Author's Note
I feel this is a bit... lackluster, but I can't think of anything else to do to it. Any feedback is appreciated.
The First Night
Hate.
That was the main thing I felt as I came back from my exile. Hatred for my ‘dear sweet sister’s’ praise, hatred for being banished to the very thing I was supposed to control... hatred for losing.
Even now, within the halls I once called home, as I stared at the cascading rainbow that was to be my fate once again, I still felt hatred. I told myself it was hatred for Celestia’s cowardice, how she had denied me the one-on-one battle I had been anticipating for the past 500 years.
But really, I knew it was hatred that, for all my abilities, for my millennia spent planning, and my being a nigh-immortal goddess, I was being defeated by the exact same thing that had stopped me short all those isolated years ago. Fool me twice, Celestia…
But let me start at the beginning. Or at least closer to it.
When I returned from my thousand-year exile, one could say I was less than pleased. Being put in the god-equivalent of ‘time-out’ for simply wishing to be recognized tends to do that to a mare, especially one of my age.
Not that I’d tell you how old I am. It is rude to ask that of a lady.
Regardless, I had a goal. I wanted to see Celestia suffer for what she did to me. I wanted to see her beg for me to spare her miserable, pathetic existence. In short, I wanted revenge.
The first step was to make Celestia temporarily… indisposed. I was no fool. A headlong rush into battle would only end in swift defeat. I would need a plan if I hoped to avoid that. Luckily, I had started putting something together some time before my return – I just needed a few crucial pieces of information.
But enough about that for now. Let’s discuss my glorious return. Overall, I would say my little entrance had the intended effect. As I stood upon the balcony meant for Celestia, I basked in the look on all of those ponies’ faces. A look I had been craving for a long time – respect. Even as one particularly headstrong unicorn told everypony who I was – as if anypony could’ve possibly forgotten me – I still saw that spark in her eyes that said she knew who her better was.
Soon after, I gave them all the slip. I had spent enough time dawdling. I needed to find the Elements of Harmony before Celestia broke free of her little prison. It was only a matter of time, so I needed to act fast.
I scanned the town (referring to it as such was being a little generous) for any potential starting points. Nothing in particular caught my interest, but I noticed movement on the ground. Looking down, I spotted the purple unicorn that had called me out earlier. She wasn’t fleeing, though. She had a destination – a purpose. That could prove troublesome.
Turning myself into something resembling a vapor, I glided down, intending to cut her off. Unfortunately, she escaped to a large tree before I could get close. I would’ve followed her, but I soon noticed a pegasus headed in the same direction. Deciding to see how this played out, I hid myself within the branches so I could eavesdrop.
I was shocked to find a window. Looking inside, there were countless shelves full of books, making up what could only be a library of sorts. The irony of books being in a tree did not escape me.
A group of four more ponies followed the pegasus into the library, and I had a perfect view of their conversation from my position. For the most part, it was relatively meaningless. Discussing the Elements, mostly. I knew it wouldn’t help them. If I had anything to say about it, they would be either destroyed or hidden away within a day.
In fact, I was just about to leave when I heard a particularly… useful snippet of information.
“It is said the last known location of the five Elements was in the Ancient Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters.”
Apparently Celestia was unaware that hiding places really only worked once. Nevertheless, I was filled with glee. With the Elements’ location practically fed to me, I was very much ahead of schedule.
Evidently, a forest had grown around my former home in my absence. The castle wasn’t too hard to spot from my elevated position, but I noticed that same group of ponies at the forest’s entrance. Were they seriously going to try to retrieve the elements? Did they not know that I would be after them, as well? They were either very brave or very stupid.
Only Celestia and I had ever used the things. Then again, it wasn’t entirely out of the question that other ponies could wield them. Even if they couldn’t, they could still hold on to them until they found somepony who could. It was a remote possibility, but one that couldn’t be taken lightly. They would need to be stopped.
My first attempt was rather straightforward. Collapse the ledge they were standing on, and the fall would render them as little more than gore splats on the ground, end of story. I was watching the entire scenario play out, and I still have no idea how they managed to survive. At one point, the unicorn seemed to give up on life, but she was caught by her pegasus companions.
My second plan came about with a stroke of luck. On the path ahead of them, I found a wandering Manticore – surprisingly passive creatures until angered. Solidifying into a mere thorn, I had it seeing red just in time for the group to come into view. Long story short, the cowardly one somehow managed to calm it down and pluck me from its paw.
As I left to find something else, I happened upon a sea serpent. For some reason it was in the river, not the sea. It was an easy target, so I decided to vent a bit. I’m not sure what he did, but he had it coming. Besides, his moustache looked simply atrocious. Though, I suppose it at least looked symmetrical. Oh well. ‘Tis a pity.
My third plan was admittedly lackluster compared to the others, but I was running out of time and ideas. I basically gave the trees scary faces and hoped they would be too frightened to continue. The irony is, it seemed to be working – at least until the insane pink one started laughing and singing some stupid song.
The next thing I tried was to lure the blue one away and dispose of her quietly. She was also the only one that could let them across the chasm, so that was a bonus, I suppose. It was simple in theory. All I had to do was promise her fame and fortune and then I could off her in some secluded area. Let’s just say it didn’t work.
At this point, there was nothing stopping them from reaching the castle. They left the purple one alone with the elements for some reason. She was all alone, though, so I took the chance and teleported her away. She was determined, I’ll admit. But when I smashed the elements right in front of her… I would be cherishing that look on her face for years.
Unfortunately, that’s when her pathetic little friends decided to show up. One monologue later, and they were using the elements, the large, arcing rainbow just as vibrant as ever. History seemed to repeat itself as, once again, it was aimed right at me.
The rainbow arc struck.
At first it swirled around me, eventually cutting me off from the world like a predator. Only when it created a perfect cocoon of circling colors did it converge on me.
And only then did the real process begin.
Wherever the light touched my coat, there was a searing heat. It wasn’t pleasant, but it was certainly bearable. Of course, that changed when the heat entered my very mind. I felt it invading every last metaphorical corner of my psyche, tearing away at my hate, burning at my lust for revenge, and snuffing out every last thing that had defined me for just over a millennia.
As I screamed in agony, the only thought that was allowed to exist was that I wanted – no, needed – it to end. I simply wanted it to stop. Eventually, I couldn’t take the pain and everything went dark. Finally, I had my respite.
As was usually the case when it came to passing out, I had no idea how long I had been out by the time I came to. I felt lighter, and there was no longer a haze of anger clouding my mind. It was strange, though. I hadn’t noticed it was there before now.
Nothing felt broken – or if it was, I couldn’t tell – and there was a bright light forcing its way through my eyelids.
Sunlight.
Provided enough time had passed, Celestia could’ve easily broken out by now…
I was starting to severely regret not making her imprisonment permanent.
This was bad. I needed to get up and get out now.
My eyes fluttered open. Celestia would be here any second, and she would not be happy.
“Princess Luna.”
My eyes shrunk to pinpricks. She was already here.
Instead of making sure I would never be able to overthrow her again, Celestia had extended her hoof in friendship. She simply wished for us to forgive each other. I knew that, were our positions reversed, I would not have been capable of the same.
There was a large ceremony upon our return to the nearby town, thrown together by the pink pony who had, at some point, informed me that her name was Pinkie Pie. I thought it oddly fitting. It was more of a joint celebration, seeing as it was also the day of Celestia’s Summer Sun Celebration. Looking back on what had already happened in the mere hours of the morning, it was indeed shaping up to be the longest day of the year.
At some point – I’m assuming around noon – some ponies pulled out tables from somewhere and started piling all manner of apple-themed food on top. As the festivities experienced a noticeable lull for lunch, I managed to overhear pieces of conversation that did anything but keep my mind at ease.
“Daddy, isn’t that Nightmare Moon?”
“Do you think the part about her gobbling up ponies is real?”
“How can the princess simply forgive her? She tried to make the night last forever!”
“How does Celestia know she’s not going to just turn into Nightmare Moon all over again?”
Halfway through the meal, I lost my appetite.
After the festivities, Celestia led me to a chariot, headed for the new castle. The old castle, as I had seen first-hoof, was in absolute ruins. I watched the new – at least, new to me – Equestrian landscape fly by in silence. I was going home at long last, still wearing the flower necklace given to me at the celebration, with only my sister for company.
Sister… it had been a long time since I had thought of her as that. If she truly wished to make amends, though, would I be able to really think of her as a sister again?
We sat in silence, neither of us quite sure how to break the silence. I noticed her glance my way a few times, and even saw her open her mouth once, but she ended up looking away again each time. The silence prevailed until we landed before the front gates of the new castle. After hesitating a moment, I opened the door and stepped out.
Then I got my first real view of the castle.
As simple as it was, the first word that came to mind was ‘large’. It was indeed very large, even larger than the castle that was now forgotten in the middle of a forest. Large, white spires capped with golden turrets towered above the main structure, which contained multiple stories on its own.
Set at a wide perimeter around the castle was a decently-sized wall with multiple guarded gates. The guards themselves were stoic, dressed in golden plate armor. The fact that both the guards and the castle shared Celestia’s color scheme was not lost to me.
“Would you care for some dinner?” Celestia asked me, as if we had just come back from a stroll in the park. It was the first thing she had said in a while.
I turned to her as soon as she spoke. Not trusting myself with words just yet, I simply nodded. Seemingly pleased with my answer, she motioned for me to follow as she started walking through the gate, headed up the path to the front doors. I silently followed.
As we crossed the threshold of the front door, the grand exterior was replaced by the equally-grand interior. Immediately, I recognized the architecture and layout. It was the same as the old castle. My mind automatically filled in the gaps as we walked through the foyer, bringing to mind rooms, hallways, and secret passageways alike. The colors were more biased towards Celestia’s colors, and the décor with it, but the layout was the same.
I remained silent. I knew she had attempted to reach out to me in the ruins and wished us to be on good terms, but beyond that, I had no idea where we stood. Did she want me to act like nothing ever changed and re-assume my duties guarding the night, or did she want me to be the good little sister, staying under her watchful eye for all eternity in case I decided to go against her again?
I mulled over this as we made our way to what was once our private dining room (I always hesitated to call it a dining ‘hall’, given its smaller size and intended use), the path unconsciously returning to the forefront of my mind. When we got to the door, I noticed a pair of guards standing at attention. One of them stole a glance at me, but was quick to resume his previous stoic gaze. Celestia either did not notice or simply chose to ignore it. I found it odd because, when I left, such a lapse in attention would’ve been punished on the spot.
I noted it, but said nothing of it. I would talk to my sister about it at a later time.
With respectable synchronization, the guards opened the doors on their respective sides with their magic, granting us entrance. Celestia thanked them, but I stayed my tongue. These ponies were born and raised loyal to Celestia. They would most likely not see me as their princess for some time.
The room beyond was decidedly lackluster compared to the rest of the castle. Where the main hallways had busts every few yards presenting the likeness what I assumed were important ponies or stained windows depicting all the moments in history I had missed, this room simply boasted a few humble paintings of simple scenery. The room’s height was also about one third that of the hallway we had just come from. Aside from the one we just walked through, the only entrances to the room was a single door on the far side and a large window that gave what I must admit was a marvelous view of the city in the middle of a sunset.
In the center of the room was a large table. Though, considering the tables we used to use for formal dinners, ‘large’ wasn’t the best description. While it wasn’t anywhere near the ones used for parties, it was still big enough to comfortably seat a family of six. There were two places set. One at each end.
Celestia looked at me and motioned at one end of the table while she sat at the other. Soon after we were both settled, the single door I saw earlier opened and two ponies hefting covered platters emerged from its depths. They laid the platters down in front of us with great care, as was expected. I waited for the servers to uncover them, but instead, Celestia cleared her throat.
“When I asked the chefs early this morning to prepare a meal for two, there was a great deal of confusion. Everypony wanted to know who I would be dining with. I refused to tell them, and instead asked if they could walk me through making it. I know my cooking skills haven’t improved much since you last saw me, but I wanted it to be personal.” With a silent nod, the servers removed the covers from the platters in front of us.
“Of course, my attempts at making something even remotely elaborate all failed miserably, so I decided to go with something simpler.” The meal in front of us was almost as old as time itself: soup and a sandwich. Within moments, the steam wafting from the bowl hit my nose, letting me detect carrots, celery, and potatoes – something Celestia would often make for the both of us before we hired royal chefs to do the job in her stead. The sandwich boasted sprigs of lavender atop toasted daisies, with the crust cut off exactly how I used to like it when we were younger.
I was fairly certain my mouth had been hanging open for some time by the time I came back to my senses. I looked up at my sister’s face and saw nothing but hope and fear. Fear of my reaction.
Countless evenings swam through my mind, the only constant being the mare across from me and meal that was in front of me yet again. Slowly, I managed a small smile. “It’s perfect.”
As the meal wore on, Celestia tried to fill the silence by attempting to inform me of advances that had been made in my absence. For instance, the tableware was no longer made out of pure silver. It was instead produced with a mixture of metals that included silver with the intent of making the different utensils stronger. I thought it clever. Another advancement was the creation of magic-withholding crystals and their application to create near-autonomous contraptions.
Throughout all this, my mind kept wandering back to our relative positions. We were set at opposite ends of the table. Separated by a large expanse coming between us. Not next to each other, not in each other’s embrace, but kept well past arm’s reach, as far apart as we could be, given the circumstances. As my sister went on about how our – no, her little ponies had made life better for themselves in my absence, I couldn’t help but think that we were separated by more than just physical distance.
“But enough about my end,” she eventually said, “How have you been?”
Looking back, the things I could’ve said were staggering, some even heart-wrenching. At the time, though, I simply deadpanned. “Wallowing in unbridled rage, save for the few scattered years when I got bored of being angry and decided to be depressed, instead.”
Her face fell. “Right… I supposed that would be expected, given the circumstances…”
‘Given the circumstances’? Was she avoiding mention of what happened? Was she trying to pass off a major conflict in our lives as a mere passing squabble?
“You mean banishing me to the moon.” It wasn’t a question.
“Y-…yes, that.” I could tell she was very hesitant to discuss this topic. Why, though? Were we not to work out our problems, as proper siblings ought? Were we to simply ignore it like some unpleasant beast, hoping it didn’t rear its ugly head in the future?
As we both contemplated how best to continue the conversation, it was actually my sister who broke the silence.
“What was it like… on the moon?” she asked of me in a soft voice.
Memories flitted through my head. Instances of anger, depression, severe boredom, and even a few attempts at suicide were scattered about. Of course, all instances of the latter-most were foiled due to a reliance on stronger gravity than was available, but still.
“Monotonous.” I eventually replied. When she kept staring at me imploringly, I continued. “I didn’t really notice it until I first tried being depressed, but it was cold… always cold. Rather poetically, I suppose it was the heat of my anger that kept me warm those first few decades. I must’ve explored the entire surface at least five times during attempts to distract myself, and by the second century, I knew it like the back of my hoof. Other times, I would plan on what I would do upon my return. I would envision scenarios and account for every last possibility. Every predicted failure was frustrating, but it gave me something to do. Every now and then, I would just sit… and watch the stars. I briefly had a pet rock named Skippy that I would talk to, but he only lasted about a decade, or so.”
I raised my head and looked back at Celestia. “Is that sufficient answer?”
My sister’s face only showed disheartenment. Some lingering part of me that still thirsted for revenge found pleasure in the sight.
“That… is unfortunate…”
“Unfortunate?” I echoed, my voice slowly rising, “Do you wish to know what is ‘unfortunate’, sister? It is ‘unfortunate’ that your little ponies feared me in the first place, it is ‘unfortunate’ that I appear to simply be the subject of folklore upon my return, and it is ‘unfortunate’, Dear Sweet Tia, that even after a millennia apart you do not seem ready to face what was done!”
It was about that time that the guards stationed outside burst in. “Your Highness, is everything alright?” one of them shouted. It seemed they were less incompetent than I initially gave them credit for. I cleared my throat and rose from my seat.
“Guard!” I hailed one of them, leaving my seat and using the Royal Canterlot Voice for the first time in almost a thousand years, “We wish to be escorted to our chambers!” For some reason, both were startled by the sudden rise in volume. The one I addressed assumed a questioning visage and silently mouthed the word ‘we’ to himself, as if trying to decipher what I had said.
I mentally rescinded my earlier thought. They were as incompetent as I thought. My diction was flawless and I did not stutter. Celestia’s guards were lacking, these days.
After a few more moments of him staring at me like a buffoon, Celestia eventually sighed. After we both turned to her, her posture drooping, she said, “Take her to the room on the top floor of the south wing. You know the one.”
He seemed to actually comprehend this command, and gave me a glance before heading into the castle’s hallways. I followed him.
Five hallways, three staircases, and a hidden passage later, I found myself in front of a large door made of a dark wood. It heavily contrasted the walls and doors in the rest of the hall, and were it not for the large crescent moon emblazoned on the front, I would’ve passed it off as some abandoned store room.
After a moment consisting of both of us simply standing in front of this new door, the guard finally spoke up.
“Well… here we are. I’d open it for you, but this is the only door in the castle with a magic lock that the guards can’t unlock.”
I wasn’t unfamiliar with the concept. Before I… left, magic locks were in the development stages. The idea was that it would respond to a certain unicorn’s magic ‘hoofprint’, and remain locked otherwise. From what I had last heard, they were functioning, though a bit unreliable at times. Being princesses, Celestia and I were often showed prototypes and encouraged to try them ourselves.
I nodded and extended my magic to the relatively ornate door in front of me. Immediately, I could feel the lock. It was similar, but vastly improved, if not outright perfected. I’d missed so much…
When I attempted to unlock it, it gave no resistance, and the door that it was bound to opened a small ways, as if greeting an old friend. Perhaps it was.
I took a single step before pausing and facing the guard that had accompanied me. “You are dismissed.” I walked inside and closed the door behind me without another word.
It was dark.
In hindsight, it was to be expected. I lit up my horn, casting a soft glow about the room. I couldn’t make out but simple shapes, but that wasn’t the point. Aiming near the center of the ceiling, I cast another spell that I faintly remembered. If memory served, the creator had called it a Magelight. A sphere of bright light took form at the end of my horn, shooting off to float a few inches away from the point I had in mind. It bathed the room in a more respectable glow, and only then did I start to take in my new surroundings.
It was exactly as it was a thousand years ago.
The large bed, the centerpiece of the room, had its headboard running flush with the wall to my left. There was a vanity and nightstand along the same wall, and a long dresser along the other wall. There was a set of doors opposite the ones I had just entered – I assumed they still led out to the balcony. The colors were the same, too. All black, silver, and various shades of blue, my favorite color. The only difference was a small, white… rectangle next to the entrance. It had no apparent purpose, so I paid it no mind.
The ceiling design was something familiar to me: the night sky. A representation of the moon lay embedded over the center of the room, various constellations taking form around it all the way to where the design met the walls.
On my bed, near the pillows, was a stand-up card with something next to it. Walking closer, I read it.
For Lulu
The only pony that ever called me that was Celestia. Levitating the other object closer to me, I read the words in a large font.
MoonPie
“Moon Pie?” I repeated aloud. The object faintly resembled a bag. A packaging of some sort? I turned it around, analyzing every last side. Near one corner were the words ‘Tear Here’ next to some small incision. Curious, I humored the small print. When the tear exceeded the relatively flat portion it had started on, it opened to reveal a large space inside. It was hollow!
Opening the package further, I looked inside to find a small brown circle. Bringing it to my nose, I sniffed. It was… chocolate? Perhaps it was some sort of treat? It looked nothing like anything I knew. Perhaps one bite couldn’t hurt…?
I groaned in delight as I tasted first chocolate, then some sort of cracker, and finally something sweet in the middle. What a delight! As I savored the flavor, I started to wonder why this was here in the first place. It was clearly edible, so it must have been placed there recently…
…within a few days.
Was this meaningless treat supposed to win me over? Was this Celestia’s backup apology? If that coward could not bear to bring the subject up in conversation, then I would certainly not be swayed by a mere cookie!
Grumbling to myself, I started pacing around the room. So, I was to simply forget, then? Give me some sugar-laced treat to make everything better? I would not simply be the subservient one, forced to do whatever was bid of me. I refused! Whatever ploy Celestia had in place to keep me under her hoof, I would not fall for it!
I returned to my bed, contemplating my next move. It pained me somewhat to return after an exile, only to have to rise up against my sister again, but if the alternative meant living the rest of my endless days with no freedom, there was no choice in the matter. If I struck quickly, then those Element bearers wouldn’t be able to be notified in time. I was already in a castle, so at least I wouldn’t have to think about where to rule from. As for-
There was a knock at the door.
‘Who would knock on my door?’, I wondered. But then it hit me.
Of course. Who else?
“Come in.”
“Luna, I-” Celestia stopped when she saw the state of my chambers. I was laying on my bed, giving her a half-glare. Her gaze shifted to my Magelight for a moment before reaching for the white rectangle next to my door. Right as I was about to ask her what she was doing, her horn lit up and she dispelled my light with a click.
‘Wait, a click?’
I looked up. My Magelight was gone, but the tapestry on my ceiling suddenly appeared to be lit from within, providing sufficient illumination for the room, the image of the moon being the most luminous. I looked back to my sister’s hoof, still resting on what I then realized must have been the source of the mysterious clicking noise. Some sort of switch?
“Funny,” she suddenly spoke up, “I had forgotten all about that spell.”
“What sorcery is this?”
“Remember those magic gems I mentioned? It’s the same basic concept.”
“Yes, well,” I held up the Moon Pie with the single bite taken out of it, “Your little bribe didn’t work.”
“Bribe? Luna, I put that there because I thought you’d enjoy it.”
“I did enjoy it, until I figured out your ulterior motives.”
“Ulterior motives?”
“Yes, your plan to keep me under your hoof, now that I’ve returned!”
“Luna, what are you getting on about?”
“Do not play coy with me, Celestia! You want to keep me under your watch. You say you wish for mutual forgiveness, but you’d no sooner doom us to repeating this entire affair!”
“Luna, I-”
“You what? As things stand, we would simply go on under a mere pretense of peace. Tell me, Celestia, how many of your ponies would fear me returning? How many would resent me for even existing? How long would it take for your ponies to fear my night once again?”
She was silent.
“No answer, as I should have expected. Leave. We shall speak on the morn.”
“Luna, please…” There were the beginnings of tears in her eyes. No matter how convincing, crocodile tears were still crocodile tears.
“We said leave!”
She let out a few chocked sobs, before whispering, “No…” She got up and started to walk towards me.
“Advance no further!”
She kept walking.
“We said halt!”
At the last moment, she kept me still with her magic and wrapped her arms around me.
‘Liar! Tyrant! She will die for-
‘-hugging me?’
She sat on my bed, embracing me. Her body shook slightly as my anger started to bleed away. Her arms were thrown around my neck, her wings enveloped my body, and her head rested atop mine, just like when we were much younger.
“I just got you back, Lulu,” she whispered. I felt two drops of something land on my head. “I don’t want to lose you again. What more can I say to make you see that?”
I was silent for a few moments, pondering her question.
“I suppose… I just want your word that you’ll strive to make things different this time around. What’s the point of me coming back if nothing is going to change?”
She paused a moment before answering, “There… there is a celebration in your honor… in a sense. You could use it to try and connect with the common ponies.”
I pulled back a bit. “What do you mean, ‘in a sense’?”
“Well, it’s… focused around… Nightmare Moon…”
“So, you made me into a boogie-mare, then?”
She panicked slightly. “It was the only way to get them to stop being afraid of you! They needed to move on.”
I sighed. “I suppose it was necessary… when is this celebration?”
“It’s only in a few months’ time. It’s an annual event.”
I allowed a small smile. “I suppose it’s as good a place to start as any,” I hugged her again, “Thank you… sister.” She returned my embrace.
We stayed like that for some time, basking in each other’s company after so long spent apart. A few times, it almost felt like I had never left. Eventually, though, she noted the late hour.
“I should get going,” she spoke, breaking the easy silence between us, “I need to raise the moon.”
She got up and walked to the door. I was reluctant to let her go. Lowering the sun needed to be done, but…
“Tia?” She paused at the doorway, looking back. “Do you… think I could… raise the moon tonight?”
She smiled warmly. “Oh, Luna…” she said, returning and giving me a small hug, “You don’t even need to ask.”