“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”

... ….

…. ….

…..

……

…. ….

….. ….

…….

…

…

…

…Death…

…Is this what it’s like?

…

…Dark… Black… Cold...

…Lonely…

…How could this be…

…

…No… This…

…This is a dream.

…How?

…?!?...

“Aaah!! Hah…Hhaah…”

Luna wakes in a dark and unknown place, gasping for air as though she had emerged from a deep pool of water. The floor beneath her is made of marble tiles, which stretch out and angle upwards into walls, creating a small room. The surrounding darkness is thick.

The presence of another is felt, the heavy air rippling as she pants.

“Ghaah… H-… Harder than expected….”

The voice of Nightmare Moon reaches Luna’s ears, writhing in pain as if she had just fallen from a great height.

Luna’s vision slowly returns as she hunches over, her hands flat on the floor. She remains focused on herself, breathing heavily and shaking from a sudden chill within her body. As though a gale of cold wind swept right underneath her skin, enveloping her bones.

Looking down, Luna’s eyes widen in terror as she takes sight of the massive hole in her chest, right where Phobos had struck.

Where blood, tissue, and organs should be, there is nothing. Her insides are simply gone. Ribs, lungs, heart, and all.

Reeling back, Luna’s gaze of shock turns to one of malice as her eyes lock onto Nightmare beside her, who still struggles to lift herself above her knees.

“YOU.”

In a burst of strength, Luna lunges for Nightmare, thrusting her against the stone wall with one arm pinned across her neck as she grits her teeth.

“You know not what you’ve done!”

“Urk… I’m pleased you caught on… Gnh… so quickly. I wouldn’t want you to think you died.” Nightmare spouts, struggling to speak under Luna’s force.

“Hardly. I know full well what you’ve done. This is a dream. MY dream. We cannot freely traverse dreamscapes without magic!”

“I’d love to speak more with you, Luna, but it’s rather hard to breathe like this.” Nightmare says plainly.

Luna glares at her for but a second more before releasing her, letting her clear her throat.

“I know you. You have a reason to be here. You seek something to benefit yourself.”

“So quick to assume,” Nightmare huffs, getting to her feet, “Have you ever thought that I might be trying to help you by diving into your subconscious?”

“Considering your methods, I highly doubt it.” Luna retorts, pointing to the hole within her chest.

Nightmare Moon merely glances at the damage she inflicted upon Luna, seemingly indifferent to how painful it was.

“You already stated the obvious before… You will never accept anything I have to offer. What other choice did I have than to take you by surprise? I know you’ll never believe me, but… I did this to help you.”

There is only so much that one can assume, and Luna has assumed much on Nightmare Moon’s true intentions. Perhaps it might be better to ask questions, even if they seem pointless.

“If we are truly going to be stuck together for the time within my dreams… Then be honest with me, Nightmare. Why did you do this?”

“… I’ll spare you a heartfelt speech. Put simply, I’m doing this as my contribution to your war effort. Specifically, to further your chances of victory.”

Luna furrows her brow. “How so?”

“Having Phobos and Deimos will undoubtedly lend you an edge against Dainn… But you’ll need to be at your peak to defeat him. You will need your magic.”

“I need a horn to cast magic. If bringing us here was to remind me of that, then I question your sanity.”

“Ahh but Luna… Magic doesn’t come from the horn. It’s already stored within us. The horn is just used to draw it out and direct it. Your own mind tells your horn what to do, just as it tells your arms or legs to move when you want them to. I know of a way to allow you to tap into your magic… Even without your horn.”

Luna remains suspicious. Had such a technique ever existed before, Luna would have surely known of it. Whatever ritual or method Nightmare Moon is proposing… it is likely of a dark origin.

Nightmare Moon continues.

“We need to find one of your dreams that contains the ‘locus’, as I call it, which will act as the key to your stored magic. Thus, we are going to have to go from dream to dream until we find it. And without a current use of magic, as you pointed out, we need to find your waking points. I’m sure you recall them, yes?”

Luna slowly nods, attempting to speak up, only to be cut off by Nightmare as she resumes.

“I should also warn you… this process is in no way painless. You will experience mounting headaches, due to the building pressure and lack of a horn to channel your magic. Use it only when absolutely necessary, lest you permanently damage your brain. We wouldn’t want that.”

Nightmare’s words come off as having been spoken from a doctor. A doctor which may not have all of Luna’s best interests in mind.

“… How do I know this isn’t a ruse? That you won’t simply betray me and attempt to merge yourself with me again?”

Nightmare’s lips curl into a sisterly smile.

“I’ll always have my agendas, Luna. But think of it this way… I’m the least of your worries right now. You have been mustering as much strength as you can to challenge the caribou. I’m only adding to that strength. With or without me… You’ll have your magic back. And with it, another tool to help you save everything. And everyone.”

As much as Luna would rather wave all of this off, she sees no other choice. She must escape these dreams and return to the waking world as quickly as possible. And if Nightmare Moon is telling the truth, then this side-tracking just might bear a critical advantage. Access to magic untouched for years.

However… If Nightmare Moon is lying… Then Luna may very well be nearing her own demise.

Her choice is decided. Luna extends her hand to Nightmare, who promptly shakes it to seal their sudden alliance.

Pulling away from her now-ally, Princess Luna scans the marble room. It appears to be for storage use, with one wooden door directly behind them.

Towards the wall opposite the door, both Phobos and Deimos lie still. They lean against the stone, yearning to be handled once more.

Luna moves to the swords, picking up Deimos. Its hilt is warm to the touch.

As she grasps onto Phobos however, Luna is stopped short. The sword refuses to budge from its place, as though it were welded to the wall itself.

Luna tries several times in vain to remove it, until Nightmare Moon urges her aside.

To Luna’s surprise, Nightmare lifts Phobos with unencumbered ease.

“It would appear that we are to have our own protection.” Nightmare says with a smile.

Luna frowns, sheathing Deimos away. A troubling and unfortunately-necessary sacrifice, it would seem. All the more reason to keep a close eye on her new companion.

Luna sighs before approaching the wooden door.

“Fine. Then let’s be off.”

As the two exit from the wooden door, with Nightmare Moon in front, they come into a small hallway, one which heavily resembles those found within Canterlot Castle. In the hallway, shadows of ponies go back and forth, some imitating a patrol of guards and others as servants within the castle performing their duties. The ghostly presences pass through both Luna and Nightmare, oblivious to them.

Within Luna’s subconscious, nothing is in a transfixed form. This plane is a melting pot of dreams, memories, thoughts, and sometimes the rare precognition. Luna is in her element. And still, she cannot tell what lies ahead. This is above all the greatest obstacle of the dreams to come. Unpredictability.

Despite the unknown lying ahead, Luna does recognize aspects of the current dreamscape. The dream within Canterlot Castle was one she had a year ago, just before waking in Umbra after being rescued by the noctrals. Though true to the unstable nature of Luna’s subconscious plane, the current dream is flipped in reverse, making finding the waking point much more difficult.

Luna and Nightmare Moon move briskly down the hallway, passing through another set of doors which reveal the castle’s main hall. It is lined with torn banners and cracked pillars. The stained glass windows along the huge walls are all shattered, as though some one jumped through each one repeatedly. The castle throne lies at the very end.

Though there is much more covering the great hall.

The entire hall is splattered with an obscene amount of blood, sticking everywhere from the marble tiles to the columns, and even parts of the ceiling. The floor lies littered with chunks of flesh and dismembered limbs, organs crushed and wrung out. Those pieces which are identifiable look to belong to a caribou. Luna assumes it to be the king himself.

Upon reaching the end of the hall, Luna and Nightmare inspect the throne. The seat has been split in half, as if an executioner brought down his axe upon the wide chair. The attached plaque which held the sheared horns of the Princesses as trophies is nowhere to be seen.

At the foot of the throne, sprawled on the steps, lies Celestia. The bright red collar around her neck standing out from her white coat.

She pants and coughs as Luna approaches.

“I… I never imagined you could do something like this, Luna. Is killing your only pleasure? You’ve become nothing but a monster! Our peace is shattered… Now all we will know is war…”

Luna’s saddened stare slowly transforms into a snarl of vehemence.

“You were stronger than this. How could you let them break you?! You’ve let a pretender of a king utterly defeat you, even coerce you into acceptance. You… We… could have prevented all of this.”

Nightmare Moon stands beside Luna, sneering.

“I wouldn’t give her so much credit… Don’t you remember how easy it was to defeat her when we returned?”

“No. That Celestia was different. She wanted to forgive me. This one… Is just like the Celestia that ignored me. The one who cared only for herself, even while I grew disillusioned and hateful from under her shadow those thousands of years ago...”

“Then what would you do with this Celestia?”

Luna continues to stare at the broken Celestia before her, but then twitches her ears, shaking her head back into focus. She calms herself, the snarl on her face disappearing.

“…If you think I don’t know what you’re doing Nightmare, you’re sadly mistaken. I won’t give in to your influence and kill my sister.”

“And here I thought you grew out of being paranoid,” Nightmare Moon shakes her head, looking to Celestia, “I don’t want to kill Celestia. Or make you kill her, for that matter.”

Luna quickly turns to Nightmare Moon, watching her intently as she shrugs.

“Killing her does nothing for me, or anyone really. Let ‘this one’ wallow. We should be finding your waking point and moving on.”

Nightmare Moon promptly turns away from the throne. Even though she still thought badly of Celestia, Luna heard something different in Nightmare’s tone. As though she was speaking much more spontaneously, instead of selecting her words.

She has motives here, regardless of her ‘helpful’ intentions. Luna decides to remain wary.

Returning her attention to the throne, Luna gazes down at Celestia as she holds her wounded self. Her face is buried beneath her mane, and even if Luna could see it again, she is sure that she would not recognize it.

With a somber look, Luna leaves Celestia on the steps, turning to catch up with Nightmare.

Only then does the entire room begin to rumble viciously, mimicking that of an Ursa Major’s growling stomach.

Both Luna and Nightmare Moon stand at the ready, blades drawn. Blackness, with a vile stench and horrid form, seeps like tar from the walls and ceiling. The puddles forming on the floor grow lengthy, tentacle-like limbs, made of a sickly fluid.

The limbs boast grotesque hands upon them as they line the edges of the room and turn towards Celestia. Those closest inch forward like slugs, extending themselves to grab hold of Celestia’s arms and legs. The nerve-wracking sound of flesh tearing and bones breaking echoes across the hall as Luna witnesses the monstrous hands eviscerate her sister.

They then direct themselves towards Luna and Nightmare, crawling in their direction in a sluggish manner as more and more spawn from the surrounding sludge.

“I’m going to assume they intend to kill us.” Nightmare notes as she slashes at one spindly hand, causing it to emit a shrill cry and dissolve. Others take its place.

“These creatures are familiar… They were in this dream. Near its end. They had latched onto me and dragged me downwards after I was thrown into the room we began in.”

“Brilliant. We can’t progress unless we get past them.”

As Nightmare Moon hacks at another limb, Luna dwells for a moment.

“I know what we have to do.”

“And that is?”

“Let them take us.”

Nightmare Moon growls under her breath.

“I don’t know if you hadn’t noticed, but your pitiful sister just got ripped apart a moment ago. I needn’t remind you of what could happen if we die in this plane!”

“These monsters are what brought me to my waking point! You must trust me on this!”

The countless hands and limbs completely encircle Luna and Nightmare Moon, slowly pushing them back to back.

“I sincerely hope you’re right about this.” Nightmare snarls as she and Luna drop their guard, putting Phobos and Deimos within their scabbards.

The hands of black begin laying upon them, indiscriminate in where they touch. Some extend to longer lengths and twirl themselves in a tight circle around Luna and Nightmare, trapping them in a coil and drenching them in slime.

Now tightly pressed back to back, their wings bending uncomfortably, Luna and Nightmare offer no resistance as the prehensile limbs continue to restrain their victims.

The floor beneath them is now only a thick pool of sludge, pulling them down slowly like quicksand.

Before they could reach for another breath, Luna and Nightmare submerge into the dark pool, swallowed alive by the monstrosity of the dream.

As the pressure builds and the light wanes, Luna loses all of her senses, and blacks out.

The stars! They’re so beautiful.

Another lullaby…Please

When will I find my path?

The whole Moon?? I can be like Tia now??

I will make you proud!

Wh-…Where is everypony?

Why can’t I just be loved?...

Luna reawakens, finding herself with Nightmare Moon in the gardens of the castle. Rotting vines block any exit, and a sickly haze surrounds the decrepit garden.

The second dream.

A commotion stirs from the center of the dying garden. A familiar voice echoes.

“No!! Let me go! Stop! Please!”

Celestia’s cries reach Luna’s ears. She rushes out into the garden, leaving Nightmare Moon in the dust.

Before her appear her doppelgangers. The red and purple collared Lunas.

They cross the garden ahead of Luna, dragging a blindfolded and struggling Celestia.

“We must remember our place, sister. You mustn’t disobey.” Says the red collard Luna, pulling Celestia by her bound-together wrists with little effort.

The purple collared Luna follows, her hips and shoulders swaying sensually as she crawls on all fours.

“Just give it a bit of time, sis. You’ll love it soon enough. Then you’ll be begging for more and more and more and more. That’s when the fun really starts.”

“Stop this, please… I don’t want to go!”

Her fist clenched tightly around Deimos, Luna dashes towards her doubles and her sister, commanding their attention.

“GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER!!!!”

With one powerful slash, Luna decapitates her red collared double. Celestia cries out as the headless body falls to the ground.

Luna wastes no time, grabbing hold of her purple collared double and impaling her with Deimos repeatedly, disemboweling her torso until she is utterly lifeless.

Just as quickly as her anger rose, it subsides as Luna moves to aid Celestia.

“How quick you are to kill yourself for her…” Nightmare Moon mutters, looking over the corpses of Luna’s doubles as she walks past them.

Luna ignores her, keeping her eyes on Celestia as she cradles her and removes her blindfold.

“L-Luna! Is it… Is it truly you this time?” she stammers, oblivious to the hole in Luna’s chest.

“It’s ok, Celestia. I’m here with you now. You are safe.”

Celestia’s eyes turn from relief to terror.

“No… noo… Nowhere is safe, Luna! The caribou… Dainn… they’re everywhere! I see them… every single day…Every time I wake and every time I sleep! They won’t leave me alone!!”

Celestia stares at Luna as she is cradled in her arms. Her eyes well with tears of pain, her voice quivering and rife with fear.

“Luna… Please… I can’t live knowing my ponies are crying out for me… And that I can’t save them. I… need you to end it. Take me away from this nightmare!!”

Luna freezes, choking up. Her eyes dart as she stammers.

“N-no, I… I can’t…”

“Would it not be the merciful thing to do?”

Nightmare slowly appears over Luna’s shoulder, hands held behind her back. Luna resists casting a glare at her.

“…You’d never understand what family means, Nightmare…”

“… No… I suppose not… Though-…”

Nightmare Moon stops, cutting herself short.

Luna looks back, noticing her gaze fixed upwards, beyond the garden. She follows her sight line, turning her head up to the sky.

In the outline of an enormous pale Moon, appears a shadow, floating in place as though it were held by unseen strings.

Instantly, Luna recognizes the winged shadow. It had saved her when she confronted her doubles in this past dream. She had long suspected it to be an extension of Nightmare Moon’s intrusion into her sleep. Those suspicions can now be discarded.

As Luna looks upon it with lucid eyes, she now notices the winged shadow resembles a giant crow. Its wispy feathers exude trails of eerie light, and its talons resemble dark and dull scimitars.

Perhaps what is most unsettling is the crow’s lack of a visible head. And yet two pupil-less eyes hover in their rightful place, glowing a deep blue.

The winged shadow remains utterly silent, its wings stretched outward. It slowly descends, daintily curling its talons around the stone barriers of the garden’s very edge.

“I don’t believe it to be hostile…” Luna states, looking back to Nightmare Moon.

Celestia continues to gaze upward, fixated on the ethereal beast.

Like a ghost rising from its grave, Celestia ascends from Luna’s arms, enthralled by the presence of the winged shadow. She steps sluggishly, her hands still bound before her.

“Celestia? What are-,”

Luna stops as she feels Nightmare’s hand grip her shoulder.

“Wait.”

The winged shadow extends a scaly foot as Celestia stops before it, becoming scooped up in the talons of the crow. With a massive beat of its wings, the winged shadow lifts from its perch, ascending gracefully above the light haze.

Like an angel of death to a lost soul, the winged shadow ferries Celestia off into the rays of moonlight, flying until they are but a speck against the pale Moon.

Moments of silence pass as Luna and Nightmare stare at the Moon’s glow.

“One can only wonder at how symbolic that must be. Might this be a reflection of your own feelings, Luna?” Nightmare queries.

“If they are… Then I’m not sure what to make of them.”

“You shouldn’t forget what dreams are, Luna. They are windows which show one’s past, present, and future. A reflection of what one was, is, and will be.”

As much as it pains Luna, Nightmare is right. But there is more to be focusing on than the hidden meanings of past dreams. Luna still has friends waiting on her to return.

“That’s a subject to dwell on later. The winged shadow embracing me was my waking point in this dream. Now that it is gone, I’m not sure where-,”

A wave of air pushes down upon Luna and Nightmare from directly above.

Just as they raise their heads, the open talons of the winged shadow crash down upon them, trapping both Luna and Nightmare under each clawed foot.

The winged shadow quickly lifts them up into the haze above, each blue eye focused on each of its captives. The force of its wings churn the air, transforming the haze into a dense layer of black cloud, covering any trace of the garden below.

Though whipped and shaken violently with each beat of the shadow’s wings, Luna manages to grab hold of Deimos. She readies for a swing at the crow’s legs, calling out to Nightmare.

“We will strike its legs in tandem! Are you-,”

The winged shadow suddenly cries out in pain, wavering for but a moment. Luna looks to the other set of its clutched talons.

Phobos’ mark shows upon the beastly crow’s scaled leg, the gash bleeding smoke. Luna watches as it opens its talons, letting Nightmare plummet into the black clouds below. She vanishes without a trace.

Without delay, Luna quickly rears Deimos again, but the winged shadow beats faster this time, rising even further into the nothingness above. The shaking and rattling persists, causing Luna’s grip to loosen.

Deimos falls, spinning as it is swallowed by the clouds.

Their climb continues, the air becoming frigid. The bright and pale Moon casts them as a silhouette amongst the clouds. The winged shadow seems intent on flying forever, taking Luna with it to the dark heavens above.

Luna frantically tries to recall the dream. And suddenly remembers hearing a voice before the dream ended. The voice of Sweetie Belle.

Her voice pulled Luna away from the winged shadow. It was this act which became the waking point.

That meant that now, escaping from the winged shadow would give transport to the next dream. But there was no way now, without Deimos.

As the air grows colder and colder, Luna feels a rising pain within her skull. A migraine festers within her forehead, imitating the anguish of bashing one’s head against a steel wall. The pressure builds, ricocheting down her spine and back up to her horn’s stub in a painful spike. The stub of her horn lets loose tiny inklings of teal light. Her eyes glow briefly before she squints them shut in pain.

With a rising cry of defiance, agony, and desperation, Luna suddenly exerts a volatile bubble of energy to surround herself, its light illuminating the black feathers of the winged shadow.

The bright bubble expands rapidly, pushing away the talons of the crow. It vibrates uncontrollably before unleashing a massive pulse of pure magic, bathing the cold air in a teal glow.

The winged shadow reels, flapping and struggling to regain balance in the air.

Luna floats for but a second in the aftermath, her limbs outstretched and herself freed of the winged shadow, before gravity takes her.

The rush of the wind and air around her grows more and more violent as she descends, dampening her senses until there is nothing but blackness.

…Dear sister…

I accept you into my being.

...Oh dearest sister…

I will let you in.

...The mistakes you have made…

will grant us our rightful place.

What fault do I bear?!? NONE! It was you who did wrong!!

...What have I done?...

Coward. Sealing me away.

...Forgive me!...

I will have my vengeance.

...It was a Nightmare…

to wait a thousand years, for my return.

…We are one…

…and always will be…

Luna awakes once again, this time on the endless plains of silver grass.

The third dream.

The grass seemingly cushioned Luna’s fall from the previous dream. No clouds linger above. Only a night sky filled with gleaming stars.

Luna’s sudden outburst of magic was unexpected, and indeed quite painful. As she reels from the advent of it, Luna realizes that Nightmare Moon had fallen into this dream first, and thereby must have found the locus for Luna’s magic.

Though exactly what she did is unclear, and still troubling. For all Luna knows, Nightmare Moon could be plotting other things at this very moment, somewhere within this empty dream.

Pushing herself up, Luna spots Deimos lying only inches away from her, planted into the soft ground.

Luna rises to the emptiness of the fields around her, acquiring Deimos once more. The grasslands of grey hold nothing to see.

But there are plenty of things to hear.

Luna’s ears swivel as her head turns, catching the feint voices of others from all around her. She picks one direction and follows the voice, itself now singling out as Luna continues to walk.

After only a few minutes, the voice has completely drowned out the others, and is undeniably clear.

It belongs to one of her Sentinels… High Tide.

His words ring out, as if echoing across a lake, yet remains clear and pristine. They belong to a memory… a conversation Luna once had with him.

Luna stops still to listen.

………

“… Umbra is actually quite diverse in climate. I’ve traveled all across the country, to each mountain and each river, each forest and each valley. It is beautiful. I’d never pick any other place to call home.

…Oh no, no. I’m a traveler at heart! I’ve been to many places in Equestria. Trottingham, Las Pegasus, Manehatten, and many other amazing places!

…Oh that’s easy. Favorite trip was to the Mareibbean. I went there with my dad one year. Had a little cabana on the beach. The weather, the sun, the food, the wildlife, the locals… Everything was gorgeous. Maybe you’d like to come with me next time? We should all go!”

………

Luna realizes this was from some months ago in Haven. Her voice is not present in the memory.

It is at this moment that Luna notices the tiny flower before her, settling right below where High Tide’s voice was emanating from. With his voice now gone, the flower begins to wilt, losing its bold colors and drooping to the side.

The other voices of Luna’s Sentinels return, feint and reaching from different directions. Luna picks up another and follows.

She arrives at the second flower. The voice belonging to Crowe.

………

“…Do you need me to sharpen any of your blades, Princess?

…Ah, ok. Are you sure? I’ve just been a little bit bored lately. I miss my tools and my workshop back in Cyllene. And since we aren’t in Haven’s armory, I feel a little… idle. There isn’t much to do but think and walk as we trek towards the Griffin Kingdoms.

…I’m not one for a whole lot of conversation, but… Thank you, Princess. If I think of anything to talk about, I’ll let you know. I’m glad that you’re so caring of us.”

………

The memory ends. The flower wilts. Other voices call.

Luna finds the third flower. The voice belonging to Spirit.

………

“…Hmm? Oh, Princess Luna.

…Yes. I’m doing fine. I figured I would take the full watch. Give some of the lookouts a break.

…Yes, I’m… Well no… It’s…

I just… was thinking of my mother. She passed away before you selected me for this mission. She was my whole inspiration for becoming a scout. Everything I know, I learned from her. Being out on watch makes me… feel better. Reminds me of the times my mother would take me places.

…I… Thank you. I work every day in her memory… I’m beyond proud to be her daughter.

…If I may be honest, Princess… In many ways… You are just like her.”

………

The memory ends. The flower wilts. Other voices call.

Luna finds the fourth flower. The voice belonging to Dew Drop.

………

“…I know, right? I’m just glad you found that joke funny. The best way to tell someone apart is from their laugh!

…You know Princess Luna, I never thought in my life that I’d ever get to meet you in person. Let alone spend this much time around you. Being on this team is… One heck of a dream come true!

…I’m just happy that you consider me so special. Thank you, Princess. Before you go, I gotta ask you about this pony I’ve been hearing about. I forget the town she lived in, but I heard she could make some amazing comedy! I’ve got to meet her!”

………

The memory ends. The flower wilts. Other voices call.

Luna finds the fifth flower. The voice belonging to Star Glow.

………

“… Oh thank you, Princess. I’m very glad you enjoy it! Mangoes are hard to come by here, and I wanted to save that one for you. It was my first crack at making smoothies too!

…Yes! Speaking of Sweetie Belle… And, well, everyone here… I’m happy to be a part of all this, Princess. What we are doing here… Is good. It’s right.

…I do. I make ponies happy by giving them food they can enjoy. Food that they don’t have to beg for or be deprived of. Food they deserve to have simply because they are people like everyone else.

… Not at all! I used to cater to much bigger groups back in Umbra. Here in Haven, I can manage just fine, thanks to all the help from the other cooks here, that is! Maybe you’d like to come down to the place I worked at sometime? It’s in Pasiphae. It’s got the best baked goods in all of Umbra!”

………

The memory ends. The flower wilts. Other voices call.

Luna finds the sixth flower. The voice belonging to Night Seer.

………

“…Everything is accounted for and on schedule, Princess Luna. You should be able to conduct the summit in the next few days, and afterwards, be ready for the move on Canterlot.

…Well, I was considered a scholar for some time. I have some relatives at the College of Setebos, in northern Umbra. I went there myself for a few years. Never actually graduated but… I intend to try again someday. Also to visit the town itself. I grew up there for most of my life.

…That would be nice, thank you. Perhaps we could bring the others and Lantern too.

…What? N-no, I… Princess please, Lantern and I are just friends, just as we are with all of the Sentinels. As much as we have time to spend, we must remain professional. There’s a lot at stake if we don’t…

…Alright, alright… I admit…

…She has beautiful eyes…”

………

The memory ends. The flower wilts. One last voice calls.

Luna finds the seventh, and final, flower. The voice belonging to Lantern.

………

“…Liberty sure seemed happy after that promotion. She’s a kind pony, and strong too. I think she will be perfect for leading this new guard.

…Yes. We’re actually good friends. Ever since the mission to the Crystal Empire, that is. She definitely is a unique pony. Kinda reminds me of my brother a little bit. He’s in scout training right now, in Cyllene. Taking after me, I guess.

…I’m sure he would be honored to be here too. He could meet the others and Night Seer!

…Eyeing? Night Seer? Me?... Ah, well… I guess it must be a little bit obvious, huh.

…I think you of all knows that best. If you hadn’t chosen us… None of us would have become such good friends. We would all be scattered across Umbra. But now we can’t imagine life without the other.

…Thank you, Princess Luna. Without you, I never would have met my best friends… And I never would have met the love of my life…”

………

The memory ends. The flower wilts.

All lies still.

Luna now stands in the silence of the fields. Recollecting her memories was heartwarming, as if she were reading letters from home while away at war. Though now… There does not seem to be anything left to do.

Yet there is still one part of this dream not accounted for. There were eight flowers, not just seven. The eighth one was the one Luna plucked.

Nightmare Moon must be in here somewhere.

Luna begins walking again, noticing for the first time a change in the terrain. She comes over a small hill, revealing it to be the edge of a large crater. The silver grass covers all but the very center, where instead, a large patch of luminescent flowers bloom. Their petals look to be imbued with the forces winter.

Among the cold flowers is Nightmare Moon.

Luna clamors down, walking up behind Nightmare Moon as she lies peacefully on her side, letting the cold and icy flowers cushion her.

“… You’ve arrived. I was beginning to worry that I had not found the locus in time.” Nightmare states, as she fumbles with the lining of an ice-blue petal.

“So you did find the locus here. The resurgence I just experienced was thanks to you…”

“Indeed. Now, when under duress, you will be able to utilize your magic in… arduous bursts. Who would have thought that the locus was but a lonesome blue flower?”

Nightmare Moon sighs with content, adjusting herself to sit more comfortably. Luna places one hand gently on the hilt of Deimos.

“I like this dream. The flora is beautiful. It would make a better sight on the Moon’s surface, in place of the barren wastes. Wouldn’t you say?”

“If some were willing to live on the Moon, then yes. It would be a waste if no one was there to see them.” Luna replies, gazing out at the swath of icy flowers. They are significantly bigger than the wilted flowers which held Luna’s memories. And they indeed emit an air of frigid grace and charm.

Nightmare Moon agrees with a nod. She remains seated on her mat of winter colors, with Luna standing behind her. She speaks up once again before Luna can muster any words, looking up to the blackness above, with its stars shining bright.

“Let me ask you something, Luna… Do you truly know what the stars are?”

Luna does not answer, preferring to let Nightmare answer herself.

“They are Suns… Like Celestia’s. Ours is but a speck in comparison. Do you know what this means? There are countless Suns and Moons in the blackness of night. All of that power…”

Luna shakes her head.

“No, that… that can’t be possible.”

Nightmare continues undaunted.

“We know very little of our existence, Luna. But I have discovered the truth. A blasphemous truth, to those who fear me. But the world will learn for themselves soon enough. Give them a century or two, and they will uncover the very same revelation.”

Nightmare’s thoughts can only be delusions of grandeur. She may be incredibly misguided, or wrong entirely, but she seems to believe every word of her statement.

A revelation… That the hundreds upon thousands of stars in the night sky… Are not stars at all… But distant Suns.

As Luna clears her mind, Nightmare Moon rises, now staring down at the motionless winter blossoms.

“… I believe the dreams end here…”

She draws Phobos, keeping her back to Luna. The windless air grows heavy with tension.

“…Do you still like to dance, Luna? Is the waltz still your favorite?”

Luna gazes back stalwartly in the face of the out of place question. She draws Deimos, preparing for what can only be a vicious duel.

“More or less… Depends on the manner of which one wants to dance.”

Nightmare’s stance changes.

Luna braces, bringing Deimos up to guard in a flash.

Thump

Phobos lies on the ground.

Luna stares, completely baffled.

“I’m not asking to dance. I was merely curious. I always liked the waltz myself.” Nightmare states with a grin.

Luna stammers.

“… You…You seek only to deceive me. This is a trick! I won’t let my guard down!”

“That’s fine, Luna. We need your guard up anyway.”

Luna shakes her head, becoming more frustrated. She holds Deimos closer to her, gripping it tightly with both hands. Her eyes remain fixed on Nightmare, unwavering.

“Stop this talk of nonsense! Tell me what is going on here, now!”

She continues.

“With the locus found, we have no more reason to be here. To find the way back to the waking world, and your body…”

Nightmare Moon looks to Phobos.

“… Is to repeat history.”

“I…I don’t…” Deimos slowly sinks as Luna’s arms lower.

“I don’t expect you to understand now. But I expect you to do it. You have people counting on you back home, and I’ve kept you too long. I’ve helped you, Luna. Now, you must return the favor.”

Luna puts Deimos away, replacing it with Phobos as she scoops it from the ground. It hums gently within her hands as Nightmare Moon turns for the last time.

She extends her arms out, as though preparing to worship some entity above. Leaving her back exposed.

Luna looks to Phobos once more, hesitating. Unable to understand why Nightmare Moon would do all of this and just accept her own…

Perhaps it is not the time for Luna to understand. Nightmare already stated all that was needed. Others are waiting for Luna. Others that need her.

SSCHLUNK!

With a burst of force, Luna thrusts Phobos through Nightmare’s chest, piercing her heart.

She falls to her knees, trembling and choking.

“G-gah… Agh… It’s done, th-then. H-haah… Hah…”

Nightmare Moon slides off of Phobos, and falls face first onto the silver grass with an earthy thud. The cold flowers ripple outwards from her corpse.

A tiny smile stuck on her lips.

“Ghuh… Auughh…”

Her body instinctively stretching from a long night’s sleep, Luna awakes, pushing herself out of bed. She stands up and rubs her eyes.

Another day in Haven. She must have slept in again.

Luna yawns, “Odd… Sweetie Belle is usually here to wake me-,”

There are no other cots in the housing complex. Nothing remains inside the caves.

Inside the caves.

Inside Haven.

Luna jumps to her senses, her eyes blaring open.

“W-wh…What? How… How did I…”

Disbelief wracks Luna’s thoughts. She has no memory of returning from the Moon or even from the Everfree Forest. Her last memories are of the fields of silver grass. All had went black once she had ended Nightmare Moon. There was simply no way for her to have been brought…

It must be another dream, but it is almost nothing of the sort. Everything feels beyond real to Luna. The soft touch of the used sheets on her cot. The cold and flat stone on her feet. Even the droplets of water from the cave ceiling fall upon her head with tiny plops.

Yet Luna’s surroundings are very much different. There is practically nothing within the housing caves, and not a soul in sight.

Luna herself has a simple garb on, one she usually wears for sleeping. The housing cave itself seems to be laden in layers of dust and mounds of dirt. Luna’s cot is the only thing clean.

Setting out from the complex, Luna begins to explore, heading towards the main cavern.

Destroyed pieces of tables and weapons lay in the corners and nooks of the passage ways, and upon arriving in the main cavern, Luna finds its entirety to be empty, save for the remnants of a previous occupation. Tables, equipment, and other broken items cover the ground, as though the caves themselves have been abandoned for decades. Everything is in shambles, rotting and decaying from exposure to time.

Pressing onward, Luna exits the caves and appears on the slopes of Haven.

For miles and miles around her, Haven is war-torn. Scorch marks dot the landscape. Blasted craters mar open fields. Snapped trees and fragments of rock litter the terrain.

Bodies upon bodies lie among the destruction. Masses of soldiers which Luna cannot recognize, no matter how close she looks at them. As though they exist only as the blur from the edges of an old photograph.

The sky is pale and grey, blanketed in smoke. Massive shapes move as the clouds do, resembling airships. They number in the thousands, each one emitting streaks of light and columns of fire at the other. Sounds of explosions eclipse the eruption of the sky into flames.

On the earth’s level, along the edges of the mountain connected to Haven, stands an unknown and massive city. Smoke and fire billow from its many sky-scrapers, reflecting the conflict above in ferocity and violence.

On the slopes below Luna, there is something even more bewildering.

It is Luna herself, with Phobos and Deimos drawn in each hand. Standing opposite another…

…An alicorn…

The alicorn shines brilliantly with the sun’s radiance, even when appearing defeated. Luna can’t make out anything of the mare, but can only assume her identity.

As they stand apart, the ground shakes slowly, rumbling as if the world itself is suddenly cracking apart.

The vibrations pierce the air as well, followed by a massive shadow appearing, creeping its way slowly along the ground towards Luna.

Luna suspects another appearance by Nightmare Moon, even though she had only just killed her in the last dreamscape. The shadow only grows larger, and with it comes a dreadful sound of twisting and writhing metal.

As it echoes painfully across the sky, a massive airship of steel plummets from the clouds. Its shattered frame careens towards Luna.

Luna remains frozen in place as the broken ship blocks all light and blackens everything in the path of its collision course.

The ship crushes Luna. A wall of dust spreads from its impact, smothering everything in sight.

Why?...

How could you do this?

After all you’ve done for us…

This is what you want to be…

After all these years…

You want nothing…

…But Sunlight…

Her lungs are filled with dust.

“Hahh-,”

Luna coughs, bringing a hand to her chest as she clears her lungs. She hacks until her throat begins to ache.

She is back on the Moon’s craggy surface. In the same exact spot where Nightmare Moon had impaled her.

Luna’s chest feels whole again as she rubs her side.

Her strange journey at Nightmare’s hands was real.

The lined scar over her heart stands as proof.

Princess Luna stumbles to her feet, her head pounding. She gently rubs the stub of her horn and her temples, feeling as though a jackhammer was taken to her skull.

Phobos and Deimos lie nearby, placed beside one another as they were found in the core of the Moon. Luna picks them up, sheathing Deimos and keeping Phobos on hand. The blade faintly glows, pulsating in light as Luna taps its power.

It is time to head back home.

Luna’s arrival back in the Castle of the Two Sisters was met with friendly faces and sighs of relief. Derpy had informed her that she was on the Moon for roughly four days. Luna became frantic.

With urgency, Luna had departed the castle grounds and began forging her way through the Everfree once more, but not before apologizing and bidding farewell to Derpy and her family, as well as Night Wing and her noctral team. Luna promised she would return for them soon.

Now, Luna nears the end of the Everfree Forest’s length, preparing to resume a stealthy mode of travel underneath the current cover of night. She drapes over her camo tarp bef-.

“SCRAHH!!’’

“What in-…”

Luna stops, ducking as a large bird nearly collides with her head. The tropical bird stops, finding a spot to perch on a nearby tree. It faces Luna.

Luna takes a long look at the oddly colorful and… one-antlered bird. Its purple beak cracks a smile at its edges, as though it’s trying to look smug in front of an old friend. The white, bushy eyebrows above its yellow-red eyes lift up-…

This bird is bizarrely familiar. As though Luna is staring at…

“… Discord?”

The bird begins to squawk, which suddenly turns into a joyful laughter.

“Surprise! How nice of you to recognize me! I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to notice my beautiful new beak.”

“Decided to finally show your face, after all these years. It begs the question of why.” Luna says with an unfriendly snarl.

“I know, I know… you were never one to trust a trickster like myself so easily,” Says Discord, “But I think now of all times would be a wonderful time to allow myself to explain… myself.”

Luna crosses her arms.

“Very well. I’m listening.”

“I’m… Not exactly here right now. Well, not all of me. I was only able to split a part of myself off like this thanks to months of concentration. And because I couldn’t decide what kind of bird to pick. I settled on toucan.” Discord-toucan fans out his blue-feathered wings and raises his beak.

“Get to the point.” Luna snaps.

“As you may have already assumed, Dainn is quite the compulsive liar. He lied about me as he lied to Equestria about your supposed ‘lie’ of controlling the sun and moon. I wouldn’t be surprised if he even lied about his people’s ‘nomadic’ nature. My word… so much deceit!” Discord says, placing his feathers to his beak, in essence replying to his own statement.

Luna shakes her head.

“His lies do not explain why the sun and moon keep moving on their own. Unless…”

Discord points a feather to himself as Luna looks at him.

“Unless he is using me. I’m the only other near-deity in Equestria who can manipulate the sun and moon like you and Celestia can. Albeit in my own personalized fashion, that is.”

“The last time I remember, your ‘fashion’ wasn’t so orderly.” Replies Luna, looking up to the moon above.

“It most certainly isn’t! I can’t even BEGIN to tell you about my woes.”

Discord flicks his head to the side, nearly smacking Luna in the face with his long beak. He lifts off from the branch, fluttering over to a small rock on the other side of Luna.

“Have you ever felt what it was like to be called a tool, Luna? I do. Literally! I’m stuck as a hammer! A giant and oh so gaudy hammer. My inner Rarity has been screaming.”

Luna’s eyes widen. “Wait… You are Dainn’s war hammer? Is that how he is getting his power?”

“Sadly, yes. That’s where the rest of me is. How I got there to begin with is a long story.”

“Save it for another time. Is there any way to deny him your power? Or free you?” Luna queries.

“All you’d have to do is break his hammer. It isn’t any normal weapon though. I don’t think any average sword or butter knife is going to break it.”

Luna feels Phobos and Deimos in their scabbards. She smirks.

“What I have will be more than enough. Thank you for the intelligence, Discord. I’m… thankful, that your betrayal was untrue.”

“Believe me, Princess, I am too. As much as I like to have my fun… Even chaos has standards.”

Luna nods, though before she can think of anything else to ask Discord, the colorful toucan of a draconequus cuts in once again.

“My clock is ticking, Luna. Before I go… Do you know if Fluttershy is ok? I find myself thinking of her often while stuck in my hammered situation.”

Princess Luna smiles in reassurance, crouching down to toucan-Discord’s level.

“She is safe, and healing slowly. I’m sure that when things are settled, she will be delighted to see you again.”

“…Thank you. I feel better knowing that she is with friends. And not alone…”

Toucan-Discord lowers his beak to the ground, though finds it lifted back up by Luna’s hand. She smiles warmly at him.

“You won’t be alone for much longer, Discord. Stay strong. You’ll be as free as a real toucan soon enough.”

Discord chuckles. “I’ll take your word for it. Good luck then, Princess! Arrivederci!”

With an over-the-top regal bow, Discord lifts his toucan-self into the sky, disappearing into the treetops. And just as he arrived, he vanishes.

With as much haste as she could muster while remaining in the dark, Luna continues towards Haven, arriving in the familiar Whitetail Woods. The forest looks worse for wear, with many trees dead and others losing their luster.

Luna trudges on past the woods, and nears the edging forests that lie right before Haven. Though the closer and closer she gets, the more paranoid she becomes. A lot could happen in only four days, and her absence must have her allies worried sick.

The worst thoughts of all though, are the possibilities of the caribou having found Haven.

Luna hurries, picking up a jogging pace as she makes her way through the dim woods. Not soon after she breaks into a full sprint, clearing the ends of the forest and reaching the gates of Haven. They slowly draw open just as Luna passes through, not slowing down at all.

“Whoah!”

Princess Luna screeches to a halt, nearly colliding with an armored mare. Specifically, a mare of Liberty’s Guardians of the Sun.

The cherry-coated mare stands with a dozen other Guardians, recovering from the sudden surprise.

“Princess Luna!!”

Parting from between her Guardians, Liberty appears, bearing a wide grin. She and her Guardians cheer upon seeing Luna.

“Chor- er, Liberty! Is Haven alright?” Luna blurts, shaking Liberty’s hand and grasping her shoulder.

Liberty only smiles. “Haven is fine, Princess Luna, don’t worry. We’re glad to see you back. Though we’re going to have to hurry to catch up with the others.”

Luna’s ears perk upon hearing this. The entirety of the slopes lay empty. Where all of Haven’s troops had rested in rows of tents and trained in open fields is now almost as silent as a graveyard, save for the occasional resident or guard passing along. The only forces currently in Haven consist of a small detachment of troops, tasked with ensuring Haven’s safety, along with its many unarmed occupants.

Liberty continues.

“The leaders came together and decided to push on towards Canterlot, as the Thunderhead is practically there already. Mjolna and I agreed that I should stay here to wait for you. Your Sentinels are here as well. They should be inside with Elder Vigil right now.”

Luna nods in earnest.

“I am grateful that you waited for me, and I do not blame the others for pushing on. I must gather a few things. Ready yourselves to leave the moment I return!”

Receiving their acknowledgement, Luna jumps to her heels and makes her way inside Haven, through the main cavern.

Many residents greet Luna with bright eyes and thankful grins, all happy to see her return safely. Luna briskly returns their greetings, weaving in between them as she nears her destination.

Princess Luna enters into the Center Hall. There, she spies her Sentinels, all donning their blue and shaded armor and vestments. Ready with their equipment belted, weapons holstered and katars sheathed.

Upon noticing her, the Sentinels exclaim in delight and move to embrace her. Luna returns their affections for but a second.

“My friends! Thank you for waiting for me. I’m so sorry I had taken longer than expected.”

“Doesn’t matter how long. We’d always wait for you, Princess.” Replies Night Seer, as the others look on with glee.

Luna smiles, nodding quickly. As she does, Elder Vigil appears from a chair towards the back end of the room.

“Haven is safe with me, Princess Luna. You needn’t worry about it during your battle.”

“Thank you whole-heartedly, Elder Vigil. Please, if you would forward my goodbyes to Rarity, Sweetie Belle and the others staying here. We must leave as soon as possible.” Luna spouts as she stops at a nearby table to quickly gather her additional weapons and equipment. Elder Vigil bows her head in reply.

Luna’s thoughts come flying in as she scrambles to gather what she needs. She stops abruptly, turning to Star Glow.

“I found the second missing scout team in the Everfree. They would like to have your moon cake recipe.”

“Wow, really? I’m happy they enjoyed them! I’ll write them a letter when I can.” Star Glow quips excitedly.

As Luna finishes, Lantern approaches, bearing in her hands Luna’s katar.

“We were talking a bit earlier, Princess Luna, about how we never can spend more time together. We thought that maybe you would like to plan some future time off with us? High Tide actually owns a beautiful lodge in northern Umbra that we could stay in.”

“It’s a bit chilly most of the year, but there are a lot of fun things to do! We could go hiking, or sledding, or skiing.” High Tide adds with excitement in his eyes, counting off of his fingers.

“Is it up by Despina? Don’t they have hot springs in those mountains?” asks Dew Drop.

“It’s very close to Despina, yes. The town has a huge hot spring we could use.”

“That sounds relaxing.” Says Spirit, closing her eyes to imagine it.

Though her mind races with thoughts upcoming battle, Luna stops to take in her friends’ offer. She never put much thought on what to do post-war, aside from the standard ruling responsibilities. A trip with her friends would be worth everything.

“Take a mental note, everyone.” Luna interjects, garnering the attention of her Sentinels. She takes her katar from Lantern.

“…When the time comes, High Tide will host a week-long vacation, at his lodge in Despina. We’ll figure out an exact time later. But for now… We have something to look forward to.”

Luna’s noctral friends agree cheerfully, which brings a smile to Luna. A part of her wishes that they could go on vacation right now. Luna herself hasn’t been on a regular vacation for as long as she can remember. It would be a nice slowing of pace.

Their resting time will come. Now, more important things must be tended to.

Luna looks to her Sentinels once more.

“Let us be off then. We have a city to free.”

Author's Note

Thank you for reading. =]