The Memories of Star Light: The Untold Origin of Nightmare Moon

The sun set illuminated the horizon in magnificent shaded of red that brightened to pink and cast a violet shroud across the sky. It was beautiful to look at, but it had lasted for several minutes now. Unable to see the moon Celestia could not bring her sun any lower. Sighing she left it to hold its place in the twilight limbo to attend to a problem that had be growing over the past few weeks. Celestia fluttered up to her sister’s tower and shooed the guards from the door. The pegusi obeyed and flew off allowing her entrance. As the alicorn push open the door with a hoof a pillow flew across the room at her. She ducked just in time to avoid it.

“We said we did not wish to be disturbed!” The mare shouted angrily.

Luna’s frown deepened upon seeing that it was her sister. She stood up on her bed and turned to face the wall before lying back down.

“If we had known it was you we would have thrown something harder.” She hissed turning up her nose.

“Luna, why will you not raise the moon this night?” Celestia asked already knowing what her answer would be.
“We do not desire that it be so.”

Celestia resisted the great urge she had to roll her eyes. This silly fit of her was unbecoming of princess and frankly she was growing tired of it. Despite her feeling Celestia took a moment to regain her composure before speaking. She used a kind voice as she attempted to reason with Luna.

“Dear sister, it is our duty to bring the night and day. It is our cycle that keep Equestria in balance.”

“Then you may bring the night!” Luna hissed glaring at her sister.

Luna dropped her head to the bed as she was overwhelmed with hatred the fizzled out to sadness. Shame quickly followed and she buried her head in her hooves.

“No one cares for our night.” Luna whimpered.

Celestia crossed the room and climbed on to the edge of the bed before placing a gentle wing over her sister. She could not blame her sister for being so stubborn. Every night she did her best to make the stars shine their brightest, but all the ponies did was sleep. Many ponies praised her for her days, but Luna was often forgotten. It was a very difficult burden to bare for a filly of only three hundred years, in alicorn time she was barely old enough to be considered independent. These facts often reminded the princess that her younger sister require much more patience than she would give to any pony else with her abilities.

“They do care Luna.” Celestia reasoned. “Remember the grand festival for your meteor shower?”

“Many Months have since past.” Luna mumbled.

“Well, perhaps you’re trying too hard.”

Luna gave her sister a curious look. How could she ever try too hard? She was creating the most wonderful thing in the world. Or it would be the most wonderful thing in the world if any pony actually paid any attention to her masterpieces.

“What do you mean of this?”

“When we do not desire it to be sunny it is not so. We send out the weather teams with gray clouds and let it be dull. Think, our days would not be as beautiful without those cloudy days.”

“So we should shroud our night with clouds…” Luna said still disappointed with the answer.

“Bring up the moon and put out a few stars. Take a time your rest your mind. When you feel better use all the ideas you have stored away from the cloudy nights and create something really amazing.”

“Fine.” The dark alicorn huffed.

Luna flung of his sister’s wing and jumped off the bed. Moving to the window she bowed her head awaiting Celestia to finish her work. Celestia looked out the window on the opposite side of the room. Her horn began to glow with a piercing white light as she closed her eye. Gracefully she lowered her head and the light faded. The sun was pushed down over the hills and darkness began to cover the world. Sighing Luna raised her head as Celestia lowered her. Her own horn emitted a darker blue light and over the hills the moon rose up. With her head held high her thoughts began to pour out on to the black canvas. Several constellations appeared, but they were barely visible and the moon waned to only a thin sliver of silver light. When Luna was finished she lowered her head in disappointment. Before Celestia could offer any more advice Luna gave a statement of her own.

“We are going out for a spell. If we feel need we will send out the weather team.”

With that Luna jumped out the window and fluttered off into the night. Celestia looked out at the sky as the dark purple mare disappeared into the night. She felt as if she had once again pulled Luna back from the ledge, but still not far enough. She laid awake into the late hours of the night worrying about her sister. She kept the weather team up as long as she could before sending them out with clouds. Sooner or later her sister would have to understand the importance of rest and the true value of her nights. Until then Celestia could only continue to worry for her.

*

Luna flew past the edge of castle walls into the surround forest. All she wanted was solitude, something she wouldn’t receive with her sister hovering over her shoulders. As she flew out she looked down upon the city. Doors and windows had been shut tightly, the lamps were lit to push back the dark, left to glow in the windows until they fell asleep, not a soul was to be seen. Even the few guards that were always on watch had fallen asleep at their posts and had to be woken up. Strongly Luna held back her tears and flew on. When she came to a pond Luna swooped down, the gush of wind cleared away the leaves resting on the water’s surface. Luna touched down on the other side of the pond and laid down in the grass. The image of the sky reflected on the still water with the blurred majesty of an oil painting.

Disappointed in the image a few of the stars brightened and a slight smile came across Luna’s face. Looking up at the stars she made one shoot across the sky, just so she could wish upon it. Part of her knew that it had no real significance because she controlled the stars and yet another part want to cling to the idea that she could make her own wish come true. Oddly enough, a few minutes after her star faded another one shot in the exact opposite direction. Luna followed it until it was gone, unsure of how she could have done such a thing without thinking about it. Before it was gone the sound of fluttering pages distracted her.

Looking down Luna’s owl-like eyes caught the sight of a leather bound book caught on a branch. If it was not caught in a orb of Luna’s magic it would have fallen off into the water. Examining the pages Luna’s smile grew and she became glad that she had rescued the tatted tome. Inside were maps of the stars, and between ever few pages a sketch of the moon phases or events such as the stars falling. The numbers in the corner of each page could tell her the dates however Luna could recall every night perfectly. It held true up until tonight. The book was date for the next month or so, but tonight was left blank as well as all the pages beyond it. Luna’s smile fell thinking of how much the owner must have missed the book, though as she thought about it her smile returned. The pages turned to the front of the book and Luna read the writing there; If found return to Estella Dusk at 104 West Apple Lane, Canterlot.

Luna had heard of the city, however it wasn’t much. Celestia had big plans for the city, but Luna didn’t care for it. Celestia wanted them to move out of the castle their father had built for them and into the new palace that she had commissioned several years earlier. Luna snubbed the idea almost immediately disregarding the fact the fact she had yet to even see it. The princess supposed she could stop by for a moment though. Celestia would never have to know about. Grinning Luna shut the book and her horn began to glow. The light grew brighter and brighter as Luna imagined a city of night loving ponies. In a burst of magic she was teleported away with the book held tightly against her chest. Hope had entered her heart, though soon it would unknowingly be ripped away.