Sleep

Chapters

"...but it's of her I dream"
"Again and again..."
Cosmic Wall

"...but it's of her I dream"

The small radio on the desk quietly hums a mellow tune. The Princess of the Night sighs and dips her quill in the inkwell again.

"...do not let my efforts go to waste. To my night, beauty is secondary."

She lifts a forehoof to rub her eyes. Despite being a mare who works while the sun sleeps, for the first time after countless years, she feels exhausted. Even before her banishment, when she had toiled away through the whole night, she never yearned so much for dawn to bring her respite.

But the letter must be finished. Somepony else out there, a friend, is forced to stay awake, all but praying for a response.

"Thank you again for writing to me. I hope I have been able to help.

Your grateful friend,

Luna"

Her horn lights up, and the letter lifts into the air, curls up, and dissolves into a cloud of sparkling blue vapor. It lingers in her grip for a moment before zooming off toward its destination.

Luna smiles and gives a sigh of relief. Her hooves stretch and brace themselves on the desk as she prepares to stand up. But at the last second, she hesitates. The fatigue from before now creeps over her even stronger. It seeps into her mind faster than she can react. Yawning, she rests her head on the desk and closes her eyes for a moment, only wanting to give them a few minutes in blissful darkness.

*****

An odd noise rings out from above her. She jolts awake, looks up, and notices a small mote of light drifting above. It slowly weaves back and forth, almost in a hypnotic way. Her eyes follow its every move, and her jaw drops slowly, entranced by the motions. The mote dances about for a minute or two, and eventually flies off toward the windows near the ceiling, as though it were trying to escape.

Curious, she pushes herself off the desk and floats up after it. Her motions are slow and deliberate, something inside telling her to be careful, lest she scare it away. The two of them hover near the window, the mote just a few feet from her face. She reaches out, only for the light to scurry away, the windows sliding open to let it pass through. Luna blinks, a smile tugging on her lips, and she drifts after it.

The cool night air caresses her coat as she floats outside to chase the dot of light. It weaves between the tall spires of Canterlot, staying just out of her reach while going ever higher. Luna huffs in frustration and follows. Before long, the towers disappear, and the lights of the city fade around them, revealing the pure darkness of the night sky, pockmarked by countless stars.

The mote of light flickers and appears to stop moving. Luna grins victoriously and drifts closer. She tries to reach for it, only for her hoof to wave in front of her face, not touching anything. She moves closer, but the dot does not change in size nor shape, not to mention distance. She blinks, and as her gaze wanders, she notices that the light is now exactly like all the others around it.

"Huh..."

Luna stops and opens her wings to keep her afloat, only to gasp when she realizes they had been folded up the whole time. She kicks out with her legs in surprise, eyes widening as her body accelerates and spins in response, as though she were swimming in some invisible ocean.

Looking down, she gasps again, finding herself in high orbit above the planet. Her limbs flail in confusion and slight panic, since her short ascent did not seem fast enough to get her all the way up here. To her left, the moon drifts calmly, bright and soothing light radiating off its surface. The sun is nowhere to be seen, except for a few rays of its light poking out to her right, just beyond the edge of the globe.

Luna stares in awe, both at the blue and green giant beneath her, and at the silver orb that circles around it. Stifling a laugh, she stretches out her hoof toward the moon, feeling an odd urge to do so, but not actually expecting to touch it.

Something feels different again. She is small now. Her forelegs are short and stubby, not unlike those of a filly. Her eyes widen as the tip of her hoof meets a cool, hard surface. She caresses the moon and slowly brings it back toward her, turning it into a little ball in her hooves. Sitting down in the invisible aether, she rolls the orb around in front of her and giggles to herself.

A voice makes her ears twitch, and she looks up. Another pony is there, smiling at her from afar. A familiar face. Pink mane and bright white coat. Something round and shiny is among her hooves, much like her own ball, except a different color, along with what looks like tiny flames all over its surface. Luna gasps when she feels warmth radiate from it, even at such a distance.

The other filly trots up to her with a wide smile, and the two sit down face to face. The newcomer smiles and rolls her ball toward Luna. She gasps and rolls her own back in response. The toys trade hooves.

Both fillies gawk at the new things once they arrive. Luna spins the fiery sphere for a while, marveling at its sight. But the sun feels very hot, making her hooves hurt. She yelps and quickly rolls it back.

Looking over, she can see that the other is struggling as well. She shivers with the moon in her grasp, one hoof trying to hold on while her breath tries to warm up the other. Before long, she gives up, sends it on its way, and welcomes the returning sun to take in its warmth again. Luna grabs the moon, its cool surface soothing after the strong heat.

They giggle and trade the sun and moon a few more times, curious about each other and the things they possess, but not wanting to keep each other's toys for long. Eventually, they agree to stick to their own, and the sunny filly waves her goodbye. Luna grins and waves back. She puts the moon back in its place and paddles in the aether with her hooves, drifting onward playfully.

Stars drift past all around her. At first they appear to be spread at random, like tiny specks on a dirty floor. Then she sees them gathered into clouds of all shapes and sizes. Some of the clouds look like wild animals. She sees whole flocks of birds lined up, a big whale chasing them. Other clouds look like ponies, most of them playing around or sleeping. Some of the shapes even seem to be letters, though no actual words are formed.

One of the clouds, as though to mock the whole idea, just forms a "star" shape.

Luna giggles and reaches out again. Her legs are bigger that before, and now they can actually touch the motes of light. She gathers a hoofful and holds them against her chest. The stars are like tiny fireflies in her embrace. They buzz and make her coat tingle slightly.

She yelps and lets go when they zap her a bit stronger. Blinking, she watches as they coalesce into a strange creature that vaguely resembles a serpent. It points at her, throws its head back, mouth open, and shakes uncontrollably.

"Heeey!" She pouts. "Stop laughing at me!"

The serpent drifts away, its tail stirring up the clouds along the way, turning animals into furniture and letters into literal "letters," the sight of which brings a laugh out of the alicorn. She waves goodbye to the creature and moves on.

Luna drifts toward a large cloud of gas now, a few bright lamps hanging within. Bathed in their light, the nebula looks as though somepony had managed to spill a great load of colorful dust all over the otherwise pristine aether.

"Wow, it's so messy in here..." she mutters. "Somepony should really clean up..."

The gas swirls at the tips of her hooves as she swims through it. The shape seems familiar, yet all the more confounding: wide and rounded toward the top and bottom, thinning almost to a single point near the middle, a small amount of dust streaming down through it. Luna thinks for a moment and gasps in realization, which she follows up with a soft chuckle.

"Ohhh, I get it! That explains all the dust. It must have broken somehow." She taps her chin. "But... why did somepony leave an hourglass way out here?"

Once through, the void of space surrounds her again. Giant globules of water drift past, nearly invisible in the darkness. She giggles and watches the light of the stars waver through them. The blobs look like big soap bubbles. She wants to make a few of her own, maybe to respond to whoever sent these ones, but she has neither soap, nor a bubble ring.

Another cloud of stars is up ahead, this one forming a wide disk. As she gets closer, she notices that the disk is actually a spiral with a black marble at the center. A long jet of bright fire shoots out from the heart of the swirling mass. Combined with the bright cloud and the jet, it all looks a bit like a giant, flat birthday cake with a candle on top. Grinning, she smiles and plops down next to it, as though the candle were a campfire.

Another pony approaches from the darkness. She gives a deep sigh and sits beside Luna. The young mare gives the newcomer a confused look. She seems strange. Her mane and tail are odd, puffy black clouds, and she is wearing bright blue socks for no apparent reason.

"Such a shame..." the stranger mutters. A look of deep sorrow is written on her face. "All I wanted was what belongs to me."

Luna nods, leaning a bit closer.

"Was I wrong to do so? I mean, it was going to be the perfect night. I even booked a table for two. I brought flowers, she wrote a poem..."

"Maybe you should have just cancelled," Luna replies. "Or asked the plumbers to take another look."

The newcomer sighs again. "That's true... I suppose I'll just have to try again... Maybe add more fireworks..."

Luna smiles and scoots over, pulling the bigger pony into a tight hug. She gasps and tenses up, but does not try to break away.

"Don't feel bad." The princess cuddles even more tightly. "There's always next time, and the band is still here. I'll... I'll even bake you a cake!"

The mare blushes a little and tries to break out of the hug. "Come on... I'm trying to take this seriously!" She huffs and frowns at Luna.

The smaller mare pouts. "Aww! Why are you such a meanie grumpypants?"

"Oh, really? I'm the meanie here?"

"Yeah, you..." Luna cocks her head to the side as she looks up. "I don't even get you. You dress like a clown, yet you don't want to look happy? I thought that was the whole point: look happy and make happy!"

"I'm not a clown! I'm just..." A grin tugs on her lips, though she tries to fight it back. "I like dressing like this, okay?"

Luna gives her a smug look and snuggles again. "Sure you do..."

The mare gives in, returns the hug, and they laugh a little. The campfire slowly goes out, shrouding the two in darkness.

"Luna?"

She groans, the hard wooden surface biting into her face, yet she cannot force herself to tear away from it.

"Sister? Are you all right?"

A warm hoof gently touches her shoulder. Luna gasps, awakening with a jolt, and looks up. The loving smile of her sister greets her, a hint of worry in her eyes, along with fatigue.

"I had to lower the moon in your stead..." Celestia adds. Her smile widens, and she leans in, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Would you... like to raise the sun in mine?"

Author's Note

Inspired by this. ~~I rip it off pretty much at every turn...~~

Whatever you may think, there is no message here.

"Again and again..."

And so the Princess of the Night nodded, and her sister went to rest for a while.

The younger mare got up from her desk and trudged into her bathroom to clean herself up. A groan left her face when she noticed the bags under her eyes, though she did not feel tired at all, merely looked it. If anything, she was restless. Pressure grew in her chest, one that she could not understand, yet felt compelled to release.

Sighing, she finished grooming herself and left her chambers. Following the maze of hallways and staircases, she eventually opened one of the side doors that led to a smaller balcony. The cool morning air caressed her nostrils and soothed her warm lungs. Breathing evenly, she stretched her limbs a little and looked to the horizon toward the east.

Only twice did Celestia ever share it with her sister, just in case the elder were not to survive. Each time before they left to fight the two of their greatest battles together – one against chaos, and the other against fear – the keeper of the sun whispered the ancient spell into Luna's ear.

Let us hope this works... she thought.

There may have been time to memorize it, but there was never a chance to practice.

*****

Her eyes narrowed as she focused on the fine line between heaven and earth. Luna muttered the incantation, her horn lit up, and the magic within reached for the void beyond.

A shiver went down her spine. Luna felt her magical limb extend as it traveled the enormous distance, feeling all alone and exposed in the black sea of stars. Eventually, the spell made contact, and she inhaled sharply from the sensations it set off.

Fire. More vast and turbulent than any she could imagine, glowing bright enough to pierce the earth itself.

Luna groaned. The power of the sun blinded and burned her mind. It was large, heavy, and hot, almost impossibly so. The experience was far more vivid than in her dream, and the orb itself was more unwieldy.

Gritting her teeth, she channeled a greater dose of energy into her spell and gently spread her wings. Her embrace spread out over the heavenly object and anchored it to her. Sweat poured from her forehead as the fire in her mind grew. Taking a deep breath, she bent her legs, flapped her wings, and kicked off, her body shooting up from the balcony and gliding over the city below.

There was a tug on her hold, and agony stabbed into her skull, but she did not let go. Slowly and steadily, the sun rose up over the horizon, mirroring her own ascent as though it wished to meet her halfway. Luna flapped her wings and pulled it higher and higher, her eyes firmly shut as she strained against the immense weight.

Finally, the pull on her magic relented, and she breathed a sigh of relief, letting the glow on her horn disperse. Blinking away at tears, she looked to the horizon once more, where the bright red orb slowly ascended, its color turning brighter with every second.

Luna smiled proudly. Just like the moon, all the sun needed was a "nudge" to start it off, and it could then move on its own. Her triumph over the fiery beast left her all giddy.

I did it! A tiny, childish giggle escaped her lips, and she could barely resist the urge to dance in mid-air. I actually did it!

With her work now done, the princess turned around and glided back toward the castle, her mind set on a quick meal and some soft cushions. But at the last moment, she paused. Warmth touched her back, foreign to her skin. Her eyes focused on the line across the rooftops, where the light of the dawn met the shadows of the night and forced more and more of it into the ground. As they receded, so did her unease grow.

Luna flapped her wings to regain altitude. She did not want to stop. Not just yet.

Instead of returning to the balcony, the Princess of the Night ascended once more, going between and above the rooftops and tall spires. Along the way, she watched in awe as the slumbering city came back to life around her.

Ponies stirred awake in their beds and emerged from their homes, guards exchanged shifts, merchants set up their booths, and those who labored through the night now settled down to rest. Everypony wore sleepy expressions, the miracle of the dawn seeming to go by unnoticed. Somewhere, a foal's crying rang out, the light having forced her awake.

Luna cooed silently to express her amazement. She wanted to slow down, maybe get a closer look, only to recoil from the confused and curious eyes that turned up to greet her. Their collective gaze felt piercing and judgmental, stirring up things deep within. They urged her to pick up the pace. To hide from them in the shadows where she belonged.

Soon enough, the buildings disappeared from her sight, and she reached the edge of the mountain. Keeping her wings still, she let herself glide toward the lands below, the sun right behind her.

The warmth on her back faded once she entered the shadow of the mountain. Luna closed her eyes and breathed deeply, the air becoming thick with the scents of the earth that rushed up to meet her. Flapping her wings again, she eventually steadied herself a few hundred feet above ground level, now turning her attention to speed.

She opened her eyes again, letting them wander over the lands below. Hills, copses of trees, lakes, streams, and the occasional dwelling greeted her. For a while, there was no sign of life, until she noticed a group of ponies on top of a small hill up ahead. They were gathered in a straight line, facing east. Everypony wore strange robes and was on their knees, bent forward with their faces planted on the ground between their forelegs.

Luna raised an eyebrow in confusion. Moments later, warmth touched her back again as the light of the sun emerged over the mountain. The odd group lifted slowly, their faces rising up along with the bright orb, and their forelegs reached out as though they wished to embrace it.

"Sun cultists..." the princess grumbled under her breath. "So that's what they look like..."

The ponies chanted in low tones, eyes wide open as they bathed themselves in the earliest sunlight of the day. Luna felt an urge to spit. Her ears throbbed from the noises that reached her. The stirring of her memories and emotions returned, now more difficult to ignore.

The bright orb was halfway above the peak of the mountain now. It followed close behind, akin to an obedient pet. Luna smiled and dashed onward, letting it keep chasing her.

Yes, that's right... She glanced back at the group below. Keep it up all you want. Don't you see? Your precious 'god' is a mere plaything in my hooves.

The cultists remained oblivious to her presence. With a smug grin on her face, the princess glided onward. A dense forest came next, the canopy dark and thick, akin to a veil of storm clouds. She could almost feel the sea of darkness caress her hooves as she sailed over it.

She felt home.

Her eyes narrowed when she reached a clearing, and a familiar sight greeted her: grey and crumbling piles of stone, a shadow of what once stood here. Only in her memories did the castle still rise above the trees, tall and proud.

Old memories and older ruins, however, had no value in her eyes today. She kept going, unfazed by the view, and for a while, the vast ocean of the dark canopy below and the shroud of the night ahead comforted her mind.

But it was not to last. She came upon another distraction. More old stones, and even hazier memories. One clearing followed another, each one taken up by a landmark of a world long lost to time.

Luna closed her eyes, not even wanting to look. Moments later, faint, white light seeped in through her eyelids, making her frown. She peeked for a moment, and her jaw dropped when she found herself gazing upon the source of the brightness.

Another large clearing opened up beneath her, more ruins at the center of it. Unlike the others, however, she had no memory at all of this particular place. The walls that still stood revealed it to be a temple or observatory of some kind, a "crescent moon" theme carved into the stone as frequently and ambitiously as the architects of old could manage.

In a large circle around the crumbling ruins, the soil was lit up by thousands of hoof-sized flowers. They all gave a cool, silver glow, identical to that of the moon, which was now fully visible up ahead. A closer look revealed dozens of patches in the circle, each one different in size and brightness.

They did not match in glow only. The flowers created a mirror image of what dominated the sky during the night.

Smiling from its beauty, Luna felt the urge to stop once more. She wanted to stay still and just bathe herself in the wondrous sight for as long as it lasted. But as the sun approached and the moon sank, the light of the flowers waned, forcing her to move on. The dark canopy below came to an end soon afterward.

With the forest behind her, she came upon a small village. Beyond it, another group of cultists were busy climbing up a bare hill nearby. Luna ground her teeth together, her pleasant daze giving way to disgust. The unpleasant stir returned once more, along with a faint taste of bile, and she now felt compelled to swoop down upon the gathering herd.

"Wait..." She blinked as the group reached the summit. "What are they—"

Luna gasped silently and froze once she got close enough. The cultists formed up the same way as the others before, except they all faced west this time. Each one murmured their prayers, held out their hooves, and bent toward the ground, following the moon as it sank over the horizon.

Using her magic, she tried listening in. A shiver ran down her spine as every single pony, young and old, prayed from the bottom of their hearts. With love and reverence, they gave thanks to the moon and its shepherd for keeping them safe through the night, both in body and in their dreams.

The sun climbed over the horizon a few minutes later, and the ponies turned to the east. Luna closed her eyes and glided on before they could notice. Her pet followed calmly.

No... she thought. That word did not feel right. It was not a pet.

It was a lantern, and it was anchored to her. Today, it was her duty to carry its burden.

Breathing deeply, the princess tried to focus on just flying as fast as she could. The memory of the cultists brought back the image of the ruins again. She could see the light of the flowers. The bright circle they formed. A "moon on earth" as a gift to the prisoner in the sky.

She was late by over a thousand years. She could never tell them. And for all she knew, they would not have cared either way.

The prison was too far for anypony to see their gift from there.

"Am I still dreaming?"

The question never wanted to leave her mind. Her lips kept repeating it silently.

She had no answer. Her wings flapped with a mind of their own. She had been flying for hours now. Perhaps even days.

It was dark all around. The air was cold. The lands were foreign. The ponies had odd accents.

Another settlement came into view. The third since she came upon dry land again, and it too was wildly decorated. The inhabitants gathered around the marketplace, each one wearing a different disguise.

A dark figure towered over a group of smaller, lightly-colored ones. The child wore a costume based on the infamous mare from the old ponies' tales. With a menacing voice of command, she tried to muster the herd of unruly foals around her. They all just giggled in response. Moments later, the filly broke character and laughed with them.

Luna sealed her eyes shut. Her hooves tried to block her ears.

She could not stand it. She had to talk to them. She had to scream, or at least whimper.

Her wings would not respond. Her voice would not come out.

She had to do it. She had to make them stop. They had no idea. They saw the image as an amusing source of fright, never having seen where it all began.

They never saw the wings that brought storms and nightmares. They never heard the blood-curdling laughter. Never met the blackened skin and the cold, slitted eyes.

It was the last thing her victims would ever see.

"Wow, nice costume!"

The voice snapped her out of her reverie. Luna's head snapped up, and she found herself face to face with the filly she just saw a moment ago. Glancing around, she realized she was sitting on a bench near the edge of the village. Everypony else milled about or made their way back home, which left the two of them on their own.

The princess blinked in confusion. Up close, the filly's costume was nowhere near as menacing. If anything, it was laughable. The headpiece turned out to be paper with some silvery paint on it, the "ethereal mane" was a blue towel covered in glitter, and the rest was just body paint.

"I mean, I did my best, but..." the filly went on. She frowned a little as she inspected her own costume. "But you..." She turned back to Luna. "Wow, you look just like her! Did ya spend lots of time with it?"

Her accent was unlike anything Luna ever heard before, making her feel all the more lost. Her jaw hung open, and a cavalcade of thoughts filled her head as she tried to conjure a response. Eventually, the filly made the first move. She stepped a bit closer and reached out to tug on Luna's mane.

"Whoa!" Her eyes widened as her hoof brushed against the magical strands. "It feels so... weird... How do you do it?"

Luna's heart skipped a beat, as she did not expect the child to be so forward. Every inch of her screamed at her to escape. Spread her wings, or just teleport away. But she resisted. There was another tug on her mane, and the Princess of the Night smiled.

"It's a secret."

The filly pouted. "Awww!" Giggling, she poked the alicorn in the chest lightly and stuck her tongue out. "Meanie! You prolly just cheated and asked your mommy!"

"Really?" The princess chuckled and held her nose high, a smug smile on her face. "Do I hear somepony being... jealous around here?"

"Nuh-uh! It's not fair if ya get your parents to help!"

"Except that's not true, little one." Luna reached out to rub the child's head with her hoof, making her squirm. "You're the meanie, not me."

"Heey! No noogies!" The filly groaned and laughed as she pulled away from her grip.

"I didn't get any help," Luna said. "I had this costume all along. In a way, I was born with—" She trailed off and gave another chuckle. "Well, all right... I suppose I did get a little help from them."

"See?" Her opponent pointed with a triumphant grin. "I told you so!" She stuck her tongue out again.

Luna responded by sticking out her own, and the two laughed at each other.

"So..." The filly went on. "You get lots of candy tonight?"

The princess sighed. "I'm afraid not."

"Huh? But your costume is really good. No way nopony gave you anything!"

"No, it's not that." Luna said. "I... slept in and got here a little late." She looked away with a sorrowful expression. "Nopony left to give a fright."

"Awww, that's a shame," the filly said. She chuckled and poked her opponent again. "Well, why didn't ya go to bed sooner, silly?"

Luna could not help but laugh as well. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Hmm..." The filly rubbed her chin. "Still... no candy." She turned to reach into her saddlebags. "Well, don't be sad. You can just have some of mine."

Luna glanced down to see the filly grin, while her forelegs held out a paper bag overflowing with colorful sweets. Giving a weak smile, the princess took a piece and popped it into her mouth. The child nodded, urged her to take some more, and gobbled up a hoofful herself.

"Thank you," Luna said. "Hmm... What's your name?"

The filly paused in her chewing. "Alioth..." she replied with a small blush.

"Hmm?" Luna leaned a bit closer, puzzled by her change of demeanor.

"It's... such a weird name, huh?" Alioth laughed, while her hooves shuffled nervously. "I dunno why mom gave it to me. I guess she loves stars and stuff. Oh, and uhh... You can just call me 'Ali' if you want."

Luna smiled and nodded. "Do you know what it means?"

"Uhh... She said its one of the stars in the 'Big Ladel' or whatsit called."

"Yes. Ursa Major, otherwise known as 'The Big Dipper'."

"Yeah, that one!" Alioth lit up somewhat. "You know a lot about stars?"

The princess nodded again. "Quite a lot, yes. Let's just say I... often have to work with them."

"Oooh!" Alioth grinned. "Can you tell me more about them? I always loved looking at stars! They're so pretty and bright and there's so many of them and—"

She trailed off when she noticed Luna staring at her, not quite sharing her enthusiasm.

"It's late, little one," she said. "Shouldn't you be going to bed?"

"Nuh-uhhhh!" Alioth dropped onto her haunches and crossed her hooves. "Don't be a meanie! It's such a nice night, and I'm not even tired!"

Luna's facade did not last long, and she let out a giggle. "All right, all right..." She glanced to the east, but there was no sign of the reddish glow just yet. "We should have a few more hours of night left. Why not?"

She invited the filly to sit beside her. Once she did, her hoof guided the child's gaze to the stars above, while her horn flashed for a moment. The child frowned when she noticed it, but a sudden shift above quickly brought her attention back to the sky.

"Wooow..." Alioth's jaw dropped as the stars seemed to brighten right in front of her eyes. Every apparition gained clear outlines and vivid colors. Instead of a black canopy with a few bright holes, the two of them now stared up at a colorful spectacle of constellations, nebulae, and other cosmic wonders.

"All these stars..." the princess said. "All those clouds and comets and shapes... They all have stories about them."

Alioth did not reply, merely blinked non-stop as she tried to take it all in. Smiling, Luna wrapped a foreleg around the filly's back and whispered in her ear.

"Which one do you want to hear first?"

Author's Note

moar Dandy Warhols kthxbai

Cosmic Wall

"Think you could tell me a story about the moon?" the filly said. She swung her legs idly under the bench.

"Of course, my dear," Luna said. "What would you like to know?"

"Why are there so many holes in it?"

The princess chuckled. "Those are craters."

Ali nodded. "Yeah, those. Where'd they come from?"

"Well, you see..." Luna turned her gaze up to the night sky. "There's lots of rocks in space. Sometimes, a few of them try to fall on our heads. But most of the time, the moon acts like a shield..." She trailed off and shook her head with a smile. "No... a noble guardian who protects our world from these big rocks."

"Wow, really?" The filly grinned.

Luna nodded. "Mmhmm. The moon took many many blows for all of us. That's why we can sleep safe at night."

Giggling, Ali turned her gaze upwards as well. "That's so amazing. Hmm..." She pouted. "And all I ever heard was that old ponies' tale."

The princess did not reply for a while. "I see," she whispered.

"Do you think any of it is true?" The filly looked back at her friend again. She frowned upon noticing Luna's somber expression. "I mean, if the moon was so good to us, how could 'The Mare on the Moon' be any different?"

The alicorn looked up again, eyes focusing on one of the smaller craters, which was barely noticeable among the giant ones around it. She stared at it for a while and gave a deep sigh.

"Well, at one point, things got a little... complicated..."

*****

A bright beam of silver light slashed across the column, slicing it in two. The heavy stones broke apart and crashed to the ground with a thunderous roar. A cloud of dust and smoke erupted from the blast, swirling when a being with large white wings sailed through it. They moved frantically to propel the alicorn through the chamber. Sweat drenched her coat from the effort, her lungs burned, and her heart pounded in her chest. She glanced behind her back and gasped, diving quickly to avoid another beam, which struck the far wall and made it collapse. Once near the ground, she lit her horn and used a burst of magic to bounce back into the air, just in time to dodge the next shot.

"Very impressive, Celestia," a menacing voice boomed over the roar of the falling debris. It echoed throughout the chamber, sending a chill down the princess' spine. "But do you intend to keep dancing all night?"

Celestia came to a halt in mid-air and wheeled around to meet the gaze of her pursuer. Her body shook from the exertion, and several parts of her coat were burned or covered in dust. She winced as the dark figure cackled wildly and emerged from a cloud of smoke. Tears formed in the white alicorn's eyes from the sight of her corrupted sibling.

"I beg of you, sister..." she replied. Her voice shook slightly. "Cease this at once. This isn't—"

She gasped again and dove out of the way, another beam slicing through the air mere inches from her face. More shots followed in quick succession, barely giving her time to dodge. A hit to the ceiling created a blast that stunned her, allowing the next beam to strike directly, which sent her flying across the chamber. She cried out in pain, and her aura of magic formed up just in time to shield her as she blasted through the wall.

The Nightmare cackled and flapped her wings to follow close behind. Her horn glowed, sending volley after volley of destructive energy against the wounded alicorn.

"Beg? You don't know what it's like to beg!" she roared. "You never had to beg for anything!"

Celestia quickly dove to the side, the beams shrieking past her and slamming into the forest. The trees in their path were either ripped apart or set ablaze. She flew low, taking cover between the buildings around the castle to avoid the next wave. One by one, the structures made of heavy stones crumbled from the attacks.

"But perhaps you can learn tonight. You will beg with all your strength for everything I'm about to take away from you!"

The barrage gave a short pause, and the glow of the Nighmare's horn intensified. Moments later, she leveled her horn with the princess and released a giant beam of energy. A large explosion shook the earth, obliterating most of the remaining buildings. What little was left barely stood on its supports, the proud bastions reduced to hollow skeletons.

Once the smoke cleared away, a white figure wrapped in a golden aura came into view at the center of the explosion. Celestia sucked in the air through gritted teeth, eyes twitching as she struggled to pour her magic into her shield. Her ears twitched, and her eyes widened when she picked up on screams coming from the distance. Glancing behind her back, she noticed a group of ponies climbing out of one of the ruined structures. They frantically tumbled out from among the collapsed walls, only a few of them daring to look up at the combatants, while the rest ran for their lives.

Taking a deep breath, the alicorn turned back to her opponent. The Nightmare raised an eyebrow as Celestia's aura faded away, while her horn shone even more brightly. Moments later, a golden beam shot out from it, heading straight for the dark creature. She raised a shield of her own, but the beam did not strike against it. Instead, both ponies were wrapped in a golden aura and disappeared in a bright flash. The Nightmare blinked away at spots in her vision, and her limbs moved around as she felt a sudden change in the air around her body.

"Oh? Taking our little game someplace safe?" She laughed again as she took in her surroundings, finding herself and her opponent drifting in high orbit. "Want to keep your precious subjects out of harm's way? Hmmm..." Her lips curled into a wicked grin, exposing her fangs. "So be it. I'll just tear you apart first."

They exchanged spells for a while, lighting up the dark void of space. The Nightmare fired countless destructive bolts, while Celestia just kept blocking them with her shield. At times, she would advance on her opponent, forcing her back and making sure they both stayed away from the planet.

"Can you feel it, Celestia?" the Nightmare hissed. "Can you feel the agony crushing every inch of you? Can you feel the darkness closing in?"

The princess groaned, agony and fatigue clearly written on her face. Her aura faded more and more, and some of the Nightmare's beams managed to break through it, singing her coat and tossing her great distances.

"This is the fate that awaits them all... and there is nothing you can do to stop it."

Throughout the whole ordeal, Celestia never said a word. She took every blow one by one, at times looking like she flew into their path deliberately. Even the Nightmare hesitated in her attacks after a while, her smile fading as she watched her opponent. There was no sign of a counterattack, merely the same effort to keep them away from the planet.

"Feeling remorse, aren't you?" the Nightmare growled. A slight tremor entered her voice. She then gave a sigh of pleasure and nodded her head at the surface below. Great fires could be seen raging all over the continent, billowing smoke that engulfed what the blaze had not touched yet. "Ah, just listen to their cries. The suffering they got, you deserve a hundredfold!"

She fired another volley of beams. No shield was raised to block them. Each impact knocked the princess back several miles, and she cried out in pain as her skin burned. Her eyes shut tightly, and she coughed up a small amount of blood.

"Why won't you fight back?" the dark being whispered to herself, pausing in her attacks again. "Why are you... letting me hurt you?"

"Hmm... but I must admit," she went on aloud. "The delicious screams they gave? They almost made up for what I had to endure." She gave a low chuckle. "Mmmm... I loved every second of it."

Celestia gasped, her eyes widening.

"ENOUGH!"

For the first time, the Nightmare was taken aback, the roar of her opponent shaking her to the bones. A blinding flash of light burst from where Celestia stood moments before, and a fiery being took her place, eyes burning with anger. Before the Nightmare could react, it lunged forward, lashing out with waves of fire akin to solar flares. They both burned and struck with the force of a giant blade, landing a series of powerful blows on the dark mare, knocking her back.

The burning figure did not relent and aimed her horn at the Nightmare, releasing a monstrous stream of fire. It collided with the dark alicorn, making her scream in pain. The stream pushed her with tremendous force, straight toward the moon floating in the distance. Within moments, she crashed against the gray surface and disappeared in a large cloud of dust.

Celestia followed close behind, landing next to the point of impact. She took a deep breath, and the flames embracing her body calmed down somewhat, revealing her new figure. Bright golden armor adorned her body, emitting an aura of wavering light, not unlike the corona of the sun. Orange flames bled from her eyes as she watched her opponent, who lay sprawled out at the center of the crater.

The Nightmare stirred and coughed a few times, hooves trembling a bit as she got back up. Glancing to her side, her eyes narrowed as she met the gaze of her sister. Great anger radiated from the white mare, and the sun behind her wavered, glowing brighter as if responding to her mood.

"So you do possess a fire beneath that cold shell," the Nightmare growled. "Hmph... Pity that it won't help."

She turned to face her opponent and stood tall, wings spread. A silvery glow appeared in the dust around her hooves. It wavered in sync with the light of the sun, matching the brightness of the fiery orb.

"The sun may be powerful," she went on, "but that only gives the moon more light to shine!"

The glow spread to the armor on her body, and she lowered her horn, releasing a bright stream of energy. It rushed toward Celestia, carving a deep trench into the lunar surface along the way. In response, the princess unleashed another torrent of fire. The streams collided halfway between them, the blast kicking up tons of dust continuously.

"Cease this, Luna!" the white mare boomed. "It will lead to nothing but pain and destruction! I know that's not what you want!"

They circled around, both straining against the pressure they mounted on each other, while the streams tore up more and more of the moon's surface. Eventually, the Nightmare held fire and kicked off from the surface, blasting at her opponent from above. Celestia followed suit, and the two hurtled through the void once more, exchanging deadly attacks.

"You know nothing!" the Nightmare screamed back. "I'll never live in your shadow again!"

She took back the initiative, forcing her opponent to retreat across great distances to avoid her attacks. Entire mountains were torn out of the moon to be used as large rocks to crush the white alicorn. In response, Celestia no longer held back. She lashed out with powerful solar flares, pounding and scorching whatever they touched. She made every effort to subdue her sister, or at least keep her away from the ponies below.

But that was no longer the Nightmare's plan.

"It's time we traded roles," she said.

Anger gave way to shock on Celestia's face when she noticed her surroundings. The brawl guided them into the shadow of the planet, with only the moon reflecting the light of the sun in their direction. The Nightmare's armor glowed even brighter, while the aura of her sister faded.

"I can step into the light..." She cackled wildly. "And you shall live in darkness!"

The dark mare did not even bother with magic this time. Before Celestia could react, the Nightmare barreled straight into her, making them both plummet toward the surface. Celestia cried out in pain and struggled helplessly, unable to break out of her sister's deadly embrace. Within seconds, they tore through the upper atmosphere, strong winds ripping at their bodies from the great speed of their descent.

Just before the moment of impact, the Nightmare let go of the princess and spread her wings, halting herself in mid-air. She watched Celestia flail her limbs, her horn vomiting sparks as she tried to summon enough energy for a spell to save herself. A heartbeat later, a thunderous boom rang out as the white figure slammed into the ground.

The Nightmare gave a low chuckle as she descended near the newly-formed crater. Her eyes bathed in the sight of her sister, who lay motionless at the center, her armor cracked and broken all over, and her aura all but gone. As the glow disappeared, the burn marks on her coat came into view once more.

Chuckling again, the Nightmare's horn lit up, and a cage made of silvery metal formed over the Celestia's broken body.

"You shall be my prisoner for all time," she said. "My personal trophy to remember my victory. And best of all..." She grinned widely. "My source of amusement."

The ravaged armor disappeared in a bright flash, replaced by a jester's outfit. Celestia blinked, and the bells on the fabric rang as she squirmed, trying to get a look at herself.

"A fool you were, Celestia." The plains were replaced by the interior of a large castle. The Nightmare sat down on her throne and waved for her servants to prepare dinner, while her magic lifted the cage and placed it beside her. "And now my personal fool you shall be. On display for everypony to laugh at while they bow before my might and—"

"Whaaat?" Ali pouted. "No way, that's not how it happened."

Luna giggled a little. "All right, all right... I suppose I did exaggerate some of the details."

The filly huffed and crossed her arms. "Geez, I never knew princesses could be so silly."

"To be honest, I was hoping you'd have fallen asleep by now."

Ali stuck out her tongue at the princess. The mare chuckled again and gently pulled the child into a hug. Sighing deeply, she then glanced up at the sky, her eyes tracing along the edges of the same small crater on the moon.

"It's not easy talking about this, you know..."

"Why not?" the filly asked.

"Hm... I don't know." Luna shook her head and smiled, turning back to her new friend. "After all... it's just an old ponies' tale, right?"

Author's Note

Yes, this chapter is named after that level in Sonic Adventure 2, although I'd prefer to say it's only a reference to the title and the background music. The level itself is... forgettable...

Usually I'm against blatant "epic epicness", but after all the melancholia and whatnot I've been making lately, I figured "why not have some fun and do a space battle?"

Believe me, no matter how cliche it may look, it's still a hell of a lot more pleasant than what I originally planned as a conclusion...