NightShy

As the crimson sun slowly set in the distance, a groggy Princess Luna slowly blinked awake. Greeting the fading glow with a light yawn, the sapphire coated alicorn rose from her bed. She looked around cautiously, still on edge after the report of Discord only a week before.

Being controlled by Nightmare for over a thousand years had taken its toll, draining the mare in nearly every way. For starters, Luna was physically weak after the Elements of Harmony had removed Nightmare, locking the demon into the deepest parts of the mare's subconscious. Added to the physical damage, her magic and emotional state had been equally affected. She could not produce the weakest of spells, and her cognitive thinking had degraded to the point where the simplest of problems would cause her a great deal of stress.

As Luna slowly pondered how she recovered, she decided to think all the way back to Celestia's first attempt at assistance. The alicorn remembered it vividly. It had been only a few days since Nightmare Moon had been destroyed, leaving the weak, shivering alicorn in her sister's care.

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Luna sat in a small room, stone walling her in on three sides, a wooden door taking up most of the fourth. The room wasn't small, maybe the size of a kitchen, and it's only features were a few plush chairs, a couch, an end table, and a magically enchanted fireplace that continued to create artificial flames even with the coldest of drafts.

As Luna took a seat on the couch, her form taking up most of the seating, she looked at the table that had been brought towards her. Strewn across the wooden surface was an assortment of odds-and-ends, as well as a glass bottle of water that had been sealed magically. She tapped the glass container lightly, wondering what it's use could be as the door slowly opened behind Luna. Her sister, Celestia, trotted in quietly. As always, Celestia acted with as much courtesy and kindness towards her sister as she would towards a common worker.

"Luna, my dear sister...have you settled in quite well?" Celestia wore a fixed grin, and, as Luna could obviously make out, it was genuine. Celestia had never been known to betray emotion, at most hiding any doubts and fears behind the most powerful poker face in Equestria.

"Oh, yes...thank you ever so much." Luna gave a light smile, but hers was much more betraying. Celestia sensed the uneasy tension coiling around her younger sister's mind. Tension from being a new arrival was obvious, but the white alicorn felt something more.

"Something is the matter...speak to me...I happily offer my ear." Celestia smiled grander, sitting on the floor infront of her sister as she moved the table aside. She rested her head on the couch, blinking lightly up at her sister. It was clear that Celestia loved her sister like she would a best friend, even if she had not seen her for a millennium.

Luna sighed softly, looking at her sister as she gave a quiet whimper."Well...it's just..."

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Luna's flashback was cut off abruptly by the creaking of her door, an armored guard noisily clanking in before saluting."Princess Luna, Princess Celestia wishes to speak with you, and asked if you would go to her chambers to discuss matters of great importance."

Luna gave a light nod, donning her royal hoof-wear and slowly making her way to her sister. After a few minutes, the alicorn arrived at Celestia's bedroom door. She tapped softly, the door opening slowly after a few seconds.

"My sister...come in, please" Celestia called out to the approaching mare. Luna smiled, trotting forward as she looked around. The room was a mix of stone and tapestry. White, shining rock made up the walls and pillars that surrounded the chamber. Detailed banners of many sizes and colors hung from the ceiling, adorn with the most beautiful gems imaginable.

Celestia welcomed her sister from afar, looking out from the balcony that outstretched from the bedroom."My dear sister, princess of the night, how are you?" the white alicorn spoke with a light smile.

"Oh...well, I am alright, I suppose" Luna retorted softly, joining her sister as she sat by the white equine. Luna looked over, her expression slightly grim."M...much had changed, has it not? Things are not as they were a millennium prior...that I know."

Without a word, Celestia extended her right wing, letting the feathers cover Luna and bring her close, cooing softly."Discord is gone now..."

"B...but how? When...?" Luna began wondering, but her sister's hoof stopped the words.

"Shhh, the same six ponies that used the Elements on you were the ones that used them on Discord...he is locked in stone, and no longer a threat."

Luna blinked, looking up at her sister, who was still a few ."Six ponies...yes. I wanted to thank them for getting rid of that demon's influence over me. Where are they?"

Celestia grinned softly, leading her sister inside, sitting with her on the edge if the bed."They won't be as exited to see you as you would like. I believe that many would see you as 'broken'. My pupil Twilight would be most approving...but...others may fear or resent you for Nightmare's actions in Ponyville."

"THAT WASN'T ME!" Luna spat as her gaze was set on the floor of the balcony, her eyes glittering softly, tears welling in her eyes."I...I wasn't myself...they must realize that I was possessed, yes?"

Celestia sighed, patting her sister's cheek softly."If only our subjects were as understanding. I can say with certainty that they will get better, but many will hold a grudge against the mare you were...whether they knew you were controlled or not."

Luna looked down, then rose to her hooves, tilting her head slowly until she heard the pop of her spinal cord, sighing as she trotted out of her sister's bedroom."Thank you sister..." she called back, before galloping full speed back in. She went as fast as she could, jumping off the balcony and spreading her wings. It had been a while since Luna had flown, and as she adjusted her wings, she called back happily."Maybe I will thank them one at a time, wish me luck!"

Celestia looked outside and pressed her hoof to her forehead, shaking her head back and forth."My sister..."

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"It's just...Celestia? Am I...loved?" Luna blinked softly at her sister, the magical fire slowly sizzling out as the words lift her muzzle.

Celestia's expression became a worrying frown as she looked at the lunar princess, nodding her head lightly."Of course you are, my sister...I love you."

"N...no, you know what I mean...am I loved by...somepony?" Luna looked away, her jaw shivering as she spoke."Is there a pony in Equestria that loves me...truly?"

Her sister turned her head away as well, speaking as blankly as she could."It has been a thousand years, Luna, you...you know the answer to that question."

"B...but other alicorns...were were so many of us a thousand years ago, why haven't any come to see me...surely they know that I am back...it's been almost a week!"

Celestia helped her sister up from the couch, assisting her as they trotted through the halls of the castle."Do you remember how much fun we used to have?" Celestia said with forced excitement."We would gallop to and fro, our parents would always complain."

"C...Celestia, you are avoiding my question...where are we going?"

"Haha, they would tell us that our hooves were making lines in the magically protected hardwood floor, saying 'Even magic couldn't protect the floor from our fun'."

"Celestia...stop avoiding...tell me what we are doing?" Luna barked impaitently, her words laced with anger.

Her sister ignored the questions, looking out the hall windows as they crossed between rooms."And...And even though we didn't listen...they..."

"CELESTIA!" The mare yelled, grabbing the fellow aliocorn's head and turning it back to her. Celestia was crying softly, tears trailing down her cheeks as Luna pulled her hooves back, regretfully whimpering.

"They would never get angry at us...never yell...or scold. They...loved us." Celestia wept softly, Luna shivering as she looked desperately at her sister.

They walked in silence for a few seconds, Celestia's hoof pointing to the royal archives. The alicorns both sat, Celestia holding out a scroll marked The Alicorn Wars. With a single tap, the tome burst into light. Celestia's voice rung out, speaking loudly, but with a soft tone.

"A few years before Nightmare took control of you, there was a great uprising. As you know...it was the reason your parents were murdered, and eventually...the reason mine were, as well. We alicorns were hunted...like vermin. The other types of ponies were outraged that we had so much power, and, like many actions in history, it only took one spark to light the fire."

The dark room was filled with a map of Equestria, colors populating the image with semi transparency. Blue, with a pair of wings at the center,covered the northern quarter. Violet, with a magic spark, covered the eastern expanse. An orange blur covered the southern and western section of the map. The only point left bare was the center of Equestria.

"The three types of ponies were divided, but united all the same. Pegasi in the north, unicorn in the west, and earth ponies controlling everything else. We, as a species, we're outnumbered. There was a creed amongst the ponies. They had territories that were governed by their people. unicorns, Pegasi, and earth ponies were combined in their efforts to wipe us out."

"W...wait!" Luna blurted out."What caused this? What was the spark that caused this uprising?"

"Well...you should know. It was you...your parents to be more precise. The first act of war was the actions taken by a pair of unicorns. They altered the moon's trajectory, and since your parents controlled the lunar object, the blame was put on them. They were charged with tampering the natural order, tweaking the moon for malicious reasons, and, they were the first casualties in the war."

Luna looked down, her eyes welling as she recalled the actions."G...get on with it...please" she begged her sister. The image shifted to the end of the war, the map changing quite a bit. The uncolored hole in the middle of the map spread to three times the size.

"Thankfully, my parents were able to convince the unicorns to side with them, losing a chunk of their land willingly and fighting on our side. This action was too late, though, and many of our kind had already been killed. Royalty meant little by that point, and, because their options were thin, my parents were forced to fight as well. They...they died valiantly, and their death sparked peace throughout Equestria. When the battle had ended, both sides were obviously weak, and, with my leadership, a ceasefire was called. In exchange for all of the land, the others allowed me to govern them. As their princess, I promised fair trials and an established law. Since then, harmony has been kept from that moment on."

The magic slowly ceased it's glowing, returning the room to normal as the scrolled rolled up."I am...sorry that I had to tell you like this" Celestia said with a sad voice. She laid a hoof on her sister's back, rubbing softly as Luna just kept her gaze on the floor.

"So...every alicorn I've ever known...except you...is dead?"

Celestia went to respond, but stopped herself, simply hugging her sister tightly."I...I'm sorry."

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The clouded memory rushed into Luna's mind way too quickly as she soared through the sky, the mare not realizing that there was a tall tree a few feet in front of her."WAH!" was all that Luna yelled out before smacking into the trunk hard, blacking out. A shallow crunching of grass was the last thing she heard before delving into unconsciousness.

Luna groaned lightly, her tongue gliding across her teeth to check for anything missing of chipped. Finding the results sufficient, the alicorn rose to her hooves, noticing that one of her hooves had been chipped. It took her a few moments to realize that she was in a home. It was very small, and, from the look of things, the caretaker had a few more animals than she could handle. Food and treats scattered the floor of the cottage, the couch that the mare had slept on seemed to be one of the few things that had been fully cleaned.

The princess decided to step outside, slowly looking around for the owner of the home she had been resting in, and, to an extent, her savior. A quiet humming, vocalized by a soft, feminine tone gave Luna the answer she needed. She trotted over, seeing a yellow Pegasus with a pink, flowing mane and tail sitting at the edge of a river. The pony hummed lightly as she sat, her front hooves dipped into the water. While normally she would have spoken in her royal Canterlot voice, Luna felt it appropriate to approtch her rescuer with a more cordial greeting.

"Um, hello there, ma'am, I thank you ever so much for..." Luna began, her eyes closed as she smiled, expecting to hear a mild gasp or an exited giggle. Instead, the princess was met with a loud yelp, followed by the pegasus falling into the river. Luna gulped, opening her eyes and rushing over, using her magic to lift the yellow pony to safely."Oh...I am so sorry...I...I did not mean to startle you."

The mare shivered softly, looking up at Luna. The Pegasus' eyes shined brightly, pupils as big as saucer plates as her mane and coat dripped heavily."I...I...I'm Fluttershy...p...princess."

Luna lit her horn, quickly drying the mare as she continued to appologize."Please forgive me, I did not mean to do that...I...I simply wanted to thank you for saving me."

"Um...ok..." Fluttershy responded, still shivering even after Luna had dried her. The Pegasus slowly moved back to where she was sitting, her eyes fixed on the alicorn as she picked up her things, placing them into a basket and picking it up with her teeth.

Luna blinked softly, sighing as she looked away."I...I apologize again for frightening you...you may go inside...or...or not." The mare slowly extended her wings and flew to the other side of the river, sitting and looking downstream as Fluttershy retreated into her home.

The alicorn didn't realize that she was such a terrifying pony, slowly kicking the water."Am I...a monster?" Luna asked herself, looking into the water. A grim image of Nightmare Moon looked back, making the alicorn reel backwards and fall onto her wings. She cried out weakly, twisting her right wing in the fall. It took a while for her to roll onto her belly, twitching as her wing involuntarily spammed in pain, which only made it worse.

Luna heard trotting next to her, followed by the flop of a basket. She looked up, seeing the yellow Pegasus pulling some twine and cloth from the wooden container."Shh...relax. Now just lie on your side and stay still...it'll only be a minute." The alicorn complied without complaint, laying on her left side and whimpering as Fluttershy mended the wounded appendage. The soft humming of the mare made Luna relax further, letting Shy fold and tie off the wing.

"Now, just stay off of this wing for the next few days and it will be right back to normal...alright Princess Luna?"

Looking at the blinking Pegasus, Luna smiled. Fluttershy was one of the ponies that rid her Nightmare, and, if she wanted to make a positive impact on her people, why not start there?"Could I stay with you, Ms. Shy? They are still renovating the castle after Discord's attack...and I would much rather wait here with you."

Fluttershy blushed softly, looking around at the woodland creatures. They were completely calm, which was strange. Normally, when a stranger comes to see her, the animals would scatter, but it seemed as though the princess hadn't done that. If for nothing else, Fluttershy was impressed."I...I suppose so. I'll try to find you a place to sleep."

Luna smiled wide, standing up and following the yellow mare as she trotted inside."So...Fluttershy...what is it that you do?"

"Oh" the Pegasus retorted,"I care for Ponyville's wildlife. Caring for animals is my gift...kinda...like you and royalty."

"W...what do you mean?"

"Well..." Fluttershy snickered, smiling cutely as she opened the door for the alicorn,"you were born to rule Equestria with your sister...just like I was with animals." The Pegasus swept away a spot and let the alicorn sit next to her."N...normally, I don't like ponies staying here...it makes the animals...scared, but they don't mind you. Maybe they know you're their ruler."

Luna smiled, scratching the back of her neck with a hoof."Oh...I'm not a ruler...that's Celestia's job...I don't really have a job."

"Oh that's silly...you control the moon..."

"But Celestia can control both the sun AND the moon. If I'm so important...why haven't things changed since I came back? Nopony notices me. Even if I have been bedridden for most of the first year...I'm still here."

The room was quiet for a few seconds, Fluttershy putting a hoof on the alicorn's back."M...maybe you just need to make some friends. I'd love to let the other five know that you're more active. Hmm...m...maybe you could come to town for Nightmare Night. It's in two weeks, and I'm sure Ponyville would love to see you there."

"Nightmare Night...yes...that would be nice. Maybe them I could find somepony special...erm...I mean...find friends." Luna looked down, clicking her hooves together as she tried to buy time.

Suddenly, a yelp came from outside. Fluttershy hopped up and rushed outside."Darn it Angel...leave those snakes alone" Fluttershy barked, lifting a white bunny as it kicked and squirmed.

Luna giggled softly, watching as Fluttershy made the two rivals hug and make up."Wow..." Luna whispered to herself,"what a remarkable mare..."

The afternoon was mostly uneventful. Fluttershy showed Luna around the cottage, where she kept injured and sick animals, and where to go in case of emergency."Remember, if you see any animals that are scared during an emergency, j...just try to have them follow you." The Pegasus smiled as she pet a snake slowly from it's cage, the tip of it's tail broken."These poor souls need leadership."

Fluttershy made her way into her bedroom, blushing as she tossed garbage and animal hair off of the bed."If it's not too embarrassing...or...or you want to...you...um...well..." Futtershy looked away, clicking her front hooves together rapidly."Y...you can sleep with me tonight."

Luna's eyes widened slightly as she heard the offer."You want me...to sleep with you?"

Fluttershy began panicking, hoping she could undo the words she had spoken."O...or I could just leave...sleep on the couch...or outside...I mean...I....I..."

The alicorn stepped forward and wrapped her hooves around the Pegasus, pulling her into a soft hug."I am amazed at your kindness, Fluttershy" Luna said, her voice tender and caring as she smiled."Yes...I'd love to sleep next to you in bed...it would be an honor."

The royal mare released the pony, smiling as she used her magic to fix the bed, making everything neat and tidy as she opened the covers. Since the bed was against the wall, Fluttershy slid under the blankets and made her way to the other side, her right side against the wall as she blinked shyly at Luna."T...thanks."

With a quiet snicker, Luna joined Shy, laying next to the yellow mare and looking over."G...good night." Since she wasn't on night watch, having been relieved from the duty by Celestia, the night princess had been able to sleep pretty well the past few weeks, that night was no different.

As she turned towards the wall, her front hooves slipping under the pillow, Flittershy felt a warmth against her. It didn't take long to recognize the feeling of the large alicorn hugging her, their bodies softly pressing against eachother. Every inch of her body told Fluttershy to announce her uncomfortable feelings towards that action, but she didn't. The main reason was that she wasn't uncomfortable at all. In fact, Shy smiled lightly as she closed her eyes, drifting off.

One last sentence was spoken by Luna, the phrase that would be repeating in the Pegasus' mind all night."Sweet dreams, My Little Pony. I won't let the nightmares get you."

Those words bored a hole straight through the mare's mind, echoing and repeating as Fluttershy slept. As the phrase distorted through repetition in her mind, the mare's eyes shot open in pure terror, Fluttershy's teal irises expanding in fear. Her heart stopped, the alicorn still hugging her as Fluttershy stopped breathing. She wanted to relax, but it was as if she WAS in a nightmare, not daring to turn around. She stayed that way, stiff as a board and quiet as a mouse as she waited for morning. That phrase...those words, now changed to how Fluttershy interpreted them as.

"I won't let Nightmare get you."