Vernal Equinox came into the world at dusk, on a day where daytime and night were the same length. He was a small, dark unicorn, born to the unicorns Galaxy and Midnight Eclipse. Raised in the town of Tall Tale, near Smokey Mountain, he lived a peaceful life. He played with the other unicorns of the town, and even with the occasional pegasus or earth pony that visited the predominantly unicorn town. He was happy.
Then, The Spirit of Chaos arrived, shattering his tranquil life. Quickly conquering the united tribes of Equestria, Discord declared himself supreme ruler of Equestria, and ruined the lives of every pony in the realm. Desperate to give her son a normal life, Galaxy fled with Vernal to the lands of the Crystal Empire in the north. The Empire had not yet been touched by Discord’s tyranny, for it was protected by a powerful magical artifact.
Scarred by the memories of Discord’s chaos and the disruption of his normal life, Vernal found it hard at first to connect with the Crystal ponies. He made very few friends at school, received poor grades, and spent much of his spare time in his room at home, writing stories about a unicorn named Autumnal Equinox, who lived a perfect life. Galaxy was disturbed by Vernal’s fantasies of an unruined life, and took Vernal to see a pony who specialized in helping ponies work through their feelings. After many therapy sessions, Vernal began to enjoy life more, opening up to other ponies, making friends, and even applying himself more to school.
About that time, the old King of the Empire passed away. He left no heirs, and talk began to circulate about who should take the throne. The Princesses of Equestria, who had defeated Discord and been elected the monarchs of the Empire’s southern neighbor, offered to take control of the Empire as well, but the Crystal Ponies were reluctant to serve foreign rulers, and chose instead one of their own: A powerful unicorn named Sombra.
Sombra went to work immediately, expanding the Empire’s borders, building its military up, and improving work output of the Empire’s citizens. He next began to encroach on the Equestrians' territory. Though some ponies protested, Sombra explained that Equestria was still weak from Discord’s rule, and couldn’t resist. All opposition to Sombra’s rule was silenced, including that of Vernal’s father Midnight, who had been reunited with his family after Discord’s defeat.
Sombra’s dark reign set in, afflicting ponies across the Empire. None could resist, for Sombra had hidden the Crystal Heart, the artifact that protected the Empire, in a secret location that none could find. Vernal once again sunk into depression.
Under cover of night, Galaxy snuck her beloved son out of the city, and took him to the city of Everfree, where the two Princesses ruled Equestria. Celestia and Luna, the co-rulers of Equestria were shocked to hear of the conditions inside the Empire, for while they were aware of Sombra’s malice, they were not aware that his subjects were unwilling pawns in his quest for power. The two sisters flew to the Crystal Empire to confront King Sombra, and banished him to the farthest reaches of the north.
For the Empire, however, things were too late. Sombra had cast a spell which had caused the Crystal Empire to completely vanish. Though the Princesses posted watchmen to look for the Empire’s return, years past without a sign of the Crystal Empire or the ponies who had lived there.
On top of losing his friends and father, Vernal soon lost his mother as well. Pained by grief and sickness, Galaxy passed away, leaving a young Vernal to himself. The two sisters took pity on the young unicorn, and raised him in their castle in Everfree. Though he prospered under the guiding hoofs of Celestia and Luna and grew into a powerful unicorn mage, Vernal remained the reclusive, saddened unicorn he had been before.
Vernal was plagued by nightmares of his dark experiences. He had recurring dreams of his father’s execution, his mother wasting away under disease, and Sombra burning his friends alive. And so it was that Princess Luna began to walk Vernal’s dreams, comforting him and dispelling the nightmares.
Have no fear, the Princess of the Night told him. We will protect thee.
But, they will return every night, like they always do! he cried. One night, you will not be there to rescue me.
Then We shall come every night for eternity. We will not leave thee to brave the dark of night by thyself, O troubled one.
Comforted by her presence, Vernal began to sleep soundly every night, though he walked with Luna in his dreams. He began to return to an almost normal life, though he never left the Castle of the Two Sisters.
“Luna, We fear for Vernal.” Celestia told her sister one day, “He is a grown stallion, yet he dreads leaving the walls of our castle. And he has no friends outside of us and the servents who dwell here.”
“Fear not, dearest sister. Vernal is a troubled stallion. Yet We watch over him, and he will gain the courage to leave this place one day. Have patience.”
As time passed, the time Luna and Vernal spent talking in dreams resulted in a closeness neither had ever had before. As ruler of the night, Luna conversed with few other ponies, yet Vernal seemed to care about her night, and even awaited the sun’s setting with eagerness. Likewise, there were no ponies Vernal was more open with than the mare of his dreams…
What is the matter, young Vernal? Thou art rather nervous tonight, when in nights past thou seemst rather content and at ease?
I am nervous, Luna, about your reaction to what I have decided to tell you.
And what may this be, that makes thee nervous?
I- I love you.
Luna did not speak for a long time.
Please, dear Luna, tell me: Do you love me in return?
I- We- We do not know. Please, allow us some time to figure out our feelings!
Luna did not appear in his dreams for three days, nor did she speak to him in the waking world. The nightmares returned, only now Sombra and Discord were accompanied by a Luna who mocked him and laughed at him for his foolishness. Vernal sank into despair, and was on the verge of taking his own life.
Then, on the fourth night, as he wept at the insults Nightmare Luna threw at him, he heard a voice speak above the sounds of his tormentors.
ENOUGH! Dispell, spirits of despair!
Vernal looked up to see Luna, the real Luna, banish the nightmares to the furthest reaches of his mind.
Dearest Vernal, we have thought long enough. Here is our answer: We love thee back, We love thee even more than our precious moon. Are thy feelings for us still sincere as well?
Of course! Oh, Luna, this news is the greatest news I have ever received. My life was full of despair, but now… things might become better.
And so it was. Vernal was happy at last, now that he had someone to love. He finally left the castle from time to time, but only with Luna at his side. He and Luna were joyful, and talk began to circulate around the city that there might even be a royal wedding in the making.
But soon, Luna began to feel that Vernal was hiding something. He was happier than ever, and assured her nothing was wrong, yet a darkest collected around the black unicorn, and nothing Luna did seemed to lighten it.
“Our Love, please, tell us what it is thou art hiding? And We know thou art. It pains us to know that thou keepest secrets from us, we who are so close to thee.”
“I will tell you in time, dearest Luna. All is well, you have nothing to fear.”
Though things continued on as before, Luna and Vernal drifted further away with time. Then, many months later, Vernal revealed his secret.
“I discovered this book in the Library of the castle. It holds the key to powerful magic! And I have studied its secrets and found what I desired.”
“Vernal! That book is full of the blackest magic, every bit as black as the magic King Sombra used. There is good reason our sister banned such books. Wherever did thee find it?”
“Behind locked doors.”
“Dearest Love, we beg you to get rid of it, and we will forget you ever read such things.”
“No. How can I get rid of it, when I am on the verge of discovery! If you truly loved me, you would let me keep it!”
Luna left weeping, and Vernal returned to his studies of Dark Magic. Soon he unveiled his crowning achievement. “I have forged an artifact so powerful, that with it, all Equestria shall be safe. No being of chaos, no tyrant, shall ever defeat me, and this land shall never vanish like the Empire! With this Amulet, I shall be unstoppable!”
Luna and Celestia looked on in horror, as the stallion they once knew clasped the Amulet to his neck, and transformed into a being of darkness. Vernal grew black, smoky wings that protruded from his back, his eyes turned red, and the plain black Amulet transformed into the shape of a black Alicorn.
“Vernal Equinox, what hath thou done?” cried Celestia.
“I have become more powerful, more than even you Celestia, and now hold the fate of Equestria in my hooves.”
Thinking quickly, Luna pleaded with Vernal, hoping that some small fraction of the stallion she once knew remained. “Yes, dearest Vernal, we have no doubt that Equestria is safe. And thou art clearly skilled with magic. Please, Love, may We examine your handiwork more closely?”
Vernal hesitated. Without the Amulet, his powers would be but a fraction of what they were now. But part of him still loved Luna. “Yes. But only for a moment.” He said, removing the Alicorn Amulet from his neck.
Luna took the Amulet from him. “Of course, for that is all we need.” She looked at Celestia and nodded. “We are sorry, dearest Vernal, but we must save you from yourself.” A single tear flowed from her eye, as she and her sister removed the Elements of Harmony from their hiding place, and wielded their awesome magic against the red-eyed, black coated Alicorn.
“What? No, Lunaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!” he cried as the blast from the Elements banished him from the world, leaving him to rest on the moon.
“And now sister, we must destroy Vernal’s work, and hide that book away where nopony will ever find it.”
“Of course, Luna.”
They tried for many months, but the amulet could not be destroyed. So the sisters hid the book and the Amulet in different locations, hoping they would never be found.
Life on the moon was lonely. Vernal Equinox waited, praying Luna would arrive to bring him home, hoping she would forgive him. But she never arrived. He awaited her in his dreams, and frequent nightmares, but she never arrived, and he fell into despair. After several decades of Despair, he tried to be optimistic. Maybe now, after all this time, she had forgiven him, maybe he had paid his penance. He tried calling out for her in his dreams, but she never answered. The years went by, and he sat ageless on the moon, cursing himself for even being born. His life was met with nothing but tragedy.
After a few Centuries of torment, his sadness turned to anger, then anger to hate, and finally, to rage. Unending rage consumed him. How could she have left him here, Have forgotten him here in this desolate place. When, or if, he ever returned, he would murder her for her betrayal. His nightmares continued, but he practiced his dark arts until he could control them. He was no longer mastered by his fears, he was now their master. He commanded his nightmares.
Then, after nearly a thousand years, she arrived. Luna, on the moon. His rage subsided, leaving only mild anger.
“Why did it take you so long to come for me? Why now?”
“I am sorry, Vernal, but I did not come for you. I was banished here by my tyrant sister.”
As the words sunk in, the Rage returned, and he prepared to take his revenge...