Opa's Goddess

by neorenamon

Luna awoke resting on a black cloud. Even though it should have been dark and scary, she was comforted by the cloud's moist fluffiness. She wondered where she might be in the sky, or when she got there. So Luna stood up and stretched her legs.

"Monster!!" screamed a stallion nearby.

Luna spun to see a blue pegasus looking at her in terror. His silvery mane seemed to shimmer in the moonlight like the silver lining of a black cloud.

"Please," begged Luna, "We're not her any more. Don't be..."

But the pony was already flying full speed towards the cloud city beyond. The dark clouds were gathering around even though the Pegasi were doing nothing to make the storm happen. She remembered that as Nightmare Moon, she could create a storm from her mane. But it was clear that the storm wasn't coming from her this time.

"Get used to it," hissed a nearby mare, "You're a monster and they'll never see you any other way!" A familiar silver helmed head emerged from the storm clouds to stare her in the eyes.

"NIGHTMARE MOON!!" replied Luna in distress.

"Don't act like we're different ponies," groaned Nightmare Moon, "I'm your true self. What you really are like on the inside. I'm your jealousy. Your envy. Your spitefulness. You made me in the image of what you didn't have the courage to be on your own."

"The Elements!" she protested, "The Elements of Harmony cured me! They made me whole again! I thought I got rid of you forever!"

But Nightmare Moon only laughed darkly as she hissed, "You can never be rid of me! You'll never stop being a monster!"

"Nooo!" screamed Luna, "I love big sister! The ponies of Equestria are accepting me! I don't have to be as important as big sister now! I have no room left for you in my life any more!"

Nightmare Moon simply laughed darkly again. Then she looked at the cloud city as the winds rose and lightning began to flash.

"Stop it!" she cried, "Leave them alone!"

"Remember Stratodale?!" she hissed back, "How they mocked you?! How they ridiculed your lovely night as a waste of time?! Remember how little they made you feel in the glow of Princess Celestia?!" As Nightmare Moon's rage grew, the storm became more intense. Lightning began to strike the cloud buildings.

"NOOO!" screamed Luna, "I didn't really want to hurt them!"

"Yes you did!" retorted Nightmare Moon, "You wanted them to suffer! You wanted to make them pay!"

Screams began to be heard from the buildings. They were being hurt. Their homes were being torn apart by the wind and storm. Luna began running towards the village to help them, but Nightmare Moon arose to block her path.

"I didn't want to hurt them!" called Luna, "All I wanted was their respect and love like they showered on big sister!"

"Stop lying to yourself, you whiny little brat!" hissed Nightmare Moon, "You wanted to destroy every pony that disrespected you!"

The storm grew stronger as the buildings began to tear apart before Luna's horrified gaze.

"I wanted to rule them!" cried Luna, "Not destroy them! As a Princess, I'm supposed to protect them from!.."

"MONSTERS LIKE YOU?!"

"NOOO!!!"

The sun rose high above the clouds and began to burn them away with it's radiant glow.

"Fear not little sister," said the soothing voice of Celestia from the sky, "I shall end this rogue storm and protect the Pegasi."

The ponies began emerging from their damaged homes calling out the praises of Princess Celestia.

"SEE?!" hissed Nightmare Moon, "Even now they spurn you!! Only Celestia matters to them!! YOU! ARE! NOTHING!"

"Do not take Luna for a foal," replied another voice about them, "Her magic is used for that kind of goal."

"Opa?!" asked Luna as she looked around.

"My sweet goddess shouldn't fear," she replied, "The knight of her dreams is now here."

Luna could only stare as Opa emerged from behind a cloud bearing shining steel armor about her arms, legs, back and chest. A skirt of chainmail covered her loins and thighs. Her legs were covered with boots covered with scales of steel as well. Opa's head was protected by a silver chamfron that imitated the helm of Nightmare Moon down to her regal horn. But the thing that Luna stared at most was Opa's feathered wings made from glowing violet magical energy.

"You're a foal!" hissed Nightmare Moon, "You know NOTHING of Luna's pain and suffering!"

"If you think I'm a stranger to suffering," replied Opa, "I shall show you another thing!"

The clouds changed as they filled their sight, and then turned into black smoke. It was the smoke of a large fire. As they saw through the smoke, a village of huts began to emerge. Huts made of dried mud and sticks covered with tall dry grass. All the huts were in the process of burning down even as they watched, but then a foal rushed in desperate to find somepony. Even though her eyes were wide with terror, she moved ahead with purpose.

"What manner of nonsense is this?!" hissed Nightmare Moon.

"If you should let things be," replied Opa, "then you shall surely see."

"This is your homeland," observed Celestia, "The one you left behind."

Opa simply nodded. They watched as the foal raced to the remains of the largest hut towards the center of the village. But the ground was wet, and there was no sign of rain. In the glimmer of the fires, it became clear that the ground was bloody. Against the remains of the huts, there was a few pieces from broken spears. The shredded remains of a kite shield made from tree bark as well.

"No," cried Luna, "The carnage. The death that must have taken place here..."

"Is none of our concerns!" hissed Nightmare Moon.

The foal heard the door rustling as she dove for cover behind a broken wall of sticks. A pen that at one time held the tribe's goats. The door opened as a large hulking Hyena warrior stuck his head out and sniffed. There was a forearm clutched in his jaws all but eaten. But the wrist bore the golden hoops that the foal seemed to know by sight. The finger bore a fine silver ring containing a diamond chip.

"Father..." choked the little foal as she watched in horror. She couldn't speak more than just the one word.

"Are there any of those blasted Okapi left?!" asked a voice from behind the warrior.

He paused to take the arm from his mouth. "I can't smell any more over all the flames and blood," hissed the warrior.

"I'm sure some of the mares and foals escaped," hissed the voice within, "We will hunt them down and feast on them just like their warriors who thought they could stand up to marauders as fierce as us!"

The warrior just chuckled. He turned as he walked back in. "I think this one's a little over cooked," was the last thing they heard him say.

The scene changed again as smoke returned to being clouds. Then the clouds began to part as they looked down on the Palace of Canterlot.

"I didn't know," cried Luna as they drifted towards her balcony.

"That is why my sisters and I went away," said Opa, "to find ourselves a better land to stay. We sought kinder stallions with which to relate. The need for a trusted mate was surely great."

Luna looked into the streets around the Palace to see Jifar the Giraffe, Bakabaka the Oryx, Kimbuala the Abada, Acacia the Water-Buffalo and a few others who had gathered together to help cast the great teleportation spell that brought them all to the hut of Zecora the Zebra so far away from the war torn land they left behind. They were all mares that had no warrior claiming them. No armed stallion to protect them from marauders as Opa's father had.

"You... you're so strong," said Luna softly, "You have the kind of strength I wish I had."

"You have your own strength that's not so bad," said Opa as she walked over, "so please let my Goddess be not so troubled and sad."

Luna rushed up to her and embraced her tightly. Opa returned the embrace with a warm hug of her own.

"So you've seen some carnage," hissed Nightmare Moon, "Don't think that makes you better than us!"

"Our pain makes us not better as I believe," replied Opa, "but I think it's about time that you leave."

Nightmare Moon flew into Opa's face as she sneered, "You may be able to visit dreams, but we control nightmares! *How dare you make demands of... *HURK!****" But her words were cut off as Opa simple reached out and grabbed her by her throat with a single hand.

"How could you have bested her so easily?" asked Luna.

"Because she is but one while I am part of three," replied Opa as the other Celestial Elements: Princess Twilight Sparkle and wise Zecora appeared around her, "That is why I am much stronger than her you see. I can battle to any length when I share their strength."

Nightmare Moon glared defiantly at Opa even as she tried to pry her grip from her throat loose with both of her hands.

"But with the Elements returned to the Tree of Harmony," asked Celestia, "how can we eliminate Nightmare Moon's darkness from sweet Luna once again?!"

"This darkness you cannot destroy," replied Opa, "but she can only harass and annoy. I shall show my Goddess what to do so she may live with her darkness too. But when you see a loving face, Nightmare Moon shall know her place."

"I'll never ignore, neglect or disrespect my little sister ever again!" called Celestia as she laid a wing over Luna's shoulders.

"And I promise not to hide our feelings any more," replied Luna, "I shall speak to you of our problems openly. We shall become the loving sisters I've always wanted us to be. The kind of little sister that big sister can be proud of."

The others stared in amazement as Nightmare Moon began to shrink in Opa's grip.

"You were always the little sister I was so proud of," replied Celestia, "but I was the one who couldn't be troubled to tell you that."

"In spite of all the progress you show," said Opa softly, "you both have some way more to go."

Nightmare Moon struggled more wildly as she continued to shrink.

"This darkness cannot be banished or simply go away," continued Opa, "so you must learn to live with her and let her stay."

"You'll help me do that, won't you?!" begged Luna.

"My Goddess need not beg or ask," she replied, "for this is surely my new task."

A hole opened in the ground at their feet as she dropped Nightmare Moon into it without ceremony.

"But we've heard enough from you today!" snorted Opa, "Wakefulness shall be soon on its way."

Luna glomped Opa even as Celestia glomped the two of them.

"Let us take time to delight," suggested Opa, "in the beauty of the moon and night."

Luna looked to her big sister as she nodded back. Both of their horns glowed as the sun receded and the moon rose in its place. As the moon rose, the beautiful twinkling stars began to populate the clear sky as well. Each star shone in the sky like a small gemstone, and like gems, no two stars were exactly the same. Some twinkled more while some shone brighter, but each star had its own place in the night sky.

"They're all so beautiful," sighed Celestia, "just like my little sister."

Luna blushed as she buried her face against Opa's chest. Her horn rested against Opa's shoulder as it brushed against her cheek.

"Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

"Your love you must attest to and tell," said Opa, "as each proclamation is like a little spell."

Luna snuggled with her devout follower as they all prepared to wake up.