The Darkness Is My Light

by DE_K

Chapters

La Jument Séléniaque
Caelum, Alterum
Pulchrior, Inter Unum Somnium et Insequens
Luz y Sombra

La Jument Séléniaque

With how sad steps,

O Moon,

Thou climb'st the skies;

How silently,

And with how wan a face.

~ Philip Sidney

"Stop Zasdin! What has thou brought upon us!" Luna cried in dismay as they tried to subdue the bipedal being on their tallest spire, leaning over the balconies edge.

"You must stop immediately! Think of all the lives you will have cursed!" Celestia yelled, fear dominating her features.

"Me? It is not only me. I wouldn't dream of taking all the glory for myself. We are doing this together, just how we agreed upon dear royal sisters. And I have thought of the lives, I've double checked and triple checked, and I promise only the bare minimum will be effected. And we all know there's more than enough suffering creatures for that." Zasdin answered with a mad laugh while he froze the Sun and burned the moon as he brought about an inverted-eclipse. "Luna," He began with genuine sadness, "what have you done with your Other? She was the one who aided me in the creation of this martyrdom scheme. She had decided if none would have naught of the of night, then none would have of the day. A rather ingenious idea if I do say so myself, because, while she thought of the idea, she had no means by which to achieve it. That bit of ingenuity is my claim, but even after I had devised what to do exactly, we still l

lacked the resources required. And that's where, what did she call herself? Oh yes, Nightmare really shone." He finished wistfully.

"What are you saying? We would never do such a thing!" Luna finished in abject horror at the thought her Other had been the start of

this.

"Sister? What do you mean 'We'?" Celestia asked, her curiosity peaking.

"Well, what she means dear Tia -" Zasdin began before the sun's keeper interrupted.

"I told you never to call me that again after what you did to -" She furiously started but paused once noticing he wasn't listening.

"Is that she has been keeping a small secret from you." He finished quietly.

"What secret would that be? Luna, I thought we could tell each other anything?" Celestia inquired, hurt that such a thing would happen.

"Well, remember when we found that crystal hallow and tried to use them as magical amplifiers?" Luna responded after taking a deep breath.

"Yes." Her sister answered hesitantly, unsure where this was going.

"And how I was acting...strange, when we were finished?" Luna continued.

"Yes but that was only because your early body was unused to such a flow of energy." Celestia answered, somewhat relieved it was only this again, "But where are you getting at here?"

"Well," She started as she took another breath, "do you also remember how we discovered all beings are born only with a finite reservoir of magic," she trudged on as a look between comprehension dawned on her sister's face, "and is incapable of containing anymore unless they keep extra reserves in an enchanted container of a sort?"

"Yes, but where-what are you trying to tell me?"

"When I...attempted to harvest the energies from the cove, I experienced some, unexpected results." Luna finished with a wince.

"Unexpected how?"

"Oh for the love of God! She's a schizophrenic!" Zasdin interrupted, "Geez Luna I never thought you were one for stepping on eggshells!"

"No, she was just, disoriented." Celestia tried to explain.

"Dry off Tia! You're knee deep in de Nile! Just tell her Luna!"

"N-no, I'm not her! I'm fine! There's nothing wro-"

"Nightmare Moon!" Zasdin began to call, "Nightmare Moon, come out and explain to them the purpose of the Second!"

"Don't! D-no! NO!" Luna tearfully yelled as she began to transform, her midnight blue coat turning into a flat sheen of black, as viscous,

flowing black, bubbling like tar, her mane and tail began to lose their consistency as they began to thin out, omitting their previously accented and defined outer blue rings, she began screaming as her bones degraded and rebuilt themselves, increasing her already impressive height, she put a hoof to her mouth when blood began flowing as her incisors fell out only to be quickly replaced by fear-spawning fangs that hung out her mouth as it closed. Her body was sent into throws of pain, but she was too worn to scream, leaving her to silently cry as she writhed on the ground, but she stopped as her fangs became prominent and dominated her muzzle, her horn elongated, her wings increased in girth, and her bones solidified from their previous non-Newtonian state, leaving only her eyes to be seen, but they were shut tight. Slowly though, they lost their appearance of pain and fear, becoming less tense, replaced by an imperious look, calm, cool, and collected. She stopped shivering, her tears were stemmed, and she stood up. When she rose to her new staggering height, she opened them to reveal, not their past compassionate and sparkling blue eyes, but cruel, serpentine, concise, calculative, and observing stormy night blue eyes. She first looked at Zasdin and gave him a curt nod, then she moved her gaze over to Celestia who had been silently crying as well while she was observing her sisters transformation, to frightened to move, and feeling useless as her magic kept sputtering out every time she tried to do something. When she saw her beloved sister's sight resting on her, her breath caught, her eyes threatened to water again, and her knees shook.

"Wh-what has happened to you dear Luna? Are you quite all right now?"

"I am not Luna. I am Nightmare Moon and I have answered the call of my associate." Nightmare put matter-of-factly as her voice took on an echoing and distorted tone, a resonating sound of both Luna and another. But as she spoke, another within her raged and cried in fear and disgust. Fear for herself and others, and disgust at what she had become, she was nothing more than a passenger watching through the glass that was her vision. But the newly transmogrified Alicorn turned her head to Zasdin as her horn began to glow a soft and subtle midnight blue giving away no sign of what raged within her mind, "What is it that you require? Have we reached our margins?"

"No, not our margins." He answered as he gestured to the sky.

She looked at the masterpiece and beheld, her stony features were betrayed momentarily as she displayed the most miniscule amount of surprise, "Why have you left out my person? I thought we had come to a consensus on my partaking in this act of apathy?

NO! You changed! We were to live together and share a symbiotic existence!

Symbiotic? Neigh, I would be forced to exist within the confines of your mind while you leeched from my plentiful magic reserves. I want what would be best, for the both of us. Her counterpart was beginning to respond but Moon had been drawn out by her partner.

"No my dear Nightmare, we have far exceeded our margins!" Zasdin continued with a sweeping gesture with his arms, indicating the whole city and all its horizons, "I have been busy while you were...away." He finished with the smallest hint of anger as his eyes flickered towards Celestia, "But you need not worry, I was just getting started."

Celestia then regained herself to the best of her abilities and started on Zasdin, "What have you done to my sister you demented hell-spawn? If you do not restore her immediately return her to her previous state I will have no choice but to end you, to end your control over her!" She finished in the Mind Manipulators Enigma.

"I would have thought more carefully before I'd spoken." Nightmare began, "Because what if I decide to take the shot instead? Would become of your dear Luna?" She finished venomously as her forked tongue danced on the 'L'.

Stop it stop it! Please just leave us be and we'll- we'll come to an agreement! The downtrodden possessed princess screamed.

The time for agreements has come and gone long ago. Now it is my turn to live while you must sit back and watch life pass you by as everypony and everything you ever knew passes you by and you can only watch as it all turns to dust, knowing that if you had been there you could have prevented countless sorrows. Nightmare settled as her armor encircled her, but it being for Luna it was too small, she changed it to fit her...acquired tastes. Gone was the armor of midnight black with a right-facing moon, to be replaced by a night-shadow blue ensemble with a flipped moon and prominent edges.

I-I had no -

"Luna what have you done to your battle raiment?" The Sun goddess inquired, "Why would you say such a thing? Obviously he has overcome you with his degraded forms of magic! Please Luna, come back to me." Celestia cried as she held back her raging anger at Zasdin and her fear for her sister's being.

"No Celestia, I haven't done anything of the sort. Nightmare and I have come to terms with our scant differences and decided to do what is best for Gaia as a whole. Nightmare. Show her your...love for the crown." He finished in the quietest, most menacing voice she'd ever heard.

Wha-what does he mean?

"Of course Zasdin, all for the better.

What are you saying?

"Luna? What are you doing?" Celestia questioned as her sister's horn began glowing an ominous black.

NO! Don't do it Nightmare! Please! I'm begging you! We'll do anything you want just please don't do it!

Yes, we will do anything I want. Nightmare finished with a surge of power leaving her heading towards Celestia. She was caught off guard and struck her down, dead before she hit the floor. And Luna watched it all as if it were all in slow motion. From the killing-curse leaving her twisted and contorted body, it going through the air, hitting her sister, the final moment of surprise and sadness on her sister's face, and as her body fell gracelessly to the floor like a puppet whose strings have been cut. And she'd have to live with that for the rest of eternity. And Zasdin reacted with the most boastful and hate inspiring sound she had ever heard as he laughed and laughed over the corpse of her fallen sister.

"Oh I'll be back dear Luna. I'll be coming back." He finished with another round of raucous laughter, "You can be sure of that."

"NO! CELESTIA COME BACK!" Luna shouted as she pounced up and off her bed.

"Sweet dreams, I'll be back." Was the last thing she could remember hearing before her sister herself barged through her door into her room.

"What is it Luna?" She started, searching the room for any potential instigators before shutting the door, "Sister, did you, Princess of the night and Dreamscape, have a nightmare?" She finished with ill-hidden mirth before noticing her sister's condition, "Oh my, Luna was it truly something dreadful?"

Luna, who had been recuperating on her bed in practically a comatose state as she was shivering uncontrollably and imperceptibly tearing again, just looked at Celestia with both hooves over her mouth before saying one shaky word, "Zasdin." And that's all it took to break down Celestia's regal appearance as well before she rushed to her sister's side and barely containing herself from shaking as well, knowing all to well the kind of dreams the very memory of him could incite.

"He said," Luna began, nearly crying again, "he said...he's coming back." She finished, the dam holding back her tears breaking as she screamed, "I don't want to go back I don't want to back!"

Celestia wrapped a comforting wing around her mess of a sister as she too paled to nearly the point of losing color, "N-no, he-he can't come back. We made sure of that. We made sure of that." So beginning the chant repeating the final phrase. Remembering, in acute detail, of the painstaking and abhorrent trials they went through to defeat him, "We made sure of that."

"I don't want to go back to sleep." Luna whispered.

Caelum, Alterum

Be still sad heart, and cease repining; Behind the clouds the Sun is shining;

Thy fate is the common fate of all, Into each life some rain must fall,

Some days must be dark and dreary.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

As Luna's cries and gasps for breath receded into a more calm and controlled state, Celestia asked if she wanted her to take the Night Shift as well, "You can stay here and regain yourself. You don't need to sleep, just get some rest and let me take of the Night for you this time." She finished with a faint, reassuring smile.

"N-no sister, I'll be fine," Night Maiden Luna began, "I wouldn't get any rest just sitting here, left to think of the past, I need to resume my schedule, to take my mind of things." She finished, her confidence growing near the end until she remembered, "And I can't let you take both shifts, again."

"No no, it's fine if you need me to Luna. We both know it wasn't your fault." She said, however feeling the most insignificant twinges of sadness and jealousy as she looked at her younger counterpart.

"Yes but...I can do this," Luna began with a with a whisper, "I need to, and it is my job as Princess of the Night." She strongly ended, her title and position reinvigorating her, "Are you ok though? You looked as if there was something disturbing you a second ago."

"Yes, I'm fine, and if you're absolutely sure than I will hold you no longer." Celestia finished happily now that the chill between them dissipated and as if she hadn't even felt her previous endeavor, "But if you do need me, I'll be in my quarters."

"Yes sister, have a good night." The smaller princess chimed as her sister left her room, shutting the door behind her. As Celestia walked through the halls and passed multiple guards wit brief exchanges of 'Princess' or 'Need anything?' Usually followed by a short bow, returned with either a curt nod or 'Thank you, no' she finally made her way back to her chambers and, after a stationed guard shut the door behind her, let her royal, indifferent and unsurprised façade fall and unwound. She relieved herself of her decorative jewelry and took off her golden shoes, setting her tiara onto a very accurate bust of herself, and lay back down onto her cloud woven mattress, she felt, worried. For herself, her sister, and what it could mean for her ponies. The last thing she thought before she drifted off to sleep was an infinitely comforting It's going to be all right.

"Come dear Tia, there is something I must show you." A young looking man with fair black hair and caring yet precise golden eyes wearing only a simple solid black robe and shoes called for Celestia, who was just a young looking mare by appearance, seeming just to be coming out of fillyhood.

"Yes Din, but why?" She answered with a tilt of her head with an innocent look that could fool an average being, but she was one of the older creatures on the planet, only rivaled by the man next to her and only by a few select dragons.

"Because I accept that my time here with you is growing shorter by the century and it is very possible for me to pass any generation now, but my experiences and knowledge shall not be lost with me, I just fear you may still be too young for this." Zasdin finished with a frown as he nervously looked between Celestia and something to her left.

"What are you looking at Din?" She asked as she saw nothing besides her.

A midnight blue Alicorn, no, a jet black monster, a loving princess and sister, a cruel, tempered tyrant.

"Your sister-to-be." He mumbled.

"What was that?" The filly asked, honestly having missed it, although she would come to interpret it in many different ways.

"Nothing of now, let us...go now" Din finished, still off from his foresight, although not uncommon for him, he still didn't tell her about it.

"Yes but you still haven't told me where?" The alabaster Alicorn asked as she trotted to keep up with Zasdin's longer strides. Normally He'd slow down for her, but now he seemed to be caught with something rather strenuous on his mind, "Zasdin, where are we going?" She repeated a little louder as he appeared to have not heard her the first time.

The use of his full name though is what caught him, "To the Labyrinth dear, we must go to the Labyrinth." He answered as he took a sharp turn to the left cutting through their castle's garden, giving her a clear view of its entrance.

"But why there?" She asked, however she was inwardly happy because they had spent many fun days playing in the Labyrinth. Playing tag or hide-and-seek, but it always made her feel a little lonely when he had to leave when they finished, sometimes she thought he noticed the small crease that formed on her when he called for her to let her know he had to go, he always was looking out for her.

"Because it is a strong source containing the energy I need to convey these things to you. You do remember the way to go do you not?" The man finished with a smile at the end.

"Yes of course, you made me study them for a month until I made it through in ten minutes." Child or no, she was not to be teased.

"And what, dear Tia, is the secret to this particular puzzle?"

"Easy, first you go the left then right, then every third right you go straight eighteen paces then go left again, turn around and go through the bu -"

"Ah, we're here." Zasdin cut her off as he finished cheating off her answers not knowing himself, "Now, are you sure you're ready for entire tomes and years upon lifetimes of knowledge? Because you are still very young and we can do this again in a generation or two."**

"I'm 539 Zasdin," Celestia deadpanned, "I think I'm entitled to learn about anything now." Forgetting about the chance of a game when he undermined her intelligence.

No you aren't! "Um, I don't think you are, but that isn't what I'm here to tell you about." He finished with an uncomfortable shuffle.

"What do you mean? Then what did you bring me here for?" The naïve little girl asked, tired of waiting.

"To teach you, my history." He answered as he knelt down to her level and placed a callused hand onto Celestia's forehead, with his thumb to the left of her horn and the rest of his digits to the right, "I just hope you never have to use it."

"Use wh -" Times of war flashed into her mind, times of death became singed to her vision, times of suffering was engraved into her memory, times of persecution was felt as she felt claustrophobia encapsulating her thoughts, illness, plagues, famine, fire, ash, gold to dust, oceans to sand, kings to myths, empires rise and empires fall, but he was there to watch it all. She felt waves upon crashing wave as a barrage of emotions not hers thundered in her mind, disgust, regret, hate, sadness, jealousy, rage, loneliness, hopelessness, and helplessness. As she watched all these things happen as memories flooded her mind of wars, injustices, murder, and sickness, she was hopeless as well to prevent, powerless to change, to soothe, to comfort, to look away. Before he was finished however she collapsed, unconscious from the strain her psych had been put under.

"Celestia! Oh no, I knew you were too young for this still." Din spoke to no one as he picked her up in a fireman's lift and brought her to their castle, a large stony structure in the middle of a grand clearing in the middle of an expansive forest that they called The Saltus.

I am a lord, the king of Earth as a whole. No. I'm Celestia, the sole princess of Equestria, the growing nation that has recovered greatly from Discord's rule. She shivered a bit as she remembered having to face down Discord on her own while Zasdin was away making deals with foreign countries and ensuring peace from the outside while a war was being held within his residing country, He hasn't left our borders ever since. She thought as another chill came over her as she remembered him obliterating the demon's statue, but not before thawing out his head to give him an unfa- well it amazed the Ponies he even gave him a trial.

"Discord, demon of Chaos and the bane of any settled peoples, do you accept your punishment after causing senseless destruction, pain, and death because, and I quote, 'it was a joke, I was only having a bit of fun'? Zasdin raged as the air around him began distorting and refracting menacing images, terrifying the already petrified demon.

"N-no! I mean I did do some of that stuff but I didn't mean anything by it! I swear I didn't know it got that bad! I'm sorry! Just please don't do it, I'm SORRY!

"I don't know why you are apologizing to me. I wasn't even here. But as the world's mediator, I am bound by the sanctity of my position to rebuttal any form of murder with the death of the offender. Unless of course it was in self-defense?" The man asked with a most savage and sarcastic grin, "But are you saying you were assaulted by various creatures last reported either missing or seen running away? In terror?"

"OK! I got carried away and lost myself! I can fix it! Just let me go!" Discord begged, crying and trying to break free of his stone prison with only his head.

"No! It is *not** ok! I will not stand for purposeless killing any more! It is not sport! You have one last chance to explain yourself before I ultimately destroy you! I will make you wish you were still trapped in stone!" Zasdin ordered as he too remembered a time when he enjoyed such the sport.*

"I already do -" Discord began but was cut off before he could say anymore.

"Is that your defense?"

Discord's eyes bulged and he gulped fearing what he just heard as the crowd present for his sentence all shouted their approval after enduring his rule their entire lives, "No! What I meant to say was -"

"- You had only one chance, and your verdict has been reached unanimously, you are found as guilty. Goodbye Discord." The judge and executioner delivered with an indifferent inflection in his voice, before freezing Discord's head in stone again before he started to even comprehend or register what had just happen, "At least he will die in his sleep." But that was only for the spectating ponies, diamond dogs, griffins, and even dragons that had shown up, because while they can be furious with him, none but the dragons would truly cheer for death, and even the dragons would be hesitant. But Din had had time and experience. Who was he to hesitate when it came to a demon of chaos when compared to the many innocents he had slaughtered with 'orders' as his only excuse? He always said that was a different life, not really him, but he knew better than to fall for sweet illusions and blissful lies. But Discord just seemed so genuinely...ignorant. He had no idea of what true chaos was, only the fundamentals. The natural laws of the universe. He was like a child, as was the rest of this planet's inhabitants.

'No! Nononononono! Please STOP! I know you can hear me! Please please! You don't have to do this! I'll be better, I'll fix everything! I know you can hear me Zasdin!'

And indeed he could, which is what paused him from instantly disintegrating the accused, "Evil never changes, it just takes on a different form." Din whispered, and as he said that he destroyed the last true pure entity of power. And as he did a single tear was shed, from Celestia. She could hear Discord as well, and knew very well he meant what he said, an inherent ability as a princess, to decipher the truth from the lies. But she could also tell that, while he did indeed mean it, he was Chaos in the flesh, scale, feather, and fur. And as such, he would have to break his promise eventually. And the longer he kept it shut, the more devastating it would be for the population.

So she steeled herself, 'It had to happen, Din has never been wrong in his judgments before. He didn't look as though he enjoyed it, he even hesitated.' She thought trying to comfort herself, 'Discord would have brought the world to its knees without meaning to at all, and that would crush the soft fellow. It's- it's best for us all.' She finished as Zasdin approached her.

"I'm sorry Tia, but it had to be done. I hope you can understand someday." He finished with a faltering smile, which seemed appropriate given what had just been resolved.

"Yes Din, I understand." She finished, his words confirming her beliefs that he wasn't a bad man, just a victim of circumstance. Only a victim of circumstance.

"Zas-"

"Oh thank God you're awake!" Zasdin shouted as Celestia awoke.

"What, what happened?" She knew what happened but just wanted to hear him say it, and if he'd leave anything out.

"W-well, I took you into the Labyrinth and, and tried to...pass on my life experiences to you in case something befell me."

"I know, I just wanted to hear you say it." She finished, her surroundings coming in clearer as she noticed she was in her room, she instinctively reached to her left for a glass of water but fell short.

"Oh I knew you`d want a drink when you woke up so I asked the kitchen staff to fix you an array of drinks, per your request."

"I'm fine, just a water would suffice."

"As you wish Tia, WATER!" Her protector shouted, resulting in a large pitcher of water hilariously overshadowing the miniscule glass next to it.

"Din! That could be a small pool!" Celestia laughed as it came parallel to her bed, the waiter pouring a glass, handing it to her, and then pulling another glass from underneath the cart, proceeding to fill that one as well.

"Thank you Pinch, but a separate glass really isn't necessary." She giggled as Din poked playfully at her sides, his attitude obviously happy now that she is feeling better.

"Nonsense dear, you know I love to watch as the glasses stack!" Zasdin answered for the smiling chef, Pinch happy that his princess had made it through whatever had ailed her, and double for their sentinel, who had refused to leave her side for days, "Are you fine now Celestia? Is this enough agua purificada for now?"

Celestia took a second to finish her glass, which made a convincing cover for her actually trying to understand what he meant, he sometimes liked to speak in La-tihn, but she still thought it was make-believe. But with water being the only thing relevant she simply put, "Yes thank you."

"And so polite! Yes, thank you Pinch, you may return to the kitchens if you wish, or take the rest of the day off!" The man happily suggested, "I can just make a quick something for us if we get hungry later on." He finished, attention back on the little filly lying on her bed. Pinch, not one to...to deny such a generous offer gladly took his leave. "Did you have any dreams Celly? You kept shifting in your sleep, and you wouldn't stop shivering."

"What? N-no I didn't dream anything, I had an empty sleep." She answered a little too quickly, "How long was I asleep?"

Din would've questioned further but she struck a nerve wit her question and he decided it wasn't anything to worry about, "Well, you made it much further than I expected, and I should have stopped sooner, but you seemed to be holding fine so I-I continued applying. It's not you fault at all Celestia, it's mine, I was putting too much pressure on you and I should have waited until you were older." He hastily finished with a nervous glance in the mirror, allowing him to see his bedraggled hair and new change of a light green cloak, bags having formed under his eyes from his prolonged nights fretting over Celestia's state.

"It's fine Din, but, but what were those...memories exactly? And whose? Surely not, yours?" The recovered Alicorn prodded, already knowing the answers, but she was hoping to be wrong, at least this one time.

"They were, my memories, and my peoples history, but you only got a quarter through! Only the most memorable moments, and sadly, the more you would like to forget something, the more adamant it is to be remembered." He finished feeling that she could relate, "If you would like to try again, I would be able to syphon more precisely instead of just pushing it all over to you again."

"Yes, another time. But now, I would like to rest. May I? I'm awfully tired still." Celestia finished with a faked yawn.

"Yes yes, of course Tia, get all the rest you need. I'll take care of everything. Just recover soundly." He soothed as he moved for the door, "Sleep tight little princess, everything's going to be all right." And with that he quietly shut the door and left her to sleep. She however stayed awake, not tired, too alive. She had 1/4 of a lifetime to review, and she'd be damned if she wasn't a scholar at heart.

Pulchrior, Inter Unum Somnium et Insequens

Too many of us are not living our dreams,

Because we are living our fears.

~Les Brown

Celestia awoke with a fleeting sense of calm as she recalled just what had occurred then, nothing bad, but just, older times. Times she had been forgetting and she had wished stayed forgotten. Again not because they were terrible, but they made what he had done even worse. Celestia often wondered what had gone wrong with her small family, first her sister had...changed, but then even the closest thing she had to a father changes just after her, Well, change is life, and life is-

"Celestia are you ok?" Her sister asked as she came through her door, not in a rush but certainly not a steady pace, "I could feel his being here!" She whispered so that the guards could not hear, "Stronger than in my own dream when he was there!"

Celestia had felt something too, but she was actually in a rush then and it wasn't posing any immediate threats, "No I'm fine Luna, thank you."

Luna visually relaxed as she came up to rest on her sister's bed, "Oh good, I- I just wanted to make sure you didn't go through what I had."

Celestia's ears perked at this, "What did you dream of, you never told me, for understandable reasons of course." She finished hastily as she realized she had just stepped on thin ice.

Luna looked at her sulkily, "Why'd you have to bring that up? What did I ever do to you?" Again Celestia made a face at this, Luna's face dropped a little, "Did I ever do anything to you?"

"What do you mean dearest sister? I- I don't know what you're talking about." Thankfully her stutter was either unnoticed or ignored, "You haven't done anything to me except be the best sister I've ever met." She finished, trying to convince herself as well.

Luna was disheartened when she heard her sister talked like that, "You know Tia, sometimes I wish you were a better liar, it's fine if you don't want to tell me, I won't make you, but please, for future reference, don't insult my intelligence." And with that she stalked away to her room. Upon arrival she slammed the door wide open only to immediately shut it as she came to her bed and fell asleep without a second thought, her headache from the nights business peaking as she hit unconsciousness. She let out a single frantic kick before her body stilled for the day.

Oh no oh no! Luna what have I done? She franticly thought as she stood and got off her bed, I had tried so hard to rebuild what we had, but there was just so many missing pieces! She worriedly went out to their dining...hall and hoped that Luna would be there to talk to. When she came through the large doors, graciously opened for her, she came into a room that would make anypony else stop for at least ten hours just to process the possible possibilities. But Celestia wasn't Anypony, she was Celestia, the supreme goddess of the Day, "Thank you Lock."

"You're welcome, Princess Celestia." He replied with a salute, "But your sister has not shown."

Celestia jumped only the slightest at this but her heart was pounding, "What do you mean? Where is she?"

"Last I saw here she was off towards her quarters, but she may have stopped somewhere else!" He quickly reprimanded when he saw the horrible look of fear on his princesses features.

"Did she say anything?" She coarsely asked, "Did she look tired!" She ordered rather than asked.

"W-well yes. But she's usually tired aft- "

"No. No this was a different gene of tired." She began deducting as she paced, "I need to go see her, please tell the ones who had made this lovely dinner-breakfast for us. H-help yourself even, but please I need to go now." And she left Lock to stare into the Banquet Hall absolutely dumbfounded, the superfluous set was beautiful to those who had to protect it, but now, now he could actually touch it! Smell it, and eat it! I hope they have some to-go boxes.

Once Celestia had made her way to her sister's room she told the positioned guards to leave, to go join Lock in the Dining Hall. They were almost *too** eager to leave.* She thought as she went into the room, the lights were off and her curtains were drawn. But Luna's personal night sky diagram of the heavens kept the room lit in a way that was homely.* She saw her sister lying down in bed peacefully and her worries ebbed until she came around and looked at her face. Her face was halfway between Nightmare and herself, a fang was pronged, her eye lids fluttered to reveal entirely serpentine lenses, her breathing rattled and her tongue...her forked tongue hissed. Celestia immediately shut the rooms doors and enchanted them to open for nopony else but those demanded. She fretfully paced around her sister unaware of what to do, she didn't know what would happen if she woke her during her dream, but she didn't know if she should do anything at all! She'd never checked on Luna before so she didn't know if that was a- a normalish thing for her. She couldn't take it anymore after her mane and tale began to dissipate into a thick fog like his and another fang began to sprout, she came up to her and used an awakening spell on her, but all that did was make Celestia feel tired, she shook her and even used the Royal Canterlot Voice to call her from whatever dark dream she was in. But her body lay limp as if, "No no, that's ridicules! She's still breathing!" The distressed Sun deity whispered, But none should be able to withstand such attempts! What could it be, what should I *do*?

Sleep.

Celestia jumped and searched the room for a source of the voice, "Who's there? Show yourself!"

Sleep. It pried again.

And again she repeated herself with a quick swivel to find any movement, even the telltale subtle distortions of an invisibility enchantment, "Show yourself! By the order of Celestia, co-ruler of Equestria, I demand it!"

And then the strangest thing happened, something did show itself. A starry figure, like a constellation, formed in the room. At first it was obscure, but then they realigned themselves into a dazzling array of points, and then a chilling, echoing voice rolled over her, "Why Tia, if I didn't know better I'd think you'd have almost forgotten me, this is much harder than it should be." The apparition said as it walked over to the slumbering princess, his metaphysical armor reflecting the very light it created, "And look, even she still listens to me. I always said bridges were harder to burn the more you crossed them."

What roused her from her shock wasn't his being there or even what he was doing, but what he said, "What are you saying? You've never said that before." She lied, but then she didn't. He had said that, but not this him, after what had happened he knew nothing of his past self, just as how Luna's change came to pass.

"Well you see Star," the revenant began as he stood, "ever since I was overthrown, I have been conducting some very interesting research." He was directly in front of her now, "Right." His arm reaches up, "In." His index finger protrudes from his fist, "Here." And he gently taps her forehead and her eyes roll before her body falls, but before she can hit the floor, he catches her, "And what I've found..." and carries her with great effort to her sister's bed, easily large enough for the both of them, "is interesting." He finished as his figure flashed to robes before ultimately blinking out of existence.

Celestia and Luna were playing in a golden field with gently waving grains of wheat that cleanly came up to the happily watching Zasdin which meant it easily covered the girls, but he wasn't worried about them getting lost, he could easily see where they were from the impressions they left. He decided that no harm could befall them in such pure land and lay down in a clearing in the field and let his other senses take over as he closed his eyes. The dirt was soft and warm, his cloak was gently brushing his legs, arms, and hands, the natural scents of the field overcame him, encompassing his smelling capacities, the grains from the wheat had played their ways into his mouth and he could taste the perfection they held, he could clearly hear the girls laughing and he nearly fell asleep before he was brought back by a faint scream, "Tia?" He yelled as he sat up and turned his head to try and find her. But the wheat was too tall and he had to stand up, he conned his hands around his mouth and called for both of them but got no response. He began to panic and sprinted over to where the most compressed stalks were but saw nothing, "Tia! Luna where are you?" He desperately cried, but then after he did a cave appeared and loomed over him, just barely passing overhead. He felt certain the two fillies had wandered into there, but he didn't know what could be in there. The thought of any other danger befalling them pushed any care for his own person as he ran into the cavern.

The sisters had seen something shine in the cave and did what any small child would do, run in after it. But during their brief gallop Luna became uncharacteristically tired, "Wa- wait up Tia! I can't keep up with you!" She squeaked as she gasped for breath.

But Celestia was young and ignorant still, "Come on Luna you can do better than that! I think I still see it up ahead!" She gaily laughed as she hopped around her sister, "Hurry up Loona, it's going away!" She finished as she started off again after the shining. After a while of empty searching she came into a grand chamber within the cave and looked in wonder at the arrangements. Glowing crystals of every color shone and a gorgeous pool of water reflected it throughout the room magnificently.

"Wow Tia, it's amazing." Luna quietly said as she came up behind her sister, "I've never seen anything like it in all my life."

Celestia didn't say anything however as she just walked away and around the natural pool, occasionally dipping a hoof into the chilling water, she wanted to swim, but something told her not to. As she walked around she saw an enormous ebony crystal down a narrow pathway. She wanted to see if there was a reason for this one gem to be so in the middle of a vibrant display and squeezed her way through the first pair of formations and managed the rest of the way easily enough.

"Tia where did you go? We aren't supposed to break apart, I don't want you to get lost." Her sister strangely called, and she even noticed it seemed out of place as she looked around for anything strange, "Please Celestia come back." Again she jumped, she'd never called her by her full name before. She decided to stop talking and look for her, but apparently her body had other plans, "Celestia come out now. Where have you gone? Come here." She said as she began to feel unnaturally angry and...protective.

The elder Alicorn could just barely discern a distant sound, but the acoustics seemed to block any outside noises while amplifying the silence within to near claustrophobic proportions, M- maybe I should go back.

She began to turn as a presence made itself felt, No Celestia, you should stay. I will take care of you, grant you anything you want, make you powerful, and grant you immortality. You need not rely on mortal constructs and methods. We will help you, with everything. Just grant us, existence.

If Celestia wasn't scared before she was now, "W- who's there?" She looked behind her as her slow gait became a fearful trot.

"All of us, we are always, never, in between, and nowhere." The voices called again, "Don't be scared, come here, to us, and you will fear nothing ever again. We will protect you, serve you, and take care of you." But there was something most definitely off about its promises.

She had had enough, Luna would wait no longer. She followed her sister's hoof prints around the water, occasionally swerving into it or away to a clutch of particularly colorful rocks, she couldn't help herself but to think, "Silly filly," but then again, she really couldn't, "what is happening to me?" She was stuck with that until she came into a tight room with luminescent crystals aglow all around her. She was caught in a brief moment of wonder before her gaze lowered to the other end, of a lone, cloudy crystal that sat in a clearing devoid of anything else, besides Celestia. Who was surrounded by swarming clouds of whispering darkness, but Luna knew what it was, "Celestia! Celestia get up! Please just move!" She yelled as she ran over to her, the clouds seeping through her skin, "No! I will not let you take her too!" She cried as she put both her fore hooves on her sister's side, "I, Zasdin Denui, take upon myself this burden and call you from her body!" The man roared with a convicted growl as the evils were absorbed from the fillies body, "You will never have another, I made sure of that, and I will take it overcome again!" He finally said after he had expunged it from Celestia's body, but this time, it was different. It was far more than he had taken the first time, and you can't ever get rid of it unless another willingly accepts such a burden, a job he was wiling to take but would never push on another.

He began to stumble as he stood, and his vision was doubled and inverted, instead of the one alabaster girl he came in with, he saw two. The other was laying just besides Celestia, with a darker coat, a cutie mark of a moon in the night sky, and smaller. She was breathing gently as wisps of smoke were dissipating from her body, "Who is this? Another? Is this the one? Did I make her?" He asked aloud as the voices within him took place and settled with their predecessors. He could feel the alien magic settle in him, unused to his person and combating with the other form. He took a moment of respite as they battled furiously, one had size while the other experience and strength, and went between the fillies, stroking both their manes, then he uncertainly wobbled over to the dead stone and placed a hand on it, but that was all it took to tip the scale of the equal forces inside him, the evils of humanity, and the archaic magics of the new worlds. He was frozen with pain from the sudden turmoil as his lesser, stronger, and inherent power was overthrown and cast out into the crystal, and from the crystal he took. It bridged across and impaled him through his chest, but he did not die. Instead it interlaced throughout his body and formed over his skin, encasing him in a crystal prison, all while the two alicorns slept, unperturbed while he was being transformed.

Once he was entirely covered, the spike holding him in place retreated back into its base and the hole it lest was too covered. Then it broke, a little at a time. But each piece that broke from him revealed either a gleam of metal, or a patch of swaying fur. And his bones, they burned and twisted, the crystals seemed linked to his pain as they grated in the direction he pushed, painfully. Then all at once they shattered, leaving a smoky, unicorn with armor accented with golds and reds in his place, his mane dispersing as a gas would but retaining its form, his eyes glowing green, and a red hot horn, but only for a moment. Then he fell unconscious as a human, clad in blackest metals and a helmet that betrayed nothing. And than he vanished, in a puff of smoke.

The two woke with a jump, somepony was hitting the door, it was still daytime out, and they had been asleep, "What, what happened?" The fully grown Luna asked as she looked around, rubbing her head.

Celestia was even more surprised then Luna was, because she knew what it was, she just hadn't known it happened like that, "It was, a memory. H- how did you see that?"

"A memory? I- I don't, remember it." Luna said contemplatively as she tried to remember.

"No, you wouldn't. Because it wasn't yours."

At this Luna protested, "But I felt like Id been their before! Like, like it was something significant, then why was I how I was? How could we have fit so perfectly?"

"I never saw you," Celestia was getting nervous now, "I was playing with Din again." She finished quietly.

"Din? As in 'Zasdin'? The evil tyrant who tried to overthrow us? How could that possibly have been him?"

You don't know what you're saying! After you came everything I knew went up in flames! Is what she thought, but dealing with foolish representatives has taught her to hold her tongue when something instantly comes to mind, so she took a deep breath, "Luna, there are some things we need to...discuss. Things, long ago and quite recent. Things that I never even knew or thought connected and one until I saw it all again, no matter how much I wish I'd have never relived. But proved to be irrefutably informing. But first please open the door." She finished as she readied herself for the long talk ahead.

Luna nodded her head slowly as she walked over to the door, "Yyyes. Ok, but you need to tell me everything, ok?"

"Ok."

"Good. Now," and she opened the door, "who is it?"

A worried group of guards that were gathered on the other side cheered until one shouted, "Luna! Is Celestia with you? Where have you been we couldn't open the doors!"

Luna was jarred by the suddenness and volume, "Yes, we were just...talking for a bit, what's wrong?"

Another guard spoke this time, "A bit? You've been missing for days!"

"Days?" Celestia asked as she came over to the doorway, to another round of cheers.

"Yes days. We looked everywhere but found this one door we couldn't get through! We stayed to guard while other groups are currently scouring the lands for you!" A third called.

"Has anything happened?" Luna asked worriedly.

"Thank...no nothing's happened." The second guard hastily covered.

The sister's knew what he was going to say, but they chose to ignore it I favor of more pressing matters, "Nothing? Nothing at all?" Celestia questioned, astounded another army or something else to the effect hasn't declared war against their peaceful country...again.

"Why do you sound so surprised?" Another inquired ignorantly.

Luna sighed, "Never mind, we are fine thank you, but now do please carry on." And she shut the door.

Her sister still found it difficult to be so abrupt and to cut through them like that, but it was certainly acceptable in this case. They went back and settled down again, this time however Luna chose the couch over the bed, while Tia contended herself with the bed, rather paranoid given what has lately transpired, "So. From the top, all of it." Luna said as she drew a glass of chocolate milk from the kitchen's reserves, well they don't just get them from anywhere.

Celestia looked at the glass apprehensively as her sister began to drink from it, "Well, do you remember Sombra?"

Luz y Sombra

The light shines in the darkness,

And the darkness has not overcome it.

~John 1:5 RSV

"Oh, oh no. My goodness." Was all Luna was able to say when Celestia finished recapping her life's story, it was not as all as Luna had expected, such trials and tribulations they faced together, that he solved, that Luna created. She had cried upon learning just how far he had fallen and how much of him had been left behind as nothing more than a memory of the fondest kind. Her glass had fallen and rolled beneath the couch when she learned of Discord, how he was always only a playful soul, a child by nature, "But he was a child that broke his toys," Tia had explained, defended why Zasdin did what he had done.

When she went to retrieve it she couldn't find it anywhere until she looked behind her seat to see her glass, standing straight and contents still, her form reflecting on its surface to reveal her disheveled mane and tear stained muzzle, but the way they glistened made them appear as twinkling stars on a muddy azure backdrop, "I- I never even thought of such a thing." She had said when Discord's lawfully just trial was explained, "Lawfully? Yes, but morally? No, never." She had criticized only to be struck speechless by Celestia's recounting of her new found knowledge, And she said it was still only a fraction, what times were lost with him? Who will live on to remember the countless others?

But who was she to talk of remembrance? Her memories of a time beforehand had apparently been Zasdin's final act of kindness, a way to make her transcendence that much easier for her and Tia, for she too was given a new set, a second set, of memories, so she would know what Luna knew, to help the new filly acquire at least a meager amount of connections. Zasdin had amazingly set an entire lifetime of experiences for her in his final moments, a life of love, and a life of lies. Even now she could be no older than Celestia was during the spirit Discord's trial, it held a very depressing spot in her heart. Just now, she discovered her everything being how it was because of a dying man's efforts. Such minute details carrying such dramatic impacts especially on her own life left her feeling very insignificant, like a moth to the flame, should she stray too close she will be burnt, and this revelation was an inferno, "But it just doesn't make any sense." Luna pleaded for some ground, "Why would we have the same dream? What is this supposed to mean?"

"I think," Tia began quietly, "I think it means he's trying to come back. Before I fell asleep I met, an apparition of his. Now I'm not saying this is good at all, I don't want this," she halted her sister's coming rebuke, "I know, I know he's gone. But he was far beyond us." She admitted, "Far far beyond us, he excelled at any problem he was given, always just in court," she sadly but resolutely met eyes with her sister, "no matter be the case, and an idol of the the people world wide." She ended, sounding different than her usual self.

One thing about this really stood out to Luna from this lecture though, "People? Do you not mean 'ponies'?" She asked, the ludicrousness dissolving some of the tension.

"No Luna, people. There are more than ponies amongst us, and we must allow ourselves to give them the respect of not being ousted."

"But Tia, that's- it's just ridicules!" Luna guarded, now more confused than amused.

"Why?" Why is it so preposterous that we may deliver the same respect to our foreign subjects, as our native inhabitants?" She defended, pacing back and forth as a lawyer on track would when they felt they were delivering both a vital and obvious truth. Luna was silent in thought, disappointment following after her paper thin point was obliterated, "It's fine Luna, I won't hold it against you," Tia smiled kindly at her, happy that her point was so easily grasped, "because I too am guilty of this. I suppose I had just tried so hard to...escape my past, that I was willing to cut such a minor lose as a victory of sorts."

"But what do you mean? What would you leave by relinquishing this word?"

"I had used such derogatory and subjective terms as well before he found me, an outcast, an abomination, among others. Not quite a unicorn and not quite a pegasus. Oh don't worry Luna it- it wasn't that bad, I was as an Untouchable among kings and queens." She unburied this particularly harsh time in her life and continued to trudge through Luna's surprise,"Yes, another term I learned of during my brief study under him. But through the times, I watched as foals turned into stallions and mares, go places, return, start a family and die. However, throughout, all of that, whenever they had the time on their ha- hoofs, they always found a way to mock me, from generation, to generation." She concluded with such a faked smile that it made Luna want to cry, but she felt that if she did, then her sister would too, "But! When he came, we were both strangers in a strange land, neither of us were accepted, both of us were attacked. But he taught me to release my anger and instead feel pity for such barbarism, because Luna, don't get me mistaken, we are still only ponies me and you. Only as we are now because of 'dumb luck' or what have you. I was angry, so angry. When he found me I was little more than a feral monster, sick and sore, tired of living but to scared to try something new. I was in a dark time and could not see anyway out, until... until he showed me that I was not in darkness, but blind. He revealed to me the world as he saw it, and I will be...eternally grateful."

"H- how? How did this ever transpire? If what you say is true, then how is, our existence, even more so my existence, even a thing? And you never even answered my question!" Luna pointed as she regathered herself and stood to avoid suffering any pains.

"It is...a story for another time." Tia covered as she got ready to leave to attend to her loving subjects.

"But y- you just can't leave me like this! You can't!" Luna begged as she tailed closely after her sister, desperate for the ending to the story.

Tia just smirked at her, "Like I said dear Luna, tis a story for another time." She finished as she walked through the door and headed towards Day Court. As she wended her way through the bustling crowds of ponies with a look of serene content, she was having a rather intense, mental battle on morales, tradition, duty, and necessity, He is leaving these for a reason, this was always ever so. Can he even now tell something is amiss? But why would he help, and what did he mean 'he's been studying'? Why do there always have to be so many questions? Is it because I have neglecting the minority? Have I truly forgotten the value of not only the masses, but the individual as well? That settles it, there are a few changes that must take place. She stole herself with ironlike resolution as she came into the flooded courtroom to a symphony of cheers of welcome and relief. Then, pushing through the crowd, was a very tired, very distressed looking advisor, "Yes Chancellor Consilium?" Celestial asked, slightly amused that the stallion, who tried to tell her how to work, was tired after his comparatively trivial amount of time spent as Surrogate Host.

He wheezed as he drew up to her, "It's not funny, you try-" Almost there, "where have you been all this time‽"

"With my sister of course, discussing why the sea is boiling hot, and whether pigs have wings," she answered as she went through the part in the crowd that had formed, "what else did you expect from two, highly distinguished, nobles like ourselves. Your time without us has turned you soft, no?"

"Oh ha ha Celestia, I'm serious." She couldn't see it, but she knew he was pissed.

"Wah? And you claim that I too was not? You rogue!" She feigned surprise as their squabble was cut short when she sat on the Royal Throne and began to immediately take her peoples offers at dilemmas. "And where do you think you're going Consilium?" She called after him as he was clearly leaving for his chambers.

"To rest Princess, to rest."

"But," She looked for a proper reason, "but all these citizens! Surely I need help to quickly cycle through everyone here!" And then there was silence, "What?"

¥#¥#¥#

Luna was upset, she was left with an impossible puzzle and no hints whatsoever, What was it? Why does she have to be so complicated? And then she had an epiphany, if she could not find answers in the waking world, than maybe she could discover them in her realm of the Dreamscape. Yes, it was risky as all rings of hell, but it was only dreams, he could not hurt her in her domain regardless of what was left of him. So with her fears admonished and doubts departed she readied her mind for the strain of mind weaving.

¥#¥#¥#

Luna was alone. Cold and alone. Hungry, scared, cold, and alone. But before all else, she was her own, no one else's and determined to keep it that way. A noise, scampering in the alley? The makings of a possible meal? While she did not ever dare to tell another soul, as if she'd have another to talk to, she could safely ingest meats and other things as such. Only as a last ditch effort but she had done it none the less. She was, in every sense of the word, an omnivore. And she was disturbingly proud of it, just another tick on the growing list of differences the world could hold against her. Just another thing that made her unique, special, and deadly.

For it was in these back ways and alleys that she struck gold, where she could make a revolting living. Before she had come across these slums she had been mercilessly persecuted from town to town, at least now no one looked at her, or rathe, acknowledged her. She didn't mind, it was better that way, for both involved parties. They kept to themselves and she kept to herself. Luna located the source of the noise, a starving rat, nothing short of a delicacy should she find it the proper amenities. But she had no time for delicacies, she hadn't had something to eat in a little under a week. She had chased into a corner she designed specifically for this very job, no holes, cracks, or escape within, and once it realized it was doomed it attempted to hiss and even lunge for her. A pointless attempt but amusing all the same, but again, she had no time for games, only survival.

She quickly...killed the vermin with a scorching spell, to both cook and clean it before she ultimately ate it, bones and all. Not that she could feel them over her bodies feeling of immense satisfaction, they didn't effect her either way. Her victory was short lived however when a sickly looking stallion pressed in on the other end, "What do you got there little freak?" He laughed as he slowly stepped towards her, blocking her only escape.

For a split second Luna was frozen in fear at the sight of a stallion, No! Those times are over! "Nuck off Trino, I warned you what would happen next time you pushed on me." She warned monotonously, she had long since forgotten the point of inflections.

"Aw, you hurt me. Such dirty words from such a pretty mouth." He said hungrily as he came ever closer, only ten feet away by now.

"Is that really all you want? Well then that's a swing and a miss." Because she was, and will forever be, her own and alone.

She didn't know what it was, but his playful demeanor became very sour, "You shut your muzzle you little slut! I may not have the bits but I do have you! Right where I want you, where I need you." He said as he pounced for her. Her horn pitifully sputtered out as she resentfully resigned, her magic was undeveloped and she really didn't stand a chance against a full grown stallion.

Luna just closed her eyes and waited for it to be over. But then she heard something that broke her from her submissive stupor, a pained groan and dual thuds that resounded through the backstreets. But she was used to these kind of games, she kept in place, not showing a bit of the absolute fear and disgust she was feeling. Only the dank, dirty, and puddled floor had been there for her. But nothing ever happened, well, not what she had expected at least. Five fingers pressed against her forehead, she both cringed and fought back from this touch out of habit, and only when she really registered the warmth and care put into it, did she look up. And when she did what she saw will last forever as a moment, worthy against time, "Hello there little filly. It's okay now." He smiled kindly at her, "Rise and renew Luna, and brush thee self clean of the grime." He softly demanded of her as he himself stood, waiting for her to do the same.

This was the breaking point of Luna's mind, the red ball that gave way to the secret of a dream. Quickly and suddenly she rose from his waist height to standing exactly at his height, her pink mane changed into her personal hue of a starry sky, the surrounding walls fell like stage scenes and they were again in the middle of a field.

She hadn't the faintest idea of what she had just witnessed, but she felt sick knowing she was probably about to, the robbed man before her was watching her happily, seeming content to just watch her in her confusion until he spoke, "You've come far Luna, so much farther than I could have ever hoped." He said as he put his arms around her neck, "And I'm so sorry for what I've done. I swear I never meant for it to happen," he backed away from her and took on the appearance of a child caught knowing they've done wrong, "I promise it wasn't me! It was the crystals Luna!" He was in tears now and his previous intimidating figure was cracking, "I never meant to hurt any of them! I didn't know what I was doing! I thought I was back in the Galvanized Wars of Interium! Chyssis had sentenced entire states to death and I couldn't let it happen again!" He tried to explain before the rest just became an incoherent babble.

Luna didn't know of what he spoke, but she did know of what he meant, she too had felt the powers of another manipulating its ways over her, and if her dream was anything to go by, it may have been the same thing. But that didn't mean it was time to throw caution to the wind either, "Who are you?"

The man who lay groveling on the floor, begging to all the gods for forgiveness, perked up in an instant, "Oh well that's easy, the names Denui, Zasdin Denui." He said as he stretched out a hand for her to shake, but only then did it really dawn on him that she wasn't really, 'handshake' compatible, so he settled for a bump, a very uneasy bump.

"Eh heh, yes, well then it seems we are er, well met as fate would have it." Luna started another chain of speech once this little ditty had ended, "I feared as much." She took a step back, "And now we must choose where we stand. You seem different, like your former self, the one Celestia always speaks of with such esteem, might we be able to come to terms with one another? Starting off with, why are you?"

"Why am I what?" He asked with a stupid smile on his face, Luna still didn't understand this, but he was obviously unstable for whatever reason so she decided to leave it.

"Not 'what', just...why are you? Why are you here, in our minds?" And not dead? She put as placatingly as possible while she kept the last bit to herself.

But Zasdin's look of oblivious happiness began to slip, his very figure began to fray at the ends, as if he was a rope unspooling, "W- well you see Luna, after you two, oh! How has Tia been by the by? No no, she's fine I know, but she has been experiencing some very recent trauma...and could use a hug." He said in a single breath, "That was hers by the way," he suddenly regained his old sense of diplomacy, "that was her memory you know. The one you were in." He said with an almost business like tone, "That was her old life, until we turned it around, without me, she'd still be out there." Like he was trying to sell her something.

"Well yes, I know this now and am exceedingly grateful for what you have done for us but-" she was interrupted from her confused response however by the smoking man.

"How could you Luna? How dare you have the audacity to even entertain such dangerous thoughts of trivial matters!" He shouted clearly at her, an unknown energy shooting through the atmosphere, with every word he spat at her, a piece of him changed, she could feel the goodness that once was give to the evil that must be, "After all I did for you! You still manage to get sent to the moon, and not escape? What is wrong with you? And as for your sister oh don't even get me started. That little bitch was selling herself on the streets just to get by until I came across her! And then what, she just up and leaves me? When I get back I'm going to set things back the way they're supposed to be, before you all ruined my work!" He raged as her thrust his arms to the sky, causing the very same type of inky crystals that started it to shoot from the ground and stretch into enormous spires above themselves.

They arched, weaved, melted, and fused together to recreate a corrupted domain for him to reside in, the ground around the afflicted structure, causing the carefully waving plants to whither and turn to ash, the wind of movement blowing them into the air and creating a snowing effect. As Luna watched on in abject horror and awe she noticed that every crystalline beam that settled, she steadily lost her already unstable connection to her own dream.

She tried an tried but it felt that every time she made a meager advance for control she began to fade, then she saw his work again. A looming castle at the very center of a dying land. It's onyx gates repeatedly opening and closing like a fish struggling for breath, its walls expanding and contracting as if it were breathing, the struggling groan of its foundation as the structure settled into the land, seeming to sink and anchor itself in place. With every development she lost touch with her senses, it was all observed in broken snippets as she began to feel weak. Suddenly it all made sense, especially when he spoke inside her mind, from inside her mind, "Wake and move forth Emissary Nightmare, the seeds of chaos are just waiting to be planted. Forward on into the minds of our subjects, for what is a tyrant other than the strongest?" He laughed madly as she remembered what had happened when she last talked to the voices in her head. But before she awoke, she could feel the most desperate, sincere, and sorry presence of something from the very center of the castle, I am so, so sorry.

¥#¥#¥#

Celestia had finished enduring the tirade of horribly hidden mirth of everyone present as she explained the non-enforced but encouraged term of 'people, one, body, and person'. It was ok though, she had expected just such, it was only when the used it as a joke that she got a little annoyed, "Please now everyone, we need to handle this as grown, mature, adults. Do you really find such segregation amusing? Because if so I am truly disappointed with each and every one of you, even- no especially you Consilium! I had expected so much more from you." She scolded them all with obvious disgusted disappointment.

Consilium was wiping a tear from his eye as she said this, "My apologies Princess, but it's just so...weird" He answered from his seat, on the other side of Celestia, smaller than Luna's but still glamorous, "I've never heard of such a thing before, I t just sounds unnatural. Where ever did you conceive such a term?"

This really ruffled her feathers, "A very old, and very dear friend."

But before anyone could apologize, feel embarrassed, or even shy away from her unrelenting and set gaze, an armored alicorn, black as night, broke through the large doors, "I demand council with Princess Celestia, next in line for the throne of Kinsorn and second only to that of our mighty ruler, King Zasdin, another alias being, 'a very old, and very dear friend." She echoed again with the voice of two, a wicked smile and the crooked look of victory in her eyes being all anyone could care to notice.