Luna was sitting in a dusty chair, reading the same paragraph over and over again. She sighed and dropped it. No matter how many times she read it, this 'Pure Net' just didn’t seem to make sense. A strong what!? Luna sighed again and stood, stretching her back and hearing it pop several times. She then did the same with her wings, letting them drop to her sides. What did all of this mean, why was it happening now? Why was Discord happening now?

Luna placed a hoof to her face and blushed. Why was she thinking about something as small as a crush when her sister and her kingdom were on the line? Some princess she was. She tucked her wings and walked up the long stairs leading to the top floor of the palace. She finally got there and looked out at the setting sun. She reached deep into herself and used her magic to raise her moon, a beautiful silver orb in a black sky. She felt a heat growing inside her and opened her wings, almost as if on command. The power she felt every time she raised the moon frightened her. It made her feel as if she could level a forest with a swing of her hoof. It lasted through the night, up until daybreak. Then she really needed to take a nap.

Luna smiled broadly and opened her wings. She laughed and took flight quickly. She streaked across the black sky, feeling free and safe. She felt hidden in the shadows; observing without being observed. Luckily her coat helped with that. She landed gracefully in a tree and made her way to its top, sitting above the leaves, and lied down. She gently placed her head in her hooves and tilted her chin up, gazing lovingly at her moon. She, unlike most ponies, could have drawn a perfect replica of the moon. She had memorized every little detail, both from a far and from being actually on the moon for a thousand years. Her wings stretched around her to keep herself warm. Her eyes shut slowly as she fell asleep.

When she awoke, she had had the strangest feeling that her dream that a certain draconequuis had been lying next to her was real. She glanced up and groaned. She had only slept for an hour or so, but sleeping in a tree had hurt her back. Duh. She stood and jumped off of the top of the tree, diving towards the ground. She opened her wings just in time to take flight again, soaring around the castle a few times before landing on her balcony. She stretched once more and walked down to the kitchens. A few minutes later, she was sitting in bed with a large bowl of chocolate ice cream and watching tv. Whatever brain-numbing show was on was certainly numbing her mind. She flicked off her television and set her bowl on her night stand. She curled into a ball and entered the land of dreams.

***

A dark sphere hovered in front of Luna. That wasn't good. Some pony was having an awful nightmare. She leaned in and felt herself being pulled in. She stood and gasped. The entire landscape was covered in fire and screams filled the air. She saw a familiar evil alicorn standing in the middle of it all and smiling. What startled Luna even more was what Solar Flare was standing over. Celestia sat in front of her, head bowed. There was something in between them, and Luna stepped forward to look. She almost screamed in freight. Her own body sat between them in a pool of blood. Luna's muscles tightened.

"I'm so sorry, Lulu" whispered Celestia. "I wasn't strong enough to protect you. I-I'll make things right" she said, suddenly lunging at Solar Flare, who whipped around and broke Celestia’s neck in a moment. Luna screamed and choked down a sob.

It’s just a dream, just a dream she told herself over and over again. Then she could feel her own nightmares seeping into the dream. Discord appeared beside her in a flash of darkness and streamed his body up and around Solar Flare.

"Good work" he hissed. After that, things got a bit... graphic. He did some things, she did some things, and Luna walked away, exploring this world. The bodies of many ponies littered the ground around them. This wasn't good. Solar Flare was gaining power, and if she got free, well, there was only one way to stop her. The one thing Luna wouldn't allow herself to do. Become Nightmare Moon.

When she was the Nightmare, she could see what she was doing. She knew it was wrong and that she needed to stop, but simply couldn't. The Nightmare was controlling her body, making her do things she didn't want to think about. Let's just say, Nightmare Moon had a much bloodier past than most ponies knew. What was worse, Luna could remember all of it. She could still hear the screams of children ringing in her head, even though these acts had been done over a thousand years ago. Even thinking about it made her want to sit and cry for hours on end. She had before. It didn't help.

Luna closed her eyes and took a deep breath, instantly regretting it. Smoke filled her lungs, making her eyes water. She coughed loudly a few times. Solar Flares head whipped back as she grinned wickedly. Luna cursed under her breath. Somehow her spell had been broken, allowing them to see her. Luna lunged to her right just in time for a huge fireball to go hurtling past her. A building behind her exploded, a large piece of flaming debris hitting her leg. She cried out and crumpled. Dream Discord hurried forward, hissing. Luna knew she only had one chance.

"DISCORD" she bellowed as loudly as she could. Dream Discord stopped and covered his ears as the sound waved back and forth around them. With a hollow pop, dream Discord was looking at his mirror image. Except this one was standing protectively over Luna, hissing and snarling in rage. Luna breathed a sigh of relief. Her spell had work, transmitting her signal out of the dream. She knew that the second she called, Discord would be there. Dream Discord lunged at real Discord. Luna took flight, up and out of the dream. She made it out just a hair before Solar Flare. From there on, she used her magic to pull Discord out. The two stood in the land of dreams, gazing down into this one. Solar Flare was pounding against the dream barrier in a blind fury.

Dream Discord was flying in bizarre shapes, bellowing in rage. Luna turned from the sphere and walked slowly down the long star-lit path. Discord followed slowly behind her, whinnying in worry when she took an awkward step on her bad leg and fell. He kept his distance, never getting to close or touching her. Luna respected him for that, and silently thanked him. Neither one spoke until Luna grew to fatigued to walk.

"Why was I there?" Discord asked, as of to himself.

"Where?" Croaked Luna without looking at him.

"In the dream. Was it Celestia?"

"N-no. It was my nightmares. They- they were seeping into the dream" she said with a blush. Discord looked at her sideways, but didn't press. Luna reached out a hoof towards him. Discord took it hesitantly. "I just need a piggy-back on your magic" she said, firing up her horn. Her usual teal magic was wound with a purple, chaotic magic. She winced and grunted, but after a moment the two dissolved into millions of specks of light and flew up towards the sky.

When they re-appeared in Luna's room, Discord screamed. Luna whipped around and saw one of her own legs taking the place where his green reptilian leg should have been. She looked down and started. She also had his green leg. Discord laughed heartily and snapped, each regaining their own leg. Luna glowered at him as he flew in lazy cirles around her.

"Oh lighten up, Lulu. Did you expect me to not have any fun?" He asked jokingly. Luna glowered more. He grabbed her muzzle carefully and lifted it towards him. Luna blushed and pulled away quickly, stepping back.

"T-thank you for your assistance. It's good to know that you will help when I need you" she said awkwardly, not taking her eyes off of the floor. Discords smile dropped and he nodded, lifting his arm to snap away.

"Wait!" Cried Luna. Discord stopped suddenly and looked at her curiously. She lunged forward and wrapped her hooves around his midsection. "I just- thank you. You're my best friend" she said into his fur.

Discord smiled and placed a hand in her mane, combing through the starry waves. He bent down and kissed the top of her head before snapping away. Luna stiffened and sighed, wondering why she had done that. Was she that desperate for somebody to hold her? So desperate that she would put them in danger for her own selfish wishes? Pathetic. A tear slid down her cheek, which she quickly wiped away. She ruffled her wings before finally crawling into bed.

Author's Note

Sorry this one wasn't as long as I hoped, but I'll start working on the next chapter right now! Thanks!