Secrets of the Night

A soft prodding woke the slumbering alicorn from her fitful sleep. Opening her eyes, she looked up into the concerned face of Fluttershy. Behind her, she could see the intrigued and worried expression of another mare. An alicorn. She sat up slowly, her shoulder burning from the effort, and she gazed evenly at the purple mare.

"I assume you are the alicorn friend Miss Fluttershy has spoken of?" Moonflower asked quietly, her face betraying no emotion. She sat perfectly still, almost a statue. Her blue eyes took in the much smaller alicorn, with quiet interest. She refused to show any pain, any fear or doubt.

"Yes. I am. My name is Twilight Sparkle. Fluttershy has told me your name, but I wish to ask you myself for it. What is your name?" Twilight asked, her dark purple eyes taking in the darker alicorn sitting on the couch.

"Moonflower," The dark bluish black mare replied, "Moonflower is my name. You may call me Moon for short." She continued her stiff posture, the pain in her shoulder causing her nostrils to flare the slightest bit.

"Moonflower? That is a nice name." Twilight smiled before turning her head to mutter, "Like I haven't the slightest clue where that names comes from..."

"Muttering to oneself is highly disrespectful, not only to yourself, but to the one you are speaking of." Moonflower's tight voice was only slightly angry, more of a scolding tone. Her eyes were narrowed, her ears splayed sideways as she glared at the lavender alicorn.

Twilight turned back around to gape at the alicorn, "You heard that?"

The mare sniffed and raised a brow, "Yes I did. And I have a feeling you are beginning to come to some sort of conclusion as to a part of my identity." She sighed, a long, low deep breath, "But before you assume, I am NOT Luna. I am her...her daughter..."

"Her WHAT?!?" Twilight gasped and looked at Fluttershy. Fluttershy was staring at Moonflower, her mouth wide open as she gazed in amazement and disbelief at the alicorn sitting on her couch.

"I am her daughter..." Moonflower repeated calmly, "I am also...if I am assuming correctly on the time I was gone...two thousand years old. I was imprisoned a thousand and five hundred years ago. Before all of the events that Miss Fluttershy has spoken of happened. It pains me to know that I was gone for so long..." Her ears drooped, "Almost as painful as my wound that Miss Fluttershy has helped fix. She has my eternal thanks." Moonflower smiled and dipped her head to the yellow pegasus.

"Oh you poor thing...why did you leave? What happened?" Fluttershy sat next to the alicorn and hugged her gently.

Moonflower winced, the physical contact startling her. She shifted away, putting distance between them. "I was sent away...by mother...I do not quite remember the reason...but I do know that I...I did something horrible to her in revenge..."

"What did you do?" Twilight asked as she began to study Moonflower carefully.

"I...I sent a parasite...a horrible disease to infect her mind...feed on her fear..her insecurities..it was what turned her into Nightmare Moon..." Moonflower stammered, her body shaking as she confessed. Guilt flashed through her, sharper that any claw or needle. "That parasite...I created it...and I had hoped Mother would learn what it felt like to be imprisoned, banished, and that she would have pity on me...let me come home. That wasn't what happened. I had grown tired of waiting, and I fell asleep. Then she was freed, and she never came for me. Never even thought of me. She had felt the same loneliness as I had...and she didn't feel any remorse or pity.." Moonflower choked and squeezed her eyes closed, forcing back her tears.

The two mares were silent, their mouths and eyes wide open as they listened to the horrible fate Moonflower had afflicted upon Princess Luna.

"So...You were the reason Princess Luna was banished?" Twilight's face became one of anger, "Do you know what you have put her through? Ponies are terrified of her! A thousand years have passed, and the only thing anypony ever sees is Nightmare Moon!" She shouted her wings flared out aggressively.

"I did it because she hurt ME! She left me! Abandoned me! And she never gave me a reason why! She gave me my own little world, one I could live and rule in all by myself, and what did that do? I was lonely! Scared! All I wanted was a friend. So I learned how to walk in dreams. An easy task, and I was a natural at it. I met a stallion, and I learned to make portals. He would come and see me every night, and when Mother found out, she had him killed! She tore him apart!" Moonflower choked on her own words, "She prevented me from seeing anypony else! Then she left and never returned..." Moonflower hung her head.

"Why would Princess Luna do that? You had to have given her a reason to be so harsh..." Twilight narrowed her eyes.

"I honestly don't know what I did...I-I had thought I was being a good foal...then she took me away and said I couldn't return...She would come and teach me, but she was always cold..distant...and it hurt. She acted like I was a mistake, and she didn't love me..." Moonflower shook her head violently, forcing away the pain and anger inside of her.

"Well, it seems to me that you both made mistakes..." Fluttershy interjected quietly, "Princess Luna made the mistake in abandoning you, without giving a proper reason and making you feel unloved...you let your anger take over your thoughts and actions, and you did something horrible to her as a sort of awful revenge. And where did that get you hm? Either of you?" Fluttershy raised a brow and glared sternly at Moonflower.

"It got us nowhere...and it only drove us further apart..." Moonflower sighed and looked down in shame.

"Very good. Now, when you are rested, and things have settled, we will speak to Princess Luna, and we will have everything sorted out." Fluttershy smiled reassuringly.

"How can you be sure she will listen to me? Or even agree to see me?" The dark blueish black alicorn sighed and began stroking her bright pink and purple mane nervously.

Twilight rubbed her chin thoughtfully, "I will speak with Princess Celestia. I'm sure she will understand the necessity.."

Moonflower pricked her ears up a the mention of the Sun Princess. "Auntie Tia? She was always accepting of me..."

"Then I'm sure that hasn't changed." Twilight smiled, pleased that Moonflower liked her mentor, "Just leave everything to me. You rest and get better. I'm pretty sure Princess Celestia will want to speak with you first, before we let Princess Luna see you."

"Auntie Tia will be most...unhappy with me...her disapproval is something I am going to regret receiving..." Moonflower sighed, "But I deserve what comes to me...from both of them."

"Then it is settled. You stay here with Fluttershy, and when you are better, maybe she can show you around Ponyville." Twilight walked to the door and opened it, "But I need to leave now. I have to write a letter to the Princess." With a wave, the lavender mare unfurled her wings and flew off, heading towards Ponyville and her castle.

Moonflower watched as Fluttershy got up and closed the door, and she sighed, "I am sorry for the trouble I have caused you Miss Fluttershy..."

"Don't be sorry. I am glad I can help. And it seems I will be helping in more ways than one. Now come. Let's get you a nice warm bath, clean that wound, and redress it. I have a spare bedroom you can use while you stay." She smiled at the alicorn mare.

Moonflower, to her own surprise, found herself smiling back warmly, "Thank you. I do believe that is a wonderful idea..."