Shadow of the Moon

by Silver Inkwell

Rating: everyone
Tags: Random, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Princess Luna, Original Character
Length: 2945

When Luna is trapped inside the Castle of the Two Sisters, what will she do to stay sane? Read and find out.

When Luna is trapped inside the Castle of the Two Sisters, what will she do to stay sane?

Published 2017-01-17 16:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2017-01-20 15:49:05 UTC

Waking Up/ Captured/ Prisoner

Luna woke up very confused as to where she could be, but when she tried to rise the chains snapped her back and then she remembered, oh right, she thought, I came here to the castle to fight Nightmare Shadow, but I lost the battle, but at least the war still has yet to be fought, but now then if only I could find some way to get free of these chains so that I can get back home.

And with that thought in her mind she tried to use her magic, but it was no use, every attempt that she made failed. And then she sighed and grunted with frustration after four hours of that, okay, she thought, that didn’t work, but maybe I can break them with physical strength and effort instead. And so she looked around the room for anything sharp or blunt and saw plenty of rocks, and so she reached out and grabbed the biggest one that was within reach.

And then she started pounding on the chains, but they never wielded for the four long hard hours and effort that she spent working on them, and then when she finally exhausted herself she collapsed on the only bed in the room (if you could even call it that because of how very small and little it really was).

“I wouldn’t recommend or advise spending your time and effort and energy trying to escape,” a very familiar voice said within the walls, “The only way that you ever can is if I use my magic or unless you turn into Nightmare Moon again, I mean if that were the case then you could even walk out of the castle today, but sadly enough I know that this will not be the case for today at all.”

“Nightmare Shadow,” she said, “What do you want, and where are you?”

“Here,” he said, “Within the darkness and shadows around you.”

“Prove it then, show yourself you dirty little coward.”

Luna could hear the sigh as a second shadow that she had but didn’t notice before slowly turned into the shape and form of her worst enemy yet.

“I don’t know why you ask, me having this form and shape is quite pointless you know, nothing can hurt me, watch,” he said taking a knife and the plunging it into his chest and then taking it out to reveal no blood, “See?”

“I don’t care,” she said, “You can still be hurt by me, for if I die then you will also die, for you were created out of my own mind with just darkness and shadow, you’re nothing more than moon dust and well held illusions.”

“That’s true, but I must warn you that should you ever try to leave this castle, and if you ever do, then you

will forget that fact as soon as you leave.

After all, I can’t have every pony knowing my only weakness now, can I?” he said walking around her like sharks circling their prey do.

“What do you want with me anyways?” she said in some slight fear.

“Just to talk, it was quite boring just watching you try to escape for hours.”

“You watched me do that, and you didn’t try to stop me?”

“Well of course not, I knew that all your attempts would be futile and vain in the end so I didn’t even bother to alert you of this, sorry though.”

“SORRY? YOU COULD HAVE LET ME KNOW SOONER YOU KNOW!”

“Would you have believed me if I did?” he said.

“Well no…” she said.

“And there you go,” he said, that’s your answer, and that’s only because you ponies never can seem to accept the simple truth even when it’s looking straight at you staring you in the face, you’re really quite stupid sometimes you know, in fact it’s rather almost embarrassing if you ask me.”

“Well I didn’t ask you now, did I?” Luna said.

“No, you didn’t sorry, please forgave me my princess,” he said bowing.

“Stop that,” she said, “You don’t need to bow to me, and don’t try to fool me either, I see through your little tiny silly games that you’re playing with me.”

“What games?” he said, “I am being quite honest and frank with you, but if you wish me to stop than I shall follow your command even unto death.”

“Oh really? Well then why don’t you go and actually kill yourself?” she said.

“Can’t sorry, you didn’t say it as a command, and even if you did I lied.”

“Of course you did,” she said, “Ponies of your kind always do.”

“Wait, what do you mean by ‘my kind’? There’s no pony else like me in the whole entire world, I am completely 100% unique and different and special.”

“Not really, for there are many stallions who will lie to their own woman.”

“Yes, but I would never lie to you without you knowing it, besides, you can trust me, I won’t lie to you ever again after this, and not like the others too either, for if there is any pony that you can trust, it is me.”

“Ha, that’s the last thing that I would ever do.”

“You say that now, but I think that your mind might be changed after I show you something very special that I found after quite some time looking and searching for it, although I thought that you would have it I was quite surprised and shocked to learn that you didn’t, how very foolish of you.

And very stupid too, honestly you should check for these things after you battle and fight.” And with that said he pulled out a very familiar broken horn.

“Is that what I think it is-?” Luna said with some slight fear.

“Well I don’t know what you’re thinking so I can’t say, but yes, this is the one and only horn of King Sombra himself that was broken off when he tried to take over the Crystal Empire. And you would have no idea what kind of dark magic this holds and how much power it has too. You wouldn’t believe it, in fact I think

that you would rather be shocked and surprised as I was then.

But anyhow even though I don’t want to do this to you, I will, I have to.”

“You don’t have to do anything, it’s just a choice that you make.”

“I know,” he said lowering the horn to her head and as soon as it touched her head her mind instantly flooded with thoughts and ideas that were not her own. Where am I she thought as she stared at the black empty landscape.

“You are in a dream, or perhaps maybe a nightmare instead,” he said, “But this is only the start, for you see King Sombra was an expert at mind control and manipulation, and I am hoping that I can return you to your true real state of both mind and glory so that you may become Nightmare Moon again.”

“You’re totally insane and crazy and stupid if you really think that,” she said.

“Maybe,” he said, “But then again, perhaps now, we will see, won’t we?”

And with that said the torture of her mind began.

He tried showing her different things, how Equestria would look with them together ruling, what would happen if she didn’t join, her best dreams, and also her worst nightmares too, he showed it all to her. And when he did she screamed out loud in pain and agony many times crying out in despair and vain to make it stop. “Can’t,” he would always say, “You need to learn, and then when you finally do you can change, and then this can stop, and then we can finally be together again at last, don’t you want that? For the pain to end? For all of this can end so that your dreams and wishes can be done?”

“The only thing that I wish and hope for now is that you will die!” she said.

He took a deep heavy sigh and then he stopped the vision, “That’s enough for today,” he said, “But be warned, I might do this tomorrow, I’m still not sure yet though, I mean if we made a deal then I would consider doing it less then.”

“Why would I ever make a deal with a monster like you?” she said.

“To protect the ones that you love of course, you ponies always do for some strange mysterious reason, but no matter, just please listen to my offer.

In exchange for letting you roam free in this castle by letting you out of your chains you must agree to try

not to escape the castle ever, and in return I will not hurt any pony that you care for or love, most specifically your sister.”

“That’s not good enough, you also have to promise not to hurt any citizen of Ponyville or Equestria, do you agree to those terms and conditions?”

He took another sigh again, “Yes, I do, but do you agree to mine now?”

“I’ll behave,” she said, “But don’t expect me to cooperate with you ever.”

He smiled, “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, very well then, this is a deal,” he said unleashing her from her chains with his magic then.

“I hope that you enjoy your ‘freedom’, you’re going to be having it for a very long time,” he said, “Probably at least for a year and half by my estimates.”

“That long?” she said, “But that’s too long without…”

“Them? Your sister? You don’t need them, and you won’t ever, but may I remind you that should you ever

try to escape our deal will be broken and therefore null and void, and you will also finally become my enemy too.

And I don’t want you to be my enemy, I would rather we be friends instead.”

“We can never be friends, you kidnapped me, threatened my friends, and then to top it all off you actually tortured me, and none of that is very friendly.”

“Or nice, I know, my manners have been lacking as of lately now.”

“I was wrong about you, you can be honest if you want to be.”

“I know, but come,” he said freeing her of her chains, “Let me keep my deal, you are ‘free’ now, but please come dine with me, it’s time to eat now.”

And with that said Nightmare Shadow walked out of the room as Luna tried to decide whether or not to come or not, but then he popped back in the room again, “Are you coming or not?” he said with a smile on

his face.”

And with that said she decided to go along with him then.

Dinner Talk and Release

The dinner that as laid out before her was both wonderful and splendid.

“This looks very delicious and wonderful, but what are you trying to get from me?” Luna said examining the course before her and sitting down.

“To lie I would say nothing, but to tell you the truth, which I think you should already know by now, well I want you Nightmare Moon, and not her anymore.”

“Nightmare Moon isn’t here right now; would you like to try again never?” Luna said very sarcastically as she loaded up her plate with many sweets.

“Oh Luna, if it were only that simple, but I’m going to have to torture your mind if you don’t come out you see,” he said very calmly and plainly.

“Do whatever you want to me you monster, just keep your promise and we’ll be just fine, however if you break it I will kill you no matter what it takes.”

“Is that a threat or a promise? Because you shouldn’t make either unless you intend to actually follow through in the very end you know,” he said/

“It’s both, and thanks for the meal, but I’m not that hungry.”

“Clearly,” he said looking at the plate full of food, “Very well then, here’s how I expect you to behave, you may feel free to explore and roam the castle however and whenever you wish, you can read, write, play, do whatever you want, but of course I will always have a meal for you at the proper times of the day, and to keep things interesting the torture of your mind will always be at a slightly different time each day, and you

may not ever leave the castle, that is all.”

And with that said he left the table and went away to be alone then.

The next months were very difficult for Luna, she enjoyed the meals and time in the library whenever she could, and also she cried whenever she saw the sun or moon for it only reminded her of her sister, but whenever the time that Nightmare Shadow would come in her room she would always react differently, the first time it was in shock and surprise and fear, the next several times were also fear until it was replaced with quiet contemplation, and then he kept changing the routine and sometimes she would react

with fear, but rarely now.

And even after her sessions she would sometimes cry or be afraid, but the time came that she eventually learned to be brave and overcome all her fears.

“It seems like my methods are having the reverse effect on you,” he said, “So instead I will try something else, writing, reading, and finally music.”

And with that said the next months he wrote many poems and songs for her even though she had first scoffed at the idea that a monster like him could ever create something so beautiful and wonderful, but somehow he still did.

But the time came eventually that he had to let her go because as he said, “I can’t let you be my weakness anymore, you can either leave this castle when you want to if you wish, and if so we will be enemies, but if you stay then I can reassure you that you will lose nothing and instead gain everything.”

But she said that his words were lies and that he couldn’t give her friends, and so it was that he took a long heavy deep sigh and watched as she ran out and instantly forgot all that occurred at the castle, well mostly, she could retain some vague general parts because of all her powers, but not that much.

And so it was that both of them looked up at the moon that night, and they both could swear that they saw

a shadow in the moon, one of Luna/ herself.

And so it was that Luna wandered all alone in fear crying to herself because she was lost, but eventually she was found by a very familiar wizard.

And as for Nightmare Shadow, well for the first, last, and only time in his short life he finally cried, for it broke his heart to give her up, but he needed to do this to become strong, he had to pass this test, and so it was that he finally gave up the last ‘good’ part of himself, and that was when he truly really became a monster, and then looking up at the moon he smiled.

“I did it,” he said, “I’m strong now, my heart is broken, you would be so proud if you could see my now, I just hope that we can finally be together again, because if there is any pony I would be weak for, it would be you.”

And with that said the moon remained still as the shadows of the night moved on, and so it was that this night would soon become very eventful.

But that’s another story for yet another different time still.

For now all you need to know is that while there was a shadow in the moon, it was not that of Luna’s or any

Nightmare Version of Shadows or the moon.

Instead it was merely just that of the sun, for its glory is more than the moon’s and on this night Celestia didn’t want it to be so glorious now.

But after that night it would be glorious even though before it wasn’t quite so, and it never would be so without the proper ruler of the moon.

And so that is why being in the shadow of the moon can make you crazy.

And that was why sometimes we create our worst nightmares and monsters with the darkness and shadows, so that one day we may finally use them, but we also keep them there just in case we need to destroy them quickly, but we can’t, and we never will, for the darkness and shadows will always live on.

They will live on forever, and we will not.

And that is why Nightmare Shadow thought he was immortal, for so long as the sun illuminated the moon, and so long as the moon had a shadow, then it could be said that he was immortal for he controlled the darkness and shadows and the night, but so did Luna, and also Celestia.

And so sometimes the darkness and shadows can be controlled by the light.

For without light there is no darkness, and that is why there are opposites, for balance, for control, and so that you can fully understand both really. And that is why no matter what, there will always be shadows in

the moon now.