The Begining of a Nightmare

by speedboy3

Rating: everyone
Tags: Tragedy, Discord, Princess Celestia, Slice of Life, Sad, Nightmare Moon, Princess Luna, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark
Length: 5813

How Luna became Nightmare Moon

Everypony knows that 1000 years ago, Celestia was forced to send her sister to the moon in order to stop her from brinning about eternal night. However, nopony seems to know why Luna became Nightmare Moon in the first place. What was it that drove her to become a living nightmare in pony's eyes?

Published 2012-03-20 05:54:02 UTC
Last updated 2012-06-10 18:31:19 UTC

Chapter 1

The normal quiet of the country side of equestria was shattered by the sounds of a titanic battle of good vs. evil. two ponies, alicorns to be exact, one white and one blue, could be seen fighting a creature made of all sorts of animal parts. Only one creature in that time was known to posses such a bizare appearance. The ruler of chaos himself. Discord. The two alicorns fought to free all ponies from his rule, and bring harmony to the land. Discord of course, wouldn't stand for any kind of harmony, so he fought against them.

Behind the alicorns, resting in grass somehow not scorched in the slightest by the fireballs being flung back and forth, six sphearical objects rested. They were the recently discovered Elements of Harmony, The only objects that ponies had discovered that could defeat Discord. Sensing these objects, Discord was doing everything in his power to stop either pony from using them against him. Everytime one of the ponies saw an opening, Discord would focus his attacks on the Elements themselves, so in order to protect them, one or both alicorns would have to stop what they were doing to cast protection spells.

"Celestia!" said the blue alicorn to the white one, "we can't keep this up all day!"

"I know, Luna." said Celestia, despair coating her voice. "I'm running out of options here."

Luna thought for a moment, then decided on a startagy that would probably result in her losing her life. It's not my life that's important, but the lives of the ponies I'm trying to rescue. Luna reminded herself. She gazed at her sister, and smiled a sad little smile.

"Tia," Luna said, "whatever happens, know that I love you as any sister would, and if this fails, please defeat Discord. Do it for everypony that can't." Luna prepared herself for death.

Celestia tried to comprehend what her sister was saying. "Luna, what are you..." She never finished her question, as Luna had already launched herself at Discord. Discord couldn't beive his eyes, here was an alicorn, the rarest species of ponies, just flying up to him asking to be attacked.

"Do you really expect to do anything young Luna?" he asked with an impish grin. Luna ignored the jibe, focusing her energy on a spell that required perfect timing in order to execute. As she aproached the King of Chaos, Discord unleased a massive barrage of attacks, everything from fireballs to exploding glsses of chocolate milk. Luna expertly doged every attack while at the same time, prepared her spell. When she was only about ten feet away from Discord, she unleased the spell.

The spell was in retrospect, a very simple spell. It fired a burst of pure magic, sharpened to a point, basicaly a magic arrow. It fired directly at Discord's chest. Discord, was expecting this and simply moved out of the way. He was however too slow to avoid the magic completly, and it sliced off a portion of one of his spikes on his tail.

Discord howled in pain, and stared at his now ruined spike.

"You will pay for that dearly you annoying little pony!" His rage temporarily blinding him to anything but the blue alicorn in front of him. His pain and anger was contracted into one intense ball of magic that he fired point blank at Luna. Luna's horn glowed briefly before she disapeared in the light of Discord's spell. As the spell ended, Celestia witnessed a sight that still horrifies her to this day. She saw her one and only sister colapse onto the dirt before her. She was silent, the only sound was Discord's laughter.

A hatred for Discord rose up in Celestia at that moment. She had never thought that a pony could expirence this level of hate, but she felt it now, and that hate bolstered her courage to face this chaotic and unpredictable foe. Luna's sacrafice had given her the distraction she needed to use the Elements of Harmony. Her horn flared up, and the objects behind her began glowing. As Celestia's magic began to intensify, the objects began to spin. A spark began to grow in the middle as the Elements began to rotate even faster.

Discord stopped laughing and looked, first at Celestia, then at the Elements. A double helix rainbow shot out from the Elements, and when straight for Discord. Discord couldn't move, his legs refused to work as a fear he had never expirenced before welled up inside of him. The rainbow struck Discord, and he expirenced pain, a pain unlike anything he had felt before. Stone began to encase his legs, then it began to move up to his torso, then his mid-body, and finally his arms and head. Discord screamed an unearthly scream as he felt his body being encased in stone, and then it was over.

A silence, one unlike anything heard before, pervaded the meadow. On one side stood a hunched white alicorn, exaustion taking its toll. On the other side side was Discord, his mouth etched in an eternal scream, and a prone pony laying on the ground. When Celestia saw her sister, she forgot her fatigue, and ran over to Luna's body.

Celestia wept. She wept for her fallen sister, and how she was too young to deserve this fate, but she also wept in knowing that she could have stopped Luna from attempting such a desparate act of bravery.

Suddenly, as Celestia gave up hope, Luna stirred. She opened her eyes to a sister, teary eyed and in disbelief.

"Luna?' Celestia was in shock. "you're alive?"

"It would seem so." Luna answered hoarsely. "I was able to put up a sheild before Discord attacked, but it drained my energy and I lost consciousness." Luna slowly stood up and assesed the battlefield. "I would guess you took advantage of my distraction and used the Elements."

"Yes I did, but please don't scare me like that again." Celestia was weak with relief. Their hard journy was finally over, and they were victorious.

"I'll try to warn you next time." Luna smiled weakly. "Now, let's go home and spread the glorious news that Discord is no more!"

As the pair of alicorns departed from the meadow, the spike piece, forgotten by both Luna and Celestia, began to spin. The spike evaporated into a cloud of smoke, and began to hastily follow the departing sisters. Nearing the two, the spike-turned-smoke made a beeline for Luna's head.

Luna felt something like a gust of wind hit the back of her head. She stopped and turned back to the meadow, with Discord still standing in his pose, but she didn't feel or see anything else. Celestia looked back as well.

"What's wrong?" She asked, preparing herself for more fighting.

"Nothing," Luna said, a sense of unease filled her. "Nothing, let's get away from this place."

Chapter 2

Princess Luna stood on the balcony of her castle. The lonely air of the Everfree Forest matched her mood. Nopony ever visited her, but she was fine with that. Ever since she, and her sister Celestia had vanquished Discord, the ponies of Equestria had named them their princesses. Celestia even had the stoned Discord brought back to her palace in canterlot. She had placed it in the newly finished Royal Gardens, so ponies that visited could be reminded of the importance of harmony.

Luna, unlike her sister, wasn't a very social pony. She prefered to be alone with her thoughts, only talking to others when her duties required her to visit Celestia. The very reason she chose to build her castle in the Everfree Forest, is because of its fierce reputation. Ponies were afraid that nature had a sort of independence that they couldn't control. Luna even cast spells to alter certain plants and animals to make them more menacing to drive away curious ponies. The Princess of the Night however, wasn't concerned about that at the moment, as she was prepare to raise the moon and bring about night.

Luna closed her eyes, and focused her energy on the moon, waiting for Celstia to finish lowering the sun. As darkness engulfed the forest, Luna's horn flared, and the moon rose into the sky. Luna sighed contently, this was how life should be. She looked from her balcony, over the tree tops and the lands beyond Everfree's borders, then walked back into the tower.

Luna's castle on the inside was breathtaking. A stargazer's dream come true, if said stargazer was brave enough to ventre into the Everfree Forest to get to the castle in the first place. The ceiling in each room was painted with a different constalation or star of interest. One tower alone was put aside as a masive observatory with at least ten different telescopes, all trained on different points in the nightime sky. In the main room, stood a throne that matched Luna's hues exactly. When she felt like sitting in it, she felt like she had dissapeared into the throne. There were no guards to be seen anywhere. Why would there be? No one ever came to visit, so the princess didn't really need protection.

In the center of the main hall stood three of the six Elements of Harmony. Loyalty, Honesty, and Generosity to be exact. The princess sisters had felt that having all Elements in the same location was too dangorous for anypony. T had decided to split them, and only bring them back together if a crisis arose that called for it. For the present time however, a peace was present throughout the land.

Luna decided to go to the observatory, a star she had been observing was close to supernova, and she wanted to be there to witness it. She used her wings to fly up to the westerly facing telescope, and took a peek through it. The star she was observing was a blue giant, named The Horses Mane, for its beutiful colors.

"Hmmm, it seems to have only a few days left in its cycle." She said to herself. She had never witnessed a supernova before and this was exciting her like nothing else could. Movement outside caught her attention. At first, she thought that it was a manticore straying onto the castle grounds, but then she saw the flowing, pastel colored mane of her sister in her golden carriage. Luna made a few quick notes on her parchment before running out to greet the Daylight Princess.

"Sister!" Luna cried excitedly, Celestia almost never visited her. She had second thoughts as to why her sister was here as she ran past the three Elements entrusted to her. Maybe their powers were finally needed again. "Is something wrong?" She asked. Celestia smiled at her younger sister.

"No, nothing is wrong dear sister," said the white alicorn. "I just wanted to make sure you're all right. The Everfree Forest is a strange place, ponies can go mad in here."

"Oh come now Celestia, I've lived here for years now, and noth's happened to me yet. What's the real reason you're here?" Luna looked expectantly at her older sister, waiting for the inevidable response. Celestia sighed.

"All right." Celestia began. "The real reason I'm here is because I'm worried about you Luna. You hardly ever leave this place, and when you do, it's because I invite you to my castle in Canterlot. It's not healthy for a pony to be so isolated. Especialy a princess, you should be out meeting new ponies, and helping those in need." Celestia had said this before, and Luna always had the same answer.

The blue alicorn let out an exasparated sigh. "Sister," she began "you have told me to do this time and time again, and every time you say this I give you the same answer: I do not wish to meet ponies that I know I will outlive, it just makes the balance of life so much clearer to me. For some reason we have been given a longer life than other ponies, we may even be immortal, and knowing that everypony I meet will be dead before me is heartbreaking." Luna's eyes began to tear up at the mere thought of it.

"But Luna," Celestia tried to argue, "the fact that those ponies can say that they met one or both of their rulers gives them hope, that's one reason we were chosen to rule in the first place. Defeating Discord gave everypony hope that their future would be brighter than their past. Can you at least try?" Celestia was close to begging now. She hated seeing her sister so alone.

"If I do this," Luna began, "do you promise to never bring up this subject again? I'm tired of giving you the same answer over and over again."

"I can't make that promise." Celestia said, sadness in her voice. "I can however let you decide on what you want to do afterwards." Luna was silent for a time.

"Alright, I'll try. Shall we depart immediatly?" She asked.

"If you want." Celestia said with a smile. She was thrilled that her sister had finally agreed to her request. The two sisters spread their wings, and flew towards the more tamed lands of Equestria.

***

The cool night air whipped through Luna's mane as she flew low over the land beyond the Everfree Forest. She had always loved being able to fly, and if she was given the choice to lose either her horn, or her wings, she would keep her wings everytime.

"So where are we going sister?" Luna asked, as she folowed behind Celesta.

"We're going to find a pony for you to make friends with!" Celestia replied. They flew over the country side, hoping to find somepony to talk to. However, nopony seemed to be awake.

"I don't think anypony's still awake." Luna said, hope filling her voice. "Maybe we should head back."

Celstia sighed, "there must be somepony still awake."

"Face it Celestia, nopony wants to stay awake at this hour save for me." Luna was running out of patience. Night was a time for sleeping, not talking to princesses.

"All right, we'll go back, but don't think that this is over." The Royal Sisters turned back toward the Everfree Forest. Luna was relived, she didn't have to talk to strange ponies after all.

***

Luna was preparing to go to sleep. She had lowered the moon only a few minutes ago, and after her exausting flight all over the country side, she really needed to rest. Celestia of course hadn't been too happy with the outcome of their little venture to make Luna a friend.

"Please reconsider your decision." the white alicorn had said before departing.

I'm deeply sorry sister, Luna thought to herself. but my place is not out ammong the ponies. Suddenly, Luna felt a chill go down her back. A new voice entered her head.

Who needs that one? It asked. All she wants is for you to do things her way, she doesn't care about what you want or need. She only cares about herself. Luna stood still as a statue. That voice sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it.

"Is somepony there?" She asked, deeply troubled, but the voice had receded out of her mind. Luna was now extremly worried, hearing voices was never a good sign for anything. Maybe I'm just so tired I can't think straight. She reasoned with herself. Deciding that all she needed was sleep, the Princess of the Night laid down on her bed, and fell asleep.

Chapter 3

Luna was feeling troubled. A few years had passed since the night that she had first heard The Voice, and at first she thought that it was just her imagination playing tricks on her. However, it had come back to her every time she went to visit her sister, or when Celestia would visit her. The Voice always said the same things.

You don't need her. She doesn't care about you. You are much better off without her. The Night Princess felt afraid of this Voice. The reason was because she knew that she had heard that voice somewhere before, but she could never figure out where. Luna was beggining to have nightmares where she saw Celestia leaviing her, never to return. Throughout these night terrors, she her The Voice in the backround, all the time whispering, whispering, whispering.

Celestia doesn't care for you. don't belive in her lies. Luna tried to fight what The Voice said. She even spoke to it out loud.

"You're wrong!" The blue alicorn would shout at the ceiling. "Tia's my sister! She cares for me above anypony else!" She would spend hours saying this to herself, but The Voice was unrelenting. Everytime Luna would say something in defense of her sister, The Voice would come back, saying the same thing everytime.

Luna's sanity was beggining to crack under the relentless Voice. It almost became a daily routine for her to wake up from a nightmare, and immediately be assaulted by her whispering foe. She began to see things while she was awake. She saw nameless ponies being slaughtered at her sister's command. A few times after tthe massacre, Celestia would point a hoof at Luna, and the armies of the Daylight Princess would converge on the defensless Princess of the NIght. The day terrors were in her opinion the worst. At least with the nightmares, she could expect them.

***

Months passed. Most of the time Luna could be found pacing in one room or the other. Sometimes she would shout at a wall or the floor. Other times she could be found curled up on the floor, muttering nonsense to herself. She hardly slept anymore, and when she did, she would always wake up from a nightmare, screaming or crying bitterly from what she had seen.

The Voice kept battering at her subconsious, always whispering, never letting up for a moment.

Celestia is your enemy. She doesn't care about you, or anyone but herself.

"You lie!" Luna would shout through a veil of tears. "Celestia is a kind-hearted pony!"

You say that now, but very soon, she will betray you. Luna listen to reason. Luna was about to argue back, but then she realized that this was the first time that The Voice had addressed her by her name.

"Who are you?" Luna sobbed, she hated this mysterious Voice, and how it would never let up on it's attacks.

I am a friend. It replied. You may not realize it yet, but I am here to help you. All you need to do is belive in the truth of what I say. Have you not seen what Celestia does in her domain while you are here staring at stars?

"Well no, but..." Luna began.

But nothing, she rules with an iron hoof. Only caring for one pony: herself. Luna stared at the design on the ceiling. It was a star, but she couldn't identify it. On closer examination, she noticed that cracks had begun to form on the surface. She couldn't belive that she hadn't noticed her own castle falling into disrepair, but she couldn't worry about that now.

She looked out the window, and saw her sister flying to Luna's castle from Canterlot. The Voice, which had been strangley quiet, decided to start talking again.

Don't let her see you. She's come to take you away, to take your powers for herself. The Night Princess tried to fight what The Voice was saying. Celestia was her sister. She already controlled the daytime, why would she want the night to? The Voice, instead of responding to these questions, raised it's own. Why would Celestia take the daytime, when everypony is awake, and make you take the night if she cared for you? Luna was stunned. She had never even considered the reason why her sister was in charge of the daytime. Was it really because Celestia wanted the attention of their subjects? Nopony was ever awake at night, they were always sleeping. Luna could hardly stand. If that was true, then what else was true about her sister?

Celestia walked into the main hall of Luna's castle. The first thing she noticed was the state that the walls were in. Cracks had formed all along the walls. Celestia wondered at this, because her sister was normaly a very tidy pony.

"Sister!" Luna called, rushing into the room. "What brings you here?"

"Luna? What happened to you? You look aweful." Luna looked at herself, and was surprised at what she saw. Her mane, which was normaly the color of the night sky, and flowing, was limp and disheveled. Her eyes were bloodshot, and bags hung under them. She was visibly shaking, like she had seen, or heard, something that she couldn't belive.

"Oh that, I haven't been sleeping very well lately." She lied, she didn't want her sister to pry into what had been going on in her mind, especially if what The Voice said, turned out to be true.

Get away! The Voice said. before she steals your powers! Luna suddenly shuddered, as if a cold breeze started blowing. Celestia noticed this, but decided it was due to lack of sleep.

"Well, I hope you feel better soon." The Daylight Princess said. "I just came by to check up on my sister, I don't want you to be alone all the time!"

"Don't worry about me, I'm sure I'll be fine soon." Luna wished that her sister would leave soon. She wanted to think over what The Voice had said earlier. Was Celestia the loving sister that Luna always fought to belive? Or was she the tyranical ruler that The Voice had said she was. "Thanks for stopping by!" Luna said a little too eagerly, "hope you have a safe journy back to Canterlot." Celestia was troubled by this.

"You want me to leave now? But Luna I've only just arrived here. We have so much to discuss."

Get her away from here now! The Voice Chimed in. Before she does anything to you.

"I'm sorry sister, but I'm not in the mood to discuss anything right now," Luna said saddly, "maybe another time. Yes, another time would be better."

"Alright, if that's what you want dear sister. I'm worried for you though, maybe I should take over your duties for a while to let you rest up."

"No!" Luna said shocked, The Voice wasn't lying after all! Luna thought, Celestia does want my powers! "I mean, no I can still manage my duties, thank you for offering though." Luna said with a smile that was slightly mad looking. Celestia said nothing for a small time.

"Alright," she said, "but remember, if you don't feel up to your duties, then I can take over for you."

"I'm fine, really!" Luna said, her voice becoming angry. Celestia took no notice of it.

"Alright then, I'll see you later I guess." The white alicorn walked out the front door, and took off into the night sky."

You did well. The Voice said.

"You were right. You were right. I can't belive you were right." The Night Princess was speechless Tears formed in her eyes, and she wept as she had never wept before. "Everything I've known is a lie! Celestia, dear sister, why have you done this to me!" Luna sobbed for over an hour, she tuned out everything that was going on around her. If a dragon were to attack at that very instant, it was doubtful that she would have even noticed. "Voice," she finally said, looking at a wall through a veil of tears, "what should I do? Who can I trust?"

Trust no one. The Voice said, save for me.

"I will." Luna said after a brief pause. "I will, but what must I do? Celestia is after my powers, and I can't just keep denying her."

Do exactly what I say, and you will be able to keep your powers, and I will help you gain even more power. Power that you can't even begin to comprehend. Luna stood. For the first time in months, she felt the strength to carry on through this nightmare. All she had to do was listen to The Voice. After all, it had warned her of Celestia's plan. She just had to trust it.

"I will." Luna said, quiet at first, but then her voice began to grow, untill the whole room was filled with her shouting voice. "I will, I will. I will!" She felt the satisfaction from The Voice, and knew that it approved.

Yes! Listen to me, and your name shall be remembered for all time! Before long, Luna had to lower the moon to make way for a new day. For the first time in months, the blue alicorn slept peacfully. No nightmares disturbed her as she planned her rise to glory.

Chapter 4

Do it. The Voice commanded Luna. The Princess of the Night was deep in the Everfree forest, the shadows seemed to have a life of their own as she looked at them through her mad eyes. She was standing in front of an old tree, it towered above the blue alicorn.

"I don't know if I can." She replied. So far, she had done everything that The Voice had told her to do, which mostly involved willing erself to forget that her sister was the kind, loving pony that Luna had grown up believing. However, this made her uncomfortable.

It's simple, just use your magic to take the life force from the tree. It will add to your powers, and help you defeat the Sun Tyrant. The Voice had begun to call Celestia the Sun Tyrant very early on in Luna's "training". According to The Voice, it was to help Luna break all ties between her and her sister. Luna hesitated, and The Voice was back, Luna, you need any advantage you can against the Sun Tyrant, you are a powerful pony, but she is even more powerful. You promised to do whatever I said. Do it.

Luna sighed. The Voice was right, she had promised, and Luna, unlike her sister acording to The Voice, wasn't one to go back on her promises. She stood in front of the tree, closed her eyes, and steeled herself for what she was about to do. Her horn glowed, and she extended her very being in order to find the tree"s life force. As soon as she felt the tree"s energy, she began to drain the energy into her own body. Warmth flooded through her as the tree's life force flooded her senses. Power surged through her as the final energy from the tree was absorbed into her body.

As the warmth faded, Luna opened her eyes. Everything seemed different. Not that anything had changed, it was just that they were...different. Luna gazed at the tree. It was dead. The bark was a sickly grey color, and the leaves that still hung off the branches had dried up and shrivled. Luna shivered at the realization of what she had just done.

You did well. The Voice praised her. Can you feel the power flowing through you? Imagine what you can now accomplish!

Luna was silent for a moment, then "yes, but it doesn't feel right, it feels like i've commited a murder." Tears formed in her eyes. The tree hadn't done anything to her, why should she take it's life?

To defeat the Sun Tyrant, sacrafices must be made.

"But..."

No buts, if you want to free the ponies from the Sun Tyrant's rule, you have to do this. Luna nodded. She wanted that more than anything.

The alicorn remembered her changed suroundings and asked, "what happened to the trees, and plants, and well everything?"

The Voice responded, take a look in that puddle over there. Luna gazed into the puddle's still surface and gasped. She had grown a good 2 inches, and her coat and mane had changed color. Instead of the blues of her coat and mane that she was used to, that had become darker, her mane almost a blackish color.

"Wht's happening to me?" Luna asked.

That is a side effect of the life draining spell. The Voice replied, your increased size is to accomidate the extra power that you recived, and the darker colors show off your true potential.

"What do you mean?"

You are the princess of the night. The night is a very powerful thing Luna, and you coat and mane shall reflect that power once they become as black as night itself. Luna thought about what the voice had said. Could she become as powerful as the night? Yes, of course she could, but at what cost? Could she bring herself to kill the innocent in order to defeat her sister?

The world suddenly shifted around Luna, and instead of a clearing in the Everfree Forest, she was standing in Canterlot. Only this wasn't the Canterlot she was used to. Most buildings either had a picture of Celestia in their windows, or banners of the Sun Princess draped over the walls. The only buildings that didn't show off pictures of the white alicorn had fallen into disrepair, sporting broken windows, cracked walls, and boarded up doors.

She saw garrison upon garrison of gaurds marching in rank past a raised platform. On the platform stood two ponies, one was an emaciated, terrified unicorn, his entire body shaking. The other was an earth pony who wore a hood covering his face. Luna gasped, this was an execution.

Another unicorn walked up onto the platform with a scroll held before him by magic.

"Prisoner #3509," the unicorn read, "you are charged with conspireing against her magisty Celestia, ruler of the sky, water, and earth, She who Controls the Sun, Moon, and Stars. If found guilty by those present, you will immediately be executed by means of beheading. How do you plead?"

"This is madness!" Luna shouted, "he shouldn't have to stand trial on the very platform where he'll be executed!"

They can't hear you. The Voice said. This is just a vision of things to come, should you fail.

"I plead not guilty!" The accused replied. Luna focused her attention on the so called trial.

"I have evidence that says otherwise." The accuser said. As he said this, anoter pony came onto the podium holding wo items on an evidence tray. One was a card of some sort, while the other was a rolled up scroll. "Let's begin with this card shall we?" The accuser continued, "on one side, it looks like any normal business card right?" He held up the card to show he wasn't lying, "but on the other side, there's a mesage. It reads 'Midnight, Canterlot Gardens, plan A for now.' Now if that isn't conspiracy, then I don't know what is!"

"That's not..." the unfortunate prisoner began, but the accuser cut him off.

"Now, let's see what the scroll has on it." He opened the scroll, and turned it so it was facing the crowd gathered below. "At first glance, this looks like any normal letter, but look closer, you will see that certain letters are capitalized at strange locations. These strange letters are as follows: D E A T H T O T H E S U N T Y R A N T, or when put into a sentance: death to the Sun Tyrant." The crowd let out a cry of disbelief.

"Those aren't mine!" The accused shouted above the uproar, "they were planted in my house by somepony!"

"Oh really?" The accuser asked in a mocking tone, "where's your proof then, who is this mysterious pony supposedly planting incrimidating evidence in houses?"

"How should I know?" The accused replied, "I didn't even know it was ther untill you burst through my front door."

"Well in that case I think the verdict is clear," the accuser said, his voice giddy with anticipation, "but the choice rests with this lovely crowd," he smiled at the ponies gathered below, "so, now i must ask. What. Is. Your. Verdict?" The accuser halted after each word, as if to build the suspense of the decision.

"GUILTY!" The crowd shouted.

"Very well." The accuser nodded to the hodded pony, who had been silently observing the proceedings. The unicorn that had brought the evidence now reapeared, this time with a sharpened axe. The executioner took the axe in his mouth, and walked over to the accused. Guards had appeared to restrain the frightened colt, and forced him to lie down, sticking his head out and exposing his neck.

Luna watched in horror as the hooded pony raised the axe to deliver the blow. "I don't wish to see anymore!" she cried, "Voice, take me home!" The world blurred around her, but before the vision faded entirely, she heard the thunk! of the axe.

***

When Luna awoke, she was back in the clearing. The dead tree loomed above her, the bare bark, at least from Luna's eyes, was shining in the moonlight. She felt something run down her cheek. A tear. A tear for the poor stalion in the Canterlot Square.

After a while of laying in the grass, the Princess of the NIght was able to find her voice. "Why did you take me there Voice?" She asked, her voice was shaking as her mind replayed the event over and over again.

Because, the Voice replied. you were doubting yourself. You need to know wht you're fighting for. WHO you're fighting for. Luna stared at nothing, trying to comprehend what she saw.

"So many ponies, all counting on me. Do you really think that I have what it takes?"

I do, the Voice replied, but you have to believe it for yourself. Luna was still for a moment.

She sighed. "Alright, if it means bringing peace to Equestria, then I'll do whatever it takes."

Good. The Voice said, Very good, now onto the next tree. The rest of the night for Luna was spent taking the life force of trees, bushes, even a sleeping animal or two when she happened across their nests. When it was time for her to lower the moon and allow her sister to raise the sun, she felt as if she was full to the brim with power.

You've done well Luna. The Voice said, Now go, rest, and be prepared. The battle for Equestria will begin soon, and the fate of Equestria will be decided. Luna did just that. Her sleep was filled with dreams of celebrating ponies gathering around her as she overthrew her sister, the Sun Tyrant, and brought peace to her land.

Soon. The Voiced whispered seductively. Soon.