A Thousand Year Nightmare

Chapters

Prologue
The Nightmare Begins
Memories

Prologue

I’m sick of this.

It’s not fair.

It’s just not right.

My creation is beautiful, the stars bright, and the moon full, but what do they do, they go into their houses and sleep, ignoring my work. But whenever the sun comes up they all stay outside and lavish in her light, and praise her. Why is she so special? Why is it her they love? Why can’t it be me?

They all ignore me, as if my crown means nothing. They all worship her, but what makes her so special? NOTHING, nothing makes her special, it’s just that stupid sun they love. If I had been the one to raise it instead of her, they’d love me.

It’s time for a change.

No more will they worship her. No more will they love her the way they do. No more will they run around in the sun. No more will they ignore my existence. No more will they sleep though my nights. I will change everything and take away that which they love most.

There will be no more sun.

Celestia walked in to my chamber, “Luna, the day is about to start, are you about ready to lower the moon?”

Oh, my dear sister, how I loathe the way they treat her. I turned to her, “Get out.”

“Luna, what do you mean?”

Right now, just the sight of her made me sick, “Oh, I’m sorry, was I not clear enough my dearest sister? I thought that get out meant for you to leave me, and to go away, or are you to hot headed to understand when someone doesn’t love you, or do you not know what that feels like.”

She put a sad look on her face, but why would she care about me, “But Luna, what are you talking about, we need to work together so I can raise the sun.”

I could feel my rage boiling inside me and, it was in that moment, I snapped, “Why should I help you raise your stupid sun?! So all the little ponies who ignore my beautiful night, can run around in your day, and worship you, and love you?! WELL, NO MORE! I will not lower my moon, I will not make room for your sun, because there will be no more days, there will be no more sun. This night, this glorious night, that I created, ME, NOT YOU, shall last for all eternity.”

Celestia looked at me, shocked and confused, “Luna, what are you talking about, why are you doing this?”

I laughed, “Why, WHY?! I’ll tell you why. I’m fed up with this, with you! All you do is raise the silly little sun, and all the little ponies everywhere worship you, and praise you, just because of the sun. They spend all day playing outside, and enjoying the sun, every activity they do in their life involves your stupid sun. But as soon as my beautiful night comes out, they all head into their houses, and sleep though my precious night. I bring out the stars and moon for them, FOR THEM, but what do they do? They ignore it, like it’s nothing. They don’t see the beauty in it. Well, my nights are beautiful, but they ignore them like they ignore me. They act like I don’t even exist. Does my crown and status count for nothing? I’m just the same as you, I’m a ruler of Equestria, yet why do they ignore me?” I began to laugh, “They refuse to see my night, well now they have no choice, They WILL love me as they do you, they WILL see the wrong they have done, and they WILL beg for forgiveness. Mark my words; they will regret not loving me, and they will see that the night is more beautiful than any day you could make.”

“But Luna…”

“NO, do not call me that anymore, your precious Luna was a push over. I am not a pushover, I’m taking what should be mine. I am Nightmare Moon, and as of now, this land is MY domain, my kingdom of the night.” I could see her struggle with comprehending the situation, maybe she’ll just leave.

“Lun… Nightmare Moon, will you not listen to reason, will you not give them a chance to hear how you feel?”

“Reason, listening? They barely even recognize my existence, and you think I should try to talk to them? They could’ve tried that long ago. Well, it’s too late for that, they had their chance long ago, they’ve chosen their path.”

“Sis, is there any way I can talk you out of doing this, it’s all unnecessary. I can show you that they love you as much as they love me, and as much as I love you.

“HA, you think you can win me over with your words, they mean nothing, they hold no weight behind them. You can’t chance them with talk and reason, the only thing they’ll understand now is force, and that’s exactly what’s going to happen. I shall keep the moon in the night sky; I shall not allow you to raise the sun, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me!”

“I see, then you leave me no choice, I’m so sorry sis, but I have to do this. I PRINCESS CELESTIA HEREBY BANISH YOU TO THE MOON!”

“What, you can’t do that, this is my domain, the moon is mine, only I control it, YOU CAN’T DO THI-”

Everything went black, I felt as if I was in a dark abyss, surrounded by nothing. Time had stopped, and I realized that this was actually happening. My sister had actually banished me. I opened my eyes and looked around, and I realized where I was, I was on the moon. What have I done, I’ve made a huge mistake. I’m so far from home, so far away from those who I’d carelessly thrown away. My time in solitude has begun.

The Nightmare Begins

Day 1
Dear Diary,

UGH, I’m so mad right now. Celestia, my own sister sent me to my beautiful moon as punishment, she always was one for irony.

I’m so glad that you’re here though, at least it will feel like I’m talking to someone.

It didn’t take me long, but I realized my wrong doing, I shouldn’t have tried to take over, but I was just so upset and annoyed that nopony ever showed any appreciation for me or my nights.

The beautiful blending of the darker colors in life such as the deep blue that reflects the beauty of my stars. And the beauty of the stars themselves, with them I’ve made constellations, provided ways for lost travelers to find their way home. I’ve created a time of life for so many unseen creatures. The wise old owl lives for the night, and the bats come out to play, and they love my nights, but the ponies don’t. I’ve spent all my years creating such beauty for them, but it’s never acknowledged.

But I guess I really can’t blame them, they need the son for their livelihoods, and now I guess I can see that.

My temper’s cooled, and I can think more clearly now. I should’ve listened to her, I should’ve gone with reason and understanding over fear.

Even though she’s not much older than me, she seems very wise, and I guess my jealousy hasn’t allowed me to see it. I love her with all my heart and I always will. I understand that the ponies look up to her more than they do me, but I shouldn’t really care about them, they don’t know me the way she does.

She’s my sister, and she loves me, and I feel so stupid for not seeing it. I thought in my rage I thought that she was just messing with me when she said we should talk to the ponies of the world, and to express how I feel. I thought to myself that they wouldn’t even listen to me, or even know who I am.

All she wanted to do was help me, but I wouldn’t even listen to her. Blinded by rage and internally tormented for the need to be acknowledged and wanted by somepony, I refused to hear her pleas for me to stop.

But she was probably right about it, all of it.

Perhaps if I had actually listened to her, and stopped my silly little act, I could’ve declared my thoughts and feelings to the ponies of Equestria; and maybe, just maybe, they would’ve understood me, and even though I’m not one for it, showed me sympathy.

However, it’s too late for that, the best I can hope for is that they’d accept an apology and forgive me. Maybe tomorrow Celestia will bring me back home, but right now, I don’t feel like doing anything. I’m just going to go to sleep.

Day 2
Dear Diary,

Is it night or day, I’m not sure; it all looks the same here. I guess this means she’s still angry at me. I never meant to upset her.

Honestly I’m kinda surprised that I’m still up here, but it shouldn’t be much longer, she’s too nice to leave me up here for long.

She’s always been nice, to everypony, especially me.

Am I a bad pony for not seeing how kind she is, for ignoring her? I know I made a mistake, I realize that, hopefully I’ll be going home soon.

It’s only been two days, but I already miss her. I can’t even remember any time we’ve spent apart. Even when I was upset at her for anything, she would always check up on me even if I didn’t want her to. I see now, that her checking up on me is what made me feel better.

Yet now, when I need her most, I’ve messed up so much that I can’t even see her.

The last image of her I have is one I wish I could forget. Her eyes, as much as I want to, I can’t push them out of my mind, not angry, but saddened and disappointed, and filled with tears she banished me. I feel so ashamed.

I hope she’s not still upset with me, and that she’ll bring me home soon.

I feel so alone, and cold. I just want somepony here, to hold me tight, and tell me it’s all going to be alright.

I just want my sister back.

Day 6

Dear Diary,

It’s been a couple of days since I’ve last talked to you, but sadly I’m still on the moon. I’ve managed to find a little cave, it’s not much, but it makes me feel safer. I’ve arranges some rocks to make a little table and chair.

Sis has really limited my powers here, but I guess I deserve it a little.

I really miss her though. I dream of all the fun we used to have as fillies, and with mom and dad; I hope she’ll bring be back home soon.

Hope…

Dad used to talk about hope all the time. He used to say that hope was our way to prevent ourselves from falling so far that we couldn’t be helped back up, and that it’s our inner strength, and not to not let pride get in the way of what we know we need.

I can still hear his voice as clear as day:

You must never give into despair. Allow yourself to slip down that road and you surrender to your lowest instincts. In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength.

Dad was always as wise as he was powerful, but with him and mom gone now, Big Sis is all I have left, and I carelessly threw her away.

I can look outside of my cave, and I can see it, I can see Equestria, my home, where my big sis is; they seem so far away.

It’s almost been a week since I’ve been banished, since I’ve seen her… I hope she brings me home soon.

I feel so alone.

Memories

Day 14

Dear Diary,

I think it’s been about two weeks since sis sent me here, the only thing I can really do here is sleep; it makes time seem to go by faster, and I guess I’m going to be here a while. Honestly, I can’t really blame it all on her; actually, I don’t think I can blame her at all. I overreacted to something and may have gone the teeniest bit crazy. I just wanted to be noticed by everypony, as if I meant nothing, or didn’t even exist.

I felt unloved; uncared for.

But now I just feel like an idiot, I was loved, I was cared for. Tia loved be and she showed her love, but I was too blind, too angry to see it, and now she’s gone, and I feel alone, cold, and abandoned.

I wish I could hug her at least once more.

I’m so sorry.

Day 30

Dear Diary,

Last night, at least I think it was night, was a full moon, and even while on the moon, it was beautiful.

I also had a dream, or rather; it was a memory, from when I was just a filly. It was one I had forgotten about long ago; it was about me, Tia, and mom and dad. Dad was teaching Tia to fly, and he and mom explained to us that one day we would take over their jobs of raising and lowering the sun and moon, and how essential that it is that we work together:

“I did it! I flew, I flew!!” She cheered as she landed.

I smiled and cheered with her, “Yay! You rock Tia!”

“Did you see me mom, did you see me?” Tia asked as she ran up to mom who was still holding me.

“Yes sweetie, I saw you, and you flew wonderfully; didn’t she dear?” She gestured towards dad as he landed.

“Of course she did, she flies just like her mother.” Smiling at Tia as he said it.

Tia’s face lit up like the sun, “You mean it, you really mean it?”

He chuckled, “Of course I do Celestia, now come on over here, there’s something your mother and I want to talk to you and Luna about.”

I just stared at him, wondering what he was going to talk about, “You mean we didn’t just come out here so you could teach Tia to fly?”

Mom interjected, “No Luna, no we didn’t”

“So why did we come out here?” Tia asked.

Dad hung his head a little and let out a sigh, “Your mother and I thought for a long time as to when we would tell you this, and we both agreed that we should do it now.” He looked at mom who smiled and nodded, “Luna, Celestia, the truth of the matter is, your mother and I aren’t going to be around forever. Together we’ve shared a long, long life together, but just as the seasons change, and day becomes night, the time will come for us to move on to the next world, where all living beings must go eventually.”

I could see tears in Tia’s eyes, and feel them in my own as mom spoke, “Girls, wipe those tears from your eyes. We’re not telling you this to make you sad, we’re telling you because we’re about to start a very important stage in your lives.”

Celestia wiped her tears, “What do you mean; what important stage?”

Dad pulled her closer to him, “Listen girls, once your mother and I are gone, it will be up to the two of you to raise and lower the sun and moon, just as we do.”

I wiped the last remaining tears from my eyes and looked at mom, and then to dad, “You mean I’ll be in control of the moon?”

He smiled, “Yes, and I’ll teach you how to control it, as well as the surrounding stars and constellations.”

Tia looked at mom, “And you’ll teach me to control the sun?”

“Yes sweetie, and how to control how hot and cold the weather will be, now come over here so we can start.”

I looked up at mom, “You mean we’re starting now?”

She looked down at me and nudged me towards dad, “Yes, now head on over to your father, I know he was a lot to talk about.”

I walked over to dad, and sat down. He chuckled pulling me in and wrapping his front legs around me, “Luna, do you know why your mother and I created the sun and the moon?” I shook my head, “We created them so that the ponies everywhere could prosper in the warm and bright day, and rest easy in the dark cool night, and for the many creatures to do the same, live and play in the day, and sleep at night; and vice versa for the nocturnal creatures, and do you know why we did that?” I shook my head again. He laughed and held me a bit closer, “We did it to create balance and harmony in the world, without which the world could not thrive as it does. Without the sun, food would not grow, and without the moon, those who work would not be able to rest. Are you beginning to understand?”

I nodded, “I think so.”

He smiled, “Good, but Luna, there’s something important that you must remember.”

“What?”

“Being in charge of the moon will not be easy, the hardest part will be the fact that you will be overlooked by many ponies, and they will take for granted what you give them. This is unavoidable, but you remember that no matter how they act towards you, or your night, that Celestia will always be there for you when you need her, just as your mother is there for me. Many times I have felt down, unappreciated by the masses, and sometimes angry at their ignorance towards me, but your mother has always calmed me down, and shown me that it’s just part of their nature to forget about me sometimes. Whenever you need somepony to talk to, she’ll be there for you, and don’t you ever forget that; promise.”

“I promise dad.”

That’s where my dream ended, and now I feel even worse than I did when Tia first sent me here, I broke my promise to him, I forgot all about her for a while and focused on what he told me was inevitable; that I would be ignored, and now it’s too late to change things, too late to go back.

I’m so sorry, for everything.

Credit for the pic goes to Egophiliac from DeviantArt