Only the beginning...

by Frozen Feathers

Rating: teen
Tags: Sad, Princess Luna, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Alternate Universe, Other, Nightmare Moon, Discord, Princess Celestia
Length: 8550

Nightmare Moon and Solar Flare have their long awaited fight. But could this be something more than just a dream?

Nightmare Moon and Solar Flare have their long awaited fight. But could this be something more than just a dream? Could this be foreshadowing a terrible event to come? And is Equestria strong enough to face it?

Published 2015-09-05 01:10:02 UTC
Last updated 2016-04-09 06:37:16 UTC

The Fight

“N-no” whispered Solar Flare, her voice thick with emotion. “Lu-Lu…” and for a second, there was her sister, tears welling in her eyes. But as quickly as it had come, it was gone, replaced once more by the monster. “GET OUT!” she cried, clutching her head. She was flickering between Celestia and Solar Flare. “I SAID GET OUT!” bellowed Solar Flare. A large beam of light was cast from her body, falling far from them before flickering out. “Finally, now that we’ve gotten her out of the way…” trailed Solar Flare. Nightmare Moon laughed quietly to herself.

“Good” she said. “Now I can hurt you. Just you. Not my sister.” Realizing her mistake, Solar Flare growled and kicked with all her might. Nightmare Moon, who was expecting this, quickly tucked her wings and rolled, easily getting to her hooves and laughed more. A deep and cruel sound. All was quiet around them as they glared at each other, pure hatred and anger in their narrowed eyes. Solar Flare lifted her lip as she bent her long legs back and launched herself at Nightmare Moon, all in one elegant motion. Before Nightmare Moon could react, the two collided. A wave of magic spread out around them, caused by the collision of two massive bodies of power.

Nightmare Moon got to her hooves and grabbed Solar Flare around her waist, soaring far upwards before letting go of Solar Flare, who floated there for a second. Nightmare Moon turned and kicked her hard in the gut, much harder than most any other creatures could. Solar Flare flew downwards, trying and failing to slow her descent. Nightmare Moon followed close behind her. Solar Flare hit the ground, sending dust flying out. Nightmare Moon landed near her and reared up onto her hind legs, letting out a huge bellow that echoed around them. What would've made entire armies flee in terror caused but a slight flinch in Solar Flare. She, in turn, lowered her fiery head and released what seemed to be a beam of lava at Nightmare Moon, who rolled to her side just as the lava shot past her. A few feathers from her left wing got singed, but other than that, all Solar Flares attack had done was tire the caster. Which was exactly what she wanted. Nightmare Moon ignited her own horn and grew slightly, claws poking out from her hooves and large, pointed fangs protruding from her muzzle.

She charged at Solar Flare, who reared dangerously. The two collided once more. When they split, both were bloodied and missing patches of fur. Nightmare Moon had a trickle of blood falling down the side of her face. Solar flare had three large cuts just under her left wing. Both of them lowered their heads at the same time, both igniting their horns and shooting different colored beams of magic. Solar Flares was a blinding white. Nightmare Moons was a deep, dark black. They met in the middle and turned dark gray, before exploding back outwards, throwing back both mares, who skidded. Nightmare Moon, using her new claws, latched into the ground. Solar Flare, unfortunately, was blown back and tumbled, end over end, before finally rolling to a stop on her side.

Nightmare Moon used this to her advantage, flying high into the sky before diving down, crushing Solar Flare. A loud 'crack' followed by a louder whimper. Nightmare Moon was standing above Solar Flare again, growling in her face. Solar Flare had one of her front hooves held awkwardly and a wing bent at an unusual angle. A large bruise was forming where her leg was bent. She forced the tears back. Her once blinding coat was now matted and dulled by dirt and blood. Her mane was still flickering lightly, but had dulled as well. Nightmare Moons black coat gleamed lightly with blood. She craned her neck down and whispered deeply in Solar Flares ear.

"Nothing. You are nothing. Not compared to me. This is a dream world, but trust me. If you dare to show your face in my kingdom, try to hurt my ponies, I will finish this" she hissed. She bit down hard enough on Solar Flares ear to draw blood and make her howl in pain before glaring threateningly and turning back. Luna turned and walked away before glancing back and giving one last glare, spitting out a jet of dark red saliva before flying up to a large black square in the sky. This time, she flew through with no issue. She was back, standing in a field of white orbs.

"That was enough for tonight" she whispered to herself, gasping for air. She ignited her horn, and felt her body dissolving into thousands of tiny pinpricks of light and soaring up, disappearing into the blue sky.

***

Lunas head shot off of her pillow, sweat dripping down her face. She breathed deeply and glanced out her balcony. She felt a familiar pain as she saw her gorgeous moon sinking below the horizon with some difficulty. She lit her horn and the moon straightened itself out and sunk slowly but evenly down.

Even though she had been technically sleeping, it hadn't renewed her energy. Luna felt more exhausted than before. She shakily got to her hooves and exited the room, passing the two guards as she did so.

“Princess, is everything okay?” asked one.

“Yes, I am fine. I just need to see my sister. Thank you” explained Luna. The guards respectfully bowed as Luna turned. She made her way hastily to the dining room, where she knew Celestia would be eating cereal with bananas.

"Sister! What are you doing up?" She asked when Luna entered the room. Luna, in response, trotted quickly to her sister and examined the large, dark purple gem closely. Her heart sank. "L-Luna?" Asked Celestia shakily as Luna sat hard and let a few stray tears slide down her face. Celestia leaned forward and hugged her sister tightly.

"T-Tia... your gem..." whimpered Luna. Celestia gasped and looked down quickly. There, carved into the gem, was a small but deep crack.

Author's Note

So, I'm still not sure if I want to turn this into another full story, but I did leave it open in case I wanted to. If I get enough people asking, I will definitely continue with this. Thanks for reading, and be sure to read The Fury first, otherwise a lot of this wont make sense. Leave a like and comment if you enjoyed! Thanks! :trollestia:

Love story

Luna and Celestia ran through the many long corridors of the castle, sending many guards and maids scattering. They finally saw, far in front of them, the library. They ran in and slammed the doors, locking them. They quickly checked for any other ponies in the library before walking to a large engraving in the wall. It depicted the coronation of the two sisters. They each placed the tips of their horns to those of their carved counterparts. The room was filled with yellow and blue lights, and the wall slid soundlessly inwards. They walked inside and closed the door.

Inside was a huge library, completely hidden. One section draped entirely in black, another gray, and the third white. The dark magic, silver magic, and light magic books all put away neatly under their corresponding banners. Celestia ran to the white section, while Luna searched the dark. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Luna’s voice rang out.

"I found it!" She yelled, holding a large, old book. The two met in the middle of the large room and began to read a section towards the middle of the book.

'The pure net: this complicated spell is only cast by alicorns. The net is wound by pure love and can be used to trap the Fury of another pony. It needs two powerful alicorns with connections to the spirit realm to cast it. It also requires a stron-'

"What!? Where's the rest!?" Cried Celestia. The page had been torn. Celestia growled in frustration and her coat grew slightly darker as her mane flickered.

"Celestia no!" Shouted Luna. Celestia gasped and her back arched suddenly. She let out a loud scream as another crack formed in the purple gem. Luna lunged forward to hold her sister steady. She slumped backwards and closed her eyes.

"Oh no, this is bad" said Luna to herself.

"Understatement of the year" came a deep voice behind her. Luna spun around only to find none other than the god of chaos floating around in lazy circles.

"Discord" she hissed, stepping over Celestia in a protective pose. Discord laughed and held up both hand- well, limbs.

"Woah whoa, calm down there, bronco" he said easily. "I felt a large amount of evil magic around here, and thought I'd come check it out. You know, for safety" he said, dragging out the last word.

"Of course. Why not? Checking to make sure your lover isn't hurt?" She said, rolling her eyes and gesturing to Celestia. Discord roared with laughter and disappeared, reforming under Luna and snaking his long body up, lifting her with him. He leaned into her ear and whispered lightly.

"And what makes you think she's the one who I love?" He said before snapping and flashing away. Luna fell lightly to the floor and sank to her knees. Her face was a bright crimson and her legs were shaking. She shook her head violently and took a deep breath before looking back at Celestia. She sighed again and picked up her sister, placing her gingerly on her back and trotting slowly out of the room.

***

Celestia was still sleeping in the medical ward. Luna couldn't do anything more and had been told to go back to her chambers. She couldn't sleep, not after all of this. Instead, she paced. She tried not to think about this new threat, and instead let her thoughts wander. To Discord.

She blushed once again and her muscles tightened. She groaned and lied down on the floor, covering her face with her hooves. She got up and walked to her bathroom, turning the shower all the way up. She stepped in and let her stress float away with the steam. She stepped out about twenty minutes later and walked across her room but stiffened when she felt it. She whipped around and growled.

"How dare you. This is my private space!" She hissed to the draconequis, who floated about the blue alicorn and lazily ran a claw through her starry mane, which was currently tied back in a ponytail.

"Hello princess. Have you thought about our little conversation earlier?"

"Twos not a conversation but a few mis-chosen words!" Shouted Luna, steaming. She cleared her throat self-consciously and repeated her sentence. "It was not a conversation. It was just some mis-chosen words"

"Mis-chosen!? I assure you, I meant what I said!" Gasped Discord, pretending to be offended. When Luna didn't say anything, he dropped his act and slithered forward. He delicately lifted her face to be level with his. "I meant it when I said I love you"

"Why!?" Whined Luna like a foal. "It's wrong! Ponies don't love me, they love her!" She said, gesturing west towards the medical ward. Discord thought for a moment and chose his words carefully.

"I'm no pony" he said softly. Luna groaned and sat hard.

"You have no idea what you're trying to get into" she whispered. "Have you never wondered why I have never sought a love since my return?"

"Well, no, I guess not" said Discord, caught off guard.

"Heh. Let me tell you a little story..."

Luna paced her bedroom back at the castle of the two sisters.

"Lulu?" Came a tentative voice from the door. Luna turned and smiled.

"Good evening, Star" she said kindly. The two walked towards each other and shared a brief kiss.

"What's wrong, my love? Why do you pace so?" He asked.

"We are worried. Something doesn't feel right. The scales of balance are tipped in one direction. It-it-" she tried to continue, but couldn't. A tear slid slowly down her cheek.

"Oh dearest, please do not cry! It hurts my heart so!" Exclaimed Star, wiping away her tear.

"I know. I'm sorry for worrying you love. It's jus- agh!" She tried to say, but got cut off and craned her back, clutching at her head.

"Luna! What is wrong!?" Gasped Star, running to her side. Luna screamed and arched her back more.

"It-it's coming! Please Star, my love, leave me! Make haste! I love you- aaaaaaah!" She cried. Her coat turned black and she grew slightly, her mane growing more magical. Star huddled against the corner as the dark mare rose. She scanned the room and grinned when she saw him.

"Why hello there" she purred, picking him up with her mane. "Do you know the name of the god who has just graced you with her presence is?"

"L-Luna, no...” he whimpered.

"Wrong answer! Try again!" She laughed, snapping off his blue horn. He screamed in agony and tried to wipe away the blood dripping into his eyes. He bit his lip and glared into her turquoise eyes.

"What did you do to my Luna?" He hissed.

"Luna, oh Luna! Is that all you care about? If you must know, she is gone and I have taken her place. Oh don't look at me like that, she's not dead, not technically. Her soul just took a little...vacation" she said nonchalantly. "Now back to our little game. Please, guess again!"

"You shouldn't have a name. You are a monster. A murderer, a beast, a monster" he whispered. Nightmare Moons eyes flashed dangerously and she growled. In one, swift motion, she snapped his neck.

"Hm, pity" she said and looked into the mirror. Looking back at her was Luna. Her pupils were pinpricks and tears were falling like waterfalls. Her mouth was agape. Nightmare smiled and kicked the mirror, sending glass flying in all directions.

"I murdered the only pony I ever loved" she said, tears sliding down her face. She sat staring at her front hooves. "Do my hooves look red to you?" She asked, not looking up. Discord took her trembling hooves and held them close.

"That wasn't you. That was the nightmare. You couldn't have done anything" he said softly.

"I could have. I was just too weak and pathetic" she spat.

"Those are the last two words I would use to describe you"

"Then you're alone." She said quietly. Discord turned and picked up Luna, holding her close. Their lips met and Luna blushed furiously. She grunted softly, but didn't pull away. They stayed like that for a while until a light knock sounded at the door. Luna shoved Discord away and wiped her mouth. She turned quickly and opened it. A young nurse stood on the other side.

"G-good evening, Princess. Um, Princess Celestia is awake" she squeaked.

"Thank you" said Luna with a slight bow of her head. The nurse smiled and scampered away as Luna closed the door.

"Luna, I" started Discord.

"Get out" she hissed.

"Plea-"

"Get out!" She boomed. Discord jumped and snapped his finger, disappearing quickly. Luna sat hard once more. She sighed and slowly made her way to the medical ward.

Author's Note

We get back to the story next chapter, I just really felt like writing some romance! :raritywink:

Hospital

Luna walked towards the large, sterile doors. Ever since she was a foal, Luna had hated hospitals. It was where she had seen Uncle Starswirl bleed out, right here on one of these beds. It had been awful. They claimed that it had been some wild animal, but only she knew the truth. Wasn't it convenient that Discord took Equestria just a day after Starswirl died? And wasn't it coincidence that Starswirl had been rambling about a mismatched creature, or chaotic magic? Part of Luna had never forgiven Discord for this. Part of her never forgiven herself for having feelings for him. She took a breath and pushed through the doors. Right away, many ponies bowed. Luna nodded her head in acknowledgement and continued on through the halls.

Her face was hot and sweaty, but it felt like the rest of her was frozen. She quickly turned down a small, abandoned corridor and sat. She ruffled out her wings to cool herself down, which did work. It only made her already cold body colder. She quickly stopped and wrapped her wings around herself. She grabbed a water bottle from the basket of them and chugged it down. It took all she had not to pour it on her face and in her mane. She settled to pour a small amount into her hoof, and to rub that onto her face. It helped quite alot. A crash was heard from the room behind her, a room that was supposed to be empty. Luna stood and tried to right herself. Her vison was swaying. She shook her head and opened the door. She stopped abruptly.

"Twilight?"
Inside was none other than the purple alicorn. She was covered in toiled paper, a large box on her head.

"Oh! H-hi princess! Sorry, there were so many reporters out there, and I had to hide, and then I tripped and knocked down a box. Oh, thanks" she said as Luna helped pull a hoof out of a roll of toilet paper.

"Reporters?" She asked calmly. Oh dear this was not good. If they posted about Celestia being 'weak' or 'powerless' then, somehow, the story would fall into the wrong hooves. A changeling in disguise. King Sombra hiding out in the Crystal Mountains. Angry yaks looking for a reason to start a war. Maybe some beast from the Everfree. It somehow always happened, and then there would be a full out invasion. And this isn't just Luna being paranoid. Remember the wedding between Shining armor and Cadance? The only way Chrysalis knew about it was because of a reporter, posting about how 'the weak princess Cadance is to be wed to her weaker boyfriend and she wouldn't be hard to trap in crystal caves or take the place of'. Yeah, the dumb-ass really posted that. Unbelievable. Luna winced at the memory. He was quickly dealt with.

Luna quickly cleaned Twilight and the two walked out the door. They walked to the large clump of reporters and Luna spread her large wings regally. They all turned and bowed.

"Be gone, all of you!" She boomed, her voice echoing around the halls. All the reporters scattered, dropping cameras in the process. She quickly stomped all of them, reducing them to piles of dust. The two silently walked through the heavy doors. Posted inside were 7 guards, three on each side as well as Twilight's brother, Shining Armor, standing in the center. They quickly bowed when not one, but two princesses walked through the door. Twilight stopped to greet her brother as Luna walked to her sister’s bedside. Celestia cracked a groggy eye and smiled, sticking out her tongue playfully. Luna giggled. The fact that through all of this, Celestia still found time to be happy, made her feel happy as well. Luna leaned down and hugged her sister tightly.

"Don't ever scare me like that again" whispered Luna.

"Like what?" Replied Celestia. "Like this?" She added thrusting her head forward, licking Lunas cheek. Luna, in response, shrieked and fell backwards.

"Tia! Gross!" She yelled, wiping at her cheek. Celestia laughed and stood, despite the protests of her doctors. She assured them she was fine and the three princesses, trailed by seven guards, made their ways to the different locations where they were needed. The guards-who-shall-not-be-named trotted to the barracks, Shining and Twilight headed down the northern wing, saying something about Donut Joe’s. Luna and Celestia walked down the hall of the royal sisters. Large, stained glass windows decorated the hall. Each one depicted an event in the sister’s lives.

When they first appeared in Equestria, when the Elements were created, when they were crowned, when Sombra was defeated, when Discord was defeated, when Nightmare Moon was defeated, etcetera etcetera. The hall was very long and could be magically enchanted to grow larger without appearing so from the outside. Luna and Celestia sat in front of the one of Discord. Luna was lost in thought, wondering how she could have feelings for a monster. Celestia broke the silence.

“I, when I passed out earlier, I thought I heard Discord” she said casually, glancing sideways at Luna.

“He was there” she said bluntly. Celestia raised an eyebrow.

“Why?”

“To check your safety” she said, a sarcastic undertone in her voice. Celestia laughed and stretched a wing around her sister.
“You know? I think he has a thing for you” she said lightly. Luna blushed furiously.

“W-why would you think that!?” she squeaked, only making Celestia laugh harder.

“Careful, sister. You’re making me think you might like him back!” she said with a giggle. Luna’s blush quickly fell away, leaving her looking pale.

“Never” she whispered. “I could never love him back”. A tear slid down her cheek. Celestia looked at her, concern evident on her features. Celestia held her young sister tighter and whispered to her.

“Sister, something has clearly happened. Let’s discuss this, but not without a big bowl of your favorite Moon-berry ice cream and a funny movie”. Luna laughed wetly and nodded, brushing at a tear. The sisters giggled together before heading to the kitchens, not knowing of a draconequuis watching from the window, a tear streaming down his cheek and wishing he could make Luna smile like that.

Author's Note

Happy day-after-Nightmare Night! :pinkiecrazy: I'll probably have a short story up soon just for that reason. Sorry this took so long, and I'll try to start writing longer chapters. Thanks for reading and leave a like and comment if you enjoyed Thanks so much guys! :pinkiehappy:

Dreams and Nightmares

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!

Ipecac and black veins

When Luna saw Celestia the next morning, she almost wept with joy. She certainly gave her quite a scare by tackling her from behind and hugging her tightly. But that was nothing compared to the scare she gave Luna a few hours later. Luna walked down the quiet halls of the castle, nodding occasionally to guards or other ponies, rushing around and getting things ready for the Grand Galloping Gala on the following evening. Luna finally reached her destination.

She knocked lightly upon Celestia’s door before opening it slowly. Luna was no stranger to darkness, so her eyes didn't need to adjust in the dark room. She had expected the light to be off, but when she turned to leave, she noticed Celestia’s bathroom light was on, the door a crack open. Muffled noises could be heard from within. Luna walked to it cautiously and stuck her head in. She gasped at what she saw. Celestia, her perfect sister whom everybody looked up to, was hunched over the toilet.

A multitude of small cuts covered her legs, where they would be hidden by her shoes. Celestia turned quickly and flushed the toilet, knocking over a few bottles which rolled towards Luna, who inspected them. The larger one was half empty. It was, as Luna suspected, vodka. The other was empty, and was labeled with two simple words. Ipecac Syrup. (Authors note: Ipecac Syrup, or Syrup of Ipecac, was once used in medical treatments because it caused severe stomach pains and purging of your digestive system. In other words, it causes extreme vomiting) Celestia looked at her sister, the fur on her cheeks matted and wet. She had something Luna had never seen on her before. Fear.

"I-I can feel it inside of me, trying to corrupt me. I, I was trying to get it out" she sobbed. Luna dropped the bottle and hugged her sister. They embraced for a few minutes before Luna gently broke away and picked up Celestia in her magic, carrying her to the shower. She turned the dial to a gentle, warm spray and grabbed their softest brush.

Luna carefully scrubbed between Celestia’s wings which, in response to the stimulus, shakily opened. Luna spent near fifteen minutes on each wing, preening and scrubbing. She then washed the blood off of her hooves and, with a soft wash cloth, gently rubbed at Celestia’s face. She spent another forty-five minutes on her mane and tail, gently washing out any bits of vomit that had clung to it. She softly dried Celestia and helped her back to bed.

She fell asleep quickly, but Luna didn't dare leave her post next to the grand golden bed until it was time to lower the moon. She went out onto Celestia’s balcony and lowered her crescent moon before raising the sun slowly. Unlike raising the moon, raising the sun felt foreign and wrong to Luna. It drained her rather than rejuvenating her. Celestia slept for another three hours, and might have slept longer, had Luna not awoken her. Luna fed her small portions of oatmeal, spoonful by spoonful until she ate the entire bowl. She then slowly ate a bowl of fruit and drank a glass of milk.

Throughout all of this, Celestia didn't speak. Though Luna could see sores in her mouth and guessed they extended down her throat. Luna didn't press or scold. She just made sure Celestia was comfortable, had water to drink, food to eat, and books to read. That night, Celestia merely nodded before going to sleep. The Gala had been postponed, due to a lack of 50% of their monarchy.

The Gala was held three days later, when Celestia was feeling better. They still hadn't spoken of that night. The night before that Gala, Luna was up, pacing of course. A knock at her door jolted her out of her thoughts and she walked to it, turning the handle. The door exploded in, a burst of confetti hitting her. In her doorway stood the one, the only, Pinkie Pie.

"Hiya, Princess! Sorry for startling you! I had a special order from Discor- oh! Umm, a secret admirer! Yeah, secret! Anyways, I was recruited to bring you this!" She said, holding out a big box of chocolates, and an even bigger bouquet of-

"It that Poison Joke?" Asked Luna, holding it cautiously.

"Of course!" Said Pinkie squeakily, jumping up to the ceiling. Luna carefully extracted the note and read it.

"Y-yes, thank you Pinkie Pie. Have a good night now" she said absentmindedly, turning away slightly.

"You too, Princess!" Replied Pinkie, folding her legs around herself and rolling out the open window, sticking to the outer wall and rolling at the same pace until she hit the ground. Luna closed her mouth and shook her head. She closed her door with a resounding click. She curled into a ball in her bed and re-ran the words of the note in her head.

"Soooooooooooooooooooooooo.... Gala?" Yes, that is what the god of chaos wrote, making the words writhe and flash different colors. Luna sat up and floated over a few pieces of paper. She wrote two words in the center of a paper. "Why not?" and sent it by opening a small ripple into Discords house. She saw a glimpse of him before shoving the note in and sealing the ripple again.

She lied back down and drifted to sleep. She awoke to gentle birds singing in the trees. She jumped when one "bird' started garbling and hissing. Luna ran to her balcony to see Discord sitting in a tree, still grumbling.

"Good morning Princess! Did you enjoy our music?" He asked, gesturing around to the other birds. Most flew away, but Luna saw more than a few extending the middle feather of their wings in his direction before flying off.

"What!? You got something to say!?" He yelled, chasing one of the birds. A few strange sounds followed before Discor flapped back to his tree lazily, coughing up a feather. Luna giggled and coughed. And coughed. And coughed. Discords face dropped into one of worry. "What's wrong?" He asked seriously. Luna waved a hoof at him. The other had a few splatters of blood on it from being held in front of her face. Discord flashed next to her and placed a hand on her back, which arched away dramatically. Luna jumped and turned, primitive fear in her eyes. "Luna? What is it?" Asked Discord again.

"WH-who are you?" Cried Luna. Black veins showed through the skin on her neck. Discord jolted back, looking hurt and not noticing the black veins.

"Okay, so maybe I should've asked you to the gala in person, but really. This is a bit extreme, don't you think?" he said with a roll of his eyes. Luna huddled into a corner, shaking with her head in her hooves. Now noticing the black veins, more prominent on her back. He moved closer to her. She turned her head to him, pupils wild and scared. Her eyes were black. She whispered one thing, her voice high and frightened.

"Who am I?"

Author's Note

Look at that creative title! I did this chapter all in one shot because I got bored. I promise the next chapter will be happier! Next chapter coming soon, At the Gala. Thanks for reading, please leave a like and comment if you enjoyed. It really means a lot! Thanks so much!

Before the Gala

Discord paced the halls outside of the medical ward. He was irritable, snapping at any pony who came near. He had already sent a group of foals screaming in fear. Finally a doctor opened the door to Luna's room and stepped out, holding a clipboard in his gray magic. Discord practically pounced on him.
"Is she okay? What happened? Is she dead!?' he asked rapidly, pupils dilated. The doctor coughed lightly and looked at him with disdain.
"The princess is fine. She's resting now" he said coldly. Discord gritted his teeth, but decided not to turn the disrespectful ass into a chicken. He instead nodded and the doctor stepped aside, allowing Discord access to the room. He slithered through the door and was somewhat relieved to see no one inside. He made his way carefully to the bed. Luna looked pale, a sheen of sweat sticking to her face and was breathing shallowly. Each breath sounded ragged. Discord placed his hand on her forehead just below her horn. Instantly her breathing became stronger and a bit of color returned to her pale face. Her eyes barely fluttered open and she gasped, sitting up. She instantly regretting it, coughing lightly and wincing. She looked up at Discord and he couldn't help but notice a bit of gray around the edge of her eyes. They were cloudy and covered with a tired sheen. But there was a flicker of recognition deep inside.
"What happened?" she asked faintly. "My body hurts everywhere..."
"I'm honestly not sure" he said nervously, running a claw through her blue mane and she let him. She was too tired to move. "I think you blacked out or something" he said, looking at the charts at the foot of her bed.
"I'm thirsty" Luna rasped. Instantly Discord snapped, a large tray appearing in his paw.
"Well we have strawberry nectar, Passion fruit iced tea, vanilla milkshakes, and of course chocolate milk..."
"Can I have a milkshake?" asked Luna, perking up.
"Of course m'lady. Any flavor you want!"
"Do you have cookies and creme?"
The words had barely left her lips before her hooves were filled with a tall slender glass cup, filled to the brim with cookies and creme milkshake. She smiled contently and began gulping it down greedily. She finished it off with a sigh and leaned back, groaning.
"Ah, that was perfect. Thank you, Discord. And can I ask you for one last thing?"
"Of course!" Discord practically shouted, making Luna jump.
"Well, with the Gala tonight, I can't exactly be bed ridden. Could I take a bit of your magic...?" she asked sheepishly. Discord nodded vigorously.
"Just one moment, my dear" he snapped, suddenly wearing a tuxedo, holding a large silver platter. He lifted the lid with a large flourish and waved it in front of Luna. On it was a large plate, filled to the brim with some of Discords magic.
"O-Oh no, I can't. Discord, that's too much! I only need a tiny, little bit..." she looked up at him, slightly confused. Discord looked skeptical.
"Really" she added, innocently. Discord groaned and stuck his finger into the center of the dish. A slurping sound followed as the bowl began to drain slightly. He left about 1/2 a cup in the bowl.
"Is that okay?" he asked, passing the bowl back to her. She nodded happily and lifted the bowl to her lips. She took a sip and gagged slightly, scrunching her muzzle.
"Oh, I see, was it not to your specific liking?" Discord asked, pretending to be offended. Luna snorted, eyes watering slightly.
"N-no, I just forgot how potent raw magic is, as, well, chaotic magic is just... I don't know how to describe it. It just feels like I'm swallowing a lighting bolt. It's quite a shock to the system, but it's...good..." she blushed slightly and drank the rest of the magic, barely cringing. She finished off the bowl and took a breath.
"Y'know Discord, you could sell shots of that and make millions. I feel great!" Luna hopped out of her bed and landed on her hooves, swaying slightly and giggling. "Woah, everything is all...spinny..." she held a hoof to her eyes and giggled again.
"Oh...Oh dear..." Discord tried not to laugh as Luna hiccupped, causing her to giggle more. "Okay, You need to drink some water to help dilute that just a little bit..." he trailed, grabbing a bottle of water off of the desk. He opened it and handed it to Luna, who blinked groggily and stared at it for a moment, before chugging it down in mere seconds. She set the now empty bottle down and sighed.
"Well, that was...an interesting effect" she blinked a few more times before stretching out her wings, one at a time. "Who would've thought Chaotic Magic would have an alcohol like impact on a pony's body? Did you know that?" She turned and asked Discord, a gleam in her eye.
"Well, considering you're the only pony who's consumed mu pure magic, no, I didn't."
"Really? In your thousands and thousands of years, no one else has ever drank your pure magic?" she asked skeptically.
"Well, actually, two others. But, one went mad. It-It drove him crazy...." Discord trailed, face solemn. Luna looked at the ground.
"A-and the other?"
Discord just looked at her.
"Oh, I, I see..." Luna seemed slightly disgruntled, now glaring at the floor. "Of course Celestia has".
But Luna had just barely spoken those words before the door banged open. Celestia entered, looking slightly panicked. She galloped to Luna, hugging and holding her tight.
"Oh Luna, I'm so sorry I was only just informed! I've been so busy! I'm so, so sorry!" she cried, nuzzling Luna and checking over her for any injuries.
"O-Oh! Luna, your eyes!" she exclaimed.
"W-what!? What's wrong with my eyes!?" she cried, looking around frantically.
"Nothing! They're fine! It's just... the whites of your eyes are Silver. A-and the pupils are slits. It's quite beautiful, actually!" Celestia explained. Luna's eyes widened and she glanced around again, this time grabbing a mirror and lifting it to her face.
"O-Oh.... Oh... That's... not good...." she slowly set down the mirror and looked back to Celestia.
"Do they look okay?"
Before Celestia had a chance to answer, Discord spoke up for the first time since Celestia had entered the room.
"They look beautiful"
Celestia started and turned quickly, looking in bewilderment. "D-Discord!? What in Tartarus are you doing here?" she asked, glaring slightly.
"Oh, I'm just here to nurse our dear, sweet Luna back to health!" he snapped and was suddenly wearing a nurses outfit. Luna snorted and Celestia glared. She finally rolled her eyes and snorted as well.
"Fine, fine. I know when I've intruded on something...private..." she eyed Luna and smirked knowingly.
"Don't forget, the Gala is tonight. Don't be late!" and with that, Celestia made her way out of the room. There was an awkward silence.
"About the Gala..." Discord trailed. "Are you sure you're feeling okay?"
Luna nodded vigorously. "Yes. That boost of magic really helped. I feel much, much better. Thank you for that"
Discord nodded. "Good. But, well, I'm just not sure if I'm the one who should accompany you" he stated bluntly. Luna blinked.
"O-Oh. Um, why?" she asked.
"Well, imagine how ponies would react? First, the Gala is delayed because Sun-Butt was out, then you were out, and now you'll be showing up with different eyes and the God of Chaos accompanying you. That can't end well, and I jus-"
Luna stopped him by grabbing him around the neck and hugging him tight.
"I honestly don't care. Besides, I thought you said you liked my eyes?" she said, releasing him and batting her eyelashes.
"I do! They're beautiful! Bu-"
"Well then, that's all I care about" She cut him off with authority. Discord smiled and nodded.
"Well, I need to go get ready. Shall I meet you at your room at, say, 6:30?"
Luna smiled and nodded.
***
Luna frowned and shook her head.
"N-No! This is horrible! This is the worst! Possible! Thing!" she cried dramatically.
"Calm down, Luna! It's just a corset! You used to wear them all the time!" Celestia gave one last tug to the strings on the back of Luna's dress before tying them into a small, silver bow that rested evenly on her back.
"I know, and I was skinnier in those days! This is just down-right evil!" she gasped for air.
"Over dramatic much?" Celestia asked. "Now turn around, I need to add just a few more touches to your make up..." she said as she picked up the mascara tube.
"No! Anything but that!" Luna cried. Celestia rolled her eyes.
"Fine" she groaned. "Then it's just this last touch" she reached out with her magic and grabbed a silver rose, delicately placing it behind Luna's ear and securing it with magic. Celestia sighed and took a step back. Shi put a hoof to her mouth and smiled at Luna.
"Aww, you look so beautiful" she said, fixing one piece of Luna's mane. There was a knock at the door. Celestia smiled.
"I'll see you down there soon. Don't forget, you have to help greet the guests!" and with that, she poofed away. Luna sighed and looked at the door, opening it slowly with her magic. Instead of seeing Discord, there was instead a gray unicorn stallion. He and Luna stared at each other for a moment.
"D-Discord?" she asked, finally. Discord smiled, stretching his mis-matched wings and bowing.
"The one and only" he practically purred. Luna looked at him skeptically.
"What?" he whined. "I couldn't help it! I need these things!" he ruffled his wings again. Luna smiled and walked towards him, closing her door as she went.
"You look beautiful" Discord said, taking her by the hoof.
"Thank you" she responded, glancing out the window. The sun was setting, signaling the beginning of the Gala.
"Oh! I have to be down there to raise the moon! I completely forgot!"
She lit her horn and the two suddenly appeared on the top of the left hand staircase that lead down to the main hall.
"Ready?" she asked Discord, who nodded. Luna cleared her throat and opened her wings wide, making eye contact with Celestia, who was standing at the top of the right staircase, who nodded. At the same time, they descended together, instantly hushing the buzz that had been going through the room. The walked slowly and steadily, until they reached the center platform and stopped, facing the crowd. Luna took a breath and stepped forward, smiling.
"Good evening, and welcome to this years Grand Galloping Gala. It is our pleasure to invite you to our castle this evening. Please, enjoy!" She finished, backing up to stand beside Celestia. The two turned to face each other and lowered their heads, their horns just meeting in the middle. They both lit their horns and slowly began raising their heads. Outside the windows, ponies watched as the sun slowly set, making way for the moon. They finished and made it look as if they were fatigued from the act. The ponies clapped and cheered.
"Enjoy the night!" Celestia called out as the orchestra began to play. The large, double doors behind the princess's opened into the ballroom. They each stepped off to the side, smiling and welcoming guests as they filtered into the room beyond. Finally, the last guest went through. Celestia and Luna both let out a breath.
"You first. You have a date" Celestia grinned, dragging out the last word. Luna blushed and stuck her tongue out at her sister. After a moment, they all entered together, but indeed with Luna and Discord leading the way.

Author's Note

Sorry for the way too long wait! Please forgive me? I've just not been in the best of places lately, but I've started to write more lately. So, that's good. Yeah. Like, favorite, comment! Love you guys! And I'll be making sketches for how I imagine Luna looks, so I'll link them in this description when I have them finished. Warning though, they won't be much more than doodles!