The only thing that remains, are the echos of pouring rain
Luna sat prone on the garden’s soft green blanket of grass dimly illuminated by the moon. Her horn shone with a midnight blue aura as she delicately painted her celestial canvas. Placing the last finishing touches upon it, her aura dimmed then faded as she lowered her gaze to that of the expansive garden surrounding her.
Earlier that day, she had greeted her sister and the two of them had a brisk evening meal before her nightly duties began. Then she had exited the castle to bask in the silence of the small treeless clearing near the center of the royal garden.
However, now that her nightly duty was completed, she bent her neck down and rested her head onto the lush grass. She inhaled deeply and relaxed as she breath trickled out. She admired the dancing shadows cast by the surrounding forests as they swayed in the light breeze.
Thought you could just leave me? a rasping voice not unlike Luna’s spoke.
Luna’s ears twitched as she lifted her head and scanned the field around her.
“Who’s there?” she questioned the silent night.
A fine black mist condensed in front of her. The voice spoke up once more as it circled her prone body.
“No-”
Well well well, I expected a certain somepony to remember me.
Luna’s eyes bolted open as she launched herself to her hooves. Squeezing her eyes shut, she yelled at the mist floating around her, “You’re not real! You don’t exist! You’re nothing but a figment of my imagination! Be gone!”
A soft chuckle reverberated throughout the otherwise silent clearing. Luna’s ears splayed against the side of her head as she tried to block out the laughter.
Oh- it chuckled again -But I am!
Loud cracks sounded off as the trees surrounding Luna stretched up to touch the night sky. The moonlight that had once lit up the clearing with its brilliant luminosity was blocked by the ever-growing trees.
Unlike herself, Luna shied away from the shadows that descended upon her. Spreading her wings, she tried to take off; however, the oppressive shadows solidified around her and blocked both her escape and the precious light that gave her sight.
You need me.
Luna stood still as she stared blind into the void that enveloped her.
“I don’t want you!”
A pair of predatory eyes with slits for pupils appeared before Luna.
Yes, you do. Without me you are nothing. Without me ourmoon will always be outshone by that selfish ‘sister’ of ours, it spoke with a hint of distaste.
Luna bared her teeth as she glared at the eyes watching her with the gaze of a hawk preparing to dive for its prey.
“Leave me! You have no power over me!”
Luna dropped to the ground and writhed in pain as it screeched back at her, You are nothing! Nothing! You need me!
She fought back the pain and struggled to pull herself up off the ground.
“I don’t nee-”
A new wave of pain sent Luna back to the ground. She screamed in pain as the void struggled to taint her very being.
Accept your fate and join me! We will rule over all of Equestria!
Summoning strength from deep within her core, Luna forced herself up off of the cold ground. She shivered as a cold wind swept past her; however, it did not stop her declaration, “I will never! The night will never be corrupted!”
A large pulse of magic exploded from her horn into a shock wave that shook the very fabric of the shadows that consumed her sight. A section of the dome became slightly transparent as it rippled and revealed traces of moonlight on the other side. She saw an opportunity to escape and blasted the dome surrounding her with another blast of magic.
The voice bellowed as instead of shattering the shadows, Luna’s second blast of magic strengthened them even further. Once again turning them opaque once more.
Again shrouded in pure darkness, Luna blindly stumbled back and fell onto her haunches.
“No… This can’t be happening,” she spoke softly to herself.
It’s over. However, I am giving you a choice.
Emerging from the shadows, an ethereal dagger with colors of the midnight sky floated in front of Luna.
Join me-
Luna stood back up and blasted continuous streams of magic at the shadows imprisoning her.
Or kill yourself.
Luna lowered her head as her breath turned erratic after her spells scattered as they impacted her prison. With a final desperate attempt to free herself, Luna shot one more bolt at it. She slumped down as the bolt copied her previous attempts and dissipated upon impact.
Your choice.
Luna struggled to lift herself onto her hooves, but once she did, she stared at the dagger still floating in front of her.
You cannot rid yourself of me and live.
Luna stood silent as she pondered her choices.
I am the greed in your heart and the corruption tainting your soul.
She grasped the handle of the dagger with her magic and pointed it at herself. She sighed, closed her eyes, whispered, “I’m sorry, Sister.”
A tear streamed down her face as she plunged the dagger into her exposed chest. She let go of the dagger and collapsed onto her side onto the ground.
Yes, the shadows rejoiced, You fool actually did it!
The dagger itself dispersed into nothing as Luna gasped for breath. Her prison scattered into a fine mist then floated towards her struggling body. It flowed into her from the hole she had bore into her own chest.
She convulsed as the hole in her chest closed itself; however, a transformation originated from where she impaled herself: Her blue pelt faded to black as the black of her cutie mark stained itself a dark purple. As the change rippled across her body, more of her features dissolved into nightmareish versions of themselves. Her limbs and horn elongated as her mane became even more translucent and her pupils tightened into slits exactly like the eyes that had watched her from her shadowy prison.
Her body stilled after the changes. After a few moments, she shifted and pulled herself up onto her hooves. Lifting her head up to the night sky, she yelled, “Remember this day, Luna, for it was your last. From this moment forth, I will rule forever!”
