An Old Whooves Tale.

Quiet, that’s all there was out here. There was no wind, there was no grass, and there was no light. This was the dark side of the moon Celestia had banished Nightmare into. Chains that locked her front hooves and back hooves into place covered her. She was sitting in a kneeling position while a chain on her neck kept her from sitting up straight.

She slept as much as she could, just to skip as many hours as possible. She studied the same area of stars she could see over and over again. Just then the TARDIS began to fade into existence in front of her. The TARDIS opened and the Doctor walked out expressionless. His TARDIS shielded him from the dangers of space within a certain range so he was able to walk up closer to Nightmare Moon. Finally the Doctor broke the never-ending silence,

“I know a whole a kingdom worth of ponies that would do anything to avoid me from talking to you right now. They wouldn’t want me up here with you, because I’m probably the only pony in the universe that would offer another chance at freedom.” Nightmare Moon chuckled and shook the chains a bit by doing so.

“However I only offer you another chance, because right now I’d do anything to get Luna back.”

“She’s gone.” Growled Nightmare.

“She’s not. I know that for a fact. Now I’m offering you one last chance. Release Luna and let me find you some dark cold lifeless planet somewhere far off, away from this galaxy where you can live in peace.”

“Oh Doctor you really are a funny one. With so many years of wisdom, power of the universe at your control, and yet it all does you nothing! You have no power over me, you have nothing to threaten me with so long as I have this body.” The Doctor’s expression didn’t change; he only continued to stare at Nightmare Moon.

“Those chains will hold you here for a thousand years. After that you will be free, but I warn you in that time, Equestria will have grown much stronger and you would have grown so weak that when you’re truly defeated, you will be beginning me to take you to that dark and cold planet, and I will be there to tell you: no. And just as you came from nothing you will die like nothing.” The chains shifted again as Nightmare moon shifted her weight.

“Empty threats Doctor that’s all you are.” The Doctor looked down and became eye level with Nightmare Moon; he grabbed hold of her head and looked deeply in her eyes.

“Luna I know you’re in there and I know you can here me! Listen, it’s going to be a very tough struggle for you. Over the next thousand years you will sit here with nothing but your jealously and your rage to keep you company, and they will prod you and try to break you down."

"But no matter what you must stay strong, you must keep your consciousness alive! For when it is time for you to return, you will be reunited with your sister at last and you must not let those emotions poison you im the future. You are the bravest pony I know Luna and your sister will not let your legacy die or go to waste, I assure you.” The Doctor let go and started to walk back to the TARDIS.

“You know Doctor, I’ve got all sorts of nightmares cooked up for her! By the time a thousand of years are up, I doubt she’ll even remember she had a sister! Assuming she’s still here.”

Nightmare Moon laughed wildly causing the chains to jingle together. The Doctor turned back and gave one last look, then took out of his pocket a single Moonshine Flower, kissed it and put it on the ground. The TARDIS began to whoosh and fade out of existence, but as it did the Moonshine Flower began to grow wildly like a wild fire, and it was not too long before it seemed as if the surface of the moon would be covered with them.

“Please your majesty, we need Princess Luna to raise the moon. We cannot sleep and our crops are drying out,” the farmer pony pleaded with Princess Celestia.

“I promise my subject, we are doing all we can to find Princess Luna. Yet I’m afraid she was captured during the attack.” The farmer pony’s head drooped and he walked away from the throne room.

“Thank you Princess.”

Celestia turned back around and faced the window as she remembered Luna doing so many times. From behind Celestia the TARDIS blinked into reality with the whooshing sound. Eventually the door opened and the Doctor along with Derpy walked out. Celestia turned her head to see the Doctor then turned it back around to the window.

“Hello Doctor, I assume all is well?”

“Oh now Princes, we both know if that were true the I wouldn’t be here now would I?”

“Then what is your business Doctor?”

“My business is to discuss with you, why you haven’t raised the moon yet. It’s been three days.”

“The reason is because I cannot raise the moon. That has always been my sisters job, and I do not know how to perform it.”

“Can’t, or won’t Princess?” Derpy asked. Celestia let out a sigh then turned around to face the two ponies.

“The ponies love the daylight, my sister said so herself. They can get use to having only daylight from now on.”

“Princess.” The Doctor started in a disappointed tone.

“It will be okay, my subjects are strong and they will no longer have to fear the night as they have for so long in the past.”

“Princess, this is not right and you know it. The world cannot live in harmony just in the night nor in the sunlight. Nature demands the rightful balance of each. I figured you’d be the first to point that out.”

“Doctor you do not understand! You shall never understand. It was one thing to even imprison my sister on the moon, but now you’re asking me to have to world continue turning as if she was never gone?”

“Princess, I think it will be more disgraceful too your sisters memory if you didn’t raise the moon.” Derpy said.

“What do you know little pony!” the Princess snapped. Derpy stepped back in fear and Celestia was surprised at her own temper.

“I apologize, it has been stressful the past few days. I fear I’m just not strong enough Doctor.”

“Princess Celestia, daughter of the sun itself and wielder of the Elements of Harmony all by herself is not powerful enough to raise the moon?” The Doctor questioned.

Celestia gave a small smile and walked over to a column that had a pillow and blanket on top of it. Celestia levitated the blanket off of it to revel five perfectly round stones, all turned grey and unidentifiable.

“Are those the-?” Derpy began and Celestia finished,

“Elements of Harmony, yes they are. It seems that using them without the assistance of my sister has corrupted them and made them unresponsive. As I said before Doctor, my sister is my other half and brings harmony to not only myself, but to all of nature.” The Doctor looked away from Celestia and Derpy lowered her head. Celestia walked back over to the window and continued to have her back to the two.

“I’m afraid that Nightmare Moon has won, in one sense or another. Her goal was to bring an eternal night and control the whole world.  However as last retribution she took my sister and now forced us to burn in the light.” The Doctor looked back up at the Princess and walked to her side.

“I know Princess, that banishing Luna was the hardest thing you have ever done, and if there was something else I could have done I surely would have. Yet I fear to tell you that the times after this are going to get much worse, worse for you. Because you’re going to have to learn to go on normally for the rest of Equestria.”

“I told you I can’t-!”

“You can!” The Doctor cut her off. Celestia was taken aback for a moment and looked the Doctor right in the eyes.

“You can do it, because your ponies need it of you. You are their Princess and they look to you for strength, and no it’s not fair. They won’t be the ones dealing with the guilt, and they will continue through their lives oblivious that anything is wrong and you will put on a strong face and a great smile to protect them."

"You alone will have the truth and it will not be easy to keep. You will take all their sorrows as well as your own because you’re the Princess and you can handle it.” The Princess closed her eyes and tears were beginning to run down her cheeks. Derpy was starting to cry as well as she stood there looking at both powerful ponies.

“Doctor, how will I be able to look up every night and have a reminder of my failure hanging in the sky? How can I live with such a burden?”

“Because you will remember that both you and Luna sacrificed something during the battle. Luna knew that she would save all of Equestria if she were imprisoned on the moon, so she gave herself up. Your sacrifice will be your own conscious, every night you’ll raise the moon and you’ll feel that remorse, and no it will not get any easier, but that will be the price. To protect your kingdom that is the price.”

Celestia with her eyes still closed lowered her head, then after a moment her horn began to glow and she started to strain herself. The Sun began to lower beneath the mountains, and slowly the night creeped in and the moon shined it’s light down on the kingdom. Celestia let out one last grunt and finally let go.

“Doctor look!” Derpy pointed. It could be seen that dark spots on the moon were in the shape of a unicorn.

“Doctor! The moon! How…how did that-” Doctor smiled and pulled out a flower from his pocket and held it out. Celestia levitated the flower and lifted it up to her nose to smell.

“Oh her creations always turned out more beautiful than mine.” The Princess held the flower to her nose for a moment, and then in the distance she could hear cheering.

“Princess listen,” the Doctor said as all three ponies concentrated closely to the cheering coming from the villages and cities below. The ponies cheering was like a giant wave that quickly swept up all of Equestria. Shouts of Luna’s name could be heard and even instances of “Long live the Princess of the Night!” Celestia burst into to tears now and they fell gently on the Moonshine Flower.

“Do you hear that Luna? Do you hear it? They are cheering for you, for your moon! They love you as do I. I’ll miss you.”

Celestia continued to weep and the Doctor walked away to leave her in peace. The Doctor motioned for Derpy to follow him into the TARDIS, but before Derpy closed the door she ran up to Princess Celestia and said one last thing.

“Princess I promise you! That one day you will have your sister back. I promise!”

“Derpy!” The Doctor called from behind. Celestia stared intently at Derpy and gave her a small smile in recognition. Derpy ran back into the TARDIS and it began to blink out of existence.