Bittersweet Memories

Tonight. Tonight is the night. I’ve been waiting for 1000 years. And it could end at any second. That portrait of her in the moon won’t be there for long. She’s waited as long as I have. Come on, Luna. Please don’t keep me waiting for any longer.

A flash. The portrait is gone. Finally, my princess has arrived.

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She’s kneeling, perhaps in defeat, or humility. But she stands up. It’s Nightmare Moon. I don’t care. I remember her saying, “As long as I am alive, no matter who I become, you will always be my best friend.”

It’s her.

My brain snaps. Suddenly, I’m at peace. I can think clearly. Almost. I need Luna herself. The knowledge that she’s back is enough to help me think straight, but I can’t be myself until I see my Luna.

“L-Luna?” I stutter. I don’t want to scare her. I don’t know what I’ve become. She stands up. She doesn’t say a word. Instead, she walks up to me. And hugs me. The world stops. Time hasn’t been good to me, but right now, I can stand here forever. I hug her back as tears gush down my face. I can’t help crying after seeing my friend after so long.

She pulls back. I look up at her. She looks back at me. She doesn’t look sentimental at all. She looks serious. Why? Oh yeah. Eternal night. She’s back to finish what she started. It was ended by Celestia. Celestia......

My anger burns. The thought of Luna’s sister infuriates me. Luna must know my anger. She looks into my eyes and nods as she says, “Celestia...” I know what she means. I smile viciously.

Finally.

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She’s outside of a building near the edge of a village. Luna needs Celestia to be gone to bring eternal night. Gladly, my princess.

I land behind Celestia. What’s a princess against 1000 years of training? I’ve been nearly indestructible since I started. Now, I’m invincible. She doesn’t notice me at all.

“Celestia...” I growl. She stops approaching the building and turns around. Her face becomes panicked. She didn’t expect a pony who should have been dead.

“J-Jenetar?!” she gasps, “How are you still alive?!” I’m alive because my princess cares. I say nothing. She deserves nothing from me. Nothing but her end. And it’s time.

I fly around her, landing behind her again. Luna’s return did restore my mind a little. Time isn’t against me anymore. I can feel the flow of time normally again, because the time it took for me to fly behind Celestia was near nonexistent. She gasps again. For more than one reason I assume. My speed. I had 1000 years to improve it. That, and why I’m here. She knows why I’m here. Reflecting on all she had done to me, I growl, “Goodbye, Celestia.”

I tackle her, sending us both careening across towards a mountain. My speed has increased more than I thought. There’s no way she can survive this. This will be over sooner than I-

She twists out of my grip, sending me crashing into the mountainside myself. Ha! That was nothing! I pull my wings out of the rock, cracking them for good measure. “Wha-? How did-?” Celestia sputters. That’s right. Did you think I was going to just sit and wait 1000 years? Think again. It will be the last thought you have.

She takes off, running, or rather, flying away as fast as she can. Pathetic. This is the princess of the sun? I chase after her, gaining on her like nothing. This will be over in-

Woah. She takes off again, speeding across the sky, almost disappearing out of my view. Alright. Now we’re talking. I speed up. Gaining on her again. My sadism that has been bottled up for 1000 years takes over my feelings. An angry, almost evil grin spreads across my face, and my eyes light up with hatred. And I like it. She will die.

Suddenly, Celestia makes a wild turn. I stop and turn around, glaring in the direction she went. I chase after her, easily matching her speed. My anger must have made me stronger, because I don’t remember being able to go this fast. I’m right behind her. Just have to finish this.......so close.....just finish this......

She turns again. Grrrrrrr.......I hate being the chaser. I follow again, tearing through the sky. Glaring right at her so I don’t lose her again, below me, I notice we pass over a town of some sort. Huh. Doesn’t matter. I can enjoy the scenery when Celestia is dead. Dead. I like the sound of that.

She turns again, but I follow right behind her. Your can tricks only work for so long, Celestia. I’m still behind you, and I’m getting closer. You will die. I’m going to....

She turns yet again. Still following, something seems strange. She seems to be circling in a pattern. Which means that her next turn is to the left and will be happening right...........

Now.

Well, well, well. Not as smart as I thought you were, Celestia. I expected more from a princess. Did you really think that after 1000 years I wouldn’t have noticed something so simple? Alright, time to end this dumb game of tag. Heh heh heh.......

Turn again.

Yep.

Plan this out. Not too much. Don’t want to delay this any longer. She’s lived too long already. 1000 years too long. She’ll turn right again. Instead of following, turn left, circle around, tackle into the ground. I can finish her off from there. Sounds good. He he he.....ha ha ha.....

Turn right.

Go left.

Die.

Down! Down you go! Hahaha! I knew it would work! Her motion stops dead as mine takes both of us, and we hurtle towards the ground. Now she’ll be dazed by the impact, and I can kill her from there. Then it’ll be just me and Luna. Just me and Luna. No more Celestia. Just me.....and......

What? She’s gone! Where’d she go! I had a death grip on her! Was I distracted? I was thinking about Luna, and how we’ll be together forever, and.....that’s the ground.

I tear through the dirt, making a small canyon with the force I had. That was nothing. It might have killed her, if she hadn’t escaped! How did she escape?! There should have been no way for her to....

What’s that?

Her horn lights up, a faint glow surrounding it. I stare mesmerized at it. I don’t remember seeing anything like it. I don’t remember......

Light increasing. Approaching? What?! I dive out of the way, as something zaps the ground I was just at. It fizzes into the dirt, leaving a small patch of embers with a puff of smoke.

I recognize that now. Magic. That’s what caused this whole thing. Magic. Celestia’s use of magic. She tried to use it on me. Have you forgotten who I am? What I’ve gone through? You think this will hurt me?!

I’m DONE with you!!

I can’t focus. My vision is blurred, and almost red. My anger fuels my movements as I storm towards her. I’ve had enough of you, Celestia! All of what you've done! Everything!! Her horn glows again. The impact will create smoke. It’ll hit me, and the smoke will create a distraction for me to take her down. It will be done.

Magic blasts towards me. Pain is meaningless to me now. You can’t hurt....

Burning.......shock......agony........

......pain.

I’m sent hurling backwards, straight towards the ground again. What happened?! So this is pain? I haven’t felt this in centuries. How can it return so quickly? And with such horrible lash? Has everything I’ve done been all for naught?

I slam into a rock. Crushing the rock. That did nothing. It’s all common sense now. Magic is different than regular pain. Is that was Luna felt? That type of burning, stinging horrible sensation? Why? Why her? Not my princess....not Luna.....how dare you.......

AAAAAGGGHH!!!!!

DIIIIIIEEE!!!!!!

Celestia must die! I don’t care about the pain of magic! I can survive 1000 years of waiting, I can survive however long it takes her to die! I blast off towards her, not even thinking about magic, or pain, or anything. I focus on Celestia. Just her. Dead.

AAH!!

Magic again? No matter! As long as you di-

AAAHHH!!! Again! I won’t die! Not now! Not ever! Not from you! You first!! For Luna!!!

She fires again, a constant beam, blazing and searing into me, pushing me backwards. No. It won’t be me who dies! Not me! Please.

I can feel my strength draining. My once invincible strength is slowly abandoning me. Never in 1000 years did I imagine this feeling again. My resistance to pain is falling. My resolve weakening. I have to finish this. For Luna! For Luna......

I grit my teeth as I push closer, through the agony, through the beam of magic, towards Celestia. I have to kill her. So it’ll only be me and my princess. Just me and Luna. Just.....a bit.......closer.......

Suddenly, I rocket backwards. My body slams into the ground. And it hurt. My strength.....has it left me? The one thing I needed to protect my princess? I open my eyes. Celestia is standing over me. Anger fills me once again, but I can’t move. I’m done. I can’t do anything else.

1000 years, and Luna gives me one job. One thing to do for her after all those years, and I can’t do it. Everything I’ve ever done has prepared me for protecting my princess, and I can’t do it. That was my life. All I was ever for. From the moment she announced that she was going to become a princess, to the first time seeing her after three years, to her coronation. All my life, I’ve been for Luna’s protection. The one thing I’ve wanted to do in life. And I’ve failed.

Celestia’s horn glows again. She looks in my eyes. I can see the seriousness, the relief, the pain. The sorrow. No. Not magic again. Please. Not that.

“...Luna...”

I’ve failed you, my princess. I don’t deserve to be saved. But I can’t take any more magic like that. Not like that. I can’t die. I have to spend eternity with you. Please save me now. I don’t want to die.

Celestia’s horn brightens, and her head leans towards me. Her horn points directly at my head. I realize I’m going to die.

I’m angry.

I’m scared.

Please save me.

“LUNAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!”

A flash of light.

Everything Luna and I have ever done together, every moment I’ve spent with her flashes in my head. I relive every moment at once. My anger, my sorrow, my fear.....

But, for some reason, I’m having trouble reflecting on those moments. And I’m not as angry as I was before. And what was I sorry about?

I don’t remember anything.

Darkness.