It was a dark and stormy night… no wait, that one has already been used before, let me start once more again.
The night was dark and cold, silent and empty, no pony was about now that night and darkness had fallen, they were all asleep and warm in their little houses, and only the stars and the moon that hung in the sky give off their low light of illumination. The weather was calm oddly enough for such a night that would later be known as one of sadness, pain, and despair, for one pony was not asleep, one stood awake on the balcony of the Royal Canterlot Castle.
The pony in question was named Luna, Princess of the Night, she was sad and lonely because all the other ponies were asleep in their warm little houses.
Why couldn’t they stay awake to appreciate the value of her beautiful night?
Why couldn’t they love her just as much as her older sister Celestia, Princess of the Sun, why did they have to mock her by playing in her light, her beauty?
These thoughts of despair, sorrow, and pain filled her mind and others as well.
And it was all just too much for her to take in, so what happened next was merely just destiny, she couldn’t help but cry and sob on the railing.
Thankfully however she was alone and therefore did not have to suffer the questions of any of her Royal Guards, their concern was touching, but one that was probably false and fake, after all, she gave them money to guard her, but not love her, they probably loved her instead, they probably loved her older sister more than herself, they might be more loyal to her instead.
She cried some more at this thought, why couldn’t any pony love her or be loyal to her? Even her older sister didn’t really truly understand her pain.
But deep down inside her she knew that these thoughts weren’t exactly her own, not in whole, maybe in part, but… she had to gain control of herself.
She had to see the logic and reason, she couldn’t let emotion control her, she couldn’t let the fear and pain take over her, she knew that if she did a horrible thing would happen to the citizens and ponies of this land, and as much as she might have hated her sister or was jealous of all her power and love, she still wanted to protect the citizens and ponies of this land even more than any desire or other emotion of pain, hate, anger, wrath, or fury towards her sister.
She knew that she had to be strong for them, she had to be strong for her parents, even if not for her sister or herself. She had to go on, she had to continue, she had to continue the ever-constant battle and fight with herself, with her emotions and logic and reason, but it was so hard and long.
She knew that if she lost that a terrible and horrible event would come to pass, and so she knew that she could not lose, no matter how much pain or sorrow she endured, but this battle… this fight… it was just so hard… so long…
She didn’t know if she could continue onwards… she didn’t know if she could…
She didn’t know that if she could be strong for her subjects or even her parents anymore... she just didn’t know if she could… but she hoped that she could.
She didn’t know if she could take the pain and sorrow any longer or anymore…
She had all these doubts… all these questions… and they still remained silent and unspoken, and unanswered, for not even the stars talked to her tonight.
How odd, unusual, and sad, she thought, not even the stars will comfort me.
Not even her royal duties of going into dreams could comfort her… nothing could… well at least not anymore, it was too late for any kind of comfort now.
It was too late for forgiveness of her sister’s actions, too late for her sister to say she was sorry, too late to change her thoughts and ideas anymore.
Her course had been a long and hard one, her pathway ahead was uncertain, but she knew one thing, she wouldn’t travel the hard and lonely pathway anymore, she was going to have love and respect any way that she could get it, and if her subjects would not learn to love her, if they could not love her, then she would take fear instead, it would do well to stand in the place of love.
The road to this moment was one of small little steps, small little rocks, small little obstacles, small moments of pain and sorrow and despair, and that’s all it took really, for if one traveled the pathway long enough they grow tired and hate it, and if they hat it they become angry and furious, and they can change if they become that way, they could become a monster, and that’s all it took really, that’s all it really took to create a monster, for they are not born, but instead slowly molded and formed into the thing that they hate and fight.
And the real ironic part of it all, they still think that they are the hero, that they were doing the right thing, that they still are doing it, even if they did it in the wrong and worst ways possible, yet they are not the hero, but neither are they the villain of the story either, for who could say that there is an objective good or evil? We all think that we’re good, and we all want to become like heroes, but the real truth and sadness is that there are NO HEROES in this world.
And so with this thought and idea in her mind she finally was ready to take a step and leap of faith and do something she never would have thought to do before this moment, but time had changed her, she was no longer the kind Luna, no longer the weak Luna, no, she was much more different now.
She was better now, stronger now, smarter now, wiser now, and less blind.
She had been blinded because she fell for her sister’s lies, for the lies of every pony, but now she could see the truth in their hearts and minds.
For truth lies in the shadow of every heart and mind of every pony, and no matter how much or how hard they tried to hid it away, she could see it all.
There was nothing that escaped her sight, for if one is the ruler of darkness and shadow you can easily move it out of the way and manipulate it to you own will and desires, but such a power came with its price as all power eventually does, and the prices she had to pay was that of many ever constant nightmares that always returned to haunt her in her dreams, and because of this she never had a good dream, never had a peaceful night of rest, she was always working.
She was always fighting, always had a battle, and it never stopped.
It never ended, and she just wished that it could, and for that, for that she really would be willing to pay any price, even if it meant that she had to be alone, even if it meant that she had to change, even if it hurt her sister in the end. But wait, how could she think that, how dare she ever think of that?
She would never willingly hurt her sister, even for all her actions that she took.
The very thought of it made her cringe, made her wince in pain and agony.
But the voice inside her head spoke up to her to comfort and reassure her, and it was the only thing that she had left that gave her any comfort at all anymore.
Don’t you think that she deserves some pain after all she has done to you?
It said with a cruel menacing voice of hatred and anger and fury and wrath and malice, yet the tone was clearly directed at her sister and not herself instead.
You’re right, she thought, she does, but not by me, I could never do that to her.
You don’t have to, the voice said, let us do it for you, let the forces of the night take over your mind, let the fear and pain and sorrow and despair take hold.
Let the time of night and darkness live on forever, after all, how is you sister Celestia any more worth praise and honor and respect and love than you are?
You’re right, she thought, and perhaps maybe I have been foolish, this battle and fight has been too long and hard, and I will give my mid up to you only upon this one condition, you may not hurt, harm, or kill my sister and you will also do your best to protect the pony citizens of Equestria, do you agree to my terms, or shall we perhaps instead consider this deal and arrangement off?
I agree to these terms and conditions; your wish is my command after all.
And with that said she sighed and gave in as darkness and shadow filled her mind, and suddenly all her pain and sorrow and despair was enlarged, all her hatred and anger and fury and wrath also grew large as well too with her.
No longer were they just weak projections or reflections of her mind anymore.
Now they were much longer, much more powerful, much stronger now.
And then suddenly she did something she never expected to do with all her emotions that she carried around, she laughed a cold cruel laugh of evil.
No longer was she weak, no longer was she just a shadow of her sister’s glory.
No longer would she be mocked by the light of day, no longer would she be hated, she would be loved, and if not then feared and respected instead.
She would take what she could take, after all, ever since Celestia stole all the glory and praise of both her parents and the pony citizens of Equestria.
She now glanced over the Royal Kingdom of Canterlot with pride and love.
No longer would they rule under her sister’s precious little monarchy.
They would be ruled by her, and they would learn to love or fear her one way or the other, it didn’t matter which, just so long as Celestia wasn’t taking what she rightfully deserved and earned, after all, she was the Princess of the Night.
She controlled the night, shadows, darkness, and dreams, not her sister.
She deserved just as much praise, love, and respect as her older sister.
And then she smiled, something that she had not done in a very long time.
Soon things would change around here, and for the better, but before they did she had to prepare her guards for the news, prepare them for the war to come.
So with a laugh she walked off the balcony and opened her doors with a loud resounding boom, “GUARDS!” she screamed loudly, “READY THE OTHERS!”
“Ready them for what?” the guard asked with nervous fear in his voice.
“War,” she said, “Prepare them for battle, there’s going to be a fight.”
“Yes, princess,” he said, and then he asked a very odd and unusual question, “What’s with the new look?” he asked looking her up and down.
It was then that she finally summoned a mirror to her, and it was true, she looked different, but it was good kind of different, and she loved it.
“Nothing,” she said, “Go on, do your duties, I don’t pay you for nothing.”
The guard nodded and then went his way, soon all the guards would be ready.
Soon she would be ready to take over the place of her sister.
Soon she would rumble the Kingdom of lies that she had built.
Soon all the ponies in the land would know her name.
Soon the night would live on forever, and the darkness and shadow too.
She chuckled as she looked at the moon on this very special day.
It was the longest day of the year, but soon ponies would know this as the last day of light, for she would never lower the moon or stars, not ever again.
“Sleep well my sister,” she said to herself, “For this is your last day.
This is the last day of light that any pony will ever see again.”
And with that said she went into her battle armor and was finally ready to face her sister, her fear would no longer hold her back, nothing ever would, well at least not anymore, she wouldn’t let anything hold her back, not anymore.
She gazed out at the night sky with pride, this was her work, she thought.
Then she turned to the small tiny little houses and said, “I hope you enjoyed your last day my loyal subjects, for it is and ever will be your very last one.”
Then she had some more thoughts and ideas, if she was different now then she needed a new name, her previous name of Luna was too weak, on of pain and sorrow too, it held too many bad memories, and she was no longer Luna, well at least not anymore, everything about her had changed, even how she looked.
Her appearance looked like that of a horrible terrible event of something.
But what was it exactly?
And then she saw it, she looked like… well, just like a nightmare.
Yes, that was it, she was a nightmare version of herself, that was it.
And then she finally had her new name, not Luna anymore, not any longer, she was dead now, gone away, changed for the better, she was now reborn into something else completely different and new, a Nightmare version of herself.
But she couldn’t use Luna in her new name or title and so she changed it instead, not Nightmare Luna, for that would be too weak, but instead she found a much greater, much stronger, much more powerful name instead.
Nightmare Moon. That was her new name now, a much better one too.
And so with her new name in mind she leapt off the balcony and flew up to the moon casting her shadow over it as the Nightmare slowly took hold of her.
