Once upon a time, two sisters ruled the magical land of Equestria in unity. Celestia the eldest, raised the sun at dawn, while Luna the youngest, brought the moon to begin the night. After the events that caused the younger sister to become Nightmaremoon, the eldest had no other choice but to banish her sister to the moon using the powers of the Elements of Harmony, for a thousand years. Upon her return, Nightmaremoon was defeated in an instant, with the help of the new users of the Elements of Harmony. Their magic had returned the young sister back to her former self.
Luna returned to rule Equestria with her sister once again, yet the darkness that had once consumed her heart were not fully destroyed. For many days and nights Luna has fought her nightmares in order to keep her sanity intact, little did any pony know, her strength was beginning to dwindle away.
~~*~~
"Luna….Lunaaaaaaaaa" spoke a hoarse voice that echoed through the many corridors of the castle, searching for the princess of the night. "Lunnaaaaaaaaaa…..where are you?"
~~*~~
Princess Luna was overlooking the nightfall she had placed over her beautiful land, as she had just raised the moon to its full glory. She could not have believed that it had been just a few weeks since she had returned from being banished. Many things had changed over a thousand years, and this brought much heart ache to the young princess.
Sighing with grief, the young princess began to feel the warm tears creasing her cheek. All of her friends she had known had long since passed. She regretted the mistake she had made that faithful night, which resulted in her banishment.
“A thousand years…..” Luna began, “a thousand years of lost time…”
~~*~~
Princess Celestia had been resting in her chambers, exhausted from the normal day’s tasks of being lead ruler of Equestira. It was a joy, to finally have her sister back within the kingdom. For a thousand years Celestia was unable to rest peacefully, her nightmares would constantly play the horrendous day she had to banish her sister. This day was the first in many years she was able to sleep peacefully.
~~*~~
Princess Luna sat herself upon the balcony of the tallest tower, admiring her most beautiful night sky. The tears had dried and caked over her face, the pain had dulled, and her mind was once again clear.
“Luuuuuunaaaaaa…”spoke the hoarse voice that was echoing around.
Luna’s ears twitched at the sound of the voice, a horrible chill ran down her spine, as she began to look over her shoulder.
“Luuuuunnaaaa….did you think that you could escape?” said the hoarse voice, as it began to grow closer.
Luna immediately stood up, fear coursing through her veins; she knew the voice that was echoing in front of her.
A dark figure walked silently towards the young princess, its mane was a dark black void of emptiness, and its skin was similar. The sharp teeth shown through its vicious smile, as it continued to speak.
“Did you think you could run away from your own personal Nightmare!” it spoke, as it stood in front of her.
Luna couldn't believe her eyes; the figure which stood in front of her couldn't be real.
“Dos thou not believe what is in front of thy eyes?” exclaimed the nightmare Luna knew only as Nightmare moon.
The shadow remnants of Nightmare moon began to wrap its self around the young princess, constricting around her neck, wrapping around her wings, and then finally the darkness began to consume her.
“You’re mine now Luna!” shouted Nightmare moon, as the darkness wrapped itself around Luna’s eyes.
~~*~~
Luna gasped as she awoke from the breathtaking nightmare; a cool wind had blown in through the slightly opened window.
The young princess walked over to close the window, it was then she noticed the strange night sky.
“Dear Celestia” Luna exclaimed as she covered her mouth, the sight that lay in front of her burned with in her mind.
The moon was cracked, the sky was red and the stars had gone missing.
“How could this have happened?” asked Luna, as she rubbed her eyes, hoping this was nothing but a dream.
Luna could see a fire burning in the distance; she peered through the spy glass and was greeted with what was once the beautiful town of Ponyville. Everypony lay dead on the cold ground, the buildings were burning among themselves, and everything was in ruins.
“Luna is something the matter?” Celestia asked, her sudden voice made Luna jump.
“Yes sister look, something has caused destruction to Equestria and the Heavens” Luna says as she is turning to look at her sister.
“Well…Luna it sounds to me like you have caused it again!” Shouted Celestia, her face was covered in deep scratches, part of her jaw was missing, and both of her eyes were red and oozing black blood.
Luna couldn’t scream, her lungs tighten at the horrific sight of her once beautiful sister. She began to back up against the ledge, as the bloodied Celestia moves closer to Luna.
“Why are you running?” asked Celestia, her face had gotten close enough for Luna to smell the rotting, puss filled stench that was emitting from her sister.
Luna immediately vomited, as Celestia continued to press herself against her sister.
“This was all your doing!” shouted Celestia
Luna lost her footing and began to fall from the ledge, her wings were unable to open, as she was falling she looked up at what was once their beautiful castle for the very last time.
Luna fell to the ground with a sharp wet thud.
~~*~~
Luna’s eyes opened up and she noticed that she was in her room once again. This time there were no windows open, the sky was neither dark nor red, but sunny and bright, it was morning.
A knock on her door caused the young princess to jump slightly.
“Princess, princess…” a voice from one of her royal guards came through the thick wooden door. “Princess Luna, Princess Celestia was wondering if you wanted to join her for breakfast?”
Luna groaned slightly, her head was throbbing and her stomach was growling with hunger.
“Please tell my sister that I will be there shortly” spoke Luna with her voice slightly dried.
“As you wish your majesty” said the royal guard as he began to depart to inform the eldest sister.
~~*~~
As Princess Luna approached the royal dining room, she was greeted with the warm smell of delicious sweets and a glorious feast fit for two.
“Dearest sister what is all this for?” asked Luna, her mouth watered at the various foods, that they had once shared back in the old times.
“Today is your birthday don’t you remember Luna?” Celestia asked, a puzzled look spread across both of their faces.
“Luna, you do remember your birthday, don’t you?”
Luna felt a warm feeling she had not felt in so many years, the feeling of being loved and remembered.
“I know it is not like it was back then, but do not worry I have a special surprise for you this afternoon” spoke Celestia with a cheery expression on her face. “Come now dear sister and eat till your heart’s content”
Luna’s stomach answered for her as she began to walk towards the chair across from her sister, it was then she stopped.
“Is something wrong Luna?” asked Celestia with a worried expression on her face.
“Yes I…I want to sit with you if that is alright?” asked Luna.
“Of course it’s alright” said Celestia, as she used her magic to clear a spot for Luna to sit comfortably.
Luna sat down and began to eat as if she had not eaten in years.
In Celestia’s eyes she could still see that little filly that would laugh at the pranks they would perform together.
“Luna we should have a sister’s day out, maybe visit the local town and go sightseeing?” asked Princess Celestia.
“Wouldn’t that be nice?”
Luna looked up at her sister, with an expression of joy then of sadness, she then looked down at her plate.
“Sister I believe it would be unwise for me to set foot out of the castle” said Luna with a sad tone in her voice, “Many ponies are still afraid of us and we do not want to cause any more chaos, than what was already created when I had returned from my banishment.”
Luna never lifted her gaze away from her plate; her words were filled with regret. Celestia moved away from the table and placed her wings around her sister.
“Luna, I understand, we will reschedule this some other time” Celestia said with a smile, “and when that time comes all will be well.”
Celestia gave her sister a warm embrace, before she began to walk towards the door.
“Happy Birthday Luna” spoke Celestia as she turned to her sister “don't burden yourself with what had happened in the past.”
~~*~~
“The past…” Luna said under her breath, “how can I forget”
Deep within the shadows, a presence watched silently at the young princess, waiting for the right moment to claim her once again.
After the short but lovely breakfast, Princess Luna ventured off into the courtyard of the castle to partake in some fresh air. Since her return, everything about her birthday was just reminding her that most of the ponies she knew were long since dead.
“A thousand years…” Luna said, as the cool air lightly passed through her mane.
“I got you know Princess…” said a whisper from behind her.
In an instant Princess Luna stopped in her tracks, her legs shook and her eyes widen, as the voice continued.
“You can’t escape Princess…” the whisper said, as if it were roaming around within her head.
It was then she felt a nudge followed by a slight tap on her leg, it was a small filly that was looking at the princess with much concern.
“Uh…Princess Luna?” spoke the small filly. “are you alright?”
At first Princess Luna did not hear what the small filly was saying, instead she just stared at the filly with eyes much like Nightmare Moons.
The filly began to cry as it ran away scared for its life.
Luna blinked once, her vision was becoming very blurry, she blinked a second time, it was then she noticed a warm sensation coming down her nose. She reached up to touch her nose with her hoof and brought it towards her eyes, it was blood.
Luna felt faint; her head was beginning to spin as she collapsed to the ground. The last thing she heard before blacking out was one of her guards shouting for help.
~~*~~
Celestia was resting in her chambers when she heard one of the royal guards shouting for more help, she instantly jumped out of bed, fearing that something might have happened to Luna or worse.
By the time she had arrived to the courtyard, three guards had placed her sister on a stretcher and were taking her to the infirmary.
“What happened…is she alright?” asked Celestia, towards one of the three guards.
“Your highness, Princess Luna has seemed to have fainted upon the courtyard, we are investigating if it were foul play” said the Royal Guard “but some witness said that she had fallen on her own accord”
“I will accompany you to the infirmary” spoke Celestia as she walked with the royal guards towards the castles main infirmary.
~~*~~
Princess Luna awoke in the middle of the courtyard, her head throbbed with every beat of her heart, and she immediately noticed that the sky was dark.
“How long have I been asleep?” thought Princess Luna, as she picked herself up.
Luna was not sure whether Celestia had drawn the night without her; she had hoped that her sister was not mad.
Upon leaving the courtyard Luna could hear somepony arguing in the distance. She began to walk towards the voices of the many ponies that were arguing among themselves.
As she drew near, her eyes widen at the unbelievable sight, it was as if a mirage was playing in front of her.
The ponies that were arguing in front of her had to have been a bad memory, since they were long since dead.
“Luna please stop this!” shouted a blue skinned colt who was dressed in old royal golden armor. Luna remembered his name it was Star Gazer, but that couldn't be possible.
“She doesn't deserve this, I am the rightful ruler of Equestria!” shouted a young Princess Luna, as her mane was beginning to change to a midnight blue.
“Celestia is your sister and you are both the rightful rulers!” shouted an orange skinned mare who wore dark grey armor. Luna remembered her name as well it was Summer Blossom, her mind was spinning, this was not possible the memory that was playing in front of Princess Luna was the same night that she challenged Celestia, and had turned to darkness.
Princess Luna began moving backwards, but she was cut off when a third pony stepped and passed right through her, tears instantly fell from her eyes as
the brown skinned colt walked towards her younger self.
The younger Luna began to look at the two ponies that were in front of her, her eyes were beginning to change; the slants were forming within her eyes.
“No! None of you understand how I feel!” growled the young princess.
“Luna please we do not want to hurt you” pleaded the third pony, his brown skin coat was streaked with red markings as he wore a broken dark gray royal armor. “Please…don’t…make us”
Luna’s eyes began to fill with tears, as the third pony spoke, she remembered his name very well, it was Brave. The horrible memory that played in front of her was one she had wanted to forget for so many years.
“No! For many years have I stood behind that glorious light she so many times produced” cried young Luna, as her body began to change. “And never once has anypony thanked me for all the things that I have done for them while they slept through my nights!”
The three ponies circled around the young princess, their horns began to glow.
“Please Luna don’t make us do this” pleaded Brave as he looked towards, the young princess.
“You wouldn’t even dare” shouted young Luna.
The first two shot a beam of magic that each attached around her hooves, as Brave walked towards the struggling princess with teary eyes.
“I am sorry” Brave whispered as he shot his own beam of magic, the three walked around the young princess as a force field of magic began to form around her.
The young princess stopped struggling, as she began to laugh hysterically.
“You are fools to think you can seal me away like the others!” shouted young Luna, whose skin was beginning to darken.
Darkness was engulfing the young princess; it formed into a ball within the magical force field.
“Don’t listen to her she is just trying to distract us” shouted Brave.
The three ponies’ spells were having no effect on the dark ball that was increasing in size. A hysterical laughter erupted, causing all three ponies’ spells to break in unison.
The dark ball evaporated into smoke surrounding them, as the dark princess emerged onto the world in her new form.
“Now it is my turn” spoke the new Princess of the Night, as she stepped forward chuckling at the attempts her former friends had failed at.
Luna continued to step back as her old self attacked her old friends, butchering them one by one, till only Brave was standing.
Nightmare moon stood over the extremely wounded colt, his armor now a heaping pile of scrap clinging on to his bloodied flesh.
“Brave, how you never cease to amaze me” Nightmare moon smirked at the wounded colt, as she lifted him with her magic. “My sister will never love you the way you want”
Braves eye fluttered open, his voice could not be heard by Luna, but she remembers very well.
“I have you now….Princess….” Brave said as he performed a forbidden spell, his horn sparked with a bright light as tears fell from his eyes; his entire body was engulfed in the light which exploded instantly in front of Nightmare moon.
Brave was gone, his sacrifice was in vain, Nightmare Moon stood unharmed as she changed back to her original form.
Luna screamed in agonizing horror as she saw Braves body disintegrate in front of her yet again.
“Nooooo! Stop Make It Stop Now!” Shouted Luna, as she ran from the horrible scene she never wanted to revisit.
“And where do you think you are going?” spoke young Luna walking towards her older self, “did you think you could run away?”
Luna stopped and turned, but what approached her was not her former self, but the darkness she feared so greatly.
The darkness began to wrap its self around Luna choking her, consuming her body as she struggled, fighting the darkness off of her.
“Happy Birthday….” Chuckled the darkness as Lunas’ mind grew dark. “I have you now”
