Ten Days, Ten Pony Stories

Ten Days, Ten Pony Stories

Day 9: The Choice, by Princess Luna

Spike, I summon ye’ to writ’ist this for me.

Greetings. I am Princess Luna, the second Princess of Equestria with my sister, Celestia, and ruler of the moon, and a dream walkre.

I hath heard word of these lettres sent’ith by a Doctor of some sort, requesting for stories from my people. And I, too, hath been sent one as well. Doctor Whofan 611th now asks of me to write him a tale of a recent experience for him to add to his collection. So far, the six element bearers of harmony hath written of renting books, exterminating wheat words, Wonderbolt tickets, a date... what ever that one was... and a horror movie, and my sister and niece hath written of a hoofball game and a not-so-perfect cup of tea.

And so far, no problem hath been done. So I shall partake’ist in this strange, new tradiction. So without furthre ado, I shall give’ist thou a tale of my past.

I do hope ye’ will enjoy it.

Your Tradiction Writer,

-Princess Luna

Twas a wonderful night, as I recall. It was the 1,001st sun celebration, a day I ever so cherish, the day I was free from the curse that hath been known as ‘Nightmare Moon’. Twas time, reassurance and therapy that hath healed me from such a dreaded experience. Twas a wonderful, gay time, but everything hath to end. Tis’ sad, but everypony hath to move on, including I.

        I returned home, in my castle in Canterlot, tis’ capital of Equestria. I hath thrown on my sweet shirt, and turned on my olden gamecube. Hath I mentioned I am a gamre? Well, I am indeed, tis’ a fun thing to do. I played my favorite game, Mega Mare. Tis’ a wonder life I have… I live with my sister, free from the dreaded curse of Nightmare Moon, able to play all the games I want, hath friends all over my sakrete land, tis’ a wonderful, wonderful life… and before I hath knew it, I fell asleep…

I hath woken from a dream, a rathre silly dream. I dreamt of a life back in the wonderful land of Equestria, on the very earth I ever so miss, back with my sister, and hath all the friends I could ever ask for. But alas, for one must always remember the truth. Tis’ reality, rathre I liked it or not.

        The reality is, that I was still imprisoned on the moon, my moon. My sister, the witch she was, imprisoned me for simply wanting to extend my beautiful night to an eternity! Tis’ not fair! While ponies play and celebrate in my sister’s day, everypony sleeps and ignores my night. Tis’ not fair!

I hate my sister, for she is not fair. She hath consumed more of the glory, and never shall she ever give even a single drop of it to her lonely, unappreciated little sister. Tis’ not fair! Tis’ not fair! Oh woe is me!

        Once upon a time, I once hated being on my moon. But the more time I hath spent on it, the more I started to realise that now I hath not need worry of attention, for now I can suffer in my loneliness without having to suffer my jealousy of my big, selfish sister. She hath thought she had outwitted me, but nay! I hath outwitted her! I embrace my imprisonment, my home, my one-mare country! I hath won the battle, and no pony can ever bring me back… never shall I return home… never… ever… again… and before I hath knew it, I feel asleep…

        “NAY!!!” I screamed. I breathed heavily, for tis’ a horrifying dream I had.

        “Sister?” asked Tia’ as she trotted into my room, my guards kept a keen eye for any sign of attack, as always. “Sister, are you alright?” she asked. I sobbed, my dream was far too horrifying for words. “Did you have another nightmare about what happened a thousand years ago?” my sister asked. I nodded, and we hath hugged, crying into her shoulder, knowing full and well that my sister will always have my back. “It’s been so long… I thought you fully healed… but it’s alright, just remember, it happened a long time ago. It’s done, and I swear it will never happen again. It’s okay… it’s okay… it’s okay…” my sister whispered into my ear, soothing me. I felt ever so relax… in fact, I felt rathre tired… like I could just… fall asleep…

I hath awoken with a gasp. Tis’ an awful dream, yet wonderful dream. I had once again dreamt of being back in Equestria, with my evil, evil sister, acting all kind and gentle as if she actually cares. But… tis’ strange, for I actually thought that the dream was real, and that reality was but a dream. Tis’ strange… tis’ ever so strange…

“Ha, ha, ha, ha… tis’ everso strange, isn’t it?”

I flinched, a strange voice spoked in my head.

“One moment you wake up in a dream of Equestria, yet feel like it’s so real. Then another moment, you fall asleep, and dream where you wake up here in what you know for sure is real. Ever sostrange, isn’t it?”

        “Show thyself, ye’ coward!” I shouted. I was going mad, I thought at first, but then I wondered that maybe perhaps I wasn’t. But then again, thinking one isn’t mad is simply the first symptom.

“Oh, but if I do, then ye’ would wish thou hasn’t asked. For I am an image thou hath not want to remember, a terrible, cruel reminder who what thou wants’ith to forget!”

“What art thou talking about?” I demanded.

“Oh, ye’ hath not understand yet? But of course not! Here, let me put this simply to you; you are dreaming, and you are living. The question is, which is the dream, and which is the life?”

        “What dusk thou mean? I don’t understand!”

“Sleep, my prisoner. Sleep…”

I awoke in my sister’s arms. I not quite sure if she even noticed they I hath fallen asleep… or awoken? But… I felt so sure that my dream was real, and that this was the dream. My sister and I broke up.

        “Feeling better, sister?” my sister asked. I nodded. “Good. Perhaps maybe you’ll need some rest.” she suggested. My eyes popped open.

        “Um… nay, sister. I’ll just… stay up a little longer…” I told her, in fear of having yet another horrifying dream. Tia’ looked behind me and saw my game, smiled and shook her head while she left.

“So, art thou dreaming…? Or art thou awake…?”

I flinched.

        “Who art thou!” I screamed.

“I am a being who possesses the same ability as you. I dream walk. More than that, I own them! I am the Lord of all Dreams! I am… the Dream Lord!”

        “What dusk thou want’sith from me!?” I demanded.

“Only entertainment…”

        “What dusk thou mean?”

“I have no body, I am but only an image. I do not have a face of my own, but a face of many. No food, no death… no love. Only a need for entertainment.”

        “What dusk thou want me to do?” I asked.

“… ye doing it right now, rathre thou likes it or not. As I hath foretold, ye is in a state where dreams and reality feel ever so much alike. So, which one is real, and which one is but a dream? Your choice…”

        “Show thyself! I demand to see you now! I don’t care rather ye waltz in different faces, show me in one of thy faces, at least one, the one thou hast right now!”

“Art thou sure…? Like I hath said, I hath no face of my own, but many a different face… and I already told thou what they were, in your dream… or was it while thou was awake?”

        “Show me! I demand thou show me!”

“Fine, but thou shalt not curse me for what I am about to reveal, for I warn thee that thou will regret asking!”

        “I assure you I had seen worse, and am still scared from it. What else am I suppose to be scared of anymore after I’ve seen the worse a pony can ever face!”

“Exactly, my little pony. Thou hast only one fear… thou hast seen worse than any other fear in the entire universe… that fear… being…-

“...- thyself!!!” The Dreamlord finished. I screamed. “Sleep, child. Or wake up, which ever it is. The monster will go away… or will she…?” said the Dreamlord slowly cooed, as I lull my way to yet another slumber…-

-... and then I woke up. ‘Twas only but a dream’ I thought at first. But tis’ tragically not true, for when I hath looked up, I saw… her…

        “Do you recall a time, in thy dream, or while ye awoke, which ever twas, that thou said thou hath ‘Seen worse’? Well, I am the ‘worse’ thou hast seen! There is nothing else in the universe to fear… but this form I take, a form of your darkest self!” The Dreamlord explained. She was, indeed, the form I had feared most. She was me, in the form of… Nightmare Moon… she looked just like how I looked before I was banished, only her armour was pure silver, and not dark purple.Every foal fears the dark, the boogymare, rejection… the monsters… the monsters from their imagination, the monsters that go against everything thou believes in, the thing that thou will never want to be… my fear is far worse… for the monster I fear… is me. I’m Nightmare Moon. I’m the monster that hath created terror throughout Equestria… and there I was… standing right in front me like a reflection of a mirror. “Oh, what a nightmare. But… what sort do you believe I’ve meant by that? A bad dream, or a cruel reality?” The Dreamlord teased.“How can I get out…? How dusk I escape?” I asked through sobs.“I shall mark thou a profosy. In one hour, there will come a danger in Two. One tis’ real, one tis’ not. Once when the hour comes, thou must take action and figure out which one is True. One danger shall be in the world tis’ real, and the other in the world tis’ a Lie. So to escape my trap, you must find out which one is the, then await to fall into slumber. And in the said dream, you must face the disaster, and allow thyself to Die. Now sleep, or wake up, which ever it is, and be prepared for what is to come…”

I awoke, and sighed with relief. ‘Twas only a dream’, I hath thought. But then I hath to consider how I felt in the dream, and how real it ever so felt. I looked upon the clock. Twas’ 1800 hours. I hath knew that I hath to ponder on how to solve the puzzle. Then, an idea hath struck upon me. I looked upon my calendar, and saw the date. Twas’ March the 1st of the 1,001st year. I laid down where I was, and awaited for yet another slumber or awaking. But I could not sleep…

        “Aww… thou think'st thou hast the ability to sleep and wake up. Tis’ a nice try, but I hast the command on when you sleep or wake up. There shalt be any cheating in my game.” The Dreamlord explained, then teleported closer to me in a bath-robe, a small tea-cup in her levitation. “Here, take this espresso. Since thou can’t sleep, why not simply stay up? Or is it the other around? Oh, what dusk I know? Oh wait… everything!” she exclaimed, then laughed ever so hard, the same laugh I once use to laugh. “Let’s have some exercise, shall we? Run!”

        “W-why…?” I asked.

        “Just run!!” she demanded. In fear of her, I cantered. I hath no idea what she was capable of, so all I could do was just to run as far away as possible.

        “Luna!?” my sister asked as I passed her. I hath no idea rather she was following or not at the time, but I didn’t care. I needed to get out, as soon as possible. As swiftly as possible. Once when I made my way out of the castle, I kept running… and running… and running… until… I fell asleep.

I awoke, and back in reality… or so I thought until I remembered the true gravity of the situation (no pun intended).

        “So, hath thou decided yet?” asked the Dreamlord, then teleported to another spot in a tan trench coat and a pocket watch on her hoof. “It appears to be almost time for ye death, or your awakening, which ever it is.”

        “Nah,” I answered. “I hath not decided yet. But I do hast a question…”

        “Oh? Well, what of it, then?” the Dreamlord asked with curiosity.

        “The date in my dream, or in real-life, was March the 15th of the 1,001st year on 1800 hours. What date is it now?”

        “Well…” The Dreamlord responded, and looked upon her watch. “It appears to be… oh, who am I kidding? There’s no time on the moon!” she answered, then levitated her watch to me to show the hands on the clock, spinning round and round to demonstrate her point.

        “I mean on Equestria.” I clarified.

        “Depends on where in Equestria.”

        “In Canterlot, what time is it?”

        “How are you suppose to know?”

        “What?”

        “I shalt tell thou of what you want to know, but only what thou needs to know.” The Dreamlord explained, then teleported on another spot in lavender pajamas and a sleeping cap with a yawn. “I think tis’ time to take another rest… or is it time to wake up…?” before I could make any more arguments, I was instantly stunned and passed out…

I hath awoken, or re-entered the dream.

        “So, what to do… what to do… what will little Princess Luna of the night do?” asked the Dreamlord.

        “Thou… thou hath reminded me of an olden enemy… one who shares the same abilities as thou appears to have. You remind me of Discord, a spirit of chaos, whom never needs to eat nor sleep, and hath the ability to make and wear whatever he desires with a snap of his claw and paw and teleport wherever he wishes, just as you do, Dreamlord. Ye him, aren't thou?”

        “Me…? Discord…? Ha! Don’t make me laugh. He is but a Draconequus, a Q, who hast a need for entertainment in the world of reality and the power to get just that. I am a Dreamlord, I hast the need for entertainment in the world of dreams. We art different, not the same.” The Dreamlord explained. “Oh, and look; the time hast come. Desastor will fall, and thou must make a choice on rather thou will die here or there (the dream or reality), for one can’t live anywhere.” before I could question her, she was gone the moment I blinked.

        “Luna!?” Tia’ called. She cantered her way to me. I looked around, and saw that everypony hath been watching. The reason why they hadn’t ran away must be because only I can see the Dreamlord, for everypony else fears of her current form as well, but not as much as I. “What are you doing? Where were you going? Why-” before my sister could finish of her questions, there came not one roar, but four all in unison. Despite the protection we keep in the everfree forest, a hydra appeared. This was the life-threatening disaster to come, as foretold. Everypony screamed in terror… and I fell asleep…

I hath awoken… or hath fallen asleep…

        “What hath thou done!?” I screamed at the Dreamlord. “I can die while I’m asleep!”

        “Or art thou…?” the Dreamlord asked. My face turned red in frustration. “Oh, look at the time… apparently, there is time here, for it hast came. The time for potential death. The time… for the lunar eclipse…” I could see my sister’s sun, slowly moving it’s way towards my moon… and I was on the wrong side of the moon, the side that faces the sun. “You know,” the Dreamlord said, laid back on a reclined couch with a tanning panel and wore a pair of sunglasses. “Thou dusk needs’ith a tan. Ever so bad, in fact. Oh wait… what if thou gets to close to the sun again? Something about burning? I wonder…”

        “You art mad!” I exclaimed with a stomp.

        “Well, when thou is an infinitely powered being whom only suffers through boredom, let us see how long thou can stay sane, thyself.” the Dreamlord defended. I growled in frustration. I dusk not need to be a Dreamlord to go mad, for I myself hath already had. “The time hast come, Luna. The time hast time for you to chose which is real… and which is fake…”

***

“This one, tis’ the one that’s real…

***

Nay, twas a dream. This is the real one…

***

Nay, twas a dream. I am most certain that this one is…-

***

-... simply not real. There is no way. I know this one is…

***

But tis’ not… it’s this one…

***

this one…

***

this one…

***

this one…

…

...I’m confused…

…

I awoke and hath fallen asleep, unsure of what order twas. After lots of running form the hydra and the sun, I hath fallen into a new place. Twas dark, and hath no ground. I floated into a complete nothingness, staring at nothing but two mirrors. On one reflection, was me on the moon. On the other, was me in Canterlot.

        “So… hath thou made’st ye mind yet?” asked the Dreamlord.

        “I…- I don’t know… tis’ not fair…” I said with a sob. “Why do I have to chose between these two different lives…? One I don’t have to suffer loneliness… the other I don’t have to suffer jealousy… even if I can chose which one is real, I just can’t make up my mind... “ I cried, unable to handle that extreme mixture of feelings I hath felt.

        “It’s okay… take thy time… thou dusk not hath to-” the Dreamlord tried to sooth me, and that’s when she made me snap.

        “SHUT UP! Thou shalt not speak like my sister like that! Only Tia’ treats me like that! She treats me with fake-love… with real love… WHY AM I SO CONFUSED!!!?” I cried. And for once in this entire story, the Dreamlord fell silent, for no words hath to be spoken. I cried while I tried to ponder on which was real… but as soon as my emotion took over, I hath started to not think, but feel…

        “... I know which one’s the dream now… I am ready to kill myself to wake up and stay in reality…” I finally said.

        “Ohh… really…? I hath been dieing for an answer, ye know. So… which one is it…?” the Dreamlord asked. I faced her, for once in this entire story, I faced her. I made complete eye contact, and swam my way to her to whisper in her ear. She nodded, and then the two mirrors broke…

        “Are you sure this is the dream? What if you made a mistake? What if this is actually reality?” the Dreamlord asked.

        “I don’t care anymore.” I explained. “I hath no purpose to live here… even if it is true, I would rather die than this world be a dream. I don’t know that rather it’s a dream or not… I want it to be.”

        “... so be it… the moon it is then…” the Dreamlord said, not giving a single hint rather or not I was right. But I dusk not care.

        “And by the way,” I said as I sprouted my wings. “How dusk I know what a couch is if tis’ not even invented yet?” I asked, then flew off towards the sun, and I burned to ashes once when I burned to ashes…

I awoken, in the ruined streets of Canterlot. The hydra smashed it’s way through our sakrete city. My sister hath not found me yet, for I hath been running as far away as possible so I could talk to the Dreamlord in peace. Hmm, ‘in peace’ sounds rathre funny considering twas anything but.

        “So, this is reality. This is the real world, the moon was nothing but a dream all along.” the Dreamlord said. I gave her a spectacle look. “What…?”

        “Why art thou here…? In fact… why art thou in both worlds, dream and reality… dusk thou only live in the dream-world, I recall…?”

        “I… don’t want to answer that…”

        “But of course you don’t… tis’ ever so cruel…”

I flew up into the air as quickly as I could.

        “Luna!!! There you are! What are you doing!?” called my sister, Tia. I cried, and prayed that whatever reality is, tis’ better not be without her. As I flew my way to the jaw of the hydra, I muttered my last word;

beep… beep… beep… beep…

I groaned.

“She’s waking up… doctor…! Doctor…! She’s awake!”

“She is!? You, messenger, go alert the Princess ASAP...!”

***

“... Luna…?”

I slowly woke up. For once in ever so long, I hath awoken. My sister looked down upon me, and for once, I was happy she did. “Sister…?” I asked, then started to cry. My sister grabbed me in a big hug, and I cried into her shoulder. The difference this time was that it was real, this time everything is real. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry for what I hath done long ago… I’m sorry I hath attempted to bring eternal night… and I forgive thee. I forgive thee for exiling me to the moon… thou did what was needed to be done to save Equestria… and me…” I said between sobs.

        “... and I too am sorry. I am sorry for sending you to the moon for a thousand long years, and I forgive you for your attempt to bring eternal night. And I am again sorry… for never saying those every words since you first returned, and for hesitating before saying it now.” Tia’... apologise. The first thing I hath said when I hath returned was that I was sorry, and never had she ever said the same to me. And I no longer think of it as pride, but of pure guilt.

“I love thee, big sister…”

“I love you too, little sister…”

From that day forth, I hath healed from the day I became Nightmare Moon, and am longer afraid of her No More. And so, I hath learned that one should always forgive no matter how heinous a betrayal may be. One must always face one’s fears in order to move on and enjoy life. For while one’s past may be dark and can hunt you for an eternity, one must remember the beautiful present and the bright future thou hast.

The End