Author's Note

The points with an asterisk (*) is when the point of view changes, as well as a time lapse going from flashback to present. The narration of this chapter is first done by the moon, while the dialogue is by somepony. The narration is more like dialogue, but this is only their thoughts.

7 Moon in the Dark

A hollow place. An empty place. No sound, no light, just darkness. No feeling of wind, no hot, only cold. So cold. Is this ones fate? For the moon, this is the fate it has been given. A large orb in the sky, unable to see or hear anything, unable to sense anything. Only existing. For what? The moon knows not why it is, just that it is. Its core becoming as cold as the... What? The darkness.

"Hello." a voice unknown spoke. The sound dry and with no reverberation what-so-ever.

"You look lonely." There it was again... But what could be speaking? The moon knew not how to speak, but thinking it did very well.

"It's okay. You don't have to talk if you can't." Could this creature read the moon's mind?

"Yes. I know your thoughts... And you have been very cold for a very long time..." This voice is so sympathetic... So nice and kind... It is a lovely voice...

"I also know that you cannot see me... Nor can I see you... Only you can bring the light." Light?... What is that? The moon had never seen light.

"I will teach you how to see light... I will guide you through emotions." Emotions? What are those? All the moon knows is cold... All the moon has seen is darkness... The moon knows not light, nor... Emotions...

"I will guide you... I will save you from this darkness. I will show you the light. I will teach you of all things that have been, and all things that are." And of things to be? What about that strange voice? Can you show me that? The moon knows already what has been... The answer is darkness. The moon knows what is... The answer is Darkness... But the moon knows the darkness will not leave... So voice, if you show the moon something the moon knows not already, the moon will follow you.

"I alone cannot show you, moon... But you can show yourself... I will show you how to do this. It will take time, yet the reward will be priceless." Priceless? What is price?...

"I will show you everything you have missed... All that comes with light... And the things in the dark that you cannot comprehend..." Voice, you are unaware of what the moon knows it seems... The moon knows what lurks in the dark. Nothing.

Voice?... You have left the moon, and the moon is once again in darkness... Alone... But now the moon knows it is not alone... Not forever...

"Hello again." Voice? You returned quickly... Why?

"Did I not say I would help? I have returned one week from my first visit." Week? That is such a short amount of time... The moon knows time in eternities... Not weeks...

"There are seven days in a week, four weeks in a month, and twelve months in a year. There are ten years in a decade, and one hundred years in a century. Does this help you understand such a short amount of time?" Yes. Voice. Thank you. The moon has begun to understand.

*"Do you remember this?" A strange voice... In the dark... The endless, sightless dark... The bitterly cold dark...

"Yes. A simple voice in the dark... That is all you were to me at first..." All I was to you?... What do you mean?...

"You taught me the time of ponies... You taught me to see the light... And from that light you taught me to see... Everything." Everything?... What are you?... Surely you are not me...

"No, dear friend... I am not you... Only you can be... But I will help you to see the light, with the light you have shown me..." Light?... I have forgotten the sight of light... Did I ever know the light?... Or was it just my thought?...

*"You have made great progress, my dear moon." Thank you. Talking to you has made me feel strange of late... I can't describe how, but it is a good strange...

"You are feeling emotions now... Happiness..." Happiness?... I like... Happy.

"There are many emotions though. Many many emotions. This is just one." Just one? How many are there? Countless... Correct?

"Yes... Not even I know every emotion..." What is your name, fair voice?

"In due time dear moon." Till next week.

Voice?... Are you not coming? There is still so much for me to learn... I want to experience happiness again... Please, come back...

Voice? It has been a long time since you have come... Have you forgotten about me? Will I never experience happiness again? I feel... Strange... A bad strange, that makes me feel empty inside... Like nothing matters anymore...

"I am here... I have been here for one month, listening to you..." What?

"I have now shown you sadness. This comes in many forms. One you experienced we call depression." You made me believe you had forgotten about me... Made me think that I was alone! I do not want to be alone! I want you to stay with me for eternity, showing me all of the things in the world I cannot see or hear or touch or smell or know of!

"Inside of you you should be feeling hot. Like you could just hurt something. Like you want to release pent up pressure on one thing and see it be destroyed." Yes, I want to do something to release pent up pressure.

"What you are feeling is anger. This is a dangerous emotion. This emotion can cause one to lose their life..." What?... Lose their life?... Will I lose mine from this?...

"No. But you were just feeling frantic. Like something bad would happen, and you didn't want it to, and were hoping it didn't, not sure what you would do if something bad did happen." Yes... I did feel like that... What is that emotion?

"Fear. What you felt is what its like to be scared... There is one more emotion I would like to show you..." Yes? You speak as if it is something you don't wish to show me...

"I do... I really do... But it is an extremely difficult emotion to know... It is something that cannot just be shown like I have done with the others... It is something that some creatures even over their entire life have not even figured out..." What, what is it? What is this emotion called?

*"I now understand what this emotion is..." This... We are hearing memories?... You are showing me your memories?...

"No... I am showing you our memories, dear friend..." Our memories? I do not remember this... How can this be my memory?

"You have forgotten... You have spent a very long time in darkness... You have become cold... So cold... But we are lucky in that where you are, time flows differently... For every thousand years, it is equal to a single day where you are from." Where I come from?... Yes... Where I come from... But where is it? I do not remember even what it looks like...

*"Dear moon, can I tell you something?..." The moon is willing to listen to anything you have to say, dear friend.

"You are the closest friend I've ever had..." Dear friend, you are the ONLY one I've had.

"One more thing..." Yes? What is it dear friend?

"What comforts you the most?..." What? What comforts me the most? I would have to say you, dear friend... Why do you ask such a strange question?

"I want you to focus, dear moon... Focus on me, the feeling you get from me. Focus as hard as you can." Alright, friend... I'll focus on the feeling I get from your voice.

*"This is when..." When? what is about to happen?

"I'm going to glow, for the first time..." Oh... What is glow?

"With this glow I will make you remember." Remember what?

"Who you are."

*"So, dear moon, are you focusing?" Ngh. Yes. As hard as I can.

"I want you to relax now. keep thinking of only that feeling and nothing else, but relax." Alright... The moon is relaxed.

"Now let that feeling overflow you, let it fill you until you can do nothing but cry in joy and happiness."

*"As I did this, I started to glow." Ngh! what is this? My eyes... My heart... I feel as though I am being filled with many emotions at once... And memories... are filling into the deep, deep darkness I've been stuck in...

"Yes... You've shown me the light. Light created from love and a tender heart, which you have passed to me." I am remembering a great wonder of things, beautiful sights, lovely memories... But also horrid, nightmarish events... Tragedies I've caused... Friends who have died... but now I am remembering friends... friends who have not yet died, and may have a chance to live if what you said about our time difference is true.

"I would not lie to you, dear Luna." I know, dear Moon. Thank you. Will you aid in my return? Will you aid in the defeat of the creature we fight?

"Luna, I will give you the awesome power of the moon. Not many know besides you that I too have magic, and a greater one than yours. You must promise me one thing." Anything! Dear Moon, for you, I'd give my life!

"You must return it to me when it is over, and you cannot turn into that dreadful other pony, who ruins my good name by calling herself Nightmare Moon." I have learned that lesson, and will not travel that road again.

"Then by the power of the Divine Moon, I grant you the power of shadows to defeat your opponent. I give you the power over all spirits dead." I can feel the power... This will surely be enough... Thank you!

"There is one final thing..." Yes?

"Take your sister, Celestia, to the Sun... My sister... she will lend Celestia the power she needs to vanquish another evil, that will show itself soon." How soon? When will this new evil arrive?

"Arrive? It is already here, it just has not been revealed. The true puppeteer is yet to be discovered..."