Luna The Dream Weaver
Celestia left the tower of the sun and began the walk to Luna's bedroom as she had done so many times before. By the time she reached her sisters room the last rays of the sun were touching the horizon. Luna lay asleep.
"It is time dear sister," whispered Celestia.
Luna awoke, the sun dipping below the horizon. "Yes, of cause... Sister?"
"What is it, Luna, be quick, it's almost time."
"I know... dost thou ever wonder if the ponies will be able to shepherd this world as we do? That we might be spared this immortality that curses us?" pondered Luna.
"Luna it is a privilege to be able to watch the ponies grow and become more than they are. I'm certain that one day, if they can learn on their own how to live in harmony, they shall. Now you have a very important duty to perform," said Celestia
"Indeed sister, Good night," said Luna as her sister left.
Luna stretched her wings and began to walk up the long steps to the Moon tower. She concentrated and her horn began to glow with a blue-black aura. Like so many nights before, the Moon rose into the sky. Stepping up onto the edge of the balcony, she spread her wings and took flight. Swooping low over the towns and cities she could see the forgotten foals, some sleeping under bridges, some in boxes, some in orphanages. "Come little children, I'll take thee away from this misery!" Luna's horn glowed with a softer light than before, radiant moon beams illuminating the souls of the young foals. Their spirits, awoken to the dream, began to soar high over the rooftops. With Luna, they flew to the shadowy playground that exists in dreams. The children laughed, sang and played, as many never had the chance in the waking world. Luna played too, enjoying the companionship, cradling the younger foals and singing lullabies to soothe their earthly torments, that they might know peace for a short time. So many times Luna had played and so many times she watched them grow and pass into adulthood. Yet there were others she knew would never grow beyond dreams, and tonight was one such night. Luna tried her best to make the night more special, but the caveat placed on her was absolute, in truth she was not meant to play with the young foals at all, but it didn't matter so much, because they forgot Luna even as she said goodbye and they awoke.
Something began to tug at her soul. She looked to the horizon, the sun was beginning its long climb into the sky. She knew her duty, Luna began to lead the children home. One of the foal's she knew would not be waking up! as she cradled him, his soul began to fade, taken to a place that was denied her. For her great power was a terrible curse, dooming her to immortality, forever to say goodbye to those she shared dreams with. As the last whispers of his soul departed she heard him say "thank you for been with me Luna".
She found herself on the balcony of the Moon tower, Tears streaming down her face. Countless hundreds of times she had said goodbye to young foals, every face etched on her soul. If only it were not for that stupid rule that forbade them from interfering, that stopped them from helping, that caused the death of young foals...
Celestia, sensing her sisters distress came to her. "Oh my little pony, what's wrong?" asked Celestia.
"Another foal was taken this eve, not even a year old. Dying alone and forgotten under a ruined bridge. A pointless death!" said Luna bitterly.
"Never pointless, there is always a purpose to such things and we must play our part."
"TELL ME WHAT PART THE DEATH OF A FOAL PLAYS IN THIS WORLD! are you not worshipped as a god! can you belittle yourself to answer my question?"
"Luna please, I'm no more a god than thee, and you know it! we are merely stewards of this world and we must do our part to maintain the harmony."
"Harmony? SILENCE!!! YOU KNOW NOTHING! No foal ever pleaded with thee to let them live even as they knew they were dying. You have never held a foal in thou hoofs and had him stare into thine eyes as they are taken from thee!!" tears filled Luna's eyes again.
"Luna, you are wrong I see their suffering and can do nothing, Must do nothing, I must watch from afar never able to interfere and help them, that is the Rule Absolute. You at least get to enjoy their playing and bring joy to their souls and..."
"Yes! only to be forgotten as the dream ends, I bring comfort to their souls but not their hearts, you are worshipped, I am forgotten"
"It's not like that. Luna I..."
"Get out Celestia, I must rest."
Celestia paused unsure what to say, so turned and left, leaving Luna sobbing on her bed.
The following night, yet again, Luna did her duty and once again shepherded the foals to the dream land where they could play. Luna stood and watched them play for a while but did not join them this night. Instead she found a quiet spot away from the foals and wept. Something about that foal last night had wounded her, and she knew not what. The wound was in her heart and she had to blame someone. "Celestia, if you only let me help!" Luna's pain found itself a cause. "Nay, tis not my sister's fault" but the pain was growing and Luna needed someone to blame.
As the night waned, so did Luna's power, so she took flight and took the souls of the young foals back to their beds. Once they were guided safely back, she flew to the bridge and stopped by the place a young foal had called home. The body was gone, but some of his meager possessions had not yet been stolen. Luna looked through them, hidden was a small scroll. Intrigued Luna opened it and began to read the poem written on it.
I had a dream in the night,
my heart took flight,
High did Luna take me.
I played a game,
other children did the same,
Yet here my family forsake me.
I wish I...
Luna looked about, trying to find the rest of the poem, but could not. The child obviously had not had time to finish before the cold and damp took him. Luna knew that some children could sometimes vaguely remember their dreams. This child had a rare gift, had it been nurtured he could truly have made a great contribution to the world. But now he was gone, never to finish this poem, and the world was a worse place because of this loss! Luna bowed her head, whispered "goodbye" and returned to the tower, Celestia was waiting for her.
"What have you been doing Luna? you must lower the moon on time so i can raise the sun, yet it was minutes before you lowered it. Is something wrong?" demanded Celestia.
"Wrong? Read this!" Luna replied sarcastically, and tossed the poem to Celestia.
"What is this? where did you get it?" Celestia asked quizzically.
"A young foal died last night, alone and forgotten by the world, we went to his bed under the bridge and found this, Imagine how richer the world would have been had he been able to write great works!" said Luna.
"Your point being I suppose that him dying was wrong and we should have interfered and saved him? Perhaps make all ponies well and contented like sheep in a field? They are supposed to become more, they are supposed to grow, they are supposed to learn to take control of this world. Then, our work done, we can finally ascend from this place if we so wish and join the others!" Celestia said with a high degree of impatience.
"Your wrong Celestia, we should help and guide them..."
"IT IS FORBIDDEN, we do not interfere, they must make their own mistakes and fix things themselves. if they rely on us to do every little thing then they will grow weak. Luna I'm tired of saying this so it will be the last time. WE DO NOT INTERFERE!" Celestia turned and stormed out.
Luna stood for a long time just watching the door where Celestia had been, "Thou has erred sister, and I shall prove it!"
On what became the longest night of the year, there was a fire at an orphanage, a dozen or more foals died. Luna watched in helpless horror as their souls faded. She teleported to the orphanage but could do nothing, she was a dream to the world, with no more substance than a thought, the foals were dead. "One day, I will gain control, my thoughts will shape the night to my will and my foals will play forever."
As time wore on, Luna began to change. Celestia noticed that her sister was taking longer and longer to return the foals and end the night. This day however Celestia entered her sisters room, anger in her heart. "Luna. You know your duty yet you continue to defy me!"
"Who put thou in charge? Who art thou to say when day and night should be?" Snarled Luna.
"I am the eldest Alicorn and the others left us all in charge, until such time as the young new races can live together and can look after themselves. We keep the laws that those before us created. When we previously neglected our duty, Discord gained power, it took both of us to defeat him."
Luna stared at her sister, "Duty? That's your excuse?" Luna laughed and a shadow passed over her, a hint of dark and terrible powers.
"Luna? You know the rules, do your duty or else!"
"Begone, your presence sickens me!" said Luna with a vicious sneer.
Celestia jumped, never had she heard such wanton malice in her sister's voice. "Luna, please talk to me, what's wrong?"
Luna lay still, saying nothing.
Over the next several nights Luna's attitude got worse, Celestia heard rumours that many ponies were experiencing more and more nightmares. Celestia confronted her sister but got no satisfactory answers. Then one night, Celestia went to the tower of the sun, and began the ceremony of sun rise, but try as she might, she was unable to complete the ritual, "Luna" whispered Celestia.
Rushing to the Moon tower, Celestia found no trace of her sister. "LUNA!!! WHERE ARE YOU?" but no reply came. Celestia went to the heart of the castle and into the chamber that only she and her sister could enter, there lay The Elements of Harmony. Starting the spell, light enthused the elements, and one by one, Celestia donned the barding, each piece of armour one of the elements, until she stood clad in a glowing suit of light. No one pony had ever wielded such power. The intoxicating rush almost overwhelmed her, but she had a job to do, and Luna had to be taught a lesson.
The children were beginning to get worried, "Miss Luna when do we go home?"
"Ah my little ponies, don't you like to play? Is this not better? you never need worry here, we can play forever." said Luna.
"I wanna go home!" cried one foal, soon followed by more.
"Nay children, hearken to me, this is no nightmare this is a dream, you Will play! dost thou hearken to me, THOU SHALT PLAY!" snarled Luna. The children began to wail "please let us go home!". "Very well, if you no-longer like dreams the nightmares shall take thee!" Laughing Luna summoned all her hate for a world that forgot her, took things from her and all the injustice that she felt in this world, and began to weave a shadowy spell. The Moon turned red and Luna herself began to change, "Behold the Nightmare Moon, forever shall thou obey me!!".
"No" said Celestia "Nightmare Moon shall never keep the night eternal, there will be light!" Celestia activated the Elements of Harmony as Nightmare Moon summoned all the rage and loathing she could, but even in the blackest night the faintest candle can banish the dark.
"No! thou shall not have my children, dost thou not understand? I will keep them safe forever!" Pleaded Luna.
Celestia was supremely angry, how dare Luna... no, Luna would not do this, Nightmare Moon was responsible for this. "Let the children go and relinquish the night or suffer!" growled Celestia.
"Very well, if thou wilt not see the wisdom of the night I will make thou see! Go my young ones" said Luna, and with that the children began to twist under the power of the dark magic, becoming shadows. Celestia signalled her guards to join the battle.
With the guards controlling the Shadow ponies, Celestia could concentrate all her power on Nightmare Moon. Luna sensed the tide of battle begin to ebb from her, Controlling the Shadows had drained her. Quickly she teleported to the castle, summoning the very essence of the forest around it, twisting it into shadow, More and more dark power gathered. "Ha Ha, you shall fall Celestia, thou refusal to help me save everypony will be the last decision thou makes!" screamed Nightmare Moon.
"No!" was Celestia's reply. The two sisters parried and thrust with the mighty power at their command, but Nightmare Moon's power was becoming unstable, as she switched her attention to different elements, others began to overwhelm her. "NO! MY NIGHT... SHALL LAST... FOREVER!". Luna's spell collapsed. For a brief moment the true Luna reappeared "sister, help me!" but the shadows took Luna again and Celestia had no choice. Unable to separate Nightmare Moon and Luna, Celestia delivered the final blow. A mighty explosion of Light and darkness ripped the Castle to pieces the dark energy flowing back into the forest, twisting it forever in darkness!
Unwilling to totally destroy Nightmare Moon, Celestia banished Luna to the moon, those of her foals, now twisted into be-fanged and bat winged shadows, that could not be saved were sent to the moon with her. Celestia found herself in the ruins of the elements chamber, placing the elements back on the pedestal, Celestia wept for the foals that could not be saved, for her sisters terrible fate and because Luna may have been right. One day, she knew, Nightmare Moon would return to seek revenge. But without her sister, Celestia felt her connection to the elements waning, by herself she could never again wield the elements, she hadn't had enough control on her own wake Luna from her personal nightmare. One day though, Celestia knew that ponies would arise that could wield the power of harmony and free Luna from her nightmare. Until then Celestia would have to control day and night herself, and perhaps, not control, but nudge the ponies in the right direction!
By Zero Ryoko
(aka Ponyko)
