! Who else could I blame for it all!?” A third huff left the mist as it removed itself out of the face of the blue coated mare and flew a little through the ruin. Your sister... ---   “Excuse me?” The entire expression of Luna changed the moment those words were caught in her ears. Everything turned from an angered look, into a doubtful one. Once more, she would be doubting just about everything there was. You have only looked to me... But you forgot the one, who did the actual banishment of us, little foal... For it was your sister, who had the final word… “Lies! Those words you speak are full of lies! Tia sent us, me, there for a good reason!” Still dealing with your temper issues don’t you..? Just as always...Luna. “Don’t speak my name, you monster!” snarled the princess of the night. The mist let go another huff as its eyes gazed through the broken window before it did a step or two towards the alicorn. One whole millennium, you blamed me for everything. You dared to call my name, every single day on that forsaken rock! Without me ever saying yours, foal. Now that I do, you make a big deal out of it... Do not think I am just some stupid monster made up to scare foals, Luna. The alicorn of the night got up herself. She moved over to the location of the mist. There where she exhaled deep towards it. Her eyes were staring outside the same window. She was wondering just where in the name of the land, the creature itself was looking at. ---   Remember this place, my little Luna? It was here, where we merged, and got separated. I remember it all so well. The moment we merged together into one being, one solid entity. It was something, unusual to say the least, something comfortable, if I might add. Our separation however, was brutal and cold. The voice of the mist had turned itself down to a calm tone. A tone of remembering the past. Oddly enough, there wasn't even the slightest bit of anger could be heard within it. And now, here in the nothingness of the Void, one gets to know itself very well. Every aspect if a creature is placed under a magnifying glass and presented to the creature. “Not, to be rude, but do you want to go somewhere with this?” asked Luna careful. She remembered the happened events rather different than they were presented to her. Yes. Yes, I wish to go somewhere with my words. Have you taken a look at the moon before us? The one shining right through this broken window, the window we blasted many guards through so long ago... It is the same moon… Luna gazed a little upon the moon as the memories began to rise once more. But she didn't succeed as she remembered its size. As on our merging... The shape returned back into her mind. And on our separating... Even the coloring she remembered so livingly. Her eyes allowed themselves to fall upon the rock once more on this evening as it all came back to her, the mist was speaking the truth. It was the same moon as on the mentioned events. “It, it is yes... I remember now, a-again, even.” I suppose I can not persuade you into pulling me out of my, spiritual, prison? “What is your point by telling me all this? Didn't we sidetracked a lot from where we began?” Luna asked as she gazed upon the mist which let go a deep sigh. You partly formed me into the monster I have become known as... Your hatred, as well as your desires, have shaped me into the mindless creature I became, I lived from your desires, mixing them with my own... Yes, it is true I am still willing to topple the world into darkness and rule over it as I wished... But I am not stupid, I know it is impossible. But we indeed got sidetracked. The mist turned itself over to the statue and flew over to it. Where it took a little rest. ---                      A few minutes would have gone and come. Luna had not a clue what she could be doing against it. Yet the mist held a watchful eye upon her. For it was the same mist that wanted to speak again, after the time had been there again. Your old desires, are still within you. That is what creates your rage. The time on the moon, the time without family, has created your sadness. Your power, I can not speak of... Maybe, it separated with us, when we got separated by those six wretched mares… Luna turned herself around as well as she carefully listened to the spoken words. “But how, how can that all be possible?” Many things are left untold over the ageing of time. Things are hidden, twisted from their reality or simply, forgotten. The princess gave a small nod of understanding towards the mist as her attention slipped onto something. Luna took note that the mist was harmless, unable to release itself out of the void. It couldn't do much else then tell the truth and the truth alone. At least that was the way how it appeared to her. “I see... But can you help me, to overcome it?” There is only one way. A path we already walked together, so many years ago… The princess gulped loud upon hearing this and her mind already went back to the happened events. What resulted in her shaking her head. “No, I can not do that, I simply can not!” That is what you say, that is what your mind says, but in your heart, you know it true. Keep in mind we merged together in order to become more powerful. You didn't have a problem back then! The mare lowered herself through her hooves, taking on an attacking stance. She was willing to just charge the mist head on. “I was young, Nightmare! I was foolish, selfish even!” So you admit it, you admit it you are unworthy of being a princess! And you thought I could help you, now didn't you? You are still the fool you always have been, not worthy of being a princess. All you are, is a seat warmer for that weak excuse of a sister you have! ---   The eyes of the mist fell upon those of Luna and simply gazed directly into her soul which sent ice cold shivers through her. She was unable to counter the words that were spoken as they were a harsh reality in her eyes. Frozen on the spot she could only take them for what they were. And pray on her soul, that history wouldn't repeat itself. It was through me, through Nightmare Moon, that you were granted power far above your levels! And this is how you repay me!? By sending me into the Void of Nothing! I would crush you if I could. Luna rose back from the pose as she blinked in utter confusion on this outburst of rage. The time is nigh once more... Little Luna... Or how did she call you, ‘Woona’? The mist erupted into a dark laughter as it turned its attention back to the mare and swiftly went over to her position. The mare was stumbling in the vague hope it wouldn't be true what would happen next. She fired bolts of magic towards the rushing mist but it didn't help one bit. It began to swirl around her if not tangling the princess who was gasping for her dear life. “N-No, not again! Please!” But every time her mouth opened, Nightmare chuckled even darker while the mist entered her mouth. > Chapter 4 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- While the moon lowered itself and in the end fell back behind the hills, in order to make way for the ever so wonderful celestial sun. Luna could be found unconsciousness on the floor of the old castle. The events that had happened during the remaining hours. Ones she deeply and painfully relived in her mind. If she could shed tears they were running down her cheeks by the dozen. For she didn't got what she wished for, she never got any wise words from the creature she despised ever so long ago. No, for that what she got was something that would make history repeat itself once again. Sounds as if the devil himself was laughing at the light blue mare while the purple mist crawled its way into the body. Tears streamed down with each passing second as the horrible memories all returned to her. But she was powerless, she was powerless against this monster. While her eyes gazed back on the moon for the last time, she could feel its pull towards her. A pull she didn’t feel ever since the monster took place in her body. But she lost the power over her own body, she couldn't control any part anymore, she laid there, numb. While the purple mist kept laughing as the rock in the skies ventured on like there was nothing going on. It was in the moment that her eyes turned themselves off of the moon, she began to lose the grasp of reality. Losing control of everything. All she could do now, was fall asleep. And pray. Her cyan blue eyes got covered by the eyelids whose lashes slowly got covered in tears who eventually made their way to the ground. And so it happened that the princess of the moon fell deeply asleep once again as the mist kept laughing and entering her body through the mouth before nestling itself in it. --- Back in the castle of Canterlot had all the guards prepared themselves ready for the change of the rulers as the princess of the sun gracefully made her way into the throne room, only to let her eyes fell upon an empty throne once again. “How could I have been so blind,” she mumbled under her breath. “Your highness,” the young, multiple blue colored maned guard spoke up to her. Before he would have continued, he gave her a deep bow. The pale, light grayish magenta eyes of the mare fell upon him while a small smile began to take shape on her face. “Rise back up young captain. And please, tell me where my sister is.” He rose back under the sound of a soft gulp, for he didn't wish to tell the news on this morning, “I... She...” Those words were all he could stumble out for his mind couldn't think of the right words to choose. Celestia let go a small sigh as the smile disappeared while her eyes closed themselves. “It is complicated, I know young captain. Carry on with your duties please. Luna, my sister is... troubled.” The captain saluted before returning to his post where he began to rethink the short conversation he just had as another guard placed a hoof on his shoulder, giving a reassuring smile while speaking softly. “Don’t take it too hard on yourself, captain. None of us could have expected what would happen last night.” “That, that is true,” he spoke in return. His cerulean colored eyes fell upon the other guards afterwards, all still a bit in shock of what had happened. The eyes of the princess opened themselves again while she made her way over to the throne with a gentle pace. Her thoughts began to drift off to other worlds, older worlds to be specific. She sat down on the throne and allowed to take a good look at the room she sat in before leaving this world behind in order to relive the one of one thousand years ago. --- The world where both she and Nightmare Moon were battling it out in the castle in the Everfree. A fierce battle between two equally powerful beings. The castle was torn down simply by the raw power of both the sun and  moon. There they stood, against each other. Panting heavily from the fought battle, but not out of power at all. The eyes of Celestia fell upon those of Nightmare as their manes were flowing like never before. The purple mist as deep as it could for the empress of the night. While the manes of the princess were literally set ablaze. The empress gave a deadly grin and revealed her razor sharp teeth as the princess only huffed out a cloud of steam through her nose. As both their horns slowly charged up for what the monster thought was the final attack. They kept charging as much as they could, both creating enormous spheres above them, one illuminating the area, as the other consumed the light. When the charges were released, the white coated mare took the full charge directly into her body as the monster began to teleport away to someplace it would stay for the coming millennium. But the ears of the princess caught something, a sound that would make her regret her action immediately. ‘Sister, help me!’ --- The scream for help echoed in her head. The mare shocked up from her sleep as all the guards were gazing upon her. For they all knew that something was different about her. Something dangerous had risen in her. Her mane was not simply flowing but flowing like it was a raging fire. Sparks emerged ever so lightly from the tip of the horn. Though they disappeared just as quick as they came. For her eyes had opened themselves. The fiery movement soon returned to its normal state as well, allowing the mare to just flow as normal again. “The fires of rage... Still stoked by my own hatred...” the princess of the sun whispered. Of course had she taken a note of her own change of mane. “What could she mean with that?” one of the guards whispered against the young captain. “I don’t think we want to find that out.” The guard nodded ever so lightly before standing in position again. ---   A soft moan carefully did its turn through the old castle, soon to be followed by a loud sniff of sadness. The dark blue eyelids moved themselves up in order for the cyan colored eyes to gaze upon the shining down sun. The mare released another moan as her forelegs were moved to her eyes in order to rub them. But when they removed themselves, she took note of something on them. Or better said, on her. Her coat wasn't light blue anymore but had turned into a darker blue one. She could only blink a couple times at this revelation and quickly got up on her hooves. “What in... What hast thou done!” she said but as she listened to her own words she only shook her head deeply. “No, no, no...” It was then, in that moment of shaking her head, he mane covered one of her eyes, but it wasn't the azure blue mane she remembered, this mane was a cobalt blue and flowing like the one of her sister. Luna quickly turned her attention to her tail which was the same coloring as her mane. “What in the name of...” Do you like it? a voice in her head asked. “W-What?” Do you like it? “Like, what?” the princess of the night said in return. Hundreds of thoughts went through her mind. All of them tried to figure who it could be speaking to her. Don’t waste your time thinking where I am foal. I am inside you... In your heart. “Nightmare!” was all she could say. Very good, very good indeed yes. Bit slow on the reaction, but still good. “Get out of my body before I dump us both into the ravine outside of the castle!” You would never do that and you know that. But to answer your question, no. I am not leaving. For you and I, are part of one being. We need each other, little foal. “Stop calling me that!” I call you however I wish to call you. The princess let go a deep sigh as she accepted the fact once again, she was housing the monster the caused her to suffer for one thousand years. But the spoken words kept echoing in her head. “How do you mean the words you spoke?” Luna eventually asked with care in her voice. Just as I said them… “So, you and me, are part of a bigger whole? Like two souls that make up one entity?” For I, am you... And you, are me... > Chapter 5 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- “B-But how!? How can we..?" Luna questioned herself while she was puzzling the pieces together. The words had caught her off guard and that was something not really appreciated by her. My foal, we were one ever so long ago, it is time to stay as one. One can not live without the other. You have seen it yourself, your anger, sadness and regret… The mare allowed her thoughts to run free and wild about the spoken words before nodding eventually. “That, that is right... We are one being. And one being alone. We are one.” Glad you finally took note of that... Even if it took one thousand years of pain… “Don’t remind me please...” the mare said as her eyes fell upon the by now descending sun. “I will show her...” What are you... Oh, I see where you are going with this. ---   The princess began to care less and less about the mare in her heart at a gentle rate. She just accepted the facts as they were while she made her way over to the broken window. There she allowed her eyes to fall upon the sun once again. Her mind began to make deep and complex calculations while lowering her head until the horn touched the ground. The cyan blue eyes got once again covered by the dark blue eyelids, soon to be followed by a couple deep breaths before she softly spoke. “My name, is Luna, princess of the moon and stars. And tonight...”  Before she could say a word further her horn began to charge up, letting itself coat in the cobalt blue aura. Time itself didn't had to progress long before her horn had collected so much energy it was humming from it. With a slow rate did the aura left her horn in order to surround her whole body. All while her head ever so gentle rose back up. The eyelids were opened on themselves again and allowing her eyes to see the worlds again. They were allowed to show her the deed she was about to do. They turned themselves over to the east. While inspecting the horizon, the tip of a rock could be seen that went accompanied by some twinkling lights. They glared over to the west where the sun had disappeared and the darkness began. The whole skies turned blacker than ever before as holes in the clouds allowed the stars to shine down upon the land as the rock kept rising itself until it revealed itself as both a sight of pleasure and sadness for the mare. That rock was nothing else than the moon. Her domain, her reign, her kingdom.  “...I claim what always had been rightfully mine.” ---   Equestria slowly fell into the evening. The time for ponies to go to bed as they pleased. Yet Luna was still widely awake. She didn’t have any intention about going to bed anytime soon either. And Nightmare –being herself– saw an opportunity to take a great advantage of the situation. Don’t you see it? They will all sleep during our night. “Nightmare Moon... thou hast much to learn,” the princess spoke in a regal tone. “Our subjects need their sleep. For not only do their relax under the sun, they also work. Under the moon, they all relax.” W-What..? “Their sleep is the thing powers us. Their peaceful sleeping is something that she will never be able to rule over,” said Luna in the hope to make things a bit more clear for Nightmare. When did you..? Nightmare Moon was struck by surprise of the words of the princess as she recalled them in her heart, pounding her own mind over them, only to realize they were more than true. How did you came to that conclusion!? “I have had years to think my past sins. Sins I thought that could be washed away in time, and your banishment. But it is as you said... I am you, and you are me.” And you asked... Never mind that. We, have one last business to do. “Sister,” the mare spoke before she spread her wings with an unseen elegance. All while her horn discharged itself. It therefore allowed the aura to vanish from it and herself. ---   The eyes of all the guards in the throne room, including the ones from the princess were looking at something. They gazed upon the moon, stars and the fallen night in a shocked reaction to them. Not even the princess of the sun could speak a word about what had happened. The more they stared, the more it appeared as if a figure came flying from the rock. One that was heading into the direction of the palace in Canterlot. None of them dared to attack it or even point it out for they were waiting for the order of the princess. Who on her own turn happened to be having an idea of whom the figure might be. Celestia could only pray that her feelings to be right in the matter. It didn't took long before the figure landed on the balcony of the palace as a cobalt blue aura began to surround the doors in order to open them. All the guards gazed upon the opening doors while trying to identify the figure before a shock went through each of them and they all lowered on their front legs, resulting on bows before the figure. “Sister,” spoke Celestia in the end after the figure walked in further. “Spare us your pity, sister!” the figure replied while making its way over to the throne, revealing it to be the princess of the moon who had been flying towards them. A surprise that struck each of the guards more than they had expected. “Excuse me?” “Spare us, your excuses. Spare us your sympathy. And listen to us for once.” “Us? Luna, w-what is going on?” the other mare asked in a confused tone. “Let me put it this way. I figured some things out in the past hours. Things about myself, and somepony else. Somepony who makes me whole, thus creating an us. You couldn't see it, now could you. I needed this pony, I just needed her. For it was thanks to her I have been able to raise the moon, as I am supposed to be!” ---   The princess of the sun gave an understanding nod before she stood up from the throne. Without a word from her mouth did she walked from the steps it had. She signaled a little with her head that Luna had to follow her and together they walked through the door she just entered. The elder sister closed the door with the help of her magic before allowing her eyes to scam the nightly skies, eventually resting on to her sister. “Sister, have you bound yourself again with that creature?” “She is not a creature! She is a part of me. A broken part of my soul own soul. A part not being able to be glued to whatever there is left. But she is a part of me.” Celestia allowed a deep sight to leave her nostrils after the words entered her ears. “Luna, my little Luna, you have once again fallen into the lies of the beast, and I don’t wish to banish you again,” said the other princess with an unusual calm to her voice. The younger sister just turned her head away before a deep sigh of her own left her mouth. “You won’t understand... You never did, never will either.” “I do understand it, I can see your reasons behind it, but bounding again with Nightmare, is asking for another banishment,” her sister spoke ever so softly. “Then I want you to listen to me, and listen to me good for a change!” The mare began to charge her horn up very lightly as she draw a small circle in the thin air while keeping her eyes stern on her sister. “Take life as a circle, one can go many directions from it. But the middle represents pure harmony. Our status.” ---   Celestia gave a nod of understanding, but was also impressed by the manner of her sister’s speaking. “With Nightmare out of my control, she broke out of the circle. But to even things out, so did I. Thus keeping both the same distance from that circle to order everything in us, around us. But with her in the Void, there was nothing to even me out, nothing at all. Thus making me as I was, angry, sad, depressed. It only has been a few hours since I felt myself whole again. Why? Because not only does Nightmare even me out again, we came back to the center. Much like you and...” But before she could speak a name, her sister glazed into her eyes under a light head shake, resulting in the younger sister to let go a sigh. “Nightmare... Come out please, and tell her, what I told you.” she said before her entire body began to indulge itself in a white light as she grew in size, her coat became as black as the night and her horn elongated. ---   After a mere second did the light fade away, resulting in the tainted part of Luna’s soul to be standing there. Standing once again against the mare of the sun, the very mare who banished her. Celestia allowed her eyes to fall upon the creature before her, the same creature she had locked up in the moon one millennium ago. It felt like she was facing her old foe. But the princess didn't do anything to attack as Nightmare also just stood there, looking down into the eyes of the mare. “She speaks the truth. I am part of her. I am her, and she is me, Celestia. It was through us both, she was able to raise the night. And coming to the conclusion that ponies at night have something they will never have during the day,” the other entity inside of her spoke slyly. The other alicorn mare listened with the greatest of interest to the spoken words. Though there was something that she wanted to know about it all. “And what might that be?” she asked. “Rest and relaxation,” spoke Nightmare under her infamous grin. After that did she return to the heart of the lunar alicorn mare. It was a thing that resulted in Luna transforming back to her normal self as a smile began to appear on the face of Celestia. “You were right, sister. She is a part of you. She truly is. I am sorry for my words against her and I hope you are able to forgive me for them.” “I forgive you sister, I forgive you.” Luna whispered ever so softly. ---   The alicorn her smile stayed on her face as she nuzzled the nose of her little sister. “Thank you, Woona. But excuse me here, my bed is calling for me here sadly.” Luna nuzzled back under a light smile while nodding in return. “I understand, Tia.” Together they made their way back inside the throne room where the guards all had taken their position again as Celestia walked through another door and disappeared out of sight, leaving Luna alone in the throne room. The dark blue coated mare didn't had to think long before she walked up the steps of the throne and sat down on it in a regal manner, overlooking the throne room with confidence. She had reclaimed what was taken so brutally from her ever so long ago. Not only richer in that manner, but also learned her most valuable lesson to date, that even though a part of her soul is as black as the darkest of nights, it still makes her who she is. As for Nightmare herself, she resided with peace in the heart of the alicorn princess, waiting to be asked again. Consuming the hatred while she secretly planned to topple everything in darkness. ---   So it happened, the to many untold story of the changes of the princess between her separation from the ‘monster’ to the alicorn they all know and love to that day. A story that took place in a day. A story with many bumps but one that was too beautiful to be left untold. Right?