The cold air graced her fur, a gentle breeze rippling through her mane. Her eyes were soft, gazing upon all of the nightly creatures. Her nightly creatures. She took in a deep breath, the frigid air burning the back of her throat in a pleasant way. She held it a second, in false hope that she could keep it forever, but like everything else, the misty carbon dioxide was forced from her and carried away in the wind. She took in the serene atmosphere and all the plant and animal life around her, marveling at the fact that the world could be so quiet as her mind was in turmoil. She frowned lightly, stepping off of the cobblestone path and into the plush grass of the gardens. She followed the trail in her mind, to her thinking spot where she could just contemplate everything that went on. She eventually came upon the Weeping Willow tree that she had planted on the first day back from the moon, and rested her tired body under it. It had grown much since she had planted it on that fateful day, the branches now towering high and dangling their iconic leaves that reached to help her. She sighed once more, laying her head on her crossed forehooves and delving back into thought.
‘Nopony can help me… Will they ever truly forgive me?’ She wondered depressivly, ‘Celestia has said that she does, but she still gives me that look… My subjects forgave me, but still fear me. The elements… Twilight. She says she has forgiven me, but how can I be sure? She says she loves me? But… But…’
“I’m a monster.” She thought aloud, a few tears dripping down her face and into the soft grass, staining it with the Lunar Princesses sorrow. “I’m only good for hurting ponies, I’m terrible… I’m a horrifying monster… Evil. Stupid. Ugly. Fat….” The princess continued to berate herself, finding no comfort in the lush greenery, nor the leaves of her favorite tree reaching down to take away the pain that racked its master so. She shook her head, throwing the tears off of her muzzle. She knew what had to be done. She had to relieve her emotional pain. She had to forget. Even if it’s just a few hours. She used her magic to rip a small patch of cloth that matched her coat exactly, even with the fur texture, off of her left forehoof. A small stretch of bare, scarred flesh came into view. She stared at the ugly flesh, raging beginning to well from her endless pit of self hatred. She screamed and lit up her horn, using her magic to break a piece of her armored boot off and sharpen it. She then started to bring the makeshift razor down on the rough flesh, but a small gasp caused her to stop mid-swing. Her ears swiveled until they found the source of the tiny intake. She snapped her head over to the place of origin with fearful eyes. What she found made her heart break. It filled the dark pit of her stomach with guilt and made the shards of her heart pierced her throat, injecting their deadly dose of regret without mercy. Standing at the edge of the clearing was Twilight Sparkle, her hoof to her dropped jaw in shock and tears of pain dripped down her cheeks. Twilight’s eyes spoke of deep confusion.
“L-Luna?” Her voice cracked, hoping it wasn’t actually her lover. Luna just stared back, unable to form any sort of response to atone for her actions. She could only nod. So she did. The physical nod was light, but mentally, it was devastating, emotionally, it was earth shattering. The two star-crossed lovers just stood there, daring on another to break the silence. Suddenly, Twilight teleported forward, knocking the makeshift razor from Luna’s magical grip by tackling her into a tight embrace. She shook and sobbed into the lunar diarchs mane, inciting the Elder Alicorn to weep softly into Twilight’s own. They sat there like that for ten long minutes, each one seemingly stretching out for hours, calming down in the embrace of one another.
“How long?” Luna eventually broke the silence.
“You’re not a monster…” Twilight eventually responded.
“But-”
“No! Luna La Moon, you listen to me.You are no monster! Not anymore! You’re not ugly, you’re not fat, you’re not horrifying, and you’re not stupid! You’re the most amazing mare I’ve ever met! You’re modest, sweet, humble, curvy, and the most beautiful damn mare on the planet!” Twilight ranted, getting up on her hooves. Luna looked into the eyes of her mare, not believing a word coming from Twilight’s mouth. Luna lowered her head as silent tears dripped down the depressed diarchs muzzle.
“Lies.” She whispered, “Lies… Lies… LIES!” She ended with a shout. “All of that is a lie!” She screamed, her rage boiling from the well of hatred she sheltered inside.
“No! I tell you the truth! All you have to do is see it!” Twilight stood her ground.
“Twilight Sparkle!” Luna’s voice doubled over, her eyes beginning to glow as black tendrils spread from her back. “Don’t you dare lie to me!” The glow faded as green, serpentine eyes replaced her normal teal ones. Upon seeing this change, Twilight’s resolve wavered. She backed up slowly as Luna’s escaping nightmare began to advance. “See?! I am a monster!” She screamed, pointing her horn at Twilight’s barrel. Twilight just shook her head, tears falling from her empty eyes as she took a step forward.
“If you’re truly a monster, then you’ll kill me.” Twilight spoke firmly, planting her hooves in front of the mare she loved. The nightmare before Twilight began to cackle malevolently, a blackish-blue aura spreading over her horn and gathering at the tip in a small, black orb with a cyan energy swirling around it. Nightmare’s eye twitched as the energy changed to a dark purple. Twilight’s cold, stotic gaze challenged its mighty, fiery rival without wavering, like an unstoppable force meeting an unmovable object. Finally, the nightmare let out an evil, mad laugh and blasted her magic forward in a small beam of light, impacting into Twilight’s barrel and blowing a tiny hole directly through her chest and heart. Twilight’s eyes sprang open in shock, causing her to see the even face faulter momentarily.
“T-Twilight!” A clear voice struggled out of the doubled over one.
“No!” Nightmare’s scared voice broke through, fighting her counterpart.
“Twilight!” The clear voice screamed stronger, fighting its way back to control
“She’s gone! I killed her! There’s nothing you can do!” Nightmare’s vain attempt to keep control faded, along with her voice as Luna’s coat faded back to its original blue and her eyes became her normal teal once more. Luna screamed one last time, completely breaking free of her curses manifestation and dropping to her knees. She held the barely breathing Twilight in her hooves, cradling the fragile mare whom she’d fallen so hard for. Whom she’d caused so much suffering. Whom she’d now killed.
“L-Luna…” Twilight barely spoke, her voice grating against the blood in her throat.
“Twilight… No! I’m so sorry! This is all my fault! I can help, heal you! Yes! That’ll help!” Luna said desperately, fumbling with her words. She held her horn to the place of strife and focused her magic to heal it. It wouldn’t work. Something was blocking it. “No… No! Nightmare must’ve put up a barrier! Twilight… I’m sorry… I’m nothing but a-” The diarchs sobbing apologies were stifled by a soft hoof to her muzzle.
“Luna… Don’t you dare,” Twilight winced, “Say that next word.”
“B-But-”
“Stop… Please… As my dying wish, please… You’re no monster. Everypony makes mistakes.” She coughed up a few droplets of blood from her throat.
“But… But I… I’ve killed you…” Luna sobbed.
“No… You did not. Nightmare Moon did…” Twilight said, barely clinging to her thinning lifeforce.
“I am Nightmare Moon!” Luna cried helplessly.
“No… You are Luna La Moon, and you’ll always be my mare…” Twilight said, her voice fading fast.
“Twilight! No! Stay with me!” Luna cried helplessly.
“I’ll see you in the afterlife, my… Love…” Twilight breathed her last word out, her body going limp; into eternal slumber. Her hoof dropped out of Luna’s. Time stood still for the lunar diarch as Twilight’s hoof lightly came into contact with the ground. She desperately searched through the lavender mares now stale eyes, attempting to find a wisp of life. There was none. For the last time that night, the floodgates broke and Luna clutched her deceased lover tightly, sobbing thick and bitter tears into the corpse and expanding puddle of blood. She hugged the body, trying to force some of her own life into the cold carcass in vain. After an hour of non-stop crying, she was reduced to a small, gasping, sniveling ball disparagingly clutching her lovers cold cadaver. Her Weeping Willow reached for her, to hold her tightly and take away any pain she had endured. Yet it was just a tree, so it’s silent calls could not reach its master. Luna heard the hoofsteps and armor clinking of approaching guards, but just laid there, not daring to leave her lovers body.
‘Good,’ She thought, ‘I hope they find me and sentence me to death… It’s what I deserve.’
“Lulu?” Luna heard her sisters, Celestia’s, concerned voice. The lunar diarch froze. ‘So much for guards… Poor Celestia...’ Luna hadn’t thought of how this might affect Celesta… She hadn’t really thought at all. ‘This will only prove Celestia’s looks right…’ She thought, ‘I’m nothing but a…’ The last world caught in her brain, not willing to move to the front of her mind. She knew why, the only problem was she did not care.
“I-I’m here sister.” Luna’s broken voice barely weaved through the greenery to her sisters ears. Celestia followed the disembodied voice until she found its body, though now more of an empty shell. She came into the clearing with her sister and the massive Weeping Willow that seemed to plead for her to turn away. The solar diarch saw her sisters curled up form clutching something tightly, but Luna’s back was turned to Celestia, so she was unsure of whatever the lunar princess held so desperately.
“I sensed a disturbance of magical force in this area. Unfortunately, the nobles had me tied up so I could not come right away… Is everything alright?” Celestia asked, daring to take a step forward. Luna wanted to say yes, she wanted to take back this night, she wanted nothing more than for things to go back to the way they had been before. Yet, inside, she knew that was impossible. She knew that after tonight, she would never be the same. Her subjects would hate her. Her friends would despise her. Her sister would be sickened by her existence. And worst of all, her bed would be cold. She came to just one conclusion. She had to end it all.
“No…” Luna said, a small tear streaking down her cheek. She gritted her teeth and threw her head towards the trunk of her Weeping Willow. Her horn connected hard, causing the appendage to snap off at the base and her nerves to be set on fire. Luna cried out in agony as her horn fell to the ground, completely useless.
‘Good, I deserve this pain…’ She thought, disgusted by herself.
“Lulu!” Celestia screamed in shock, “What the!..?” She trailed off as she caught sight of Twilight’s limp body and the pool of blood surrounding it.
“Luna… What have you done..?” Celestia asked, skill in complete shock and disbelief.
“The unforgivable…” Luna spoke through gritted teeth, “And now, I must end it…” She trailed off. Celestia caught on, but it was too late, for Luna had begun to charge a massive spell and it was almost complete.
“Goodbye, Sister… I’ll see you soon, Twilight, my love…” Luna whispered as the charge completed.
“No!” Celestia cried and leapt at the doomed diarch to disrupt her, but fell short. Luna released her magic. Without a horn to stabilize the current, the magic feedback was forced into Luna’s skull, flooding her brain with the essence. The blue Alicorn could have resisted, if she had wished to, but she did not. She simply let the overwhelming pain whisk her back to her lost love.
“I love you… Celly.” She uttered her final words as the pressure hit it’s breaking point, and Luna’s head erupted. Blood and grey matter painted the grounds, staining Celestia’s normally pristine coat a light crimson and the Weeping Willow’s normally green leaves maroon with blood. The solar, now monarch, just sat there, dropping to her knees in utter shock. ‘What?’ She thought, still not believing what had just occurred. A stray piece of brain impacted on Celestia’s muzzle, causing tears to leak from her eyes. She opened a mental link to Shining Armor, after all, he should be the first to know.
“Shining…” Celestia’s broken thoughts echoed in her empty head.
“Celestia?” A male voice responded, confusion laden in his tone.
“Come to the royal gardens immediately…” She paused, letting a small sniffle out and turning away from the bodies, “And bring two caskets…” All the while, Luna’s Weeping Willow weeped, a silent and helpless watcher, paying its respects to its former mother and mourning the loss of life forevermore.
Author's Note
Here's a little feels trip for you guys, lol. I hope you enjoyed! :D Stay Brony, my friends.
