A Frozen Heart

A loud echo of hoofsteps could be heard as Luna approached the door of the throne room. Her eyes were as determined as they were cold. She had no other things in mind at this point. There was only one objective for her. An objective that demanded her to be both relentless and merciless.

To destroy those who threatened her and her people. To eradicate evil once and for all. No more shall her subjects live in fear, no more shall she hide in the shadow of an evil overlord!

That this evil overlord was her beloved sister...was long forgotten. Luna buried the thoughts and memories she had shared with Celestia for thousands of years in a deep, thick fog of blind, burning hatred.

Luna stopped as she arrived at her destination. Before her was the throne room, locked behind two great doors. Luna looked up at the doors, eyeing the images that were engraved in them. On the right side, there was an image showing the night. It showed the moon and its beautiful star-filled night sky. Below the night sky were the many ponies of Equestria, yet...they were not enjoying the night, were not celebrating it. They were asleep, sleeping through the beautiful night that Luna had brought them for many thousands of years now.

Luna became enraged. Not only because of this, but also because of what she saw on the other, the left side. She saw the image of the sun shining down onto the grassy, fertile land while all the ponies stood outside, playing around in the sunlight and enjoying themselves.

Luna's eyes burned with hatred, her spirit set aflame at the sight of this image. Luna's horn lit up in a darker blue than usual, causing the doors in front of her to screech as they began to open in front of her. Luna walked forth into the throne room. Even now she managed to keep a steady, calm pace, as she always had been.

As Luna passed the doors, the left door was suddenly, and seemingly out of nowhere, set aflame, burning the image that Luna despised so much, the image that she aimed to eradicate from this world. Luna was unaffected, paying the sudden flames behind her no attention. She had already laid eyes on what she needed, what she wanted.

The throne. Across the room a golden, glimmering throne stood. Luna could feel it, could hear it calling for her. It was calling for her to finally take her rightful place upon it.

Luna sped up without notice, the sight of the throne seemingly pulling her towards it. She also didn't notice how the stained glass of the windows began to fracture as she went on. The countless images of Luna's and Celestia's victories, their deeds and their sacrifices...all were falling apart beneath her dark presence.

And then, at last, Luna stopped. She finally stood before the throne, her throne. A throne which she so rightfully, so desperately deserved, for all her work, all her sacrifices and all her love was...for nothing.

No, it was not only for nothing, but it was ignored! It was unwished for! The ponies of Equestria would push Luna away as she tried to help, in order to cower in the shadow of the sun that was her sister.

"No more..." Said Luna in a quiet whisper. "No more!" She yelled, her voice echoing through the room and the nearest halls of the castle.

Her voice was not unheard.

Luna stepped forward, looking at the golden throne. She saw it glimmering in front of her in all its glory.

But then she saw something. Something that...scared Luna as she saw it. As she looked at the throne she saw an image appear on its golden surface. One that stopped Luna in her tracks from one moment to the other.

Her reflection. What Luna saw was nothing but the reflection of herself. Luna was faced with the truth, with what she had become. She raised a shocked, shivering hoof towards her face, carefully touching it while looking at the image on the throne, which copied her exact moves.

There was no denying it. The monster that showed itself on the golden surface of the throne...was her.

"No..." Luna mumbled to herself as she slowly walked backwards, away from the throne. "This can't be right..." She said, louder this time. "It can't be!"

Luna's ears twitched as they heard the sound of steps in the distance. Luna turned around to the entrance of the throne room, eyeing the doors in shock as the steps became louder and louder. She knew who was about to turn around the corner and she knew that there was nothing she could do to avoid a confrontation.

Luna sighed, closing her eyes as she fully concentrated on the echo of the steps. For one last time, Luna reflected on what was going to happen. She realized that she could not resist the dark influence within her. It had taken control of her once and it would do so again. Luna knew, although it troubled her to admit it, that she was nothing but a puppet of this devilish corruption.

Luna's breaths became quiet as the sound of the steps stopped. Luna didn't dare to open her eyes, knowing just who she would see if she did.

Celestia's mouth hung open in shock as she looked around the room, seeing the destroyed windows as well as the burnt down door next to her. She looked at her sister in denial, not wanting to believe that the one who did all this...was her beloved sister.

Celestia shook her head in denial as she took a step forward. "Luna, I-"

"No." Luna interrupted, still having her eyes closed. "Please, sister." Luna said quietly, her voice weakening as she felt the darkness inside of her growing once more.

Celestia could do nothing but watch as Luna began groaning in pain. "Luna, I beg you! Let me help you!" Celestia cried out loud.

"Leave!" Luna told her as she felt her heart succumb to the cold within her. She grew weaker and weaker with every passing second, collapsing to the ground as she was robbed off her strength.

Celestia could no longer watch her sister succumb to such pain. She had to help, she had to do something. She rushed off to her aid, running as quickly as she could. She did not get far however, as she was immobilized almost immediately.

Luna looked up at her sister as she laid on the ground, still in great pain. Celestia watched in shock as her sister's horn glowed, her magic making her completely unable to move.

"Luna, I just want to-"

"No!" Luna interrupted her with a surprisingly strong voice. "I don't need your help!" She yelled at Celestia. "I don't need anyone!" She yelled again, even louder this time. Celestia watched in shock as her sister eyed her with a look of hate.

"Leave me alone!" Luna shouted as loud as she could, throwing her through the room with her magic.

Celestia groaned as she hit the solid wall behind her. She looked up in pain to see how Luna smiled at her. How she smiled at her pain.

"Luna...no..." Celestia mumbled, her voice inaudible for Luna.

Luna laughed manically as Celestia watched her in tears. "For too long have I trusted you!" Luna said loudly as she got back up to her hooves. "For too long have I believed you and your lies!" Luna turned away from Celestia, turning back towards the golden throne that stood merely a few meters away from her.

"But those times are no more. I have seen the truth now." She took a first step forward, towards the throne. "You have fooled me for too long. You have deceived us all for too long!"

Luna stopped as she stood before the throne once more. However, this time there was no reflection, no monster showing itself on the throne's surface. The sunlight had left the room as the moon began pushing itself in front of the sun. This time it was just Luna and the throne.

"No longer will I let evil flourish beneath my very nose! No longer shall evil corrupt these lands!" Luna said loudly to herself. "And now..." She said as she lowered herself onto the throne. "It is time for Equestria to embrace their true leader!"

"Luna..." Celestia said, standing on the opposite end of the throne room. Luna froze as she heard Celestia's voice. "I do not know what has happened to you, or why it happened..." Celestia stomped a hoof on the ground. "But I know this is not you! My sister could never do or say such things, she would never even think of such evil deeds!"

Luna turned her head, smiling as she did so. "The old Luna was weak. A blind fool she was."

Celestia countered Luna's smile with a determined frown. "The only foolish thing she has done is to trust the lies you have fed her!"

Luna turned around to fully face Celestia, her face filled with hatred. "Your words mean nothing for they are as evil and foul as you are!" Luna lashed out at Celestia.

Luna suddenly bursted out into manical laughter. Celestia watched in horror as Luna, her beloved sister, began to change and shift in front of her very eyes. Her fur began to change color, changing from its typical light blue into an almost pitch-black color. Next were her teeth which changed into sharp, almost predator-like fangs. Together with her teeth, her wings grew larger. All this was accompanied by an uncontrolled, evil laughter of what now shared almost no similarities to Princess Luna.

Celestia closed her eyes as the changes had completed. Celestia's sister had now officially given in to evil, her very body had now been shaped by the darkness inside her. Celestia took a deep breath, coming to terms with the things she would have to do in order to stop all this.

Celestia opened her eyes again, revealing the sight of what could no longer be called her sister.

"I should have done this a long time ago. I should have eradicated the evil of this world centuries ago!" Luna yelled at Celestia.

Celestia took another deep breath, trying to keep calm in the face of something this horrible. "I'm sorry, Luna." Celestia said quietly, barely audible for Luna. "This is all my fault. I should have watched out for you in times like these, I should have cared more and known better but..."

Celestia sighed deeply. "I failed..."

Luna kept quiet for a moment as tears flowed down Celestia's cheeks. For those few seconds of silence, the room, and seemingly the world, was at peace again. Those few seconds passed quickly though. Too quickly for Celestia's taste.

"I am not your sister, no more. I have nothing, Nothing in common with you!" Luna said loudly once more. "No...I am not Luna. I am no longer the Princess of the Night." She said with a strong voice, unfolding her black wings. "I am Nightmare Moon! Ruler of Equestria and Queen of the Eternal Night!"

Celestia's heart ached as she heard this. She felt a big chunk of her heart break as her very sister was...gone. The very being she loved most, her beloved sister with which she had endured for thousands of years...gone. Replaced by nothing but a dark, corrupted demon.

No...this cannot be. This will not be! She will not sit idle any longer! She would do whatever was necessary to save her sister from this demonic curse!

"Sister, if you can hear me, and I hope you can: I am sorry to have not helped or cared about you in times like these. I should have cared for you and helped you. I did not do any such thing and...for that, I am sorry. Deeply sorry."

"Your sorrow will not aid you any longer, Princess!" Nightmare Moon said.

"But, sister, I will not let this continue! I will not allow evil to continue its work! I will not allow you to be taken away from me!" Celestia yelled as loud as she could. "And may the gods guide me..." She said, breathing loudly. "I will not rest until good is triumphant. Good will be victorious, for I won't accept a diferent outcome!"

Celestia's words were met with silence. Nightmare Moon, at first, was seemingly stunned by such strong words coming from Celestia. However, she very quickly formed another wicked smile, one that tried to burrow into Celestia's heart.

"Then so it shall be."