When They Were Young: It Was All Luna's Fault
"How is it my fault, Tia!?"
Author's Note
In case confusion occurs, I made an age list!
Princess Celestia: 18
Princess Luna: 10
(Future Queen)Chrysalis: 13
Discord: 12
Cadence: 1
Many thanks to flyinggirl for Editing and Proofreading!
"How is it my fault, Tia!?"
Princess Celestia's jewelry perfectly reflected the waning sunlight, her golden shoes making a soft tapping sound on the ivory tiles as she trotted. Celestia turned a corner and ran up the spiral staircase that led to Princess Luna's bedroom. She knocked on the door and soon heard the clicking of the lock. The doors tentatively began to open, and swung fully open when Luna saw it was Celestia.
"Tia?" Luna asked groggily. The Moon Princess had clearly just woken up. Her short blue mane was scruffy and tangled, her eyes were barely open, and a trail of dried drool was streaked down her chin. She held a small black blanket and her Ursa Teddy.
"Guess what, Lulu?" Celestia bent down so she was face to face with her sister, eyes wide with excitement.
"What, Tia?" Luna's eyes opened up fully.
"Mother agreed to let Chrysalis and Discord have a sleepover tonight." Luna gasped, smiling widely.
"Really?!" Luna smiled even wider.
"Yes, silly. C'mon Lulu, let's go get ready." Celestia smiled at Luna and stood up. Luna just nodded and followed Celestia down to the bathroom. They brushed their teeth, got Luna cleaned up, and slipped on their pajamas.
"Tia, why do we have to wear our pajamas?"
"It's a rule for sleepovers. You can't have a sleepover if you're not wearing pajamas," replied Celestia. Luna stared down at the tiled floor, face wrinkled with thought.
"...Oh, I get it!" Luna exclaimed. Celestia nodded in response. There was a knock on the door, and an older stallion walked into the room and over to Luna.
"Hi, Mister Chives!" Luna greeted him happily. "What're you doing here? You're not on duty right now."
"I know, Luna." He beamed down at the little Princess. "Your Majesties, I came to tell you that your guests are here." Luna grabbed her blanket and teddy and tugged on Celestia's leg.
"Come on, Tia! They're here!"
"Say thank you to Mister Chives, first."
"Thank you, Mister Chives. Now COME ON, Tia!" Luna tugged harder.
"Ok, ok, I'm coming." Celestia trotted out of the bathroom, Luna prancing in front of her. All of a sudden, a pink and white blur whizzed past Luna.
"LAST ONE TO THE THRONE ROOM IS AN OLD MULE!!" Celestia called. Luna began to sprint after her, but then stopped and grinned mischievously. Luna shut her eyes tight, and her horn began to glow. Sweat started to drip down her face as she poured all her energy into the spell she was preparing. With a tiny *ping!*, Luna vanished. She reappeared in the throne room just as Celestia came galloping in. The Sun Princess's jaw took a trip to the ground when she saw her dazed sister slumped over on the floor.
"Ha...I beat you, Tia." Luna pointed at Celestia, eyes half closed.
"B-But HOW?!" Celestia fumed, stamping her hooves on the floor. Then it hit her. Celestia glared at Luna. "You used magic, didn't you!?"
"What? You never said how the race was supposed to be won, Tia." Luna smiled innocently up at Celestia.
"Why you little— clever bitch." Celestia whispered the last two words, biting her bottom lip.
"Girls!" The girls turned their heads to see their father walking towards them.
"Yes, Father?" asked Celestia. Luna just ran up to the King and gave him a hug.
"Hi there, Sweetie. That teleportation spell you did back there was very impressive." Luna blushed. "Right. Girls, your mother and I are going out for an anniversary dinner, so Nanny Blackberry is in charge while we're gone, understood?"
"But—"
"No buts, Celestia."
"Fine."
"Good. Bye, girls. I love you both." With that, King Terra joined his wife, and together, they left. Nanny Blackberry trotted into the throne room a minute after the King and Queen left, Chrysalis and Discord in tow. The Princesses trotted up to their Nanny and friends, and then followed them into the chamber wing, where several sets of doors and stairs led to various royal bedrooms.
"I'll let you kids decide where you're going to sleep," said Nanny Blackberry, taking a step back.
"How about we stay in my room? It's big, so there'll be space for everyone. It's warm, too," Celestia suggested.
"Thure, why not?" replied Chrysalis. Everypony else nodded. The Princesses helped carry the sleeping bags to Celestia's room. Once they were all situated, the conversation started.
"So, what do you want to do?" queried Celestia, who was laying on her plush feather bed, her head propped up on a hoof.
"Play a game? Thoth are fun," said Chrysalis. Chrysalis sat on her bright green sleeping bag.
"Chrysalis, why do you sound funny?" Luna inquired, cocking her head slightly.
"My mommy thaid that I have a lithp becauth my fangth are too big, and my teeth are too thmall." Chrysalis displayed her fangs for Luna.
"Ooh! Those are really big..." said Luna, eyes filled with wonder. Chrysalis closed her mouth and smiled at the little Princess.
"How about we play Truth or Dare?" asked Discord. The three girls exchanged looks.
"Ohmigosh, YES!" exclaimed Celestia, with a wide grin plastered on her face. Just then, Nanny Blackberry stuck her head into the room.
"Celestia, my dear, do you mind if Cadence comes in to play with you all? She just woke up from her nap, and I can't watch her and you at the same time."
"Sure, I don't mind," replied Celestia. With that, baby Cadence waddled in, receiving several ‘she's so cute’s from Chrysalis and Discord. Cadence walked up to Luna and plopped down in her lap.
"Anyway," Celestia shot a glance back at her bedroom door, which was now closed. "Discord, truth or dare?" Celestia stared at him, her rosy eyes burning into his soul.
"Um...Dare!" chimed Discord. Luna shook her head no desperately, while dragging a hoof across her neck. Discord looked up fearfully at Celestia, who was grinning evilly.
"I dare you…" Celestia thought for a moment. "To sneak into the dungeon and let the crazy pony out of her cell!" Celestia raised a hoof into the air in triumph. Luna's eyes widened.
"TIA! Mommy and Daddy told us to never go down there! Not to mention our friend!" Luna shouted.
"You know how I play games, Lulu. Also, Discord isn't us, is he?"
"No, but—"
"He chose dare of his own accord, Luna."
"Fine," Luna grumbled. She started to play with Cadence's mane. Celestia then turned her attention back to Discord.
"So, Discord. Here's how it's gonna happen. You're gonna get into the dungeon and let ‘er out. The dungeon is—well— you'll know it when you see it. You'll know the crazy pony when you see her, too."
"W-who's the crazy pony?" Discord asked quietly.
"Her name is Sugar Rush, if you're asking. She got thrown in the dungeon after she went nuts and raided the castle kitchen looking for sugar. She killed somepony, actually. And if she doesn't get her sugar..." Celestia had crept close to Discord and was now whispering in his ear. "Let's just say you better watch out when you open that cell door...or she'll GET YOU!!" Celestia shouted, slamming her front hooves into the floor. Her eyes lit up with a white light, and her smile seemed to be made of sharp, glistening teeth.
"AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!" Discord screamed and clutched his action figure, shivering uncontrollably.
"CELESTIA!!" Luna roared, a loud clap of thunder following her speech. The light in Celestia's eyes vanished, and she stopped smiling.
"Oh come on, Lulu. I was kidding. Jeez, can't you take a joke? Discord doesn't have to take the dare if he doesn't want to." Celestia flicked her tail in annoyance.
"I don't want to do it, thanks,” said Discord, who had stopped shivering by now.
"Pfft. That means it's your turn now, Discord," Celestia deadpanned, laying back down on her bed. Luna smiled and resumed playing with Chrysalis and Cadence.
...............
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! I can't believe you actually—HAHAHAHAHAHA!!" Celestia laughed, kicking her back legs wildly as she held her stomach. Chrysalis just stared down at the photo of the deed she had just been dared to do. The picture was of a snoozing Nanny Blackberry, mane tied to her bedposts. They had played for a while, each pony dishing out their share of truths and dares.
After Chrysalis asked Discord, and Discord asked Celestia, the Sun Princess smiled at her sister.
"Luna. Truth?...or dare.” Celestia tapped her front hooves together, eyes narrowed at Luna. Luna gulped. She closed her eyes and listened to the rhythmic tapping of Tia's hooves, as well as the loud breathing of Chrysalis and Discord. After what seemed like an endless moment of silence, Luna opened her eyes and glared at Celestia.
"Dare,” retorted Luna. Celestia grinned and slowly walked up to Luna.
"Well then. I dare you...to threaten the destruction of the universe. And be serious about it." The two sisters stared each other down, before Luna finally spoke.
"I'll take it."
Cadence squealed, and stuffed a bit of Chrysalis's mane in her mouth as everypony else gasped in shock. Luna had been taking only truths from Celestia, so seeing her take a dare—especially one this severe—was very surprising.
"Alright then. Get out there and roleplay, and make it convincing. Make me feel scared, Lulu!" With that, Luna took in a deep breath, then slammed her hooves down on the floor and kicked Celestia's bedroom door off its hinges. She stormed out into the throne room, each step cracking the marble floor. Luna's eyes shone with a bright white light. Some of the castle staff had assembled to see what was wrong.
"Sweetie, are you alright?" A servant asked, taking a tentative step forward.
"NO, WE ARE NOT ALRIGHT!!" Luna stomped on the floor again, creating a crack that spanned the entire length of the throne room. The others watched from Celestia's bedroom.
"Oh my gosh, she's actually doing it!" Celestia snickered.
"WE HATE THIS CASTLE. WE HATE THIS CITY. WE HATE EQUESTRIA." The servants stepped back, but Luna was gaining more attention by the second.
"WE HATE OUR NANNY. WE SHALL NOT ACCEPT THIS KIND OF CRUEL AND STRICT RULE. WE HATE THOU ALL AND WILL SEE THY SOULS BURN IN TARTARUS FOR ALL ETERNITY. WE SHALL DESTROY ALL THOU LOVES, AS THEE HAS DESTROYED ALL WE LOVE."
All of the lanterns and candles in the castle blew out at once, and bolts of blue electricity struck Luna. Her body started to pulse with bright blue light, and she began to rise into the air. Her eyes were glowing even brighter, and the lightning bolts were more frequent. A gentle wind stirred in the throne room, and it soon became a whirlwind.
"I SHALL RECLAIM AND BRING FORTH NIGHT. THROUGH MY DARKNESS THE HEAVENS SHALL DIE. MADNESS AND PAIN SHALL COME FROM THE SKY, AND IT SHALL BE REFLECTED UPON THEIR EYES. UNDER THE BLACKENED SKY MY ARMY SHALL RISE. THEY SHALL CARRY WITH THEM MY MESSAGE OF DEMISE. DARKNESS CONSUME AND REIGN FOREVER. LET NIGHTMARE ETERNAL REMAIN FOREVER!"
As the word "forever" escaped her lips, Luna was enveloped in a ball of shadows. It exploded in a flash of blue light, and Luna was lowered onto the ground. She wasn't exactly Luna, however. Her coat was now midnight black, and her mane was a billowing starfield. She wore intricate metal armor consisting of tall shoes, a helmet, and a curved chest piece with a teal crescent moon in the center. Her Cutie Mark had changed colors from black and white to midnight purple and teal. Luna's pupils narrowed, and her flat teeth became sharp, knife-like fangs.
"Hahahahaha...hahahahaha...HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!" Luna cackled. Celestia and the others could hardly believe what was going on.
"...Lulu? I didn't want it to go this far..." Luna charged up a laser and shot at the ceiling above her, causing large pieces of rock to fall towards the servants.
...........
King Terra and Queen Aeterna paused their dinner when they heard a loud blast coming from the castle. They exchanged glances and placed a pouch of bits on the table before galloping back home.
The King and Queen burst into the throne room and stared in shock at what was happening. The castle was crumbling, the servants and guard were screaming and running in panic, and the kids were nowhere to be seen. It only took them a second to realize the castle was under attack by a demonic looking filly. When the King and the filly made eye contact, the onslaught stopped.
The filly's demonic appearance started to fade away. Her pupils became round, her teeth became flat, her mane and tail stopped flowing, dulled, and became short. Her coat lightened, her Cutie Mark returned to its original colors, and her armor turned into a pile of ash. Underneath the demon was a very, VERY familiar filly.
"Um...hi Mommy, hi Daddy!" The filly blushed. The King and Queen just stood there, dumbly. Princess Luna, their own daughter, had turned into a demon and attacked the castle. After what seemed like hours of staring at each other, Queen Aeterna stepped up to Luna, eyes welled up with tears.
"Luna," Aeterna choked out, "Why...? Why did you do this?" Aeterna's gentle voice was filled with pain. Luna started to cry.
"I-I was p-playing truth or dare with Tia, a-and she dared m-me to threaten the destruction of the universe, and make her feel s-scared a-bout it, and then I—" Luna broke down into hiccuping sobs, slumping over on the floor. Chrysalis and Discord glared at Celestia, and dragged her into the throne room. Celestia could feel her father's penetrating stare.
"P-please don't be m-mad at me, Mommy! Luna cried. Aeterna knelt down next to her daughter.
"Luna, baby, please stop crying. You turned into a demon and destroyed part of the castle! You can't just expect me not to be at least a bit disappointed in you. But I love you, and as long as we fix this, and you promise to NEVER, ever let it happen again, I think I can let it go. Ok, Luna?" Aeterna looked into Luna's now puffy red eyes.
"O-ok, Mommy. I'm so, so sorry, I'll never do it again. I didn't mean to turn into a demon, I swear! I was talking, and then it just happened! I saw what was going on, but I didn't have any control over my body!"
"Luna, I know that you would never turn into a demon on purpose, but still. What do you mean that you didn't have any control over your body?"
"It was like I was looking through a window or watching a film. I couldn't move my arms or legs or wings or head or use magic, but I was still moving."
"Sweetie, can we talk about this in my room?" asked Aeterna, concerned. Luna nodded and stood up with her mother.
"Celestia, before I go to talk with Luna, how about you tell us your side of the story?" Celestia's pupils shrank, and she sputtered out her words so fast it was practically inaudible.
"WewerealljustplayingtruthordareandhavingabunchoffunbutthenLunachosedareandIdaredhertothreatenthedestructionoftheuniverseandmakeitconvincingandthenLunatookitwaytofar!" Celestia shouted, pointing an accusing hoof at her sister.
"Alright then. Here's what I'm going to do. Celestia, you're grounded for two months. Luna, you're grounded for one month. But depending on our talk, you may or may not be
grounded at all. Oh, and Terra?" stated Aeterna, looking over at her husband.
"Yes, dear?"
"Would you make sure that Chrysalis and Discord get home safely?"
"Of course, Aeterna." King Terra led Chrysalis and Discord out.
"Come on, Luna. Let's go talk. Celestia, go to your room please." Aeterna led Luna to her bedroom, and Celestia dragged her hooves to her own.
"Why am I the one grounded for two months?" Celestia looked out her window and up at the starry night sky. "It was all Luna's fault, anyway."
