Nightmare Moon stared in panic at the dying world above her. It had been three days since she had first seen a flicker of orange fall to the planet, and for three days she had watched the turmoil slowly overtaking the lands above. She’d seen it all, the moon offering a prime seat from the first arcane flare to the now blinding conflagration. And she could do nothing but watch.
Her mind raced, thoughts that she’d buried centuries ago rising unbidden to her mind. What was her sister doing? How could she have let things get so far out of control? She’d watched first in disbelief, then in horror as the world she’d once known tore itself apart. She had felt them dying, felt the terror of ponies’ dreams as they slept uneasily, wondering when the end would come. When would the rapidly escalating conflict consume them as well? In a way it was beautiful, the graceful parry and thrust of different hues upon the planet’s surface, but all this was lost in the aching desperation she felt; the helplessness of inactivity. She knew not what enemy was threatening her home, yet it seemed to be everywhere, a ruddy wave of fire and shadow that swept up everything in its path, its expansion inexorable.
To the south she could see spurts of dragon fire, bright streams of varied colors that ignited and fought against the slow advance of orange; the bright white of the Griffons’ incendiaries to the East, searing bursts of light that left only darkness in their wake; and in the middle of it all, her home, the great hub of a wheel of sparking magic that stretched from coast to coast, lashing out at the encroaching orange and black. Her sister’s handiwork no doubt. Worry boiled within her breast as she paced back and forth, watching. It was a different emotion, far removed from the self-pity she’d been rolling in for centuries and she wasn’t sure that she liked it. The nightmares within her hissed and spat at such thoughts, but the feeling refused to go away.
Above her, the shadows and flame flickered across the face of the world, consuming all in its path. She watched, as nations crumbled; as one by one the lights went out. Eventually her sister’s magic was the only light remaining, a bright hub of weakening yellow, shining out its defiance against the gathering darkness. The orange and black attacked again and again, a dark wave hammering upon a steadily dimming shore. She tried to turn away but couldn’t. It was true that it was her sister’s fault that she was here in the first place; that she’d been banished permanently to this barren wasteland, and yet… And yet deep within herself she felt that she was the one at fault; that her sister had been right all along.
She thrust the thought down with an angry snort, burying it deep within her mind. Regardless of whose fault it was, the fact remained that she was still stuck here, tied to a lifeless rock. All the world aflame and she was here with the dirt. Her home overrun and she had to watch. She turned away, panting, trying to block out the sight, but she could not block out the dreams that came to her across the void. Visions of fire and of death, loved ones lost and not found, and a hope—a tenuous hope—that somehow, some way everything would be made right. For the first time in a great while she felt sorry; not for her own plight, but for those ponies—her ponies—down below.
A realization came to her, foreign and unwelcome, profound in its intensity. She should be down there. She should be helping. Her ponies needed her. The nightmares chattered to each other, uncertain of her intent. They too wished for freedom, but for a different intent. They whispered to her, sibilant and seductive, speaking of the kingdom of eternal night she had promised, the goal she’d sworn to achieve so long ago. Their sighing fell upon deaf ears. Her mind was a torrent of thoughts and ideas. Her sister had done this to her yes, and she should pay for it, but it should be at her hooves and not those of another. Was this new foe punishment enough? The darkness and flame continued to hammer at the web, at her sister; chipping away at the light, seeking entrance.
A sudden motion caught her eye, and she watched horrified as a vast wave of darkness gathered and rushed forwards, covering half of the continent as it rushed towards her home. She cried out aloud in fright at sheer size of it, echoing the terror and despair streaming from those cradled within the golden web. From the glow of the magic, she could see her sister readying herself, trying to gather all the strength she had against the oncoming storm, a final desperate gambit to buy more time for both herself and her subjects. The wave rose, terrifying in its magnitude, fangs of orange and shadow bared across the entire perimeter of the nation, seeking to end the conflict in one swift stroke.
Panic flared through her and she reared, striking out at the wards around her prison that forbade her from leaving. Thaum shimmered and sparks flew as she pounded against the barrier desperately, trying to break the centuries old binding that her sister had orchestrated. Her sister! Sweat beaded upon her dark brow as she struggled against the obstacle. Could she see that she was needed? Were they not her ponies as well as her sisters? Hate flared within her once more, directed at her sister’s stubbornness, but also at the dark juggernaut that screamed towards the fragile web of magic that remained.
For a brief instant, the web solidified, held, then crumbled under the sheer weight of darkness, a single ember remaining within the center. The flames rushed in greedily, consuming all in a flood of death and pain. She shrieked aloud in pain and terror, the combined emotions of the flood’s victims threatening to snap her very being. She fell on to all four hooves, straining against the sea of dreams, and heaved, calling upon the strength of the nightmares within to aid her against the titanic burden. Her head came up, and she gasped as the world above her burnt. Flames rapidly consumed the land that had been protected by her sister’s magic, casting a fierce orange glow through the smoke that choked the planet. Already she could feel the weight lifting, the life leaving the remaining ponies at an alarming rate.
Suddenly from the center of the maelstrom, a light flared, powerful and defiant against the encroaching dark. A multicolored beam of light appeared, carving a swath through the flames and beating back the choking smoke. The Elements… The shadows within her screamed with rage and hate at the sight of that which imprisoned them for so long, throwing themselves about within the confines of her mind. She watched entranced as her sister wielded them once more against a powerful enemy, once more defending her people from disaster. She could feel them; feel the hope and awe of the pitiful few that were left as they watched their princess battling overwhelming odds just to spare them one more second of life, one more moment with their loved ones before the end.
The burst of rainbow light continued, slicing through the darkness like butter, but it was not enough. From all directions spurts of fire and shadow assaulted the light, buffeted it this way and that before being reduced into nothingness by its rainbow burst. She watched in horror as the light grew dimmer and dimmer, its movements became wild and erratic, thrashing about with reckless abandon at it was swallowed time and time again by the flames, drawing them farther and farther from the last unburnt area of land. It winked, sputtered, and then went out entirely, falling from the sky. The darkness converged upon it one final time, gleeful in its triumph. The despair was palpable, her mouth filled with ashes. No! Sister…
The fire and shadow piled itself upon the spot, stretching far into the atmosphere; a shape forming that would haunt her dreams for eons to come, and then suddenly it was gone. She had a brief glimpse of a terrible brightness reaching out towards her, a piercing lance of light that split the smoke in two, and then the world exploded. For a split second she could see every individual feather that made up her wing and then the shock wave hit. The moon shuddered and groaned beneath her as it was blasted with the full concentrated force of the sun, juddering in its orbit. She screamed, irises slits against the glare, as a torrent of light washed over everything, turning her world into a bright void of white. The nightmares shrieked and boiled out of her, covering her body with a shield of darkness that was vaporized as the barrage of energies continued. She writhed under the intense heat for what seemed like forever until gradually the maelstrom outside quieted.
It was some time before she was able to see clearly, her vision lost in a sea of white, but gradually her sight returned. The shield had held, the tattered remnants of the nightmares sloughing off around her, leaving her staggering in a disintegrating pile of darkness. Those that remained were few and weak, yet they fluttered within her, continually reaffirming their trust that their companions’ sacrifice would not be in vain, that she would create a kingdom for them once more. She stood, panting, her whole body tingling with Thaum. The magic filled the entirety of her being, coursing through her veins, filling her ethereal mane and tail with its presence. It had been some time since she had felt so… not since—
The thought came across the void as it had so many times before like a small brush of air across her cheek. Her eyes widened in shock at its caress. It felt small and weak, helpless, pitiful even, and yet it was enough. All the confused thoughts, feelings, and emotions of the past three days were swept away with one simple thought. A name. Her real name. The one she’d refused to call herself by for nigh on six hundred years:
Luna…
Instantly she was airborne, the ruined planet beneath her rapidly filling her field of vision as she sped across the void. The wards were gone now, there was nothing holding her back, nothing from keeping upon her a prisoner for any longer. She dove, tears streaming from her eyes, down towards the barren remnant of what was once her home, the entire continent blasted free of everything for a brief moment. Already the flame and shadow was working its way across the blast radius towards the one small circle of green that remained. She accelerated, the magic propelling her faster towards her goal, the air around her shimmering with friction. Her horn ignited, the aura spreading around her, protecting her from the blistering heat of reentry; all her thoughts focused on one thing and one thing only: Sister…
The circle of green grew until it filled her vision. Her wings flared and muscles screamed as she slowed herself, the fire about her dissipating. She closed her wings and plummeted, aiming for a pitiful white bundle that lay in the center of all that was left of the Equestria she once knew.
It was strange, a small thought whispered in the back of her head, she’d dreamt about this moment for centuries; her sister defeated and at her mercy, but never in all her fantasies had she expected this. Celestia lay on her side, burnt, spent and utterly broken. Her once golden battle armor was scattered or half melted around her, blackened and twisted by the energies she’d unleashed. Her breath came in shallow pained gasps and her horn was cracked and broken. Her head moved slightly and she coughed; blood dribbled from her mouth to her chin. Her eyes were dim and unfocused, yet she seemed to smile at her visitor.
“Luna…”
The black alicorn’s heart leaped within her, the sound of the name she’d once had piercing her to the center. She was not worthy to be called by that name. She hesitated then slowly inched forwards, bright shards of something crunching underhoof as she approached her stricken sister. With a supreme effort, Celestia lifted her head as her younger sister lay down beside her.
“You must…hurry. I d-don’t know how much…” The rest of her words were lost in a fit of coughing, crimson staining the shattered marble balcony. The one called Luna removed the bluish helm from her head and laid it beside her. Gently, ever so gently, she wrapped her stricken sister in her magic and brought her into an embrace, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. Celestia hung in her arms limply, a ragdoll with her stuffing removed.
“I… I’m… Please, Tia…”
“Hush Luna.” Celestia whispered, her voice low. “I did what I could… but you m-must—“ She gasped with pain and continued, “—You must finish it.”
“I don’t understand. What can I do against…”
“You… Can.. Hide…” Celestia whispered. Gently the one called Luna shifted position, cradling her older sister’s head in her arms. Celestia looked earnestly into her face, eyes pleading. Her hoof scraped upon the ground and she lifted it ever so slowly pointing in the direction of the ruined white city in the distance. “There. Are still… some who survive… Take them, Luna…” The hoof moved, the one called Luna’s eyes fixed upon the ruined finery that adorned it as it pointed straight up; back to the lonely orb that had been her prison for so long. Celestia’s voice dropped lower, “Take them… to… where…” her chest heaved with the effort of speaking, “…the fire… cannot. Reach…” The hoof dropped, thudding upon the ground with a heavy finality. Her head lolled back as she gasped for breath, mouth open, completely limp in the one called Luna’s arms.
She held her sister close, disbelief etched across her features. Back? She wanted her to go back to her prison? To the one place that she’d fought so long and had to escape from? What nightmares were left raged and screamed within her, but she knew, like so many other things that her sister was right. The only course of action was to run, to hide from that which had ravaged her world. The remnants of the Elements of Harmony lay scattered about, their duty done in protecting Equestria from its most fearsome enemies. She looked down at her sister in her arms and nodded, weeping openly.
“Please Tia. Stay with me! I’ll do what you want, just don’t leave me.” She held her sister close. “I missed you so much…” she whispered, “Forgive me.”
Celestia’s reply was so low that she almost missed it. “Always…Lulu…” She gave one final shudder, and lay still.
Overhead, without any fuss, the moon faded from view as the sun winked out. Bathed in the ruddy glow of the approaching flames, the body of her sister still held in her arms, the one called Luna threw back her head and screamed with pure anguish. She yelled, voicing all the frustration, rage, and now regret that had built up over the centuries, calling out into the black heavens above, the stars dimmed by the pall of smoke. She sobbed hoarsely, lowing her sister’s body to the ground and took off, seeking to leave as fast as she could.
The ruins of Canterlot filled her view, the once great city fallen and broken at the foot of the mountain. Already the fire and shadow was on the horizon, a great firestorm that would consume anything in its path. She ignited her horn and dove towards the downed city, her magic stretching out, seeking for anything that lived. Here a pony lay barely breathing, there two foals clutched at each other and whimpered fitfully; what life was left was only barely hanging on. She concentrated, her ethereal mane and tail reaching out, spreading, seeking for life. From all corners of the ruined city she found them and drew them towards her: unicorns, pegasi, earth ponies, and even some griffon refugees.
They came to her, eyes wide, filled with fear and awe. Her magic spoke peace to them, soothing their worries and assuring their safety. She gathered them to her, a pitifully small remainder of souls but each of infinite worth. The fires roared beyond the city walls, coming ever closer, ever hungering, yet the one called Luna did nothing. She stood there in the midst of all that was left alive upon the ravaged world, her eyes shut. She inhaled deeply, letting the burning air fill her lungs. She breathed in the scents of the ponies around her, heard the whimpers of foals, the whispers of those who knew not what it meant, the sound of the approaching apocalypse an ever present roar in her ears.
She concentrated, gathering the sea of souls about her, charging her magic to the limit. The darkened moon waited for her, its presence oddly comforting. Once more she was being banished, but this time as a savior, not a prisoner. By her sister’s request alone and not by force. The one called Luna smiled sadly, steeled herself and rocketed into the abyss, bringing what life remained with her. She looked at the creatures floating in her magic’s embrace as they crossed the divide, the world beneath them entirely consumed by flame. They would survive. Her ponies would survive.
She would rule over them as she had promised; living in a night eternal, but at that moment Nightmare Moon would have given anything for one last ray of sunlight.
Author's Note
Written for Everfree NW Writing Contest.
First fanfic, so feel free to point out what I could do better. Thanks for reading!
