...Is the Cruellest Truth of All
"Sister? Where are you?"
Alone in the ruins of a once great palace a lone alicorn woke from a terrible Nightmare.
‘What happened here?’ she questioned, possible scenarios running through her mind, each worse that the last.
‘Who or what did this? Discord? Sombra? A rebellion? A monster? Why can’t I remember anything?!’
Closing her eyes she tried to pull together her fragmented memories. ‘I was on the dais. In the throne room. But how did I end up here?’
Looking around the courtyard looked unfamiliar. Much of the decoration had been destroyed by what looked like magic. But what looked to be a fountain on the far side had clearly been broken by the strength of an earth pony.
What on Equus could have done this?
Trying to gather her feet under her she was suddenly very aware of the bruises on her side.
Wincing as she put weight onto her hind legs, she pushed herself up slowly off the ground, gritting her teeth in pain.
"Where am I?" she wondered looking around.
Shakily she stood, her legs shaking as if she had been a new-born foal. Eyes widening she took in the room. This was the chamber that had held the elements.
‘What could possibly have attacked here that could have done such damage?’
Gasping she saw that where the pedestal for the elements had once stood there was now nothing but a crater in the ground.
Stumbling back in horror, agony lanced though her side.
Hoof catching on rubble she tumbled to the ground, cursing herself for rushing.
Landing heavily on her left wing she hissed in pain, tucking the bruised wing tight to her side.
Nursing the broken pinions she glanced around for what had caused her to trip.
Locking eyes with a smooth stone sphere a numbing calm rushed through her veins.
She reached out to touch it, only to immediately pull back; snatching her hoof away as if it had been burned.
Now she remembered.
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"Harmony must be restored."
"Not Luna, please. She shouldn't have to pay for this."
"Let me take her place."
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A bright void. Nothingness all around. Endless white.
All six of them appearing before her in judgement.
Magic, Kindness, Generosity, Honesty, Laughter, and Loyalty.
Traitors, all of them, to Harmony. Her included.
Once she had shone with light.
Honesty, Laughter, Loyalty. Selene. The differences between them hadn’t mattered.
Then the Nightmare had come.
All because of them. All because of her.
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‘NO!’ her mind screamed.
Deep down Luna already knew. It wasn't Celestia's fault; it was hers.
Besides that Celestia had saved her. At least she thought she had.
At the thought of her sister Luna suddenly found herself smiling.
It had been so long since she could do that. Too long.
Her cheeks ached from the effort. She smiled wider.
Leaning back she gazed up at the sun. The tears that pricked her eyes were not entirely from the glare.
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"LunaNightbringer.Breakerofharmony.Unleasherofnightares."
"Oathbreaker"
"Traitor"
"Monster"
"Please it wasn't me. I'm not the Nightmare! Let me go!"
"Verywell."
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She remembered the utter confusion of that moment. The shock that Harmony itself could forgive such transgressions. The relief she would be released. The joy of seeing her sister again with her own eyes for the first time in what felt like decades.
She would have sold her soul again for the last.
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"What must I do?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?! I broke harmony!"
"YouarenottheonewhomustpaythepriceforthisNightbringer.Anotherhasalreadydonesoinyourplace."
"But it was me! It was my fault!"
"Thatisirrelevant.Thefailedbearerhasalreadybeenpunished."
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Dawning horror. Grief at the loss of the one pony she had left. The cold realisation that perhaps this was the punishment the elements had had in mind all along.
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"But she's innocent! She didn't do anything. It was all me! They need her. I need her!"
"FarewellMoondonotattempttocallonusagain."
*****************
Anger.
***********************
Tears rolled down the face of an immortal who had already seen too much.
Blue magic sparked desperately through stone.
"Work, damn you!"
Six stone spheres stayed dark, unmoving.
"Give her back!" Luna screamed desperately.
The rocks did not answer.
An indigo hoof came down in rage, crushing the stone sphere. Fragments of rock scattered across the floor.
It only made her sob more.
The pieces lay on the ground as dull and lifeless any common stone. Magic did not appear.
"It's all my fault" she whispered. "If I'd just…. If we'd... How could I have been so stupid! I should have fought harder, protected her better, something!"
Silence was all that greeted her. Empty ruins and dead elements gave no wise advice.
Forcing herself to wipe away her tears Luna, Princess of Equestria, stood, ignoring injuries she had no right to tend to.
Silently she pushed away her heartbreak.
The day had dawned, their little ponies would be awake now. No doubt wondering where Celestia was. She would be needed to ensure this day did not fall to anarchy. Tempting Discord at such a time was far from wise.
Even without her sister Equus would continue to turn. Luna could ensure that much. Carefully righting her crown and peytrel she took a moment to look to her sister’s sun once more for strength before stepping out into the full brightness of its day.
The familiar face looking back filled her with horror.
She tore herself away. Sick to the core of her being she dry heaved onto the floor, her throat tight with revulsion.
Her eye caught the shattered remains of the element of Magic.
"I will never, NEVER forgive you for this" she whispered to it fiercely. "I will protect my little ponies. I will keep them safe from anything that threatens them. And I shall do so without you."
Stepping out into her sister's last sunrise all Luna could think was that Harmony was perhaps the greatest lie of all.
Author's Note
So this is where the StewardVerse! fully diverges from the main canon.
The next story I post is likely either to be filling in Twilight's early years with Sunset and Luna or the multi chapter fic I'm currently midway through writing chronicling the thousandth Summer Sun celebration and Celestia's return.
