The Return of The Princess of the Night

Chapters

She's Gone
But Not Forgotten
The Moon Dance

She's Gone

The light of the sun brought much for the now rising citizens of the ancient land of Equestria. For all it was the start of a brand new day to renew work that had been paused the previous day when night had fallen. For some it was a chance to meet with friends and neighbors alike and share the latest gossip. For the youth of Equestria, it was time to go and continue their education or socialize with those of their age groups. However, on this particular morning, the sun's rays brought not joy nor renewed energy, but rather it brought pain and sorrow of the most indescribable kind. This pain was being felt by a certain white Alicorn who at that very moment sat alone in the vast halls of a now ruined castle deep within the beautiful forest nestled in the valley below Canterlot Mountain.

Celestia could not stop crying. She wouldn't stop crying. She didn't care if anypony found her in her disheveled, battle-scarred and broken state as she lay among the dust and debris of what was her and her sister Luna's great throne room. She had cried before the sun had come up after she had seen her sister's face being imprinted on the surface of the moon after she had unwillingly banished her in an attempt to purge her of the darkness that had implanted itself in her. She had cried even harder when the sun had risen and the moon had vanished below the horizon which had confirmed to her the horrible truth, that her dear sister, her Little Lulu, was gone. Gone.

Celestia wailed when this revelation played over in her head. What also play over in her head was what had lead up to this tragedy. All those times that Luna had come to her voicing concerns over their subjects' opinions towards their Princess of the Night. All those times she had told her she was being silly. All those times she had heard whispers behind her and Luna's back questioning the need for a second princess or even the night at all. All those times she had believed they would go away. All those time she had found Luna lying in her room sobbing into her hooves about how the ponies hated her and her night and called her a witch of nightmares. All those times Celestia refused to believe something so brazen. Each one of those times she had failed. Failed to reassure her sister correctly, failed to silence those foolish and near traitorous voices of dissent, failure to investigate into the accusations and insults that had been hurled at her sister, and above all failure at being a sibling. A sibling that Luna had desperately needed. Now she was lost to the darkness and Celestia had no idea of when her beloved sister would return if she was returned at all.

Sitting up from the floor, she grabbed the shining Elements of Harmony, the objects that had sent her sister away, and glared at them with all the rage a deity of the sun could muster. If they were not indestructible, they would have certainly melted under her seething rage.

"WHY!!!????" She cried out. "WHY DID YOU SEND HER AWAY???!!!! WHY COULDN'T YOU SAVE HER???!!!!! WHY???!!!!!! WHY????!!!!! WHY????!!!!! WHHHHYYYYYYYYYY????!!!!!!

With the last cry, she flung the crystals across to the other end of the throne room where they impacted the stone floor with a loud crash. It was then that Celestia knew that it was not the Elements alone that were to blame for her sister being lost. A great deal of the blame rested on her shoulders, the weight of which caused even more tears to flow from her already drenched eyes. However Celestia also knew that some blame rested on others' shoulders as well. A new glare formed on her face as she got up and walked slowly out of the throne room to inform those with blame on their hooves what had occurred.

In Canterlot, the city was alive with rumors. Why had the night fallen so early yesterday? Where was their beloved ruler Celestia? What had been the commotion reported by ponies from deeper in the valley?

Their answer came in the form of a bright flash of white light that suddenly appeared in the center of the city square. Ponies shielded their eyes as the light flared and then at last died away to reveal standing before all that could see Princess Celestia of the Sun. Immediately ponies began to bow in reverence of their beloved Solar Goddess.

"Rise ponies." The ponies looked up in surprise when they heard not the soft and almost motherly tone that the Princess of the Sun usually used when addressing her subjects, but instead one that was edged and icy as if one were greatly disappointed with another. When the ponies looked up they were shocked by the state their beloved ruler was in. Her feathers were ruffled and bent, the horn was charred, streaks of dust and dirt crossed over her freshly scarred body. The most striking detail however were the Princess's tear stained cheeks.

"Ponies of Canterlot." Celestia spoke to the crowd. "Late last night, my sister, Princess Luna of the Night, was corrupted by dark forces that preyed on her sorrow and anger." The crowd was even more puzzled as Celestia's lips seemed to quiver. "She was transformed into a being of nightmares and attempted to make the night last for all eternity. I pleaded with her to stop and listen but we were forced to duel. In the end I..."

Celestia paused as she breathed to compose herself.

"In the end, I used the Elements of Harmony on her in an attempt to purge her of the corrupt forces. Instead the Elements chose to banish her, body and soul, to the surface of the moon." Again she breathed. "Princess Luna is gone." She finished quietly.

For a few seconds no noise was made. Then suddenly, everypony in the square cheered. They were cheering! Celestia was horrified! They were cheering the loss of their Princess! Suddenly she began to here shouts of "the witch is no more" and "daytime eternal" and "long live Princess Celestia!" But their was one particular shout that made Celestia's blood boil over; "May that monster of a mare rot on the moon!"

"SILENCE!!!!!!"

All cheering came to a screeching halt as the echoes of Celestia's shout rang in ponies ears. They looked up at their princess as her eyes seethed with a fury they had never seen before.

"How could you?!!?" Celestia cried. "How could you so easily abandon her?!? How could so easily vilify her?!?! Why?!? Why did you all do it?!? WHY?!?!"

To say that everypony was shocked would be an understatement. They hadn't expected this sort of reaction to their celebrations. They had expected that their ruler would be glad to be rid of such a monster. Not be angry at them for cheering her success.\

At last the tense silence was ended by a yellow unicorn noble dressed in a blue coat who was nearest to Celestia.

"But your majesty, is this not joyous news?" He questioned. "You have rid from us a true terror of Equestria. You have protected us from a horrible beast. Is that not cause to celebrate?"

If ponies didn't think that Celestia could look even more angry than she was now, they were wrong. For ponies believed that after the unicorn noble had finished speaking, he would catch fire from Celestia's fiery gaze.

Just as it appeared that she was about to do so, Celestia's glared suddenly turned to an expression of pure grief and anguish. Tears began to flow from her eyes as she sobbed quietly before all the ponies in the crowd. They had never seen their princess break down emotionally before them.

"How could I have been so blind?" Celestia whispered. "How could I?" She then raised her head to look at her ponies, tears still flowing.

"Do you not realize what you have lost? What I have lost?! You have lost your guardian over the night and I......I have lost..."

"So what if she's gone? We are better off without her anyway!"

Celestia's rage returned when she heard the comment from the crowd. "I WILL NOT HEAR ANYMORE SUCH SLANDEROUS ATTACKS ON MY SISTER!!! ANYPONY WHO MAKES ANY SUCH REMARKS FROM NOW ON WILL BE CHARGED WITH TREASON!!!!"

The ponies gasped in shock at their princess's threat. They had never seen her so angry before. They didn't have much time to think about it as Celestia continued to speak.

"You have no idea what you have lost!!! You all called her a witch!!! Said you had no need for a second princess in Equestria and no need for a night even!!! Well tell me, what allows the earth to rest and heal after the toils and struggles of the day!?! Who made the stars of the night bright enough to guide ponies home?! Who watched over your dreams so that you would not be driven to insanity by plagues of nightmares?!?"

The ponies all looked at each other at the last question. Had Princess Luna really been responsible for making sure that all of their dreams were peaceful and joyous at night? Had they really been ignorant of that?

"Luna never sought recognition for her actions, because she did them believing it was just the right thing to do! And how did you thank her?! You labeled her a witch when she did not seek out the limelight of the day! You branded her a monster just because of her domain!?!? You drove her from your hearts and denied her friendship, the very thing this nation is founded upon!!!!! You have all betrayed her!!!"

For a few moments, the ponies did nothing but stare at their seething sun goddess, until the words she threw at them were processed in their minds, at which point, heads began to bow in shame. Shame at their actions, done and undone. Shame at their words, both spoken and unspoken. Shame coursed through the hearts of everypony present.

Celestia sighed as her anger subsided and hung her head in grief. "But the blame does not all lie with you. I am as much to blame as any one of you. For I disregarded my sister's concerns, ignored your words and refused to believe her sorrow had any basis. I just had too much faith in my ponies. Now I see that I was a fool."

Celestia raised her head with a look of determination before continuing. "But a fool I shall no longer be. I may have lost my sister tonight, but I will move all of the earth and all of the heavens to have her in my hooves again! I do not care how long it takes, I will wait and wait! And so will you my ponies!" She said pointing to the crowd with her hoof. "You will all remember this day as the day that we lost a beloved ruler and fellow pony! There will be a national day of mourning each year on this day to remember the Princess that we lost! But it shall also be a national day of prayer. For we will pray to the heavens and the Elements that our fair Luna is returned to us someday. Someday in the future she will return to us and I swear upon my Parents Souls and all that they created, she will return to a new Equestria! One where her beautiful night is held in the same reverence as my cursed sun! She will return to open hooves from all of us. She will be welcomed home, whenever that may be. I can wait. Can you all?"

With that question still hanging in the air, Celestia lit her horn and vanished a flash of white, leaving the crowds to reflect on their mistakes and consider their future actions.

Author's Note

Hey everypony! Here is a new story, one that I have had floating around in my head for a while.

Hope you all enjoy! My other stories will be getting updates soon. :twilightsmile:

Again Enjoy! :pinkiehappy:

But Not Forgotten

Silence. That dreadful silence was all that surrounded Celestia as she sat in her sister's room in their castle. Silence was all that met her as she stared at the empty moon shaped bed before her, another dreadful reminder of her sister's absence. She had just finished making up the bed with fresh sheets and clean blankets. She had been doing this every week for the past year since her sister's banishment. This was her way of reminding herself to believe that Luna would someday, whenever that day might be, return to her. She had to keep thinking that. She had to.

She would never forget her sister. And as she had stated to her subjects a year before on that dreadful night, they would not forget her either. Tonight she would see to it. For tonight was the one year anniversary of that tragic day and would be the first day of mourning and prayer that Celestia had declared to be observed by all of Equestria. She can still remember the day that she made her dramatic declaration official.

ONE YEAR AGO

"It shall be known as the Summer Moon Vigil."

Celestia looked out into the chambers of the Equestrian Parliament as they sat and stared at her as she read from her recently written document. All the nobles that sat in their red cushioned seats with tension as they looked up at their Princess sitting on her throne next to one that lay empty. None dared to voice their opinions on why the Lunar Throne was still sitting in the Canterlot Halls for one had already voiced such opinions and had been removed from the room on Celestia's order.

"As I stated before, it shall be a national day of mourning and prayer. Ponies of all ages shall gather in their respective communities and pay just tribute to their lost Princess. Their will be events to celebrate all that their Princess had provided for them; her stars, her guidance, her dreams. There will be mourning for the tragic loss that this nation has suffered when she was lost from us. And above all there shall be prayer. Prayer to the heavens that she is kept safe in her absence. Prayer to the Elements that they return her to us soon. And above all, prayer that when she returns to us, that she forgives us all for our abuse and neglect of her. That she forgives us for driving her away. That she forgives me for not loving her enough. Prayer for forgiveness. This is my word. Your own thoughts my lords and ladies?"

She left this question hanging in the air almost like a fisherpony leaves his line and bait in the water to catch a fish. She was looking in particular for the reactions of a select number of Nobles that she had learned were some of the most active in their verbal abuse of her sister. After a few moments of silence, at last one of the fish took the bait. Lord Gold Bar of Manehatten.

"Your Majesty." He said as he stood from his chair. "While we all certainly grieve for the loss of your sister, do you not think that is a bit extreme? Surely the day would be better suited for celebrating your victory over the demon Nightmare Moo...."

"Do not speak that name!"

All of the ponies in the room gulped as they began to see signs of Celestia's returning anger. It had been made very clear by Celestia that she would not hear her sister referred to in any way other that her true name Luna. Many were wondering why Gold Bar had felt it appropriate to speak that name at all.

"This is ridiculous your highness! Your sister chose to jump into the hooves of that demon like a giddy puppy! She chose to try and bring nighttime eternal on us all! Your preventing her from doing that warrants a celebration! We will grieve for your sister at a proper time!"

As Gold Bar finished his rant, Celestia was restraining herself. She did not want to blow up again like she had the previous day. Besides, she now had an excuse to exact some truly justified revenge on those ponies that had caused her sister's sorrow.

"Tell me something Lord Gold Bar. Do you love your wife?"

Silence reigned over the court as the question hung in the air over the lord. "What?" He said at last.

"Do you love your wife?" Celestia repeated. Gold Bar fidgeted in place for a bit before responding.

"Yes I do love my wife very much ma'am. Why do you ask?"

"Do you look forward to the nights when you can return home to her?"

"Yes." Gold Bar replied nervously.

"Do look forward to the evenings when you and your beloved wife share passion and intimate relations only those with true love in their hearts can experience?"

An awkward silence returned as Gold Bar blushed. "I...I hardly think that is an appropriate question to ask ma'am!" Gold Bar said in shock.

"Answer the question! Do you?" Celestia raised her voice.

Gold Bar looked around the room as if searching for a lifeline from any of his fellow nobles. When none appeared, he turned back towards his princess. "Yes." He said. "Yes I do look forward to those evenings."

Celestia now stood up and walked down the steps onto the floor of the chambers. "Then tell me Lord Gold Bar, why is it that you have branded the night as only the hours that the scum of creation reign?"

Gold Bar gulped as he realized why the Princess was asking this. "I...I...I have never...."

"Is that why you referred to my sister as the 'Dark Whore of The Night' whose only purpose was to 'please the dregs and beasts of the night with her hind legs spread wide'?!" Celestia voice got even louder.

Now Gold Bar was sweating a monsoon as the rest of the nobles looked at him with appalled expressions. While many of them had not thought much of Princess Luna and some had whispered about her behind her back at some point in time, not once among most of them had the term whore been applied. Eccentric, awkward, mysterious, maybe, but never whore. The rest of the nobles that had used such a term and others of equal venom now sat silent. They now wondered whether or not their Sun Princess new of their own conversations against Princess Luna.

Meanwhile after a few moments of standing there looking as if he were about to lose his bowels, Gold Bar threw himself at the hooves of his ruler.

"Your Majesty! I b-beg for your forgiveness! It was nothing! I never meant any harm by it!"

"If that had been true" Celestia said as she looked down at the noble in anger. "You would've apologized for your words long before she was lost from us. Now it is too late for her, and too late for you. GUARDS!"

Suddenly the main doors into the hall burst open and four armored Royal Guards appeared and marched up behind Gold Bar. The rest of the nobles watched in fear.

"Remove Lord Gold Bar's Parliament Sash."

Gold Bar looked up at Celestia in shock. He was so stunned that he didn't even hesitate when the guard on his left ripped from his barrel the maroon sash that signified a member of Parliament. He watched as Celestia grabbed it with her magic and, to his enforced horror, watched go up in flames and burn to ash before his eyes. When it had fully burned, Celestia released the ashes and allowed to pile up at the hooves of the former member of Parliament.

"You, Lord Gold Bar, are charged with Lèse-majesté; treason against the crown. By all rights and traditions of my forebears you should swing from the gallows. But where you showed no compassion, I shall. You are therefore removed from the Parliament and stripped of your National Government Title. You are also banished from the city of Canterlot and shall return to Manehatten immediately, where all shall know of your crimes. Leave my sight now and never return!"

"No" Gold Bar said softly as the guards grabbed him and began to drag him from the room. "You can't do this! Please! Your majesty have mercy! Please! Please! I BEG YOU! YOUR MAJESTY!!! PLEASE!!!

He continued to shout until the doors to the hall were closed with a loud boom. All the nobles left in the hall turned their heads to their ruler nervously as she stood there glaring at the doors.

"I know that Gold Bar was not the only one among you who is guilty of such crimes. He shall be the example of what is to come from besmirching my sister's good name. The Summer Moon Vigil will be held one year from yesterday on the anniversary of my sister's banishment. But you nor I should wait until then to repent. From now on, any history books that do not portray my sister as the true angel that she was shall not be published. Any so called facts that are not screened for legitimacy will be cut from the pages. The stained glass window in the great hall shall portray to loss of a knight, not the defeat of a beast. We will remember my sister. She will not fade from our memory. She will return."

Celestia sat in her office in her office now as she went over the final preparations for tonights vigil. The first Summer Moon Vigil since her sister was lost. She hoped that there would not be too many more. Overall however, she was proud of how far ponies had come since that dreadful day. She had begun to receive letters of condolences from across the nation stating the sorrow at the loss of her sister. What made her truly happy were the thousands of letters of apology that she had received. Apologies to both her and apologies to her sister. This in her mind was truly a sign that her subjects were on their way to being the welcoming hooves that would greet Luna when she returned.

Just then, a knock came from the door of her office, startling Celestia as she had been lost in thought. "Your Majesty?" Came a voice.

"Enter." Celestia replied. In response, the door clicked open an in walked a tall and muscular thestral, his yellow feline eyes glowing and leather bat wings clutched to his side as his perfectly polished Lunar Guard armor shined in the dusk light that shown through the windows. He stopped a few feet inside the door and bowed, which Celestia returned.

"It is time." The Guard said. Celestia nodded and followed the Guard out the door as he turned to leave.

When Celestia looked at the Lunar Guards, she felt a strong pain in her heart. Luna had always stated that she considered the thestrals of her beloved Guard to be her "children". They were her responsibility as she had stated that they were also "the most misunderstood creatures in all of Equestria." When Celestia had to deliver to them the news that their beloved Princess was gone and that she had been responsible for her banishment, she was almost certain they would hate her. She had in effect banished their mother. She had stood before them in their barracks with tears streaming down her face as she awaited their hate. She accepted it and simply waited for it to come.

However, something else happened entirely. As she hung her head in shame, she felt a hoof touch her shoulder. When she looked up, she was staring into the watery eyes of a grey thestral mare with dark brown hair. The mare smiled a sorrowful yet sympathetic smile, one that had a simple message; our loss is you loss. We shall bear it together. One by one the members of the Lunar Guard took two steps forward behind the comrade and began to bow before her. When the last one behind her had bowed, the mare that had come up to Celestia bowed as well. For a moment, Celestia stood there in shock at the gesture. Why were they doing this? At last the mare before her spoke up.

"Our Mother always spoke of you with love. She never truly hated you in any way. We know that this was not your desire. We know what you have pledged to do. We know that you will make sure that our mother is not forgotten. So we pledge this to you." With that, each guard rose up and placed their right hooves to their barrels. Then, all in perfect unison, spoke words that Celestia truly didn't expect.

"We pledge to follow you in your quest to return our Mother to us. We pledge to assist in your journey to keep her glorious memory alive. We swear loyalty to you as her sister to follow you to Tartarus and back to achieve these goals. We pledge our lives to this cause as we pledged our lives to her. Et Lunam, hoc promittunt."

For a moment, Celestia sat there in stunned silence. She had expected hatred, shouting, threats towards her and Equestria. Not this. It was then that she chastised herself for even doubting these ponies for even a fraction of a second. They were true and loyal Equestrians and she never should have doubted that. Standing up, she herself placed her right hoof over her barrel.

"I pledge this to you my sister's children, that I shall return your mother to you. She will return, I swear upon my life. Et Lunam, haec locutus sum."

Ponies filled the square of Canterlot to capacity. Every pony in Canterlot had turned out for the first Summer Moon Vigil in honor and memorial of their lost Lunar Princess. It was an awe inspiring sight as Celestia made her way toward the center of the crowd. All ponies were dressed in black cloaks with a moon shaped pin clasping them to their bodies. Many of the mares wore moon shaped earrings from their ears while others the shape of stars. All present held onto small glowing lanterns, even foals carried miniature versions of the adults. As Celestia made her way to a small stage in the center of the crowd, the ponies fell silent. Their leader was dressed in a similar manner as the rest of them, in a long black cloak, pinned with the moon clasp. Atop her head was not her usual golden crown, but a simple silver circlet with nebula patterns tracing it. When she reached the stage, all ponies bowed down before her.

"Citizens of Equestria." She spoke softly. "We are gathered here today for a truly solemn occasion. To remember the Princess that we tragically lost not a year ago this night. That night we lost much more than a Princess. We lost a guardian. a kind soul, a beloved mother, a beloved sister, and a dear friend." She looked out over the crowd as she began to here what she thought were sniffles before continuing.

"When we lost her, we were forced to reconcile that her loss was for the most part on our shoulders. We did not show the appreciation worthy of her work, we did not show her the proper kindness that friendship warrants, nor the compassion and love to see that she was in pain. We were ignorant to all of these things, myself included. We made a grave mistake, the consequences of that mistake are felt by I and everypony in Equestria today."

She paused as she breathed to keep herself from falling apart. "But let us not wallow in the abyss of despair, but take the first steps out. Today we not only gather to mourn the loss, but to pray and hope for the return. Pray and hope that one day in Equestria's future, ponies will once again lay eyes on their beloved Princess. That she will return to guide us through the night and comfort us in our slumbers. We also pray that when she returns, that she will accept our most sincere apologies. Apologies for not showing her the compassion owed to every creature in Equestria. Apologies for not showing the proper appreciation for her work. And apologies for not being there for her in her time of sorrow. We pray together. We are sorry Luna. Luna nos dimittimus."

The last phrase was repeated by all present in the crowd. Soon ponies began to lift up their lanterns to their faces. They then began to whisper their own silent prayers into the lanterns, even the children. Then Celestia turned to a group of ponies with stringed instruments and nodded and they began to play a sad melancholy hymn that had been composed in honor of their lost Princess.

When the hymn started, Celestia grabbed her own lantern and leaned in to whisper her prayer. Then she released it and it began to float gracefully up towards the stars in the bright sky. Hers was the cue for all the other lanterns to be released as well and thousands of bright lanterns began to float up towards the moon. The sight brought tears to almost all eyes as the bright prayers headed towards the heavens. All that could be heard was the music as it continued to play.

On the surface of the moon, a Lunar Alicorn wept. She had not stopped weeping for a year since that horrible day when she had allowed herself to be tricked by that demon. That horrible choice had cost her company with her beloved sister. The lies that the demon had told to her. And she had believed them. Now she was all alone with not a single soul to ......

"We are sorry Luna."

Luna perked up as she heard what she thought was the voice of a young child. Looking around she suddenly saw a lantern floating nearby. The voice was coming from the lantern. Walking over it, she began to see more floating in her direction. As they did, even more voices began to emit from them.

"Forgive us your majesty."

"Please return to us."

"We beg for your forgiveness."

"How could we?"

"I love your night"

"Your stars are truly beautiful"

"Thank you for all that you have done."

But the one voice that brought tears of sorrowful joy to Luna's eyes came from a specific lantern in the thousands that floated around her.

"I will wait dear sister. I will wait for you Lulu."

Author's Note

Special thanks to The Common Tater for the punishment idea

The Moon Dance

200 Years Later

Canterlot had been known throughout the centuries as the Marble Citadel. Some claimed that the Old Gods, ancestors of the Royal Sisters had long ago carved the city from a solid mountain of marble, blessing the city with eternal fortune and etherial wonder. It's commanding presence rising above most of Equestria gave it an aura of power and sophistication, with a reputation for shining like an eternal torch when Celestia's sun was cast upon the golden rooftops of the Royal Castle. Ponies, of every age and every species flocked to the metropolis to see the goddess in all her eternal beauty bless the city, the land, and her ponies with the warm life giving rays of the sun every Summer Sun Celebration, the thoroughfares leading up the mountain choked with carts, wagons and ponies on hoof desperate to catch a glimpse of their "Mother Sun." And yet for many years before, there had been those within the city who had felt nothing but despair during these proceedings, with awe replaced by frustration, warmth with the harsh cold of neglect, and love with anger, as they watched the one to whom they called "Mother Moon," scorned and under appreciated, by the very ponies who she would've have gladly thrown herself into the fires of Tartarus if it meant that they would live but one more day on this earth.

Blackspear had grown up hearing stories of the "Dark Ages" from his Great Great Grandfather, Shadowtail. The young batpony colt had been fascinated with the ancient stallion's tales of the early days of the Lunar Guard, when Luna, the embodiment of the most heavenly body, the great moon, travelled into the darkest forests of Equestria, and called upon all those that dwelled in the night to step forth and stand beside her for the good of not only "those pushed into the darkness, but for all those that were unable to stand for themselves." Blackspear still felt chills run down his spine when he remembered his Great Great Grandfather recalling "The First Oaths." He had had to recite those very same words after completing a years training with the 1st Lunar Guard Regiment, "The Fighting First," honorably enough, his Great Great Grandfather's old regiment. He could still see the tears in Shadowtail's eyes when he spoke of the day he received his armor, forged in the fires of the Royal Armory and blessed with the magic of "Mother Moon" herself.

"It was like I was born to wear it." The old guard had growled. "That it was forged to be worn by me, and me alone."

Such tales of martial wonder however, had given way to gloom and doubt. Blackspear could not imagine what it must have been like for his elder to live through the "Dark Ages," when the Lunar Guard patrolled the streets at risk of ridicule, suspicion and assault. The people of Equestria had grown wary of those that dwelled in the night, with many a glare, glance and stone thrown to any batpony found on the streets of Equestria's cities. Shadowtail had lamented that while those stallions and mares of the guard could handle the abuse, they feared for their families and friends, who were scared of the very real possibility that the batponies would once again face exile. The guards had taken their case to their sovereign, and she had pledged to lobby her sister on their behalf. What had followed were broken promises, legislative restrictions on the travel of batponies, and the black cloud of despair. Blackspear had nearly broken down crying as a child when his Great Great Grandfather had talked of seeing the Princess of the Night fall deeper into darkness, her mane losing it's luster, her eyes growing heavy with each battle with the Royal Council. And yet every day, she still toured The Barracks, talking with Lunar Guards who stood on the front lines against the evil that would take advantage of her beautiful night to do harm to her ponies; her "Children of the Night." It had made it only all that more tragic when their "Mother Moon" fell beyond the reach of any Lunar Guard, or any Child of the Night.

Lunar Guards referred to that night as "The Night of the Bleeding Stars." There had been a great explosion that had echoed across Canterlot. Every Lunar Guard was roused from their slumber, ready to face whatever had dared to break the peace of the night to bring violence on the home of their Sovereigns. Shadowtail had been one of the first to finish donning his armor, rushing to the door of his barrack, only to be greeted by the first commander of the "Fighting First;" the legendary Colonel Black Axe. Blackspear could picture the grim gaze that the old war horse had swept over his old command, his lone eye glittering in the moonlight. Little had been spoken. Many debated just what had been spoken. But Blackspear believed his Great Great Grandfather's version, who swore before the stars that what he said was the truth, or the Old Gods strike him dead. According to Shadowtail, the old colonel had simply sighed, and told all the gathered Lunar Guards, "Our Mother is in danger. I go to her aid. Muster in the Great Hall. Await further orders," before turning and pushing off with his aged leathery wings and flying in the direction of Everfree Forest.

The guards, dutiful to the last, did as their commander ordered. They gathered in their Great Hall, where their Princess had addressed them hundreds of times before. Some sharpened their spears, some prayed to the Old Gods for the safety of their Mother, some slept, and some ate. Some tried to turn to drink to ease their worries, but they found the Regimental casks of ale had been smashed open, their contents poured into the sewers, the Lieutenants and Sergeants swearing that any guardspony who dishonored themselves on that night would be stripped of their armor and cast out for all eternity. The mood was gloom. They waited for hours. The sun had begun to rise before any word came of just what had occurred out in the woods of the Everfree.

It was just after dawn when a frightened sentry had come bursting into the hall frantic with reports of battalions of Celestial Guards massing at the gate, the Captain of the Guard reporting fears of being overrun, and for what he knew not. Barely a word was spoken before the various companies of the "Fighting First" burst forth from the Great Hall and made for the gate. Upon arriving they discovered four battalions of gold clad "Celestials," spears glinting in the dawn light and hate in their eyes. Little time was given to ponder just what had occurred to bring such anger from their sun-kissed brothers and sisters before the 1st Lunar Guard Regiment had formed into a defensive square, the sentries falling back amongst their comrades. Shadowtail spoke of the confusion amongst the batponies. Why were the "Celestials" here? Where had Colonel Black Axe gone to? Where was their "Mother Moon?" Such questions could not be answered before the order came from the commander of the Celestial Guard to level their spears upon "those dark bastards and black bitches!"

Just when it seemed like Shadowtail was about to tell the tale of the last stand of the "Fighting First," from the heavens came a great crack of light, and then, standing between the two lines of soldiers, stood the "Golden Sun" herself; Celestia. Shadowtail described in detail the battered state of the alicorn's wing feathers, the tarnished glint of her finery and the dark shadows of grief under her eyes. Both sides had bowed before the Sovereign, silence reigning upon the Gate. Then Celestia had turned to her Guards and gave the most strained and pained order that Shadowtail had ever heard her give.

"Return to your barracks. There shall be punishments for this atrocity."

The "Celestials" had looked at their Commander in Chief like she had grown eight heads. The commander seemed ready to object when the Solar Princess fixed him with a glare that would've turned lesser opponents to ash. With that, the Celestial Guards had about-faced and marched up the streets to their barracks, leaving Princess Celestia with the Lunar Guard. A few moments of silence passed, according to Shadowtail, before the Sovereign to the confused and angry batponies. The old stallion could distinctly remember the shock felt by all when they saw that the Princess's eyes were filled with the tears of "a grief so deep that it would've made the Old Gods wail." What came next was nothing that any of them could expect. The corruption of their "Mother Moon," the battle she fought with her sister, the destruction of the Everfree Castle, and perhaps the most heart-wrenching; Luna's banishment. A chill had swept through the ranks. Impossible! Their Mother? Gone? Cast from this earth like so much waste? Shadowtail had no shame in stating how he and many of his comrades would weep for weeks after they were told of their Lunar Sovereign's cruel fate.

Grief turned to anger quickly. Many of the Lunar Guardsponies began shouting at Celestia, demanding to she answer for all the times she had broken promises to her sister, ignored her, and ignored the abuse that she and her followers had faced in the recent decades. Some were almost calling for her to face justice, demanding that she herself should be banished to the sun for her crimes. Yet these shouts had begun to fade away when all present saw the most distressing of sights that any pony, whether they were day walkers or night stalkers, could ever witness; a Princess of Equestria sobbing.

The sound would've torn the mountains of Canterlot asunder. Celestia fell before the Lunar Guards, tears streaking down her face like rapid rivers. Apologies and pleas fell from her mouth like an avalanche, begging the batponies to forgive her for failing her sister. Eventually, even words became too much for the Solar Sovereign, and she fell into a fit of sobs and wails. None of the guards knew how to react. How would you? Even the hardest of them could not help by feel immense pity and compassion towards a pony who as grieving over the loss of a family member. They could all empathize with that feeling, when all hope and love in world seems to turn to ash. It was then that one of the Lunar Guard stepped forward; a mare who would forever be remembered as "The Mare who Embraced the Sun."

Private Ebony Mane, a young guardsmare with just two years of service under her wings, stepped from the ranks and approached the weeping Princess, the other Lunar Guards still too shocked to say anything. They barely had time to register the guardsmare's break of protocol before the young batpony had wrapped her hooves and wings round the barrel of Princess Celestia, the Solar Sovereign startled out of her sobbing by the contact. Then, there came a melody; the sweet melody of a song that every Lunar Guard or Child of the Night knew by heart, for many had sung the song to their children as they tucked them in to sleep with promises that their Mother Moon would be watching over them. It was soothing, sweet, and forgiving. A single tear slipped from Ebony Mane's eye, as she whispered into Celestia's ear, "Our Mother was strong, kind, and she loved you so much."

Not too long after that, the Princess had composed herself to request an audience with the Lunar Guard in their Great Hall. Slowly and warily, the Guard returned and stood ready as Celestia stood before them. She spoke once again of her sorrow, of the regret for being blinded to the night, and all those that dwelled in it. She spoke of her sister, and how she had been consumed, and while she had done what she could to save her, and how if she could switch places with her beloved Luna she would gladly do so. It was then that she told them the fate of Colonel Black Axe. The old war horse had appeared in the royal chambers of the Everfree Palace, battle axe in hoof, sharpened to a razor edge. Apparently the corruption, whom Celestia had referred to as "Nightmare Moon," had been pleased at the arrival of the Colonel, calling for him to join her in her new campaign against the Solar Princess and to bring about Eternal Night to not only Equestria, but the entire world. It had come as quite a shock when Colonel Black Axe raised his weapon and called upon Celestia to run, charging towards the demon that had consumed his beloved Mother, screaming the First Oath of the Lunar Guard; We Roam the Darkness to Bring Forth the Light! Love and Life have no Limit, therefore neither shall I! I am a Soldier of the Moon, and for the Moon I shall Die!

The battle described would go down in Lunar Guard history as one of the most treasured; when even when the darkness tempted him, the Commander of the Guard refused to forsake his oath, even when faced with the shade of his Sovereign. To know that there commander went down fighting to the end gave some pride to the otherwise ashamed Guard. A few moments of silence passed before the Solar Princess faced the Lunar Guard, and with a conviction rarely seen among any creature of the earth, spoke a solemn vow.

"Hear me my ponies. Your Mother shall return to you. I do not know how long it shall be, but she will return to you. And when she does, I swear upon the blood of my Father and the blood of the Old Gods, that she will be welcomed with the open hooves of a nation, reborn and ready to receive the beauty of her night as she should have been. You, the Lunar Guard, shall carry on her legacy, for generation after generation until that day comes. And I will stand by you as you stood by her, and keep her memory alive in the hearts of every Child of the Night, Child of the Guard, and Child of Equestria."

Blackspear had packed light for the journey to Everfree. His bundles and saddlebags contained the barest of essentials; food, water, groundcloth, blanket, cooking tools, and of course his offerings. Walking beside him, nearly three hundred pegasi, unicorns, earth ponies and batponies chatted excitedly amongst themselves as they walked together into the darkening forests, the red sunset casting a brilliant light on the landscape. Torches and illuminated horns guided the column into the woods. Ahead of Blackspear, he could hear a group of fillies and colts giggling and playing with each other, the laughter growing as the adults took joy in the childish eagerness to be able to "speak to Mother Moon." Blackspear smiled, thinking back to when he was of similar age, when his parents brought him on the great pilgrimage to this most holy of sites, to bridge the gap between them and the Lunar Sovereign, reducing those leagues of space into barely a breath away from their faces. It still sent a shiver down his spine to think back on that memory.

"You alright love? Not too cold?"

Blackspear smiled. He turned to face the source of the kind inquiry, a tall brown earth pony stallion, with a mane as blonde as the sand and green eyes as warm as a hearth, a black cooking pot held over a roaring fire marked his flanks as his cutie mark. Blackspear could still remember when he had first met Fire Pit on one of his nightly patrols in Canterlot's Market District. The handsome stallion had opened his bakery for Blackspear and his comrades, giving them freshly baked muffins and warm cocoa for the cold winters night. To say that the young Lunar Guard Stallion had fallen for the earth pony when they locked eyes would've been and understatement. Several trips to the bakery later and the two stallions had begun a relationship, Fire Pit always ready to dote upon his stallion with baked goods, while Blackspear had done wonders to boost the young stallion's confidence. They made each other laugh, and above all, they shared a love of the night.

"No Sparky." Blackspear replied, the pet name causing his stallion to blush. "Just thinking."

"What about?" Fire Pit brushed up against the bat pony, who pushed back with equal tenderness.

"Just thinking about the first time I danced the Dance of the Moon. I was a child, so I wasn't allowed to take part in the full ceremony, but I remember it being...," Blackspear paused.

"Wonderful?" Fire Pit finished with a smile, pressing his lips to Blackspear's. Blackspear pushed back into the kiss, the two stallions almost losing themselves in the kiss like teenage colts in grade school. Breaking the kiss, the two stallions simply gazed into each others' eyes. Blackspear loved Fire Pit's eyes. He loved watching the flames of the bakery ovens dance in those deep hazel pools while the stallion labored over his fresh grain buns well into the evening. He loved watching the Mother Moon's beautiful stars dance in Fire Pit's eyes as they lay on the moon kissed meadows beneath Canterlot, chatting away about patrol encounters and bakery mishaps. In those eyes, Blackspear saw life, and above all he saw love. A love unconditional, a love all-empowering, and a love without prejudice. It was rare to find such love in one's life, and Blackspear considered himself truly blessed.

Night had fully fallen by the time all the pilgrims had gathered before the ruins of Everfree Castle. All around Blackspear, colorful canvas tents sprouted from the ground like mushrooms, the spectrum of color illuminated by candles and oil lamps. Hundreds of cooking fires had sprung up, creating the most heavenly aromas which wove through the crowds like comforting hands. Blackspear could never get over just how beautiful such gatherings were. His experiences only enhanced now with his beloved stallion by his side.

It wasn't long before a great gong echoed through the encampment, signaling the approaching start of the ceremony. Blackspear and Fire Pit, along with all the other attendants, began to don their indigo blue cloaks, each one custom embroidered with various silver stitchings that symbolized ponies love for their "Mother Moon." Blackspear admired the hoofwork of his mother again, the image of two stallions circling each other in a lover's dance under a crescent moon matched those of his lover's. The cloaks had been a gift for the two stallions upon their completion of that ritual just a few years ago, and next to Blackspear receiving his armor, it was the best gift he had ever received.

Soon the ponies began to congregate at a clearing at the edge of the encampment. In the center stood a simple wooden stage, upon which a single grand candle flickered. The Eternal Flame, lit by Celestia herself the day after her beloved sister's banishment, had burned unending since that fateful night, with neither rain, sleet, snow of creature's will snuffing it out. Before the candle, hooded and cloaked, with beads of every hue hanging from her neck, the Grand Lunar Priestess waited for the ponies to finish assembling before she threw back her hood and held aloft her blackened ash staff.

"Children of the Night. We gather again for a time of mourning for our Mother Moon, who for now resides beyond our reach among the stars of her creation. We mourn her loss, for that loss is our loss. We can only ask for her forgiveness that we did not go to her in her time of crisis and despair, to return the love that she so unconditionally bestowed upon us time and time again.

Blackspear, Fire Pit, and the other ponies bowed their heads and recited silently their prayers of forgiveness. Blackspear heard more than one pony silently weeping.

"But Children." The Priestess continued. "Tonight is again, a night of hope. Hope for the return of our Mother, so that she may once again bestow upon the Night the rivaled beauty for which all creatures are blessed. We come together to show our Mother that we have not forgotten her, that her love still lives within our hearts, and that when she returns, she will bask in a warmth unparalleled in his history of the world. We return her love to her. We thank her and we await her glorious return. In the name of The Moon, The Stars, and all her Glory, we pray for that day!"

"In the name of The Moon, The Stars, and all her Glory, we pray for that day!" Came the chorused reply.

What followed was something impossible to describe, though Blackspear had paid witness to it many times before. Steadily the gathered ponies began to rise, breaking off into smaller groups led by Ritual Masters. These Masters began to direct each group in the rhythms and beats of dance, the ponies circling and prancing around each other as deep drums sounded the beat. Blackspear could feel it growing and growing in his heart and he circled his beloved Fire Pit. That warmth; that unbelievable warmth. The warmth that can only come from the night. As the drums increased their tempo, the ponies followed suit, stamping and prancing, circling and bowing, until at last with one great crash the drums stopped and the ponies looked to the heavens, to the moon, to their Mother. Blackspear felt the familiar tears as he stared at the celestial body, hoping with every beat of his heart, that his Mother was watching now, and could see the love that awaited her on her return.

In a shadowed crater upon the moon, Luna slept. She had little else to do. Time had lost most meaning with her, the minutes, hours, days, months and years blending into an endless blur which seemed to have no end. Nothing to do but wander the moon, alone with her thoughts, her grief, and of course The Nightmare. She had been leaving Luna alone recently, but it gave her little comfort. She was out there, waiting. Waiting for what, Luna did not know. The Nightmare would return frequently to attempt to draw her back in again, with tales of revenge that they would wreak upon the ponies of Equestria, and her sister Celestia. Luna tried to ignore her, burrowing into her grief. Perhaps it would be enough to drown in her sorrows so that she would no longer be subject to her own self-imposed torment.

Her ears perked up as something reached them. She lifted her head, peering up to the rim of the crater. Drums? Surely not...? Then it hit her. As time blurred, so did her memories. They were praying again. Praying for her. Luna shot to her hooves and galloped up over the rim and stared down upon the earth towards Equestria. She could hear them! Her Ponies! Her Children! The tears came again as she listened to the music, heard each child offer up their prayers of love and kindness, the words washing over her like a warm bath. She could hardly hold herself up, collapsing upon the lunar dust as she sobbed with joy.

"Oh my Children! My Children!" She weeped. "I promise I will come back to you! I promise! I promise!"

But as she made this declaration upon the stars, from a distance, a black shadow watched, disgust radiating from it like a poison. The shadow chuckled. There was still hope for it yet. Still shreds of doubt and despair to grab onto and pick at, before the old wounds opened like a dam and blood would spill upon the earth. Back on that earth, there were still those who doubted. Still those to throw her host upon like a hammer upon an anvil, deep within the Royal Halls themselves. Oh yes. She would have her revenge. She just had to wait and show her host just was she meant to her "Children."

Author's Note

Hello everyone! It has been a hot minute! With a lot happening in between.

I guess I should explain that a lot has been happening in my life with both jobs and personal projects that have steered me away from this fandom. Even now as I post this I am still prioritizing much of those projects over this. However a few of the stories I posted this, this included, still hold some interest with me. So I decided that I will try and update them, though they might end up differently than I had originally intended all those years ago.

Hope you all understand and I hope you all enjoy this latest addition. Lot of feels here. Listened to this song writing a lot of this.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePvO4DMWMD8

Again, I hope you all enjoy!