The Rise of Nightmare Moon
It all started with peace.
Princess Luna sat with her sister, Celestia, in their newly acquainted throne room. She gazed in total wonder at the glory of Canterlot. Being just a small town child, this marvellous city completely dazzled her.
Luna was a small, average sized filly, with a luscious coat of brilliant midnight blue. On her flank her newly gained cutie mark proved her status as Princess of the Night. Her eyes were wide and reflective, and shone a fabulous shade of cyan. Her mane and tail were choppily cut and hung down low. They matched the colour of her eyes.
Her sister was pretty much opposite, as far as appearances go. She had a royal white coat, and on her flank a sun that showed that she would shine across Equestria for all eternity. Her mane and tail were a rose pink, and more well brushed than Luna’s. Her eyes were a more vibrant pink than her hair, and they weren’t as round as Luna’s either. Celestia was five years older than Luna, even though they got their Cutie-marks at the same time.
“Can you believe this, Tia?” She said in total awe, “This whole castle is going to be ours. Forever!”
“Not just this castle,” Celestia replied, in the same amount of awe as her sister, “All of Equestria.”
Young Princess Luna’s mouth dropped open, before spreading into a broad smile. Her eyes sparkled and her heart filled with desires and aspirations and wonder. She thought back to just this morning…
Luna woke up in her small house, in the lower bunk of the bed she shared with her sister, Celestia, although Luna didn’t call her that, because it was quite hard for such a young pony to say.
“Tia, what time is it?” Luna asked to the roof of her bunk,
“Mrrgh,” The roof of her bunk replied, “7:30, why?”
“Can I have some breakfast?” Luna asked her sister. She had to ask because they had been poor even before their parents passed away. They always had to check there was enough food for the day, and if there was not enough for three meals, they would leave out lunch. If there were not enough two meals, they would leave out breakfast as well as lunch. But when their parents died at the mill there were only half the mouths to feed. So Celestia took up a job working as an apprentice while Luna went to school. In two years time Luna too would have to leave school and get a job.
Luna excitedly rushed the narrow spiral staircase in the tiny stone cottage they lived in. She opened the door the small cupboard they kept food in, but closed it solemnly disappointed.
“We need some more grain, Tia.” Luna called upstairs to her sister.
“I’ll pick some up on my way back from work,” Celestia replied, as she walked through the door to the small kitchenette that doubled as a dining room, “Now get ready for school.”
“Muuurggh,” Luna moaned, “I don’t wanna go to school! I’m tired!”
“Well then you shouldn’t have been out all night.” Celestia replied, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. That reminds me, Luna very often went straight to sleep after school, then slept until Twilight, when she would wake up and go for a wander. She would normally stay out until about 3:00 am. “Why do you do that, anyway?” Celestia asked.
“I like the night.” Luna replied defensively as she put her books in her saddlebag. She then took a concentrating position as she tried using her magic to lift her bag over her wings. That was another thing. Both Celestia and Luna were born Alicorns.
The ponies that saw them thought nothing of it, apart from, ‘Their parents must be traitors.’ You must remember that back in those days the Earth Ponies, Unicorns and Pegasi were divided. They only bred with one another; so at the sight of a pony with both a Unicorns horn and a Pegasus’s wings, they thought it must be what happens when a Unicorn and a Pegasus get it on.
Except Celestia and Luna’s parents were Earth Ponies.
This should have been obvious, seeing as they lived in an Earth Pony village, yet this factor seemed to go over the heads of the populous.
All the same, Luna tried, and failed, using magic. However she did manage to make the bag hover, so that was a start, or at least that’s what her sister told her as she used magic to pick up a coat with ease. When Luna manually put on her saddlebag and opened the door it was a fine summers day. She cringed. While she didn’t dislike the sun, as such, she just preferred the night.
Luna sighed as she exited her humble abode. She didn’t like school; all the kids there bullied her because of her wings and her horn. They would say things like ‘your parents were traitors, it’s a good thing they’re dead!’ At first this upset young Luna greatly, and she would run home crying. After a while, though, she got used to it. She had to, for it wasn’t like the teachers or any adults would argue. It was the teachers and adults that said it in the first place.
As Luna approached the school gate she took a deep breath. All the other foals were being dropped off by their parents, and she was the only one that was there alone. She was also the only one with wings or a horn, or wings and a horn, and everyone still gave her weird looks because of this.
“Why if it isn’t the traitors little filly.” Chided Ruby Scone, a particularly nasty schoolyard bully that grew up to be nothing much. Her gaggle of friends giggled in an annoying high-pitched way. Luna looked to the teachers, but they pretended not to hear.
“Go away.” Luna said weakly as she tried to hide her horn with her mane and her wings with her bags. Ruby saw this,
“Don’t try to hide the truth!” She screeched, “You know what you are! Just accept it and give up already!” And with that Ruby turned round and bucked little Luna right on the snout. Luna hit the dirt, with tears in her eyes. That was when she snapped,
“I hate you!” She screamed at Ruby, “You don’t know my parents! They were Earth Ponies, like you! Except they were better than you are! You are such a terrible excuse of a pony that I’m surprised the officials haven’t outlawed you to go and live your fellow vermin!” Luna wasn’t sure how she knew how to utilise such vocabulary, but she knew what she was saying must really sting because of the look on Ruby’s face, and the looks on all of her annoying friend’s faces.
“You deformed, arrogant, disrespectful little weasel!” Ruby spat in return, “You don’t belong here! You wouldn’t belong anywhere else, but you belong least here! You have doomed yourself to a life of reject because you have nothing!” Then Ruby turned to her gaggle, “Come on girls, let’s get this traitor spawn!”
Then Ruby and her minions converged on little Luna, and they hit her, and bucked her, and whipped her merciless. Luna didn’t know why she got treated like this. On her first day in this school she was the only one who dared to love everyone, and she got repaid with this. She wished it were night, so she could sneak out of here and go and stand on here favourite hill, and wish for a better life.
That was when, in the middle of the beating, Luna opened her eyes, and they glowed black. She spread her little wings and rose up above the heads of all the foals, all the teachers, and above the roof of the school. It was then that the sun suddenly dropped, and the moon rose to take its place. By the time the moon had fully risen Luna was hovering right in front of the centre of it.
Celestia arrived at the blacksmith she was an apprentice at. It was awful pay, that often didn’t come, and hard work. Top that with a master that would do anything in his power to make a life a misery, and there was Celestia’s hellish life that she led to keep herself and Luna alive.
“You’re late,” Her boss, Flame Hammer, announced as she walked in the door. When Celestia first this job she thought that ‘Flame Hammer’ was the worst possible name anyone could give anything. Then she remembered that he was a blacksmith, and then it kind of made sense.
“But, it’s five to ten.” She protested, looking at the clock, “I’m early.”
“No.” Flame corrected, “Do you not recall yesterday, as you left I told to come in at 9:30am today so you could finish those horseshoes before you got started on today’s work!” He shouted at her. Celestia’s shoulders sagged. She did recall.
“But I did finish them yesterday.” She sighed, “Look.” She said, as she handed Flame a set of brass horseshoes. Flame inspected them closely, and then shook his head.
“These are no good.” He declared.
“What’s wrong with them?” Celestia asked, but this was clearly a wrong move, as Flame used his front right hoof to slam Celestia right on the nose,
“Are you questioning me?” He yelled.
“No sir.” Celestia whimpered as a drop of blood trickled out of her snout.
“If you must know, however,” Flame said, not going to miss out on an opportunity to make Celestia feel like a fool, “The nails in these are plain old iron, when I clearly asked for steal!” He thundered at her. He then proceeded to throw them into the fire of the forge. Celestia watched, helpless as the horseshoes she’d spent all day yesterday crafting, forging, shaping and perfecting slowly melted away.
She looked at Flame Hammer with such hatred, such resentment, such loathing that he nearly backed of, before he remembered who was the boss in this situation.
“Now you’re going to have to make them again, which will put you behind on the pick axe you were supposed to do today, which means that we’ll have not one, but TWO customers with late arrivals.” Celestia started to get hurry to work, but Flame Hammer wasn’t finished, “You know, you would of thought that you could just wave you magic little horn and make everything alright, or use those wings of yours do two things at once. Do you know what, I’ll bet you’ll never get your cutie mark, because you are truly useless!”
Celestia turned around, and looked at Flame Hammer, and lost it,
“I DON’T CARE!” She screamed at him,
“You what?” Flame said, somewhat taken aback by this sudden outburst,
“I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU THINK!” She screamed at him, “You’re just a sad, lonely stallion who has nothing better to do than to torture and abuse an orphaned filly because you have NO morals, NO shame, and NO sense of self-righteousness. You are the scum that the good ponies sweep of the map when they see you cowering in your dark damp alley of your dark, diseased, blackened soul! You are a disgusting, repulsive, vomit-worthy excuse of a parasite and I HATE YOU!” At the end of her speech she’d spread her wings and was starting to hover.
“Get back down here!” Flame bellowed at her, furious that she was flying in a strict no flying village.
Celestia closed her eyes and when she opened them they were glowing white. When she touched the roof of the building it caught in a fiery blaze, but she passed through it unharmed. When the building caught fire the moon had risen, and the sun had completely disappeared. She rose to the centre of the moon, and then the sun started to rise again, behind the moon. When it reached it’s highest height, it’s light shone from behind the dark void of the moon. It was the first eclipse, and it was how all of Equestria knew that the prophecies had come true.
“We may be united, but tensions are still high between Earth Ponies, Unicorns and Pegasi.” Princess Platinum announced at the meeting of the High Council of Equestria. It had been almost six months since the events of Hearths Warming Eve that lead to the founding of Equestria, but in that time Chancellor Puddinghead, Commander Hurricane and Princess Platinum had withered and greyed from a mixture of over working, lack of sleep and stress. No longer were they the bright-eyed excited ponies they were when they united the three tribes.
“I agree.” Chancellor Puddinghead replied. Even she had lost most of her zaniness, “We need to think of new ways of getting the towns and cities to be mixed race, and not just one particular tribe.”
Suddenly the room got very dark, as the only thing lighting the room was the daylight outside. All their hearts stopped and leapt at the same time,
“I think this may be the answer.” Commander Hurricane gasped. They all rushed to the window, and sure enough, there was the full moon, even though last night is was mid-way through waxing. And there was the sun, rising up and taking its place behind the moon, creating the fabled eclipse.
Clover the Clever rushed out to the guard post, to find all the guards gawping at the eclipse,
“On the orders of the High Council, find whomever made that eclipse!” She called to them, but they all just looked at her. “Go!” She prompted. This shook all the guards out of their trance, and they rushed off to find the source of the eclipse.
As Luna gently touched the ground again all the ponies in the schoolyard bowed down to her.
“It’s you,” One of the teachers breathed in a hushed whisper, “You’re the Princess of Night.” As this was said, a black mark spread across her flank, and then a cream coloured moon appeared in centre of the black blotch with a white flash.
Luna’s world spun. She had barely been able to lift a bag before, but she’d just raised the moon. The moon! That great big ball of rock that floated around earth and the sole thing that lit up the night. She’d just moved it! How was that possible? She was just a silly filly from a tiny town south of Canterlot. She’d never even been to Canterlot! She was nothing! Yet now the very people that hated her were saying she was Princess of the Night!
“All hail!” Another teacher cried, “Princess Luna!
When Celestia first touched down again in the burning remains of the blacksmith shop, all the ponies from the neighbouring buildings came to investigate. Flame Hammer’s mouth was gaping wide open. The other ponies had much the same reaction as the ponies in the schoolyard. Celestia also had much the same reaction as Luna.
Her head swam. What just happened? She’d never flown before, let alone moved the sun! She couldn’t believe she’d just moved the sun! The entire sun! All by herself! And now people were calling her princess! She couldn’t be a princess; she was too busy being an apprentice. Although after what she’d just said to Flame Hammer, she doubted she still was.
“All hail!” An apparently not amazingly angry Flame Hammer declared, “The Lady of the Sun. Princess Celestia!”
The guards marched into the schoolyard, all of them fully grown stallions in heavily protective armour, yet they all bowed to the floor in front of little Luna. Then they stayed down. It was an awkward moment. They stayed down for ages until Luna had to ask,
“You gonna get up?”
“Only if you let us, your majesty.” One guard answered smartly.
“Why would you have to ask me?” Luna said, a little confused.
“But of course because you are Princess of the Night!”
“I am?” Luna squealed, taken aback,
“You did just raise the moon, did you not?” The guard said, looking up, suspecting they may have got the wrong pony.
“It looks like I did.” Luna said, looking up at the eclipse, “You can stand up, by the way.” Said to the guard. The guard nodded and the entire army that had come along stood up straight in perfect unison.
“Hail!” They all bellowed at once, making Luna, who was concentrating more on how the hell she’d just moved the moon, jump, “Princess of the Night,” Then the guard at the front quietly said,
“I am terribly sorry your highness, but, err, what is your name?”
“Luna.” She replied in a confused manor.
“Princess Luna!” All the guards said at once, before turning on their heels one hundred and eighty degrees, and waited for a command.
“If you would like to follow us, your highness.” The guard, who was obviously lieutenant or captain or something, said to Luna.
“Why?” Luna asked, “Where are we going?”
“We are going to your new palace in Canterlot, of course.” The guard replied politely, but Luna stayed put.
“I want my sister.” She said to the guard. This surprised the guard, but then he remembered that the insanely powerful God-like being that stood before him was still only a small child. He put on what was trying to be a friendly voice and he said,
“Hey,” He said softly, “We’ll meet your sister when we get there.”
“You promise?” Luna asked the guard, looking up at him,
“I promise.” The guard replied. Luna smiled and walked close by him.
“Ok!” She chirped, “Just let me get one thing first!”
As they arrived at their old cottage, Luna ran through the door, ran upstairs to the room she shared with Celestia, and grabbed a ragged, torn, beaten up old teddy bear that she slept with every night. She then ran back downstairs and straight to the guard’s side.
Luna had decided to go ahead and like this guard. He was a unicorn and his fur was withered and dry, but it was still a soothing cocoa-brown colour. His mane was grey, and cut short and was curly. He looked old, nearing retirement. His cutie mark was a nebula, swirling around a quill. This cutie mark suggested a learning talent, and Luna wondered why he was given guard duty, but thought nothing much of it.
“Ok, I’m ready!” Luna told the guard.
“Forward!” The guard shouted to the rest of the party.
“What’s your name?” Luna asked the guard,
“Me? I’m Space Swirl. You know I have sons of my own, about your age. Bigger than you though, but they haven't got their cutie marks yet.”
“What're their names?” Luna enquired,
“Moon Swirl and Star Swirl.” The guard replied happily.
When Luna arrived at the gate of Canterlot couldn’t believe it. In just six months, using the combined forces of all three of the tribes, they’d managed to build the magnificent city. They walked through the streets and all the high-class ponies bowed to her wherever she walked. She wasn’t entirely comfortable with this, so she stuck close to Space Swirl.
He looked down at the frightened little filly that was siding up so close to him. He wondered whether something this delicate should be governing Equestria for the rest of time. Surely this marvellous country deserved to be lead by someone with more confidence than this? Was this rule going to be as wonderful as the prophecies suggested? He pondered this for quite some time. On the other hand, she did just raise the moon in brilliant morning. That had to take some power. ‘And she is just a filly,’ Space Swirl thought, ‘I’m sure when she gets a little older she will be a lot more sure of herself.’ Space Swirl smiled again. ‘Yes. This is who we need.’ He was sure of it.
When the grand doors that welcomed them to the Palace of Canterlot Princess Platinum, Commander Hurricane and Chancellor Puddinghead were all there to greet Luna.
“Your highness,” They announced to the world when they clapped eyes on her, and they all bowed down, just as the guards had done. When Luna looked at them with a confused expression Space Swirl gave her a small nudge.
“Oh right.” She yelped, “You can stand up, if you want.” She said in a shy tone. Space Swirl had been chatting away to Luna all the way on the walk here, so he knew that it was okay to be kind of casual with her.
“Your Majesty,” Platinum said, “Your sister, Princess Celestia is here.”
“Tia’s here?” Luna exclaimed, “Where?”
“I shall guide you to her,” Platinum bowed, “If you would follow me.” The high council started off towards the throne room, and so did Luna, but stopped after a few steps and looked back at Space Swirl. The council stopped, “Is there a problem?” Commander Hurricane asked. Luna looked at the Commander, then back to Space Swirl.
“Ah.” Chancellor Puddinghead said in realization, “He can come as well.” She said, smiling at Luna. Luna then quickly ran to stand right next to Space Swirl and they walked together to the throne room.
When they got there Luna saw her sister sitting in the middle of the throne room.
“Tia!” She cried when she saw her. She ran to the centre of the room to meet her, where they hugged it out.
“Luna!” She said to her, “They’re saying that we’re the prophesied princess’s!” Luna beamed, and was about to reply, but then she stopped, and asked,
“What’s ‘prophesied’?” Celestia looked at her, sagged for a bit and said,
“Never mind. This will change our lives forever!” Luna hugged her sister again and then sat and looked at the palace.
That brings us to where we began our story. They were sitting next to each other, leaning on each other, gazing in awe at their place of residence for the rest of eternity. But not just that. They were mutually pondering their future as princesses. All the privileges, all the respect, all the power, but also all the hardships, all the enemies, all the stress and all the stories they would have to see come and go.
The unicorns raised the sun and moon for a few weeks after the events of that day, as when the sisters did it they did it by accident. Meanwhile Celestia and Luna were going off visiting all the locations across Equestria: They’re birth town, Canterlot, Fillydelphia, the Crystal empire etcetera (you must remember this was before the rise of King Sombra). They were on a grand tour before their coronation, accompanied by Chancellor Puddinghead, Commander Hurricane and Lady Platinum (She’d changed her name from Princess because of the arrival of Celestia and Luna).
They were still adjusting to being princesses, Celestia and Luna. It was quite jarring going from being called traitor spawn and scum everywhere you go, to being worshipped and praised and heralded in a matter of days. As they approached Canterlot once again after four weeks of being away in their carriage, Luna sighed. She looked at the crown she was given on the first day. It didn’t fit her yet, and they were going to have to make a whole new one before the coronation in a few days time.
At first she was all starry eyed and excited about being princess, but after a few weeks it began to dawn on her. She was going to be immortal. Luckily she didn’t have anyone she cared about so much that she wouldn’t be able to see them go, but she would, no doubt. Celestia had tried to console her, but she tell the same negative thoughts were going through her mind.
‘Still,’ She thought as she rolled up to her marvellous palace once again, and a mouth-watering odour that must have been the feast to welcome them back wafted up her nostrils, ‘Maybe it’s not all bad.’
The coronation was a spectacular event, which had choirs of birds and cherubs, and a feast that had all types of food from hay fries to dandelion sandwiches. The décor was fabulous, the weather was fine and the whole event was a huge success. So all in all it was massively boring and no one talked about it again.
That night, however, Luna stood on a balcony, with her sister behind her, and fluttered her wings. Suddenly, her horn started glowing a brilliant midnight blue. It was Twilight, and Celestia had already learned how to raise and lower the sun, while Luna hadn’t. However, Luna was a lot younger than Celestia, so this was to be expected. Suddenly, the sky grew a little darker, and a white disc started to rise over the horizon.
“You’re doing it, sister!” Celestia exclaimed, “Keep on doing it!” Luna strained and strained, and the moon slowly rose until it was at its proper place in the starry night sky. Luna slumped on the floor, exasperated, and Celestia ran up to congratulate her.
“You did it!” She squealed in excitement. Luna looked up and seemed to get a recharge in energy as her heart filled with a wonderful sense of joy and pride, and she looked over the balcony at the streets of Canterlot. Her face fell.
“What is it?” Celestia asked,
“Why aren’t they out there, enjoying the night?” Luna said, in a disheartened tone of voice.
“Well, they do need to sleep.” Celestia answered.
“I guess.” Luna sighed solemnly.
“I’m glad.” Celestia smiled, as she trotted back inside. Luna looked up at her moon, and was suddenly filled with a burning anger.
“We all need to learn,” She murmured to herself, “And they will learn to love the night.”
That was how it all began.
Author's Note
I'm really proud of this, even though I wrote it in about a week. It's my third fanfic, and it's the first one I've written that's not entirely dialogue reliant.
As I said in my blog, this will have several more chapters, and, if you read it, you can probably guess what this entire fic is going to be about.
I really hope you guise like it, and as ever feedback, critiques and constructive criticisms are appreciated.
The Rise of Nightmare Moon
7 years later
Luna strolled through Canterlot. She had grown up a lot since the first chapter. She was now a slender teenaged mare. Her mane was tied up in a ponytail (no pun intended) and had become a smoky dark blue, with sparkling stars twinkling within the flowing glow. Upon her head her shiny three-pointed crown sat. Her coat and eyes had also gotten a little darker: they were now a mix between midnight and navy blue.
Nopony still bowed to her when she was just walking around casually, and not at an official occasion or event; partly because she mingled with the citizens so much there was not much point, but mainly because she officially told them not to.
Anyhow, she was on her way to meet up with her best friend, Moon Swirl, at a discreet café on the outskirts of Canterlot.
Ah, yes, of course. If you remember in the last chapter young Luna palled up to Space Swirl, father of Star Swirl and his elder brother, Moon Swirl. Yes, well, that wasn’t just a one-day friendship. She often went to him when she wasn’t sure of what to do, or if she was just feeling down. For a long while Space Swirl was Luna’s only friend, until one day she turned up to his house, and only his children, Moon Swirl and Star Swirl, were home. She asked to stay until Space Swirl came home, and of course they weren’t going to deny a princess. However, Star Swirl was rather unsociable, choosing to stay in his room and not talk very much to Luna. Moon Swirl, on the other hand, conversed with Luna and made good friends with her. When Space Swirl came home he found them play wrestling on Moon Swirl’s grand bed (The Swirl family was very wealthy). By that time it was impossible to deny the fact that they were going to be life long friends. Well… life long for one of them.
She arrived at the café to find Moon Swirl already there, sipping an Americano from behind a book, with a medium Mocha (Luna’s favourite) waiting in front of the seat opposite him. Luna smiled and blushed, and felt a surge of compassion for this young stallion.
Moon Swirl was handsome in a nerdy kind of way. He was a tall, slender unicorn that was about the same build as Luna add a few inches. He was a dark greyish colour, and he had dark blue eyes that mirrored Luna’s. His mane was jet black, medium length and neatly combed out of face, but that didn’t stop the odd strand or two. His cutie mark was a crescent moon encompassing a quill and scroll.
“You’re too kind.” Luna told him as she approached the table. She sat across from him as she tested the temperature of her beverage. He put down his book and murmured to himself,
“You’re welcome.” Luna giggled and sighed,
“Thank you.” She said in a mock girly voice, ironically batting her eyelids at him.
“Only when prompted.” He murmured again,
“There is just no pleasing you, is there?” Luna actually laughed out loud. Moon Swirl looked up at her and tried to suppress a grin, yet failed miserably,
“Nope.” He smirked. He then looked around them nervously.
“It’s okay, no one’s taking pictures anymore.” Luna reassured him. She said this because a few months a go there was a picture in the newspaper Equestria Daily of Luna and Moon Swirl in a particularly heart-felt embrace. The story was something along the lines of ‘Does out princess of the night time have a boyfriend?’ And Luna’s public response was something along the lines of ‘No, and if anyone suggests that again I’ll exile anyone involved.’
Although at times she wished they weren’t wrong. In fact, all the time she wished they were wrong, but at the same time she was glad that they weren’t a couple. ‘Besides,’ She thought, ‘That’s stupid and girlish and somepony of my status should not be thinking like that.’ She couldn’t help it though.
“I’m not looking for that.” He said is a hushed tone, “I’m checking to see if anypony is listening.” Her heart jumped,
“To what?” She blurted,
“Are you still angry about the whole ‘Nopony appreciates the night’ thing?”
“Oh.” She said, a little disheartened, then angry as she remembered her night wasn’t in fact appreciated, “Well, yes! Of course! But can we not talk about that here?”
“Whatever.” Moon Swirl said indifferently,
“So how’s your brother?” Luna asked in an attempt to change the subject,
“Oh, the usual. Spending ungodly hours in his cave.” Moon Swirl replied. By ‘his cave’ he meant his room, where Star Swirl would spend days on end reading and learning about magic.
“Celestia not getting through to him?” She said, knowing the answer. The answer would be what eventually led to the rise of the dreaded Draconequus. However, that part of the story comes later.
“Nope.” He answered concisely.
“Shame, a little time out of that dark place could really do him some benefits. Like less impaired vision!” Luna cracked. Moon Swirl chuckled,
“His vision is fine, it’s the lack of use of the vocal chords that makes him sound like a dying cat.” He put bluntly. Luna laughed and almost spilled her coffee. Then Moon Swirl looked at her inquisitively,
“What?” Luna asked,
“You don’t think, maybe, you could tempt him out of hovel?”
“Doubt it.” Luna replied in a negative tone, “If anything I’d probably just re-affirm his doubts in the way Equestria is run. Why me?”
“Because,” Moon Swirl replied shyly, “I trust you.” He mumbled.
“D’awww.” Luna said affectionately.
“Shut up.” Moon Swirl said defensively, as he did not like showing positive emotion, unless he covered it in irony so it came out negative.
“It’s okay.” Luna told him. She clutched his hoof, and reached across the table to hug him tight. Moon Swirl stiffened up and blushed.
“Yeah well, you know…” He began.
“Go on.” Luna said sensing something adorable about to happen.
“Well, it’s just… We’ve known each other for, like, ever. So in the rare occasion I need something, I will automatically come to you. It’s cause you’re like… My… You know… M-my best friend.”
“D’aaaaaaaawwwwwww!” Luna cried, in a kind of cuteness overload. She reached across the table once again and hugged the crap out of him. After a few seconds he hugged her back.
“I love you, Luna.” He whispered to her, as he split off. She looked at him with an adorable smile on her face. “As a friend that is.” He corrected, “Err, erm. I have to go and… Feed my cat.” He said, as he rushed off. Luna watched him go, and when he rounded the corner she turned back and looked at his half empty Americano.
That described him surprisingly well. Half empty. While on the outside he seemed happy enough, if a little negative, once you got to know him you could tell there was definitely something he was missing. She had repeatedly tried to find out what that was, but he just never let her in. In fact, that was the first time he’d ever really opened up to her, despite the fact that she’d opened up to him many times, and he helped her through her inner anger. She felt that now they were whole lot closer.
Luna sauntered up to her room in the Canterlot palace. She sat on a beanbag and grabbed a book in her horngrasp, opened it and started reading it. The book was about unpopular but surprisingly useful spells. It was rather interesting to find that there was an entire spell dedicated to remembering somepony’s name.
After reading about two chapters of the book a royal guard knocked on her door.
“Come in!” She called, not looking up from the book.
“Your highness.” The guard announced,
“What?”
“A young gentlecolt said he needed to see you urgently.”
“Oh, will I have to do something important?” Luna groaned. The guard stood stock-still, “Let him in.” She said. The guard stepped aside and Moon Swirl rushed in.
“Luna, you have to come, Star Swirl’s done something stupid.”
When they arrived at Star Swirl’s cave (not his room, an actual cave this time) Luna and Celestia (who had come along too) were shocked at the sight of Star Swirl. I should probably mention at this point that Celestia looked much the same as she did in the last chapter, save being taller. Star Swirl, however, was looking ghastly.
Before Star Swirl was a thin, light brown unicorn, with a mane and tail of a light grey. His cutie mark was a ring of stars surrounding a quill and parchment.
Now, however, he was old and dishevelled. His brown fur was greying and his hair was in strands. He did, however, have a mighty bushy beard.
On the floor of the cave there was a five-pointed star, painted in a red liquid. Luna shuddered to think what. By it Star Swirl was howling a chant in some ancient language. There was a terrible thundering sound coming from the walls, and the star was glowing white between the lines.
“What have you done, you fool!?” Luna yelled at him. Star Swirl finished his chant,
“I’ve raised the fabled Draconequus!” Cried Star Swirl in a sadistic joy.
“Care to expand?” Celestia yelled desperately.
“I have risen above the ranks of mortal ponies,” Star Swirl hollered, “I have cast the spell to end all spells!” As he said this the head of an odd creature started rising out of the centre of the star, “The spell that will either destroy the world, or send it into a new golden age,” The figure’s body had started to taste fresh air, “From one to another, another to one,” The creature had now almost fully risen, “The mark of one’s destiny singled out alone fulfilled!” The monster was now fully risen, “Join us!” He cried in a pure psychopathic wondrous joy, “DISCORD!”
Discord stretched his back, spread his arms and let out a gruesome scream of delight, before looking down at the ponies around him: One bearded, hunch-back old sea cucumber of a pony, one young, petrified looking stallion, and two equally petrified looking young mares.
“Haha!” Discord laughed manically, “You should see the looks on your faces!” The ponies just stood there in silence, “Oh you are boring! I’m off to go and cause some chaos!”
“No!” Star Swirl shouted, “You can’t! You can’t do anything just yet; your powers are still growing. It will be at least another few years until you can get into any real fights.” Discord looked down at Star Swirl,
“Why, you must be the one who created me. You must have sucked all the life out of yourself and given it to me! Well, I am thankful, and I am also thankful that you told me my limitations. What is your name?”
“Star Swirl,” Star Swirl replied, “And you're quite welcome.”
“I like your beard. From here forth, I shall call you Star Swirl the Bearded.” Discord announced.
“Star Swirl the Bearded…” He repeated, testing how it rolled off the tongue. However, he didn't have to test for very long.
“Last words were your own name, arrogant little sod.” Discord murmured as he sucked the last bit of life out of Star Swirl, before he collapsed on the floor as a corpse.
“Brother!” Moon Swirl cried out, in total despair.
“Brother?” Oh, how evil of me!” Discord giggled excitedly. Celestia ran at Discord, letting off bolts of magic meant to seriously maim. One got him in the chest. He staggered back, and he appeared to realize that Star Swirl wasn't wrong, “Be back soon!” He sang, before disappearing in a white flash.
Author's Note
This one is mainly set up for the next chapters. I know it's called "Flirting and Discord" when it should be called "Flirting and Discord, but mostly flirting" Or, "Foreshadowing" Or even "I just threw this in because I like Star Swirl and Discord having a connection" But I'll do what I want (I don't need no stallion).
So, yeah. I hope this get's a little more attention that Chapter one got.
As ever, feedback and critiques are appreciated.
