The bright sun beat down upon the crowds as they waited anxiously for news from their monarchs. The square was bursting with ponies, shifting anxiously and talking in subdued tones. King Uranus and Queen Gaea were expecting their second foal, and today is the day she was expected. Queen Gaea had been in labor for an unusually long time, and everypony was worried. Suddenly, the castle doors burst open, and a hush fell over the gathered crowd.
Standing in the doorway was King Uranus, with a coat of the darkest blue and a mane the color of the night, accompanied by Queen Gaea, who is the brown of oak, with a mane of a darker shade. He cleared his throat, then announced, "We welcome a new princess into this world. Princess Luna!" The crowd roared their approval, and the festivities began.
Joyful music flowed through the air, and ponies danced and pranced to the tune. A group had gathered around the king and queen, congratulating them on their newborn. The royal blue foal slept in a basket, wrapped tightly in a cloth. Princess Celestia, only six years old, gazed adoringly at her new sister. I think we'll be good friends, she thought. Then the basket was lifted by their parents, and Luna was obscured from view.
As the sun crawled across the sky, the activities began to slow. The vendor stalls had sold all of their wares, and were beginning to pack up. Ponies from all over Equestria began filing back to their respective streets or train stations, starting the long journey back to their homes. The royal family withdrew into the palace, finalizing preparations for their newborn foal, and the kingdom was still.
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A single ray of moonlight cut through the thick cover of clouds. Gently shining through the night, it fell on a crib, freshly carved and decorated with pictures of the moon. The newborn filly lay sleeping, buried in the warm covers.
For a moment, the sky darkened. A shadow flit across the moon, disappearing as fast as it appeared. A gust of wind blew open the window, sweeping across the room, and rousing the filly from her sleep. She awoke, staring upwards at her new mobile. It chimed softly in the wind, the small figures of the sun, moon, and stars shaking and bumping each other as they moved. Before long, though, the mobile stilled, and the filly fell back into a deep, undisturbed sleep.
A shadow fell across the cradle as a figure seemed to rise from the ground. Its features were hidden, indistinguishable in the darkness. It moved closer to the cradle, pausing as it reached the edge of the crib. A single hoof reached out over the filly, but paused as the sound of hoofsteps rang in the hallway outside. Seconds passed as the figure waited. The hoofsteps receded, and the figure seemed to relax. It reached back into the crib, cradling the filly sleeping inside. The figure scooped the filly up, its touch soft, and wrapped her in its cloak.
The figure stepped closer to the window, cloak billowing in the wind. It clutched the filly closer to its body, glancing back at the now empty room. The figure planted its hooves in the ground, stood up straighter, and vanished into the night.
An eyelid fluttered. The eye opened, the color of sapphires, and glittered brightly in the darkness. A blue aura shone, outlining a pristine horn, and lit several lamps hanging around the room. The area was illuminated in full, showing a large cave, dotted with faintly glowing crystals. A thick cloth covered an opening in the wall, functioning as a door. A large, flat crystal was embedded in the wall, positioned above a desk, and a bed sat against the opposite wall.
Luna sat up, stretching her wings, and groaned. She glanced at herself in the mirror, frowning at her slightly ruffled look, then slipped off the bed. She stretched once more, almost catlike in her posture, yawned, then walked over to her desk.
The night before was extremely tiring, for she had practiced the coronation ritual from the moment she had woken up to the moment she went to bed. Hour after hour she had spent, going through the motions, rehearsing her part under Sombra's watchful eye. Listening to his words, and performing a ritual necessary for her to truly become the Heart of Umbra Aliis.
Luna gazed into the mirror, perusing her reflection for imperfections. Today was the one day she could afford to be vain, and she was going to make the most of it. A little magic straightened her hair, smoothed her coat. She neatened herself up as well as she could, then turned towards the doorway.
As she was about to step out of her room, the cloth was parted by an armored hoof. The hoof swept to the side, revealing a black stallion, eyes glowing green and horn curved and red. Luna stepped back. "Sombra!"
"Good morning, Luna," Sombra said. "Are you ready for your coronation?" Sombra stood to the side of the opening, holding the cloth to the side. Smiling, he waved her through, and let the cloth fall back down behind her.
"I'm ready," Luna replied. Sombra nodded, and lead the way to the site of the coronation ritual. Sombra and Luna made their way through the winding tunnels, allowing the flickering light of the torches to show the way. As they made their way up, the walls, floor, and ceiling of the the tunnels became more rugged and rough. The tunnel started become uneven in its shape, and eventually the torches lining the walls disappeared.
Sombra and Luna walked into a large cavern, circular in shape, with a large opening in the top. The moon was bright, positioned right above the hole in the ceiling. On the cave floor, a circle was carved into the rock, inscribed with runes and arcane symbols, and structured so that it fit perfectly inside the area that the moonlight highlighted on the cave floor.
Crowds of ponies, hidden by long cloaks and large hoods, had gathered around the central area. Sombra and Luna were the center of attention, the crowd's eyes following their every movement. Luna scanned the crowd, feeling anxious. Sombra smiled in encouragement, giving her a little push forward, then dissolved into shadows, reappearing on the raised area behind the runic circle. Luna walked to the front of the circle, and Spmbra cleared his throat. All eyes moved to him, and Luna visibly relaxed.
"I am King Sombra, Head of Umbra Aliis. I have called you all here today to take part in a very important event. We are here to welcome and celebrate the coming of our Heart, and allow her to prove her worth. Here, we will call on the power of the shadows and the moon, and we shall show our approval of her ascent. She will ascend, and the gods themselves shall feel our power!"
A great roar came from the gathered members, and the cave rumbled with the stomping of hooves. Sombra lifted a hoof, and slowly the cave fell silent once more. "We will now perform the Ascension Ritual. Contribute your power, and we will begin.
"We, the Umbra Aliis, Shadows of Equestria, give rise to the Goddess of The Moon. We name our Heart, Princess Luna, and we borrow your power." Sombra spoke with startling clarity. "We offer the blood of our Heart to quench your thirst." Luna created a shining blade with her magic, then cut her arm. Her blood dripped into the carved circle, and flowed through the pattern. As soon as the entire carving had become full, an ornate design drawn by blood, the moon grew dark.
Almost as if it had been covered in blood itself, the moon had turned a dark crimson. The blood circle shone, and a red mist came up from it. It formed a thick cloud, then seemed to clear. Luna stared at her reflection in the mirror of blood, and her reflection laughed. It changed, eyes becoming slits, teeth sharpening, an ethereal light forming a helmet on her head.
A voice seemed to come from above, whispering, yet loud. "I dub this servant of shadows Nightmare Moon," it hissed. "I bestow upon you, Dark Heart, the power that comes from those that hide from prying eyes. I bestow upon you the power of the Night." Then the blood all swirled, coalescing into a large twister, then dissipated.
Sombra shouted, "Hail the Heart of Umbra Aliis, the Princess Luna!" The crowd echoed the declaration, roaring their approval into the sky. Shadows grew from each of the assembled ponies, falling on Luna. They all came together on her head, creating a tiara made entirely of shadows. "Hail Luna!" They cried once more, making enough sound to raise the dead. Sombra smiled, nodding his head to Luna. He reared up, and darkness fell on the congregation.
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Luna sighed. She had healed the cut on her arm, but it still throbbed slightly. She laid down on her bed, exhausted. She was about to fall asleep when she heard the sound of cloth shifting. She sat up straight, meeting Sombra's eyes. "Congratulations, Luna," he said.
"Thanks. Do you need anything?" Luna replied. She rubbed her eyes and yawned.
Sombra turned his gaze down to his hooves. "Actually, there's something that I would like to show you." He gestures towards the door. Luna hesitated. She had never seen him anything close to bashful, but now he seemed pretty close.
"Okay," she said. Sombra lead the way out the door, Luna following behind him. At first she felt she knew where he was going, but as they continued, Sombra took unfamiliar turns. They moved deeper into the tunnels, taking turn after turn. After what seemed like a very long time, Luna noticed that they were starting to rise. They took one last turn and entered a large, spacious area.
