Waning and Waxing

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Prologue
Chapter 7
Chapter 10
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 19
Chapter 22
Epilogue

Chapter 1

I wake up to see the sun sinking low in the sky. I have a couple hours yet before Celestia sets it and I raise the moon. In the centuries since we started doing this job we’ve honed the timing to perfection. Celestia rules during the day, and I guard the land at night. In between is our time to spend together, the twilight hours at dusk and dawn.

It used to be, anyway. Lately, Celestia has been so busy that we barely have time to say hello before one or the other of us goes to bed. I understand, I really do. Pretty much all of the business and meetings and social events happen during the day now. It didn’t use to be this way, but I suppose times change. Still, I wish...

No good wishing. Royal duties have to come first, and Celestia just happens to be stuck with the manticore’s share. Still, I’m up early enough that I can join her for her dinner. My breakfast. I quickly brush my mane and tail and put on my regalia.

Celestia’s not in the little dining room where we sometimes eat together. She must be in the bigger one. As I approach the door I hear voices. Celestia is inside with some nobles from... I can’t remember. They look up and quickly stand to greet me.

“Ah, Sister, We didn’t realize you would be joining us. Please be seated. You remember the Count and Countess of Horseshoe Bay.” She knows perfectly well that I don’t remember them at all. Still, it wouldn’t do to let them know that.

“Ah, dear Countess, We are pleased to see thee again. And thee as well, Count. We hope you are well?”

“Indeed, Princess Luna. We have just been speaking with your gracious sister about the expansion plans.”

I throw a glance at Celestia. She chimes in quickly, “The Count and Countess are looking to expand their territory southward. The area, however, is quite swampy, and there is concern about the safety of the endeavor.”

“We see. May We be of any assistance?”

“Nay, Sister, all is well. General Firefly will be taking a flight of pegasi over the area to scout it out.”

“Very well, then.” Of course she has it all taken care of. No need for me to do anything useful.

The four of us sit there eating, the time just dragging out. They keep talking about this survey they’re planning, but I don’t see why Celestia lets the meeting drag on like this. I ask a few questions about the project, but she just waves me off. I’m getting in the way. Finally she breaks it off.

“We do beg thy pardon, Countess, but We fear We must call a halt to this discussion for the time being. It is almost time for the sunset.”

“Oh, of course, Your Highness! We wouldn’t dare dream of delaying you from such an important task as the closing of this lovely day.”

I stand up. “We shall accompany you, Sister. For just as you must set the sun, so it is nearly time for Us to raise the moon. We look forward to seeing thee again, Count, Countess.”

They look almost surprised to hear me speak after I’ve been sitting silently for so long.

“Certainly, Princess Luna. We wouldn’t want to keep you from your duties. Good evening to you.”

I feel something like a twisting in my stomach. They wouldn’t dream of keeping Celestia from finishing off her perfect day. Starting the night is just a duty. Still, I keep my manner calm and genteel as we see them out.

Celestia and I walk along without speaking for a while. I’m kind of... frustrated. I want to say something about what happened in the dining room, but what can I say? I wish she had been in the little room so we could have eaten together, just the two of us. But if she had to entertain the Count and Countess then she couldn’t have just left them. I wish they had included me in the conversation, but it wouldn’t have been right to ask them to halt everything just to bring me up to speed. I turn over the words in my head, not even sure exactly why I’m upset. At last, I try to start a conversation.

“I was hoping we’d have a chance to talk together.”

“About what?”

“Nothing specific. I just... feel like I’ve barely seen you at all lately.”

“I know it’s been busy. Some days I scarcely feel like I have time to check whether I’m coming or going.”

“Can I do anything to help? The nights aren’t so busy. Maybe I could take some jobs off your hoofs.”

“No, that’s all right. Most of it involves meetings and discussions with other ponies. You can’t exactly do that in the middle of the night when most ponies are sleeping.”

Right. Of course not.

“It’s time,” Celestia says. We’ve reached the outer courtyard. She turns to face the sun and raises her horn. Slowly, she sinks the sun down below the horizon.

My turn. After all these years I barely even have to think about it anymore. A rush of joy flows through me as my magic connects with the moon and coaxes it up. I remember years ago when we would trade the orbs in the sky and then just sit together and enjoy the fulfillment that came with our beautiful work.

“Well, I’m off to bed then.” Celestia yawns.

“Already? I thought maybe we could stay out here for a little while.”

“You can stay out here all night if you want to, Luna, but I’m just beat. I had six meetings today, and tomorrow’s not looking any better. Good night.”

“I... all right. Good night then. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Chapter 2

I’m flying through the cool night sky, the wind combing through my mane. The local weather team left things just perfect when they knocked off for the evening. Below me I can hear the rustling of trees, the quiet wings of an owl, the croaking of frogs near a pond.

Up ahead I can see the softly glowing windows of a village, so I head over in that direction. Ponies are still awake. I can see lights in almost every window, shadows thrown against the curtains. Nopony is out though. No one to enjoy the lovely weather or see how bright the stars are in the clear sky. There are just a few little puffs of cloud scattered here and there. I fly up to one and perch on it.

I was hoping... I don’t know what I was hoping. I knew that there weren’t likely to be any ponies out at this time. I shouldn’t have let those glowing windows get my hopes up. The cloud is just barely big enough to stretch out on, but I flop down on my back and stare upward.

Suddenly, I hear the most wonderful sound: peals of young laughter springing up from the other side of the village. I roll onto my stomach and use a couple flicks of my wings to send the cloud over that way.

Looking down below... there they are! I see two fillies running about and playing in front of a house. They’re very young; they probably won’t get their cutie marks for at least a few more years. Fireflies are dancing through the night air close to the ground, and the fillies are gamboling about trying to catch them. It’s so wonderful to see their joy and hear their laughter. The tight feeling in my chest is gone; I feel so warm and happy inside to see them enjoying my night like this.

The door to the house opens, spilling a rectangle of yellow light across the yard. A mare appears in the doorway.

“Tiddly Winks! Half Note! What in the world are you doing out here so late? Come inside this minute. Your bath is getting cold.”

“Aw, Mom, can’t we stay out just a little longer?”

“Yeah, we’re catching fireflies!”

“Absolutely not. We have a busy day tomorrow, and you have to be up early.”

“Just five more minutes? Please?”

“No, it’s time for you to get ready for bed now.”

“Three more minutes?”

“No.”

“One more minute?”

“No, and if I have to tell you again you won’t have any story tonight. Now march!”

The fillies grumble and moan, but they drag their hooves into the house.

“It’s not fair! Why do we have to go to bed so early? You and daddy get to stay up as late as you want!”

“When you’re grown up you’ll be able to stay out as late as you want, but for now you’re little fillies and you need your sleep.” The door closes, and I hear a bolt slide shut.

Except they won’t. Parents always send their children to bed as soon as it gets dark. By the time they’re old enough to stay out at night they’ve been soundly taught not to.

For a moment I feel a totally irrational urge to fly down to the house and tell that mare off for bringing the fillies inside. That’s stupid though. I can’t go around telling parents how to raise their children.

I launch myself off the little cloud with so much force that it bursts into wisps. I beat my wings hard, flying away from the village as fast as I can.

Chapter 3

The nights all seem to blur together. One is just the same as the next. Exchange passing greetings with Celestia, fly from place to place by myself, see Celestia rush past me to her first job of the day, go to bed.

The only ones awake are the night guards, but they’re not much company. If I speak to them they stand stiff at attention and answer questions with utmost courtesy. They don’t say much of anything back, though, and I can’t have any real conversation with them. I try dream-walking from time to time, but it’s just not the same. It’s not like really having someone to talk to.

This evening I’m going to talk with Celestia. I’ll get up early to make sure there’s plenty of time before she goes to bed. I’ll tell her... something. I don’t know. I can’t put what I’m feeling into words. It’s just this tight, painful feeling that comes more and more often now. But... I think that if we just had some time to sit together and really talk together maybe I’ll be able to tell her how I feel. I remember when we were younger, and if I wasn’t feeling good about things we would talk about it until I felt better. She would listen and make me laugh, and then she would tell me things that bothered her so I could make her laugh in turn.

I’m going to talk to her. This evening.

I wake up very early. It’s still late afternoon. I go to search for her right away, but she’s in a meeting. I can hear irritating voices of demanding nobles through the door, and Celestia replies in a clear, even tone. I know that voice. That’s the voice she uses when she’s just about at the end of her patience, but she’s determined to keep things polite and going smoothly.

This isn’t a good time to interrupt.

I go to the small dining room and order some food. Besides something for me I order some fresh fruit and cake that I know Celestia likes. I also send one of the servants to wait for the meeting to get out and tell her I want to see her.

I wait in the dining room for over an hour before she comes. I’ve nibbled a little, but mostly I’ve waited, hoping we could eat together. She pushes her way through the door, looking worn out.

“Yes, Luna, did you want something?”

“I heard your meeting. It sounded like it was going pretty roughly, so I got a treat for you.” With my magic I offer up the plate of fruit and cake.

“Oh, that looks marvelous. Thank you, Luna. A little pick-me-up is just what I needed after all that whining and demanding.”

“What was that all about?”

“Border disputes. There’s a little stretch of land in between two properties. When the boundaries were drawn it wasn’t included in either lot, but it’s not big enough to be a property of its own. Now both sides are claiming that it’s theirs.”

“Why not just split the land down the middle?”

“That would be the sensible thing to do, don’t you think? Split it evenly so they each get the same amount. But no, neither one is willing to concede to the other. It took forever to get them to agree to split the land at all. When they finally did agree to split it that just made things worse. Now they’re arguing about how it should be split. Drawing a line down the middle is completely unacceptable to either one. They’re ready to fight tooth and hoof over who gets each individual rock and tree.”

“I know it wouldn’t be very diplomatic, but it sounds like they could both use a swift kick in the hindquarters.”

She laughs. “I’m seriously tempted, but I don’t think it would be a good idea.”

It’s nice to see her loosen up a bit. Whenever I’ve seen her lately she’s been like one big ball of stress.

“Hey, Celestia, there’s something I’ve been wanting to talk about.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Well, lately I... I’ve-"

I’m interrupted by a knock at the door, and a secretary comes in.

“I beg your pardon, Princess Celestia, but the ambassador is waiting for you.”

“Oh, horse apples, I forgot about that! I’m sorry, Luna, but I’ve got to go.”

“Wait, I... we’re not finished with our meal.”

“I’m sorry, but I’ve really got to go. Look, why don’t you meet me in the private reading room after I’m done with the ambassador? We can talk more then.”

That tight, frustrated feeling twists up inside me again, but it’s like there’s a blockage in my throat and I can’t force out the words I want to say.

“Okay.”

Chapter 4

I’ve been waiting in the reading room for hours. I raised the moon from in here when the time came. I thought Celestia might come after the sun set, but she didn’t. She must have paused her meeting to attend to it and then continued with the ambassador.

It’s been a while since I’ve been in here. Mostly this was Celestia’s retreat, the secret room hidden in the library where she could come and read to her heart’s content. I’ve never been as much of a book worm as she is, but I do remember when we were fillies and she would read me stories from her books.

I walk back and forth, back and forth across the room. I look through a pile of books. There’s a light layer of dust on the top one. I guess Celestia hasn’t had much time for reading lately. She hasn’t had much time for anything except business.

I’m not really interested in reading, but I continue to look through the books simply because there’s nothing else to do. One book catches my eye. That’s the journal we made when we were first crowned! I pick up the slim, purple-backed book with my magic and wipe off the dust. How many years has it been since we wrote in this? Centuries.

I settle down on Celestia’s cushion and open the journal. Flipping through the first few pages I’m hit with a wave of nostalgia. I come to my first entry where I tried to write in the Royal Canterlot Voice. Back then it was just for fun, but now we use the Voice whenever we address our subjects. Come to think of it, we didn’t refer to them as subjects back then. We were viewed more as guardians than rulers. I suppose that’s just one of the ways things change over time. Celestia and I never sought more power than what we had, but gradually ponies started looking to us for more and more. Celestia said once that it’s a sign of the land becoming more unified. Ponies aren’t living by the strict tribal divisions that used to restrict them. I guess that’s a good thing, but it means that they are relying less and less on their own internal power structures and more and more on us. On Celestia anyway. I’d be happy to help out more than I do. Not just happy to, I want to help out more than I do. But there’s nothing for me to do.

Nothing I can be useful for.

I come to the section where we wrote about building the castle. I remember that ponies were active then through the day and the night. One shift of workers would come on while another slept. No matter when you went out there were others around. I don’t know how it happened that ponies stopped being active at night.

The tight feeling is rising up in my chest again, and I’m not sure why. Looking back at these good memories.... I start to feel tears in my eyes.

I miss my friends: Star Swirl, Puddinghead, even Platinum. I remember how we couldn’t stand each other when we first met, but then we got to be really good friends. It’s not just that though. It’s... looking at these pages, remembering how happy I was then. I haven’t been that happy in a long time. I almost never feel happy any more. I just feel frustrated and lonely and miserable so much of the time.

I turn the page and see where Celestia jotted a single note, just one sentence: “My sister and I were meant to rule together.”

We really believed that back then. We were sure that we could do anything so long as we were together. Now there are times when it feels like she doesn’t need me at all.

The tears spill over. I shove the journal to the side and bury my face in the cushion, sobbing. She doesn’t need me anymore. I can’t do any good for anypony. I’m just worthless.

I cry and cry until I’m gasping for breath. I can’t get my thoughts straight; everything is just a chaotic whirl. I press my face against the damp cushion. I take a couple deep breaths. The sobs erupt again for a few minutes, and then I breathe again. For a long time I lay there, just trying to get myself under control.

Finally I can sit up and try to compose myself. My face feels hot and swollen, and I want a drink of water.

Where is Celestia? The night is well-advanced now. She can’t possibly still be with the ambassador, can she? I wipe my eyes on a drape, take a deep breath and poke my head out of the reading room.

There’s no sign of life in the library. I make my way into the corridor. The castle is silent.

I make sure my face is clear so it won’t be obvious that I’ve been crying. A guard should be stationed nearby. There he is. As I approach he draws himself up to attention.

“Dost thou know where Our sister is?”

“Begging your pardon, Your Highness, but Princess Celestia has been to bed some time ago. Is anything amiss?”

I feel shaken to my core, but I keep my face calm, my manner quiet.

“No, nothing is amiss.”

Chapter 5

I’m sitting silent, clenched, waiting for Celestia to come out of her bedroom. I can hear her moving around in there. The door opens.

“Oh! Luna, you startled me. What is it? Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing’s wrong. Not a damn thing. Except I was sitting up half the night in the reading room.”

For a moment she just looks confused. Then she gasps and her eyes widen.

“Oh, Lu, I’m sorry! I completely forgot that I was supposed to meet you. The meeting with the ambassador just dragged on forever, and then I was so tired I just went straight to bed. I didn’t mean to keep you waiting, I just forgot.”

“Of course you forgot. I’m just so forgettable, aren’t I? Even my own sister can’t be bothered to remember about me.”

“Look, I said I’m sorry okay? I was tired. I had a long day. You’re lucky that you don’t have so much to deal with. You just get to hang out all night.”

“Yeah, my life is great isn’t it?” I hurl the words at her and storm out.

I stop just a little way down the hall, teeth biting together, tears welling up. I’m torn up inside. Part of me wants to run out of the castle and fly away as far as I can. Part of me wants to go back in and hug Celestia and cry into her mane the way I did when I was a little, little filly.

I listen to the sounds in the room behind me. For a few moments there’s silence. Then I hear Celestia’s hoof steps coming toward the door.

Maybe she’ll come out and ask me what’s wrong. Maybe I’ll finally find a way to get the right words past this choking feeling in my throat. Maybe we can sit together and she’ll hug me and I can tell her about the unhappiness gnawing away at my gut. Maybe-

I hear another pony enter the room through the other door.

“Good morning, Your Highness. Breakfast is waiting, and I have a stack of papers that need your attention. Will you look over them during your meal, or would you prefer to go over your schedule for the day first?”

There’s a long silence.

“Let’s go over the schedule first. I’ll look at the papers later, after I’ve eaten.”

“Very good, Your Highness.”

I hear them both leave.

I go to bed.

But I don’t sleep.

Chapter 6

How many nights has it been since I had that fight with Celestia? I’ve found myself losing track of time lately. The nights all seem to blur together, and I can’t tell what happened a week ago from what happened a month ago.

Two mornings after the fight she did come looking for me. She asked if I was all right. I probably should have said something then, but I didn’t. I was too miserable to come up with any words beyond “I’m fine.”

She kind of looked at me for a moment like she wanted to say something else, but she didn’t. We haven’t spent any time together since then.

One remark she made keeps sticking in my head: lucky. She thinks I’m lucky that I don’t have much to do. Lucky that nopony needs me, that I’m completely useless, that I could just disappear and probably no one would even notice.

She doesn’t understand at all! Every single pony in Equestria loves her. She doesn’t know what it feels like to be alone.

What’s the point in even having a Princess of the Night at all? Nopony comes out at night. Nopony cares to look at the moon or admire the constellations. They sing the praises of the sunshine. Celestia can take care of everything they need. They all come to her for help with their problems, even if some of those problems are stupid. Nopony comes to me for help with anything.

She’s the lucky one, and she doesn’t even know it.

The nights are all blurring together now. Nothing ever happens to distinguish one from another. I don’t talk to anypony. I don’t see anypony. I fly around from town to town. In theory, I’m supposed to be making sure the land is safe, but Equestria has been enjoying a time of peace and prosperity. In the early days of our rule the land was wild. Strange, malevolent creatures roamed freely, sinister characters attacked and plundered at will. There were real dangers lurking in the dark then, and yet ponies came out and worked and socialized as I watched over them. Now the land is quite safe, so safe that there’s little for me to do, and yet the ponies celebrate this pleasantness by locking themselves indoors and sleeping through it.

There are still occasional night dangers. Sometimes packs of timber wolves or other creatures wander into settled areas, and I have to chase (or fight) them off. Back in the early days, though, I was never alone when that happened. Ponies would be there when the danger occurred. They would rally together, protecting each other, offering what support they could. I remember Commander Hurricane sending flights of his pegasi to assist in combat, Star Swirl teaching defensive and binding spells to the other unicorns. We would fight and work together to keep each other safe. We would celebrate victories together

Now I’m always alone. Last year a rampaging hydra would have destroyed a village. It came charging out of its swamp, knocking down trees as it came. I defended the village, fought with the beast, and won victory. I sent the hydra slithering back where it came from, and the village was saved. I even got to the hydra before it had trampled the agricultural fields on the outskirts.

Nopony woke up. After I sent the hydra packing I looked around, but nopony had come outside. There were no lights in the windows. I remember I waited around until morning. After I set the moon and the sun came up the ponies began coming outside. None of them even realized what had almost happened. When I flew down to talk to some of them they just seemed surprised and confused at seeing me there.

I’ve never seen anypony act surprised and confused at seeing Celestia. They always seem delighted by her very presence.

Celestia is the lucky one.

Chapter 8

I think I’ve seen Celestia more in the past two months than in the past two years. She’s so excited about this Sun Celebration that she’s practically dancing around the castle. Every morning before I go to bed I hear about what part of the festival they’ll be planning that day. Every evening when I get up I hear about how great the arrangements are going.

Great. Everything’s absolutely great. Everypony loves Celestia and her sun. They can’t wait to celebrate the longest day. They want to celebrate the shortest night... celebrate the least of me.

For the longest time I felt so lonely, and I wanted company. Now I see Celestia every morning and evening, and I wish she would just leave me alone. I’m sick of hearing about this stupid festival.

Why? Why are all the ponies so in love with her and the daytime? Why do they shun the night? Why don’t they care about me?

I’ve done as much for the land and the ponies as Celestia has. I was crowned right alongside her at our coronation. I’ve fought monsters and tyrants. I’ve protected the citizens from danger. I’ve explored the depths of distant forests and caverns. I’ve saved ponies’ lives. Is all that nothing?

Celestia moves the sun, but I move the moon and the stars. Moving the sun and moon came easily to both of us the first time we tried it. Moving the stars is difficult. It took me years of hard work to master it. But nopony cares. All those years of effort to create a beautiful night sky and nopony cares.

I’m just as good as Celestia is! I work just as hard, I can do just as much! Why?! Why don’t they care about me?

“Oh, there you are, Luna!”

Celestia’s coming along the corridor. She’s the last pony I want to see right now, but I keep it together: stay calm, stay composed. I don’t want to talk to her, but she’s already chatting away.

“I’ve been looking all over for you. I wanted to talk about your part in the Celebration. See, we’ve decided that the focal point should be first thing in the morning when I raise the sun. We’re going to set up a stage and a big viewing area so ponies can come and see the actual raising. Then we’ll start the festivities to go all throughout the day.

“And I want us both to be on the stage. It will still be nighttime when the ponies are gathering. We’ll be standing on the stage, and it will start with you setting the moon. Then I’ll raise the sun, and Medley will strike up the band. She’s been working on a beautiful new composition just for the occasion. That will kick off the festivities. Then we’ll have food and games and dancing and everything! I’m so excited, it’s going to be wonderful!”

She’s gushing. I used to find her cheerfulness infectious when she got like this. Now it’s just aggravating.

“We’ve just finished constructing the stage today, though it still needs to be decorated. Do you want to come see?”

Going to see her stupid stage is the last thing I want to do right now, but I can’t come up with a good excuse not to. I don’t say anything; I just follow after her as she heads down.

The stage is set up in the main courtyard at the front of the castle. I’ve seen it under construction when I’ve flown out the past few evenings. Celestia flies over to perch in the very center.

“See, this is where you and I will be standing. Of course, there will be banners and flowers all around so it doesn’t look so plain. And I think we’re going to have some sort of statue or pillar in the center behind us, but I haven’t seen the finished version of it yet. What do you think?”

She turns to look at me so happily and expectantly. What can I say? I think the whole thing is stupid, and I wish her dumb advisors had never come up with the idea. I think ... I think...

“It looks just fine, Celestia.” What else can I say? Celestia doesn’t understand how all this feels to me. No matter what I say, she’ll never understand, so why say anything at all?

“That’s it? Just fine? Well, I admit the stage does look pretty barren right now. It will look much better when the decorations are up. Oh, it’s time.”

She turns to face the sun and lowers it down below the horizon. In turn, I lift up the moon into the sky. I used to feel such joy at moving the moon. I used to feel happy. I remember what happiness feels like. It seems like such a long time ago.

Chapter 9

Tomorrow is Celestia’s Sun Celebration. She and her helpers made sure everything is perfect and then rushed off to bed to be well-rested for the big day.

I’m sitting on a cloud high above the castle. The Everfree Forest is spread out below me, and looking straight down I can see the castle courtyard all decorated. I hate it. I hate that festival they’re holding. I wish it would all just go away.

I don’t know whether I feel more like crying or like breaking something. I’m sad and jealous and angry all at the same time. One minute I wish the ponies would love and admire me like they do Celestia. The next minute I almost feel like I hate them all... Celestia included.

“Hail Luna, Princess of the Night, Sovereign of Equestria!”

I whip around at the sound of a thin, whispery voice behind me. For a moment it seems like no one’s there, but then I spot something like a tiny purple cloud hovering at chest height. It speaks again.

“Greetings, Your Highness.”

“Who art thou? We have ever seen thy like before.”

It has neither form nor features that I can make out, but it bobs like it’s making a bow.

“My name is Amphilogia, Your Highness. I am here because I felt your sorrow and unhappiness. My nature is such that I am drawn to those who feel such misery, and I do what I can to help them.”

It’s a strange speech from a strange creature, and I’m not quite sure what to make of it.

“Help how? What is it thee does, and what dost thou wish of me?”

“I wish to be your companion, Highness. I wish to join you and help you to stop feeling sad.”

I’m not sure if I trust this thing, whatever it is. “Help me how?”

“Well, why don’t you tell me why you are so unhappy?”

I’ve never talked about this with anyone before. I don’t know how to begin, but Amphilogia starts asking me questions, coaxing out details, and encouraging me to go on about all the things that have been bothering me. We end up talking all through the night. I tell it about all the slights, all the times I’ve been ignored and unappreciated, how Celestia wasn’t there when I needed someone to talk to, and how now the entire country is gathering to celebrate NOT having nighttime. Every time I falter or don’t know what to say Amphilogia asks a question or prompts me to keep going.

As the night draws on I feel better. It’s a relief to spill out all these things I’ve been keeping bottled up. Then Amphilogia speaks.

“Your Highness, why do you let them disregard you so? You are truly a great and noble leader. You deserve their respect and adulation!”

“They all love Celestia. The ponies only come out in the daytime, so they never even see me.”

“But what if they came out at night? Then they would see you and bask in the glory of your gorgeous night. They would see that you are just as magnificent as your sister. Nay, they would see that you are even more magnificent than she!”

I feel a strange mix of pleasure and incredulity at its words. It’s nice to hear such praise, but I’ve never thought of myself as surpassing my sister. I try to put those troubling thoughts out of my head.

“It doesn’t matter anyway. They don’t come out at night. They only come out after the moon has set and the sun has risen.”

“Well then, there is an easy answer to your problem: Don’t set the moon.”

Amphilogia’s words seem so bizarre I can’t quite process them. The sun and moon both need to be risen and set at morning and evening. That’s the way it’s supposed to be.

“I don’t understand what you mean. I can’t just not set the moon. Things aren’t meant to be that way.”

“Why not? If you don’t set the moon in the morning then the ponies will awaken and come outside, and they will see the glory of your night. Nothing could be simpler.”

Amphilogia’s suggestion is unsettling. What’s more unsettling is how appealing I find it.

Abruptly, I notice movement down below. Ponies are coming to gather in the courtyard. It’s almost time for me and Celestia to go to the stage.

“I need to go now. They’ll be expecting me down there.”

“May I accompany you, Highness? I would stay very close to you where none would see me if it suits you.”

I hesitate for a moment before agreeing, “Yes, you may come, but let nopony see you.”

Chapter 11

A guard enters the room and executes a quick bow. “Excuse me, Your Highness, but Princess Celestia wishes you to come to the stage now.”

She expects me to be at her beck and call, does she? She’s so arrogant. But I will go. This will be a chance for me to show the ponies the real Princess of the Night, so they can finally begin to show me the proper respect.

I make my way out into the courtyard. The crowd is babbling and chattering. They don’t even look up when I step outside. They should fall silent and bow to me.

They’ll learn soon. They’ll learn what it means to snub the Moon Princess.

As I approach the stage I hear snippets of their conversations:

“This is so exciting!”

“I can’t believe we all get to watch Princess Celestia raise the sun!”

“I wish the sun was already up. It was so creepy coming through the forest in the dark.”

“I know, right? It was so dark and cold, brr!”

“It’s going to be so wonderful to see Princess Celestia up close as she brings the day.”

“Can you believe it’s the longest day of the year?”

“I can’t wait to watch the sunrise!”

“This festival was such a great idea!”

There was a time when these comments and the lack of appreciation for the night would have sent me flying away, crying like a foal. Now they just serve to fuel my rage. These foolish little ponies are so blind they can’t even see the splendor of the night around them! They just stand around, complaining about the dark and whining for their precious sun.

Celestia and I mount the stage from opposite ends and approach the center, just as she planned. The crowd stops talking and begins cheering. From the ramparts, guards trumpet a fanfare. Celestia and I stand near each other in front of a pillar supporting a golden sun. She’s smiling and waving; I’m standing still and silent. At last, the guards finish their fanfare, and the crowd quiets, looking up expectantly.

All these stupid little ponies are staring at us, waiting for me to end the night.

Look at them! They’ve never respected me, never cared for me at all. Why should I give them what they want?

The seconds drag on. Celestia gives me a sideways glance. The ponies start to shift from hoof to hoof and look around for some explanation of the delay. At last Celestia whispers, “Luna, it’s time to lower the moon.”

I will not do as she orders! It’s time these ponies, all of them, learned to appreciate me!

“Luna, it’s ti-“

“No.”

“Luna, what are you-“

“NO! WE SHALL NOT LOWER THE MOON NOR END THE NIGHT! THE PONIES OF THIS LAND HAVE NEGLECTED AND ABUSED US FOR THE LAST TIME! ALL THESE YEARS, NAY, ALL THESE LONG DECADES AND CENTURIES HAVE PONIES FLOCKED TO THE SUN’S LIGHT AND SHUNNED THE MOON! THOU HAST BEEN THE RECIPIENT OF UNENDING RESPECT AND ADORATION WHILE WE HAVE BEEN CAST ASIDE AND UNCARED FOR! THE DENIZENS OF THE LAND CARE NOT FOR THE NIGHT NOR THE PRINCESS OF THE NIGHT!

“NO MORE! WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH! IF THE PONIES OF THIS LAND CANNOT APPRECIATE US THEN LET THEM LEARN TO! LET THIS NIGHT BE UNENDING!”

And with that, I teleport away.

Chapter 12

I teleport into the little chamber just behind the throne room, breathing heavily. This is the room Celestia and I always used to duck into when we needed a break from business. My head’s in such a whirl I can’t get my thoughts straight. For a moment I can’t believe what I just did.

It was right. Now they will learn some respect and appreciation.

Yes, it was right. I can make them see the true beauty of the night, I can...

A sudden light angles through the small window, and I rush over to look. Celestia is raising the sun! Even though the moon is still there she’s forcing the sun to come up anyway. The sky looks bizarre: part day, part night, sun and moon battling for supremacy.

How dare she defy me!

My anger is boiling higher and higher. She’ll pay for this!

“Luna, Luna are you in here?”

Her voice is coming from the entrance to the throne room. I should have known she would guess I’d come here.

“Luna, I don’t understand! What happened? Why are you so upset?”

She doesn’t really care about why I’m upset. She’s just unhappy because I ruined her Sun Celebration. There’s only room for one princess here, and she wants to make sure it’s her.

I enter the throne room and step out from behind the thrones.

“Not another step! Did you really expect me to sit idly by while they all basked in your precious light? There can only be one princess in Equestria. And that princess will be me!”

Now show her! Defy the sun!

I smash open the wall to show the embattled sky outside, and I forcibly move the moon so that it eclipses the sun. The land is bathed in shadows. At the same time, I feel Amphilogia’s power rise up from within and engulf me. It feels frigid and evil.

For one moment my thoughts shine as clear and pure as the day I was first crowned a princess.

NO! This isn’t what I wanted!

Then I am consumed by the dark energy.

Everything is coldness and darkness and pain. My body feels like it’s being torn apart. Everything I once was is crushed down to make way for the wickedness and cruelty that rise up to form the new me, and I delight in the wickedness as it happens. At last the swirling energy condenses into my new body, and I stand there reborn, laughing.

Celestia stares at me in horror.

I stop laughing and snarl at her. I fire a blast at the ceiling, carving out a view of the night sky, bringing huge chunks of rock down in front of her. Celestia starts to fly over them, but I shoot at her, forcing her to land back down.

“Luna! I will not fight you. You must lower the moon. It is your duty!”

“Luna? I am Nightmare Moon. I have but one royal duty now: to destroy you!”

I fire straight at her, but she leaps up and flies away through the hole in the ceiling.

“And where do you think you’re going?” I pursue her.

Around and about the castle we fly. I fire shot after shot, but she dodges and evades. My blasts catch archways and turrets, knocking away whole sections of walls.

Finally, I get a good clear aim.

Shoom!

The blast hits her square in the chest. Her scream tears through the dark sky as she plummets to the ground.

I begin laughing madly. I did it! I overthrew her! Now I am Equestria’s only princess!

Swiftly, I fly back around to the courtyard. The crowd is still there, mewling and bleating. Guards are standing around to keep order but looking baffled. I sweep in and hover high above where they can all see me.

“Citizens of Equestria! Hear me! I am your new ruler, Nightmare Moon! The era of the Two Sisters is over! Celestia is overthrown!”

The crowd cries out. Pegasus guards fly up at me, but one sweep of my horn knocks them away effortlessly. Ponies down below begin shouting at me. I fire blasts toward the loudest spots, and the shouts turn to screams.

“Silence! You will show me your respect, or you will feel my wrath! As for your precious sun, you have seen it for the last time! From now on, the night will last forever!”

The crowd is in turmoil below me. Two of the unicorn guards try to fire spells at me, but I use my magic to pick them up and throw them against a wall. The pegasus guards are still struggling to rise. I hear ponies crying and wailing. That will teach them to challenge me.

From the corner of my eye I catch a light emerging from the castle behind me. The crowd of sniveling ponies can wait. I swing around and fly toward the light rising upwards.

It’s Celestia! And she has the Elements of Harmony with her! So she wants to turn this into a real fight, does she? I light up my horn, ready to attack.

We each fire at the same moment, our spells clashing in midair. We struggle, each pushing against the other. For a few moments I feel that I’m winning, and I relish the feeling of destructive power.

Then... I falter. The Elements are pushing me! I’m being forced back and back. I snarl and attack back with all my might, but I can’t withstand the immense rush of power. I feel myself being hurled backwards. The Elements cast me into the moon, and my world becomes a slamming door.

Chapter 13

Everything is dark... and cold... and silent... and still.

I am locked within the moon. Once, I controlled the moon: I made it rise and cross the sky and set at my command. Now I am merely a part of the moon itself, bound to go where it goes. I am still a separate being in a sense, but I do not move or act or exist separately from the larger being of the moon. It is like being asleep and aware at the same time.

Curse Celestia! I’ll make her pay for doing this to me! Some day I’ll get free and then I’ll find her and banish her into the sun!

There was a time when the weeks and months blurred together and I found myself losing track of time. Now I seem to have no ability to sense the passage of time at all. I am aware of long years stretching out, one after another, and yet the passage of a day and the passage of a decade feel very much the same.

When I break free I will take Equestria once and for all! All those ponies who shunned me will get what they deserve when I am the undisputed ruler!

I can sense the movements of the cosmic bodies. I can feel that the sun and the moon continue on the same paths that they have always traveled. Celestia must be controlling them both on her own.

How dare she? The moon is my domain. I should not be trapped here. I should be the one with complete control of the sky.

I can also sense the movements of the stars. Celestia must have the sense not to meddle with them, for they continue on their ordained dance without interference. Once or twice I have felt something odd in their alignment. They have not passed close enough for me to fully grasp it, but I can tell that there is something significant in certain configurations that they go through.

It is only by keeping track of such movements that I can tell how much time actually is passing. Century after century passes by while I am held in this enforced stasis.

I’m lonely. I wish this hadn’t happened.

Argh! Every now and then an aggravating bit of sentimentality tries to push its way into my thoughts, and every time I quash it firmly back down.

I will have my revenge. I will escape from the moon, banish Celestia, and take what always should have been mine. All the ponies of Equestria will learn to respect and fear me.

I have been keeping track of the stars’ movements all the long while I have been here. They track the time quite accurately, down to the minute if I pay close enough attention. It has been almost exactly one millennium, and I feel the stars drawing together into that configuration that I noticed before.

The stars are drawing closer and closer, and now I am beginning to sense why this particular arrangement drew my attention before. Something about the placement of these stars in relation to the moon is weakening my bonds.

I begin to strain and push against the magic holding me locked away. The stars draw closer and closer... and the bonds begin to fray.

At last the stars align just right, and I break through.

I am free.

Chapter 14

I burst forth from the moon’s grip and teleport down to hover high in the Equestrian sky. Where is she? I cast about with my magic until I can sense the sun’s power and head towards it.

It is night now, but it looks like it is almost the time for dawn. I soar down to a small town, near the edge of the Everfree Forest, where I sense Celestia’s power. It’s not a town I know, but it looks like any place where ponies might live. Why is Celestia here instead of the castle or some major city?

The town is dark except for a large building that looks like the main hall. It is clearly lit up, and the noise of many bustling ponies comes from within. As I fly toward it I notice that the town is decked with ribbons and banners. I pause to read the largest one: “Welcome Princess Celestia! 1000th Summer Sun Celebration!”

The Summer Sun Celebration!? That arrogant fool of a sister has continued that abominable festival for the past thousand years? My rage boils even higher than before.

Clearly the hall is where the celebration is being held. And the crowd of ponies within has gathered to cheer the sunrise and banish the night, just as that other crowd did a thousand years ago.

If Celestia still has the same taste in entrances I expect she will be in some small room in the back from which she can approach her public. I change my body into smoke so that I can sneak in unseen.

The hall is small. It takes only a few minutes to find the room where she is waiting to make her entrance. She is standing there all alone. With my magic, I dim the lights and appear before her.

“Celestia! I have returned to finish what I started a thousand years ago. Now you will suffer!”

She looks at me so calmly, so sadly, that I don’t know what to make of it. It looks like she was expecting me. Is she planning something?

“Luna, I have missed you so much.”

“Enough sentimentality! Prepare to defend yourself!”

“Luna, oh Luna, my sister, I will not fight you.”

“You said that once before,” I sneer.

“This time I truly mean it. I cannot restore you to your true self now any more than I could a thousand years ago. I hope that another can take up that task and succeed where I failed. There is nothing I can do now but wait and hope.”

“There is nopony powerful enough to overthrow me!”

“That is true. You and I are the most powerful ponies in all of Equestria, and I am powerless except to tell you that I love you.”

The annoying little twinge in the back of my mind tries to respond to her words, but I have no time for that.

“If you will not fight me, then bow to your defeat!”

Celestia bows her head and stands still as I blast her with the banishing spell and condemn her to a millennium in the sun.

Chapter 17

Well, pulling the cliff out from under them didn’t work. I fly on ahead of them and cast about for some other opportunity. Deep in the undergrowth I hear a rustling and growling. Those sounds are familiar; I know what they are.

Weaving my smoke body through the branches I see a manticore. This could be the perfect way to attack those ponies. Despite their fierce appearance, manticores aren’t really vicious unless they’re provoked. I learned that a long time ago.

I remember Melvin seemed so ferocious at first, but once we got to know each other he was such a sweet friend.

I shake my head to dispel such thoughts.

I just need to provoke it so that it will be ready to attack them as soon as they draw near. That should be simple enough. I split off a small portion of smoke and transform it into a thorn. Aiming carefully, I send the thorn flying into his paw, which results in a satisfying roar.

The trap set, I fly back to watch the ponies. The blue pegasus is boasting about how she flew when the cliff fell.

“I bet if the Wonderbolts had seen my moves back there they would have been begging me to join up.”

Applejack rolls her eyes. “Sure thing, Rainbow Dash. The greatest flying team in all of Equestria would be at yer doorstep because ya caught somepony who fell right on top a’ you.”

“It was more than that! Did you see how quick I was catching Pinkie and getting her down to the bottom? I’ve got speed and muscle.”

She turns to nudge the purple unicorn. “I was so quick you didn’t even see me until we caught you, didja? The cliff just fell, and we had about two seconds to catch you guys. But I swooped down and lifted her right into the air to carry her down. And once Pinkie and Rarity were safe, WHOOSH! Me and Fluttershy looped –the-loop around and wham! Caught you right in the nick of time!”

I don’t know if I can take much more of her blathering, and fortunately the unicorn seems to feel the same way as she cuts her off.

“Yes, Rainbow, I was there. And I’m very grateful, but we gotta-“

She is interrupted by a loud slam. Right on time.

“A manticore!”

The manticore comes roaring and charging at them. The white unicorn kicks him in the face, but gets frightened off when he roars at her. Applejack leaps up on the manticore’s back and holds on tight as he tries to dislodge her. When he throws her off she recovers her balance perfectly, and the blue pegasus flies in. Beating her wings furiously, she creates a whirlwind holding the manticore in place. It looks like it’s working until a blow from his tail sends her crashing to the ground.

“Rainbow!”

The ponies set themselves to charge at manticore, and he looks ready to meet them. This should be good. Running in like that, the manticore will be able to take them all down with one swipe-

“WAIT!”

The charging ponies screech to a halt as the yellow pegasus blocks their path. Then she turns and walks calmly up to the manticore. What in Equestria does she think she’s doing? I’m as surprised as her companions when she begins cooing over the manticore like a kitten. After just a few moments he shows her the thorn, and she pulls it out. He roars at the momentary pain, and the ponies cry out, “Fluttershy!” For a moment I hope he’ll claw her, but he only picks her up and begins purring and licking her mane.

I’m disgruntled as I realize that, like me, she must know that manticores only attack when provoked. The manticore licks and nuzzles her once more as the ponies continue on their way.

Something about the way those two ponies, Applejack and Fluttershy, dealt with my traps strikes me in a manner I can’t identify. I feel like there’s something significant about how they got past me. Stranger still, I have this niggling feeling in the back of my mind that I don’t understand.

Chapter 18

I cast about, trying to think of a different way to dealing with these persistent ponies. Direct attacks didn’t work.

Frighten them.

Yes. Fear can be a powerful weapon. I remember a spell I found long, long ago. We were investigating Sombra, and we found spellbooks with powerful, forbidden, dark magic. One of the books contained fear spells, and I remember one which might work just perfectly now.

The spell creates frightening illusions. But the true strength of it is that it responds to the fear it inspires. The more fear ponies feel from the illusions the more powerful the spell grows. It feeds off its victims and causes their terror to increase until they are reduced to a state of mindless panic.

I wait until the path takes the ponies into a dark grove, and then I cast the spell on the trees around them. The grove grows darker still, only to be illuminated moments later by monstrous faces leering from each tree. The ponies instantly begin screaming. They huddle together, fear increasing by the moment.

Perfect. I float close by, relishing the sounds of screaming, of frantic hoofbeats, of giggling-

Giggling?

Incredulous, I look to see the pink Earth mare laughing and making ridiculous faces at one of the trees. Her companions can make no more sense of her behavior than I can, and they yell at her to run. She has a wide smile on her face as she turns to them. She begins... singing?

“Oh, girls, don’t you see?
When I was a little filly and the sun was going dooooown-“

She’s not really singing, is she? The purple unicorn echoes my thoughts, “Tell me she’s not-“

“The darkness and the shadows, they would always make me frooooown.”

The white unicorn sighs, “She is.”

The pink mare begins pronking circles around them.

“I’d hide under my pillow
From what I thought I saw,
But Granny Pie said that wasn’t the way to deal with fears at all.
She said, ‘Pinkie, you gotta stand up tall
Learn to face your fears.
You’ll see that they can’t hurt you;
Just laugh to make them disappear!’”

As she laughs the illusionary faces begin to vanish from the trees. The other ponies gasp, but as she continues singing they start laughing as well.

“Soooo giggle at the ghostly
Guffaw at the grossly
Crack up at the creepy
Whoop it up with the weepy
Chortle at the kooky
Snortle at the spooky”

The spell gains strength from the fear of its victims, but if there is no fear its strength fades. As Pinkie bounces and sings and laughs the illusions fade faster and faster. At last, as she finishes her song, the last of the illusions disappear and the spell breaks.

“And tell that big, dumb, scary face
To take a hike and leave you alone,
And if he thinks he can scare you he’s got another think coming,
And the very idea of such a thing just makes you wanna HAHAHA
Laaaaaaugh!”

The ponies collapse to the ground together in a laughing heap. I just hover and watch them, dumbfounded. Oddly, I’m not bothered by this defeat so much as I am baffled. How could I have predicted they would have insanity on their side?

Chapter 20

The ponies are almost at the castle now. I fly ahead to plan out some way of stopping them once and for all.

There are different paths to the castle. This one that they are on leads to a small bridge spanning the chasm which hides the Tree of Harmony. The bridge doesn’t look very steady. I consider sabotaging it so that it will give way underneath them. No, causing a fall at the cliff didn’t work. The pegasi would just help the others as they did before.

What if I just destroy the bridge now? None of the other entrances are accessible from this path, and they would get hopelessly lost in the forest if they left the path. No, again, the pegasi would be able to simply fly across the chasm. That blue pegasus in particular is strong enough to carry the other ponies across. The yellow one isn’t; she had trouble carrying the unicorn even with help. If I could separate Rainbow from the others, though, they wouldn’t have any way of getting across.

Persuade her to betray them.

Instead of destroying the bridge I untie one side so that it hangs limply into the chasm. If my guess is right, one of the pegasi will fly it across to tie it up. The unicorns could probably lift the bridge, but in this fog they wouldn’t be able to see well enough to fasten it on the other side. If Rainbow is the one to separate from the group then I can lure her off, and the others will be left helpless to enter the castle.

I have only a few minutes to wait before the ponies emerge from the trees. As they see the castle they run forward. In her excitement the purple unicorn nearly spills right over the edge where the bridge dangles. For a moment it looks like the threat will end right there, but Rainbow catches her and hauls her back.

“What’s with you and falling off cliffs today?” Rainbow quips.

If falling is a common habit with this unicorn then perhaps she would be better off as a winged pony.

I watch carefully from the fog. Just as I predicted, Rainbow flies down into the chasm and lifts the hanging bridge up to fasten at the far end.

When they were walking through the forest before, she spoke of wanting to join a great flying team. I can use this against her. I transform myself to look like three pegasi in flight uniforms.

“Rainbow... Rainbow...”

Instantly she lets go of the rope and rears up defensively. “Who’s there? I ain’t scared of you! Show yourself!”

“We’ve been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the best flier in Equestria.”

“Who?”

“Why, you of course.”

“Really? I mean, oh yeah, me! Hey, uh, you wouldn’t mind telling the Wonderbolts that, would ya? ‘Cause I’ve been trying to get into that group for, like, ever.”

“No, Rainbow Dash. We want you to join us, the Shadowbolts.”

I emerge from the fog. “We’re the greatest aerial team in the Everfree Forest, and soon we will be the greatest in all Equestria. But first, we need a captain.”

For a moment she looks confused, but then her face lights up in a bright, expectant smile.

“The most magnificent...”

“Yep.”

“...swiftest...”

“Yes.”

“... bravest flier in all the land.”

“Yes, it’s all true.”

I saw before that she was boastful, and such ponies always respond well to ego-stroking.

“We need... you.”

“Woo hoo, sign me up! Just let me tie this bridge real quick, and then we have a deal.”

“No! It’s them or us.”

The ponies on the other side must be getting anxious about the wait, and they begin calling across to her. With my magic, I roll even thicker banks of fog across the chasm, hiding them from sight and muffling the sound of their voices.

“Well?”

Rainbow looks indecisive for a moment before saying, “You...”

Yes! I’ve got her!

“Thank you, for the offer, I mean. But I’m afraid I have to say no.”

What!? Without another word she ties off the bridge and launches herself into the fog. I snarl in frustration as I shed my disguise. I was so close!

Chapter 21

The ponies enter the castle and look around. The hall is cold and desolate after all these years of neglect.

I remember when we built this hall. We were so happy about it.

Enough of that, the castle’s not important now. What is important is getting the Elements and making sure they cannot be used against me. Once I’ve done that I’ll find out where Celestia’s new castle is and declare myself sole ruler of Equestria.

As the ponies step forward Applejack speaks to the purple unicorn.

“Come on, Twilight. Isn’t this what you been waitin’ for?

Twilight. The purple unicorn’s name is Twilight. She’s the only one whose name I hadn’t caught yet. And she’s the one leading the search for the Elements.

The ponies make their way to a tall stand with arms supporting five stone spheres. They take the spheres and begin fussing with them.

Those rocks aren’t the Elements, are they? The elements are jewels, and there should be six of them. To my surprise I hear Pinkie raising the same question.

“One, two, three, four... there’s only five.”

Rainbow chimes in, “Where’s the sixth?”

Twilight studies the stones and answers, “The book said when the five are present a spark will cause the sixth Element to be revealed.”

“What in the hay is that supposed to mean?”

“I’m not sure, but I have an idea. Stand back, I don’t know what will happen.”

Did Celestia lock away one of the Elements for some security purpose? Is that what this means? No matter now. They may not look like jewels anymore, but those stones must be the Elements, and I must grab them now before those ponies can find the sixth.

Twilight is preparing to cast a spell to reveal the final Element, and the other ponies step outside to let her work. Perfect.

As she begins her spell I sweep in and scoop up the Elements in my smoke form. As soon as I have them in my grasp I teleport away to the high tower. Just as I complete the teleportation spell, however, I feel something jostle me.

I materialize in the tower room with the Elements, and at once I see what the jostling was. Twilight must have jumped after me at the last moment and been caught in mid-teleport, for she appears with me and falls to the ground.

No matter. I have the Elements in my grasp, and there’s no way this pathetic little unicorn can stand against me.

She’s ready to fight, though. Lowering her horn towards me, she paws the floor and prepares to charge.

“You’re kidding. You’re kidding, right?” She can’t possibly expect to fight me and win, can she? She’s either very brave, very foolish, or very desperate.

Well, if that’s what she wants, I’ll make her sorry she dared to challenge me. I lower my horn and gallop forward to meet her mid-charge. I had considered letting them live, but now I’m ready to skewer this insolent mare.

Just as my horn is about to connect with her she vanishes. What? Where did she go? I whip around to see her materialize on the dais where I set down the stones. No! I won’t let her have them! I charge toward the stones as I see her cast a spell.

The force of her own spell sends her flying backwards as I land on top of the dais. The Elements are sparking and glowing. I brace myself... but nothing happens. The glow dies away, and the stones lie still and impotent. No more fooling around now. This is my chance to do away with this threat once and for all. Laughing madly, I rear up and bring my hoofs down, shattering the stones.

“You little foal, thinking you could defeat me! Now you will never see your princess or your sun. The night will last forever!”

Twilight stares up at me with the most wonderfully devastated look on her face. That is the look of a pony whose last hope has failed. I feel malevolent joyfulness rising up within me. These stupid, pathetic little ponies thought they could defeat me, ME, and bring back their precious sun. Well, this will show them. This will show them all that I am truly the greatest princess Equestria has ever known. None can defeat me! I have destroyed the last obstacle, and now I shall take the throne.

I throw my head back, laughing in malicious triumph.

Chapter 23

At first the heat of the light is like pain. It darts into me, almost ripping me apart. It tears away at the dark energy that consumed me all those centuries ago, separating That-Which-Is-Amphilogia from That-Which-Is-Luna. Amphilogia’s power and influence are torn away and discarded.

Then the pain subsides. The heat shifts to a comfortable warmness. I’ve been cold for so long that I can’t remember the last time I felt warm. Before it felt like I was being tightly bound, but now it feels like I’m being cradled. It feels so comfortable as I start to remember things from long ago.

I remember when Celestia and I were little fillies and we used to hide ourselves away together trading secrets. I remember how my big sister would make me feel better when I was hurt or upset. I remember telling jokes to each other. I remember sharing gifts at birthdays and Hearth’s Warmings. I remember how we stood side by side at our coronation as we pledged to watch over the land and all the ponies who dwelt there. Most of all, I remember how much I truly love my sister... and how much she loves me.

For the first time in a very, very, very long time I feel truly happy. Then the rush of power and emotion overwhelms me, and I feel myself pass out.

I think it’s only a few minutes later as I start to come to. I feel so... drained. The Elements must have stripped me of much of my magic and power for I feel diminished, and my mane hangs limply about my head instead of flowing. I feel a little disoriented as I open my eyes and see the sunlit stone of the tower.

“Princess Luna.”

I gasp to see Celestia stepping toward me. All at once, everything that has happened comes crashing down on me. How could I have done that? How could I have let myself be overcome by dark magic? I hurt my sister, hurt all those ponies! I broke our vows to guard the land. I almost killed her! I became a monster. Everything I did was unforgivable! Celestia must hate me now!

I brace myself for her anger, but she lies down gently beside me.

“It has been a thousand years since I have seen you like this. Time to put our differences behind us. We were meant to rule together, little sister.”

She stands and takes a step backward, giving me the opportunity to approach her.

“Will you accept my friendship?”

I can’t believe that she could possibly be willing to forgive everything I’ve done. She ought to turn her back on me, exile me from Equestria for good this time.

But I feel a desperate need for closeness welling up inside me. Crying, I throw myself against her.

“I’m so sorry! I missed you so much, big sister!”

“I’ve missed you too.”

Chapter 24

Celestia and I are silent as we walk back through the forest. Celestia leads the way, and I stay close behind. The other ponies trail a little way behind us. I can hear them talking in low voices, but I can’t make out what they’re saying. I don’t want to make out what they’re saying.

We’re met at the edge of the forest by royal guards with a gold chariot. They are clearly relieved to see her after her disappearance. They throw questioning glances at me, but they’re too well-disciplined to ask any questions as Celestia gestures for me to follow her into the chariot.

Once we’re settled she asks for the Elements. They’ve transformed from stones back into jewels, but they look different than they used to. Each one, except the Element of Magic, has changed shape to resemble the cutie mark of the pony wearing it. What’s very strange is that the Element of Magic looks just as it always has, but seeing it close to her I realize that Twilight’s cutie mark looks just like the jewel.

Celestia tucks the Elements safely away in the chariot’s storage compartment, and the guards draw us back into the town. I can hear the jubilant sounds of celebration long before we arrive in the town center. All around me ponies are laughing and dancing and partying. I just stand there feeling so guilty. These ponies are the same ones I threatened and menaced just a few hours ago.

Without warning, two little pegasus fillies fly up and offer me some flowers. They drape the roses around my neck and swiftly fly back to continue playing. It’s such a small gesture, but it means so much that I get teary-eyed.

We don’t stay in the town long. Celestia speaks with the ponies who used the Elements for a few minutes, and then we get back into the chariot. The pegasus guards beat their wings, and we take off, leaving the merriment behind us.

For the first time since we left the castle I speak quietly.

“Where are we going, Celestia?”

“To Canterlot. That’s where I live now, and a capital city has grown up around the new castle. I couldn’t bear to stay in the old castle after... well, we’ll talk in private after we get there.”

I duck my head, shame burning at my cheeks.

I soon see Canterlot Mountain drawing close, and at the side an unfamiliar city juts out like a cliff. It looks very beautiful from a distance. I should have guessed that Celestia would have returned to our old home after I found the castle abandoned-“

I choke back tears at the thought of what I did to our wonderful castle.

The chariot lands at the entrance to the palace, and a crowd of ponies spills out to meet it. They are all excited, all talking very fast. I can hear bits and pieces about how scared they were when the sun didn’t come up, how glad they are to see Celestia safe... how curious they are about who I am.

Celestia stands tall and addresses them.

“Quiet, quiet please, everypony. I know you were frightened by this morning’s events, but I assure you all is well now. I want to introduce you all to my sister, Princess Luna.”

The ponies break into a fresh round of murmurs, and the curious stares grow more intense.

“Please settle down. My sister has been gone from this land for a very long time, and her return is a cause for great joy. However, it has been a long day for both of us. Formal introductions and greetings will wait. For now, we shall retire to my chambers. I would like dinner for two sent up, but otherwise we are not to be disturbed.”

All the ponies bow low as Celestia steps down from the chariot, and I follow so close I’m almost sticking to her flank. I keep my eyes on the ground in front of me, not wanting to make eye contact with any of them.

I follow Celestia through the palace, up flights of stairs, until we come to an ornate golden door. Celestia opens it, and we step into her rooms. As soon as the door is securely closed Celestia throws herself at me and begins sobbing.

“Oh, Luna, I missed you!”

Next thing I know we’re on the floor, hugging each other as tight as we can. Neither one of us can get any words out through the tears. It’s been so long. It’s been so very, very long.

After a while we grow quiet, and we both need to get our breath back. Celestia looks at me and laughs a little. Then she uses her magic to summon two wet towels from a doorway that must lead to a wash room. I laugh a little at her face too as we use the towels to mop away our tears.

We continue to hug until a light tap at the door announces the arrival of dinner. Celestia makes sure her face is presentable and lets in the serving pony. Once the meal is laid out she tells him not to bother about the dishes until the morning and sends him away.

The food is good, but I don’t have much appetite. We pick at it and toy with it. I want to talk, but I don’t know what to say. I get the feeling that Celestia feels the same way. When we do try to speak we interrupt each other.

“Celestia I-“

“Luna-“

We pause.

“You go ahead-“

“You-“

We pause again, and then we laugh softly, sadly. It’s been so long.

Celestia takes a deep breath and smiles. “It’s almost time to set the sun. All this time I’ve been moving the sun and moon on my own, managing the best I could without you. Princess Luna, will you resume your royal duty?”

“Yes.”

We walk to the window and look at the sky. Celestia’s horn glows as she sets the sun. Then she steps aside and looks at me.

It’s been a thousand years. A thousand years since I failed in my duty. I take a deep breath and reach out to the moon with my magic. There it is, feeling as natural and meaningful as the morning I earned my cutie mark. The moon gently rises up, bathing the city in silver light.

Chapter 25

We lay together on a couch. Raising the moon once more has given me courage to speak now.

“Celestia, I’m so, so sorry. I let myself be consumed by dark magic. I tried to hurt you, to hurt all the ponies we were supposed to protect. I don’t know if you can ever forgive me.”

“Forgive you? Oh, Luna!” She hugs me tight again. “I’m the one who needs forgiving. I saw that something was wrong, and I ignored it until it was too late. I saw that you were growing moodier, colder. I saw that something was bothering you, and you tried to talk to me, but I ignored you. I didn’t realize... When you began shouting that morning I didn’t understand what you were talking about. Then afterwards I started to think about it, and I realized how much time you must have spent alone. I talked with other ponies, and they all said how they didn’t pay any attention to you. The guards told me how you would wander the castle at night all alone for hours.”

Tears are streaming down her face again. I feel tears in my eyes too.

“Celestia, I was just so... I was unhappy and lonely. I felt like no one cared about me or needed me. And I let the negative feelings grow stronger and stronger until I was susceptible to the evil forces.”

“But it wouldn’t have happened if I had been there for you like I should have!”

I keep wondering when I’ll run out of tears to cry with, but it seems I have a never-ending supply. After a while we both grow silent again. Then Celestia speaks in a low voice.

“I never meant to banish you.”

“What?”

“I never meant to send you to the moon. I hated the idea of using the Elements against you, but I thought I could restore you to your true self. It wasn’t until we were... It wasn’t until the very last minute that I realized I couldn’t do it. The Elements draw their strength from ponies working together. Using them alone, it put them at their bare minimum of power. I just wasn’t strong enough by myself. So instead of changing you back I locked you away. I thought it would just be a temporary measure. I would seal you until I found a way of increasing the Elements’ power so that I could set things right. I thought I would be able to free you within a matter of days, weeks at the most.

“But after you were sealed something happened. I had just returned to the ground and set the Elements down when they changed. The five changed from jewels to cold, hard stone. And the Element of Magic... when the others changed it just disappeared, vanished into thin air.

“At first I couldn’t understand what was happening, but later I realized. You and I wielded the Elements together in harmony. When we fought we broke that harmony. We severed our connection with them. That was why they turned cold and heavy. And the Element of Magic... the Magic just went away.”

She takes a few deep breaths, and I think maybe we’re both going to cry again. Then she composes herself and continues.

“I couldn’t bear to live in the old castle any more. Every second I spent in there hurt so badly. I never even repaired the damage from the fight. I set the Elemental Stones on a pillar and closed up the castle forever. I came back here, to Canterlot, and built this palace. I took over controlling the moon so that day and night would continue as they should.”

“Why did you keep the Sun Celebration going?”

“I kept it going to punish myself. So that every year I would remember how I failed you, and how I was forced to send you away. I could never forgive myself.”

I lay my head against her neck. “You did what you had to do. I had become a monster. Your duty was to protect the ponies and the land. It was my fault, not yours.”

We hug tightly again. Then she seems to brighten up a little bit.

“I did make some changes to the Ceremony, things I thought you might like. The pillar that I stood in front of, you remember, the golden sun? I had a new pillar made that combines the images of the sun and the moon in one. I also added a custom that ponies should stay up all night long the night before. So for all these years the Summer Sun Celebration has begun on the eve of the solstice. The entire night is spent in partying and celebrating before I raise the sun.”

I can’t speak. I just hold onto my sister as hard as I can.

Chapter 26

There is something I’m curious about, but it’s a while before I think to ask.

“Who were those ponies who used the Elements on me? That unicorn, Twilight I think they called her, who is she? She was able to summon and wield the Element of Magic.”

“Her name is Twilight Sparkle. I knew that when you returned I wouldn’t be able to use the Elements on you. So, several years ago I started a School for Gifted Unicorns. I thought that it would be a way to find somepony who could use the Element of Magic. Many talented young unicorns came, and if there were any who showed great promise I took them on as personal students.

“I was aware of Twilight from a very young age. Her older brother attended the school and showed great skill at protective magic. His name is Shining Armor, and he’s now Captain of the Royal Guard. I’ll introduce you later. Anyway, I knew a little bit about his sister, and she had already piqued my interest as a possibility. It was no surprise when her parents enrolled her at the school. Most unicorns were required to make some demonstration of magic before being accepted, but occasionally I would give a special test.

“We had found a lost dragon egg some while back. While it definitely seemed alive, it never hatched or showed any sign of changing. I couldn’t ever find any spells to make it hatch, so I thought of using it as a special test. I didn’t expect any of the young colts or fillies to be able to succeed, but I thought that asking it of them would push their limits, show their true potential. Even when they failed, it would show how they dealt with adversity.

“I used that test for Twilight. Against all odds, though, she actually succeeded.”

“She hatched the dragon egg? Even though you couldn’t?”

“Yes. I could scarcely believe it when I saw it. It was a burst of raw magical potential like I’ve never seen before. But what was more amazing was what happened right after. I needed to help her rein the magic back in and bring it under control. As she regained control her cutie mark appeared. And then... then I truly couldn’t believe my eyes. Right there on her flank was an image of the Element of Magic surrounded by five stars. I felt sure then that she was the right pony to be an Element Bearer.

“I took her on, trained her, taught her to focus and control the magical power within her. She was a good student... too good almost. In her zeal, she threw herself into her studies. She spent almost every waking hour reading and practicing. She never spent any time with other ponies. I worried that even if she had the ability to use the Elements she would fail as I had done. I had learned that they couldn’t be successfully used alone. I tried to encourage her to get out more, meet other ponies, spend time with the other students at the school, but nothing worked. I was almost at my wits’ end, and time was running out. I knew the spell would weaken after a thousand years, and I had to have a way of restoring you.

“Twilight herself pushed my hoof. I never told her anything about you or the Elements. I thought it would be better for her without that expectation hanging over her head. Even so, she found out a little bit on her own. I don’t think she knew the whole truth, but she found out about Nightmare Moon and that the spell would break soon. She sent me a message to alert me. I thought about telling her everything then, but I decided not to. If I had I’m sure she would have rushed off to use the Elements on her own. So instead, I decided to give her one last push to find other ponies who could help.

“I’ve made a point of holding the Summer Sun Celebration in different towns and cities every year. This year I selected Ponyville-“

“That’s the town where I... where I found you when I came back?”

“Yes. I selected Ponyville because it’s the closest place to our old castle where the Elements were. When Twilight sent me her message I pretty much just blew her off. I knew that if I acknowledged the problem she would focus all her energy on solving it alone. So I ignored what she was telling me and ordered her to go to Ponyville. I put her in charge of overseeing all the preparations for the festival. It was the only thing I could think of to make her go out and meet other ponies. If she made even one new friend to help her she would have a chance of using the Elements successfully.

“It worked better than I could have hoped. She made five friends, and the six of them used the Elements together. I could sense the power all the way from- I think the power from the Elements was even stronger than when you and I used them together. Maybe the more ponies there are using them, the more their power grows.”

“When I first saw her I was curious. I didn’t know if a common unicorn would be able to use the Elements. She must have tremendous magical ability.”

“She does, and I think she may be capable of achieving even more. Only time will tell on that, though.”

Now it’s my turn to talk about what happened at Ponyville and the old castle.

“When I realized that they were setting out to find the Elements I saw them as enemies. I had no idea if they would be able to use them if they found them, but I didn’t want to take any chances. I followed them through the forest and tried to sabotage them.”

I have to fight to correct myself.

“No, what I mean is I tried to hurt them, to terrify them.... maybe even to kill them. I... I...”

I choke a little as I try to get the words out.

“I fought them the whole way there. I laid traps and cast spells. I was so...so malevolent.”

Celestia hugs me until I can go on.

“But then, there was something else going on inside me too. I wasn’t conscious of it at the time. I’m not sure I even understand it now. But deep, deep down inside part of me wanted them to succeed. I kept trying and trying to hurt them or make them turn back, and yet the whole time there was something inside me that wanted to be beaten. I think maybe I didn’t think about it because it’s like I was keeping a secret from myself without even realizing what I was doing. I don’t know if that makes any sense.”

“It does. I think maybe that was your true self deep down.”

I mull that over for a little while.

“You mean maybe the real me, the part that wasn’t Nightmare Moon knew they could restore me? Maybe... maybe as I was consciously fighting against them, at the same time I was subconsciously helping them?”

“It seems to make sense. After all, no matter what happens, no amount of dark magic could make you stop being my sister.”

Prologue

I’m sitting on a high balcony cuddled against my sister. My beautiful big sister. We’ve left the noise and bustle of the party downstairs and come up here to have some alone time. It’s been one full year since the construction of our castle was completed, and all our friends have come to celebrate.

Princess Platinum brought a new set of tapestries to decorate the walls. It shows important events from the first year of our rule as Princesses of Equestria. From left to right are scenes of our coronation, the building of our castle, negotiations with zebras and griffons, beating a dragon, and us earning our cutie marks.

Star Swirl, Melvin, Chancellor Puddinghead, and all our other friends are still at the party. It may last all night; there’s plenty of cake and plenty of music. We’ll probably go back down in a little while, but for now Celestia and I both needed a break. It’s funny how we both know at the same moment when to step out. I sigh and press a bit closer to her.

“What are you thinking about?” she asks.

“Just how nice the party is. And how wonderful things have been going lately. You know, when we first got crowned I wasn’t sure if we’d be able to handle it. But now I’ve been feeling really good about it all.”

“When we first got crowned I was sure I’d mess everything up. I was afraid I’d be known as ‘The Really Rotten Princess’. But you’re right. We’ve done a great job so far, if I do say so myself.”

I laugh at the notion of Celestia being a rotten princess. She’s been great. Whenever I wasn’t sure about things she always seemed to know what to do. And when she didn’t seem to know what to do I’ve always been able to help her.

We sit in silence for a little while longer before she tilts her head skyward. “It’s a beautiful night, Luna. You’re really getting a knack for displaying the stars.”

I feel a little glow of pride inside me. I have been working really hard at getting that magic right. “Star Swirl’s been a big help. He can’t do the spell himself, but he can watch and tell me how I’m doing with it. Mostly he helps me concentrate because that’s the hardest part.”

“You seem to be able to concentrate well enough when you’re pranking ponies with the organ,” she grins at me. I just stick my tongue out at her.

Celestia’s always the responsible one, and she says, “We probably ought to get back to the party soon. Ponies will start wondering where we are.”

“In a few minutes. I want to spend a little more time together, just the two of us.”

She grins again and hugs me with her wing. “We’ll always be together, Luna. We’re the Two Sisters, Princesses of Equestria. Together forever.”

I snuggle into her and close my eyes against her soft mane. “Together forever.”

Chapter 7

I woke up this evening to that same gnawing unhappiness. I feel it so often now that I’m getting dull to it. Sometimes it seems like the best I can hope for is to feel numb, to not feel anything at all. It’s better than the gnawing feeling.

As I walk along the corridor. Celestia comes rushing up to me, a big smile on her face. She hasn’t greeted me like that in years.

“Oh, Luna, guess what? I was talking with some of the royal advisors, and they’ve come up with a wonderful idea.”

The gnawing feeling is lifting. I don’t feel happy, but I feel interested. That’s better than the numbness.

“What kind of idea?”

“They’re proposing we instate a new festival, a celebration for all of Equestria to come together.”

That actually sounds nice. Maybe it would be a chance for me to see some ponies.

“What would the festival be for?”

“The summer solstice! A festival to celebrate the longest day of the year when ponies have the most time to be together. They want to call it the Summer Sun Celebration!”

I feel like someone dropped a boulder into my stomach.

Celestia prattles on about the wonderful plans for this new festival. I don’t hear half of what she says. Finally she stops talking long enough to actually look at me.

“Is something wrong, Luna? You don’t look well.”

“I’m fine. This festival sounds great. A chance to celebrate the sun. I guess there won’t be much of anything for me to be involved in.”

She actually does look concerned. “Oh Luna, I hadn’t thought of it like that. Don’t you worry though; there will be plenty of chances for you to be part of the celebration. Hey, maybe if this one goes well we could also start a Winter Moon Celebration for the winter solstice. Although, we already celebrate Hearth’s Warming at midwinter. I don’t know if it would make much sense to have two festivals so close together... Anyway, I can’t stay and talk about all this much right now. I’ve got another quick meeting to get to before I go to bed. Have a good night!”

I just stand there for a long time after she leaves. I take deep breaths, trying to keep it together. A new festival just to celebrate when we have the least amount of nighttime. They really don’t care about me anymore.

Celestia’s talk of maybe having another festival at midwinter... but she’s right. We already celebrate Hearth’s Warming that time of year. There’s no point in having two festivals at the same time. One’s enough; no need for two.

Chapter 10

I fly down to the castle and into the small parlor where I’m supposed to meet Celestia. Amphilogia is hiding under my mane, where it blends in rather well. Celestia is already in the parlor when I arrive.

“Oh, Luna, good. I’ve been waiting for you. Where have you been? No, never mind that now. There’s too much going on, and we don’t have much time. I have just a couple quick details to attend to. You can just wait in here for about ten minutes; you don’t need to do anything special. The guard will call you when it’s time to come out. Then you walk out onto the stage, face the crowd, and set the moon. I’ll come up onto the stage at the same time you do from the opposite end, just like I showed you yesterday. Now I’ve got to dash and see to a couple things before we start. This is going to be great! I’ll see you in a few minutes!”

And out she scampers.

Amphilogia pokes out from under my mane.

“You were right, Princess. She didn’t even let you speak to her. She just bossed you around like a servant, to come at her beck and call.”

The old tight, gnawing feeling is welling up inside me again. It’s true. Celestia just bossed me around and ran away. She barely even looked at me as she was speaking. Amphilogia slides down my side, hovering against me.

“And all those ponies out there. I saw them as you flew past. Hundreds there must be, all here to celebrate the setting of the moon and the end of the night.”

Tears are welling up in my eyes. All those ponies who want nothing to do with me. Amphilogia presses against my chest, just at the level of my heart. Its touch is cold.

“But I want to help you, Luna. I want to join you. None of them care about you, you said so yourself. Let me help you to show them how great you truly are.”

All the sorrow and loneliness and frustration and bitterness are so thick inside me that I can barely breathe. Amphilogia presses so close to my chest that my heartbeat seems amplified by it.

“Just let me join you, and I promise you won’t feel sad anymore.”

Anything... anything would be better than this pain.

Yes.

As soon as I think that word Amphilogia shoves into my chest, right into my heart. It feels like being splashed with ice water from the inside. For a moment all the pain I’ve been feeling intensifies a hundredfold. Then... it subsides.

I stand there, trying to catch my breath. I’m briefly disoriented, but then I come back to myself.

I feel strong. I feel proud. I know for certain that I will never let any of those pathetic little ponies push me around or ignore me ever again.

Amphilogia was right. I don’t feel sad any more. All I feel... is malice.

Chapter 15

I turn my body into smoke again and float toward the main part of the hall. I can hear commotion. It sounds like Celestia should have made her entrance by now, and the ponies are worried.

“She’s gone!” I hear a mare’s voice call in astonishment.

Well then, if it’s an entrance from their ruler that they want, I will be happy to oblige. I spill my smoke form onto the spotlit balcony and reveal myself.

“Oh, my beloved subjects, it’s been so long since I’ve seen your precious little sun-loving faces.”

None of them bow or give any sign of respect. They cringe and cower away from me.

“What did you do with our princess?” A pegasus tries to fly at me, but another pony holds her back

“What? Am I not royal enough for you? Don’t you know who I am? Does my crown no longer count now that I have been imprisoned for a thousand years? Did you not recall the legend? Did you not see the signs?”

“I did!”

The speaker is a purple unicorn mare standing in the crowd.

“And I know who you are. You’re the mare in the moon, Nightmare Moon!”

“Well, well, well, somepony who remembers me. Then you also know why I’m here?”

“You’re here to... to...” Her words trail off as she cowers away from me. I laugh at her fear.

“Remember this day, little ponies, for it was your last! From this moment forth, the night will last forever!”

A beige mare cries out, “Seize her! Only she knows where the princess is!”

Pegasus guards fly at me, just as they did a thousand years ago. Just as before, it is easy to knock them away. “Stand back, you foals!”

And with that I turn back into smoke and fly out of the hall. Making an announcement at this tiny little town is one thing, but I must establish my rule over all of Equestria now.

I fly over the Everfree Forest toward the castle. As I see it in the distance I can tell that something’s not quite right. It’s not until I get closer that I realize it looks abandoned. I turn solid again and fly down close. It is abandoned. It looks like nopony has been in here for centuries. There are the holes I made during the fight with Celestia; they were never repaired.

Why abandon the castle? Never mind that, where is the center of Equestria now? I planned to establish myself in Celestia’s place, but I must find out where her new castle is in order to do that.

I had never seen that town near the edge of the Everfree, and the old castle has been abandoned. Clearly, Equestria’s geography has changed while I was banished. I mull it over for a few minutes and then decide to go back to the town. If Celestia was there then no doubt I can pick up some useful information.

Chapter 16

Back at the town the hall seems to be in turmoil. I can hear a babble of voices and see lots of commotion. I start to head towards it when another lit building catches my attention. What’s going on over there?

The structure is built into a large tree, and coming close I see a sign declaring it “Golden Oaks Library.” Smoke-formed I float over to a window and peer inside.

Within the library I see a small crowd of ponies gathered around the purple unicorn who recognized me. She’s reading from a book, and the others are listening. I press closer to the glass to hear what she’s saying.

She’s reading about the Elements of Harmony! Celestia didn’t have the Elements with her, and I saw no sign of them when I was at the castle. This unicorn is planning to find them and use them against me!

I don’t know if she would be able to use them. Even if she can, how much strength would a simple unicorn have to wield their power? Still, I was defeated by the Elements once, and I will not risk it happening again. I will destroy these ponies who seek to banish me once more. Taking the throne can wait; first I must ensure that the Elements will not be a threat.

I follow the ponies as they leave the library and head to the forest’s edge. They are clearly unhappy about the task. They fear the forest, and the purple unicorn tries to get the others to stay behind, but they refuse. Just as well; I’ll need to get them all out of the way, and it will be easier to do it all at once.

As they walk through the forest they are clearly ill at ease. Some of them whimper and shrink back from small noises. Others trudge ahead, putting on brave faces, but are quick to react to any little movement. Only the pink Earth mare appears unconcerned.

At first I consider simply revealing myself to them and fighting them here and now. There are only six of them, so I should be able to take them on with little difficulty. On the other hoof, if they expect to be able to wield the Elements they may have some power I don’t know about. When I fought Celestia the first time I was too rash, and I paid dearly for my overconfidence. Perhaps something a little more... subtle would be a good way to dispose of this threat.

I follow the group until the path stretches along the top of a cliff. Ah, this might be a very good place to strike them all at once without them even realizing I’m here. I sink my smoke form into the soil directly below them. I can hear muffled voices, and I wait until they are all above me...

Swiftly I yank out the cliff from below their hoofs. Cries and screams burst forth as they fall, and I pull back to see what happens.

Ah, the two pegasi were quick enough to regain their balance and fly up when the cliff fell. They fly swiftly down to catch two of their companions, but the last two are still falling.

The orange Earth mare catches hold of a branch and stops herself. The purple unicorn is still falling, but she manages to catch hold of the edge just before going over. She won’t be able to hold on for long, though, before she plummets down. The orange mare eases herself down the rock face and helps the unicorn to keep her grip. As they struggle there, the pegasi fly the other two ponies down. Then they loop back up and hover just below the unicorn, ready to catch her when she falls.

She doesn’t see them there and isn’t willing to let go. Her dangling back hoofs desperately search for purchase on the rock.

“Applejack, what do I do?” she asks the orange mare.

The Earth mare, Applejack, sees the pegasi and orders her to let go and drop down, but the unicorn refuses.

“Now listen here. What I’m sayin’ to you is the honest truth: Let go, and you’ll be safe.”

The unicorn seems to trust her. She drops into the waiting hoofs of the two pegasi, and they fly her down.

Chapter 19

If I remember correctly, this path should cross a river up ahead. That would be a good place to either drown them or force them to turn back.

I find the river just where I thought it would be and something more besides. A large purple sea serpent is lolling in the water, admiring himself in a mirror. He combs out his luxurious gold mane as he coos over his reflection. “Oh, Steven, you are a handsome fellow, aren’t you?”

The serpent could be the perfect way to keep them from crossing the river. I just need to find some way of sending him into a rampage.

Steal from him.

He seems very vain, so I fly in and swipe off half of his moustache. Disposing of it in the trees, I loop back around to watch him react.

He is gasping and gawking at his reflection. “No! My moustache! I... I... I’m hideous!” And with that, he begins sobbing and wailing.

Well, I was expecting a rampage instead of a pity-fest, but all his thrashing around could still do the trick... I suppose. What a baby.

The ponies are still laughing as they approach the river. When they see the sea serpent they don’t appear even the least bit frightened. Perhaps their experience with the manticore and the trees has made them braver. Or perhaps there’s just nothing very frightening about a well-coiffed, weeping serpent with half a moustache.

Indeed, he immediately begins pouring his woes out to them, and they are suitably unimpressed at his fussing. All except the white unicorn, that is. She seems as indignant about his moustache as he is. Without hesitation, she slices off the hair from her own tail and magically attaches it to the cut end of his moustache.

“Ooh, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, my moustache! How wonderful!” The sea serpent laughs with delight.

“You look smashing!” the unicorn smiles at him.

“Oh, Rarity, your beautiful tail!”

“Oh, it’s fine, my dear. Short tails are in this season. Besides, it’ll grow back.”

The blue pegasus- Rainbow, did they call her?- echoes my thoughts: “So would the moustache.”

The river has grown calm again now that the serpent has stopped thrashing. He even assists the ponies making their way across. Well, that plan was a total bust.

Besides, a half-gold, half-purple moustache just looks stupid.

Chapter 22

Suddenly, I hear a commotion coming from the tower steps. Twilight and I both turn to look as the other ponies come charging in.

I hear Twilight gasp, and when she turns back towards me her face is changed, almost transcendent.

“You think you can destroy the Elements of Harmony just like that? Well, you’re wrong because the spirits of the Elements of Harmony are right here!”

As the other ponies gather close around Twilight something strange happens. The stones shards at my hooves begin to vibrate and glow. A moment later they start floating upwards.

“Applejack who reassured me when I was in doubt represents the spirit of Honesty! Fluttershy who tamed the manticore with her compassion represents the spirit of Kindness! Pinkie Pie who banished fear by giggling in the face of danger represents the spirit of Laughter! Rarity who calmed a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift represents the spirit of Generosity! And Rainbow Dash who could not abandon her friends for her own heart’s desire represents the spirit of Loyalty!”

As she calls out each pony’s name glowing shards fly to that pony. The shards orbit around them just as the jewels orbited around me and Celestia when we used them.

“The spirits of these five ponies got us through every challenge you threw at us!”

“You still don’t have the sixth Element! The spark didn’t work.”

“But it did... a different kind of spark.” Twilight turns her back on me to face the other ponies.

“I felt it the very moment I realized how happy I was to hear you, to see you, how much I cared about you. The spark ignited inside me when I realized that you all are my friends!”

She turns back toward me, and, in a sharp burst of light, a sixth stone appears in the air and floats down to meet Twilight.

“You see, Nightmare Moon, when those Elements are ignited by the... the spark that resides in the heart of us all it creates the sixth Element... the Element of Magic!”

At her final words the multicolored glow emanating from the stones pulses, grows, and becomes unbearably bright, so bright I can’t look at it.

Frantically, I try to make myself move, to attack them, to get away, anything. But something won’t let me. I feel like I’m struggling against my own body, desperate to either fight or flee.

No.

The bright light resolves itself into a brilliant rainbow which twists and arcs up toward the ceiling then curves back down, coming straight at me like an arrow. Instead of striking me it wraps around and around, binding me tightly until I can see nothing but colored light.

Epilogue

We’re sitting together on a balcony high up in Canterlot Castle. The stars and the moon shine above us.

It’s been a little while now since I returned from my long exile. It’s been hard in many ways. The land and the culture and the language have all changed. It’s going to take me a long time to get used to it, to adjust.

Celestia has changed too. She told me how she learned to delegate some jobs, to manage her time better. It wasn’t just me she was neglecting; she was neglecting herself as well. Back then, she nearly ran herself ragged. Now she’s still busy, but she’s learned to keep things running smoothly without taking every little task on herself.

Now we do have time together every morning and evening, just like we used to a long time ago. Mostly we just talk. Celestia teaches me lots of things about how Equestria has changed in the past thousand years.

Ponies still sleep at night, but they stay up later than they used to. Canterlot now has many dance halls and cafés which stay open long after it gets dark. I’m a little shy as of yet to go among these unfamiliar ponies, but I’m happy to know that they are out enjoying my nighttime.

I didn’t believe that Celestia could forgive me for what happened. And it turns out she didn’t believe that I could forgive her. So we both forgave each other... even though I don’t think either one of us has forgiven ourselves.

She’s been looking up at the stars, but now she turns to me.

“Luna, do you remember a long, long time ago when we had a party to celebrate the first anniversary of building our old castle? We left the party to come sit on the balcony and look at the stars, just like we’re doing now.”

“I remember. It was such a wonderful night. I remember what we said too. We promised that we would be together forever. I guess that promise didn’t work out so well. We were apart for a long time.”

“But now we’re together again. We made some mistakes, but it’s still not too late to keep that promise.”

I smile and press my face against her. “I guess you’re right.”