Memento Luna

Luna glided over the shining crimson lines that covered the white dust below. Each stroke seemed to glisten and flow as though fresh- though some had been there for hundreds of years. Each one held a story- secrets to all but the now cold alicorn. She found herself sinking deeper and deeper into the depths of her mind that had once been filled with the cause of her banishment. With her darker side defeated and drained repeatedly by the Elements of Harmony, nothing now remained in the deep recesses of her mind. It was to these places she found herself going more and more as time went on; vast, empty halls of darkness where none strode but her.

She found herself reading the words written with such pain, only getting a few words in before forgotten memories began pounding at her mind, demanding attention.

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“But they never see it!”

“That may be true, but you have to think why it goes unseen, Luna,” Celestia said. “They need the day to be bright so they can see, just as they need the night dark so they can sleep.””

“You know that is not they think of us!” Luna slammed a hoof against the floor, a deep spiderweb of cracks quickly forming. “They ridicule us- call us foalish for wasting our time, struggling to make something beautiful which they will never see!”

“Luna, you know this is not so-” Celestia was quickly cut off.

“DOST THOU THINKEST THINE LIES CONSOLE US?” Luna began slipping into the tones which had been bred into the sisters, used only when speaking to commoners to ensure that they remained a symbol of power. “IT IS KNOWN TO US WHAT THOU DOTH IN THINE SOLITUDE! THOU ENCOURAGES THEM, SETS THEM AGAINST US! BUT THIS SHALL CONTINUE NO MORE!”

An explosion of shadows filled the room. When the air cleared, Luna was gone, small void filling where she once was. The pony shaped hole in reality turned to look at the white alicorn. It seemed to smile. “And so it begins...”

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A pale hoof slammed down, its golden casing cracking open slightly. A multi-colored glow surrounded the two alicorns before Luna vanished with burst of wind.

“I’m so sorry,” Celestia finished. A tear ran down her face as she looked away, unable to stomach what she’d done to her sister. “There was no other way.” The horrified princess continued whispering to herself as she lay, shivering slightly as the thoughts of what she’d just done wracked her conscience.

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Vast armies of shadows marching across the plains; flying above them, a lone figure- an ebon blot against the dimly lit night sky- Nightmare Moon flew, leading the conquest of her new world.

“March my children!” the massive creature shouted with a seductive, velvety voice, “Soon we shall show them the error of their ways! They shall come to realize the true glory of the night!”

From below her the millions of assorted pegasi, earth ponies and unicorns gathered around their respective banners, each one bought through trickery or the twisting of their situations. All had been corrupted by the force of the night, their forms twisting to match their minds. As their goddess spoke, all sounds around the mass of troops ceased. Upon her final declaration, they spoke as one. Their voices crashed around the surrounding landscape like thunder.

Vi-vat noc-te! Vi-VAT Noc-TE! VIVAT NOCTE! VIVAT NOCTE! OMNUS LAUDEM LUNA!

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Luna shook her head, trying to rid herself of the competing thoughts as she neared her goal. “I must remain focused if I am to do this,” she muttered to herself. Her voice echoed strangely on the airless surface of the moon. “Chaos and disorder is what brought me here, now I must reverse this if I am to free myself.” She didn’t know if this was true, but she desperately hoped that it could be.

Before long, the ground before her began to show a certain regularity, one reminiscent of the pages of a book. Symbols had been carved into the ground below each rectangular patch of glowing rock. As Luna flew onwards, the symbols seemed to count down- timing her arrival to the beginning of an end.

The lunar princess landed, careful not to disturb the ground more than necessary. Thin, spidery lines had been carved into it, connecting to form the intricate characters of Old Equestrian. She bent her head low, touching the first of the words with her horn. As she moved closer and closer to the writing, her horn began glowing- dull at first, though quickly gaining in intensity. When she finally made contact, her horn burned with magical energy.

The glow disappeared the instant it struck the complex writing. The characters seemed to writhe upon the ground, twisting in place. One by one the etchings began to fade away as a scene began to form within the princess’s mind. She closed her eyes and allowed her breathing to slow. As she grew still, the last of the writing dissolved into nothingness and a directionless wind blew around the dark alicorn. Her dark mane was whipped about by the omnidirectional currents as her mind entered as silent calm.

Luna opened her eyes and allowed the scene to unfold.

She saw herself standing on the barren lunar surface. It was still untouched, save for debris from the surrounding abyss. The memory Luna appeared with a flash of bright light, falling from the airless sky faster than it took to blink. As she neared the surface, impact drew closer and Luna had a sudden urge to catch herself to try and stop the pain. Before she could think any further, she balled the thin atmosphere into a cushion below her duplicate’s descending form. The fall was still enough to leave a deep gouge in the white rock and left the millennia younger alicorn unconscious and deeply, though not fatally injured. Luna realized that the fall long ago should have killed her, though it didn’t. She had never found a reason for it not to and had decided that it had to do with luck, or possibly an aspect of the spell that sent her rocketing to the moon in the first place. Now she knew that something different was at work.

Luna found herself smiling wearily to herself. “To think,” she said aloud, “that I, myself, placed me in this prison only so that I could return in the future and continue the chain.” A deeper part of her mind grew cold, though more enticed and energetic at the same time. You just placed yourself into an endless loop of torment in this prison, it seemed to say to her. Time seemed to slow as the voice spoke. Luna watched her unconscious past-form breathe shallowly in the newly formed crater, trying not to think of whom, or rather what the voice sounded like. Surely you realize this. You must! I do, and I am you. And since you placed yourself here, even you realize that you committed those crimes so long ago. A presence seemed to circle the now fearful princess. Yes, all of those atrocities- the nameless deaths, countless in number, all on your hooves and yours alone. Isn’t that right? With a familiar, spine tingling cackle, the voice sped away. Time resumed its normal pace as a shadow seemed to fly through the same path the unconscious Luna had just taken. Instead of being stopped by the enormous lunar mass, however, it sped on through; the dark spirit was, thankfully, unhindered by the material plane.

The entire scene before her wavered, slowly fading into what she now saw; a small path of hoofprints led out of the recently vacated crater towards the plain where both Lunas now stood- the elder watching her past-self work, the younger dictating words to her magic as it carved them into the pale stone.

“… and thus we have decided that we might keep a record of what transpires so that we may remember what happens here and forever remember this lesson learned at such a great cost.” The glow around the younger Luna’s horn faded as she looked at the, somewhat sloppy, writing before her. “Oh well,” she sighed, looking at the massive planet hanging above her, “we have more than enough time to practice our hoofmanship before we can return home.”

The youthful alicorn seemed suddenly overwhelmed by her trials. Luna was sorry to say she knew the feeling exactly, having lived it herself once, then again and again in dreams since she’d returned. Her younger counterpart began crying, tears quickly overflowing her dark blue eyes. She sat back on the ground and covered her face with her hooves. She made no attempt to stifle her crying, knowing she was alone- she was crying in part because she was alone. What she didn’t know was that she was alone with herself.

Luna wished desperately that she might rush to her side and calm herself, to quiet her and promise that everything would be alright. She knew that it wouldn’t, but she now was forced to watch herself live the torment. Somehow, it was even worse than living every day for more than a thousand years. Luna also knew that physical contact would be impossible and that to try could not end well. Alone, Luna watched herself cry until she finally fell asleep. The scene rushed forwards once more, bringing itself to the next milestone.

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Celestia lay on her bed, a massive construction of silk and clouds that had been her one comfort during her rule. Her bed never came to her seeking complicated advice that it then ignored, it never requested near impossible services of her, or stood on formalities so hard that it (sometimes literally) broke a hoof. The enormous gold and scarlet circle of comfort never questioned why she allowed the Great War to take place, or why there must be hard times. Most of all, she went through great pains to ensure that nothing on or around it could ever remind her of her sister.

Celestia stared at the ceiling, deep in thought. The royal alicorns needed little sleep- their magic powered their systems and could even begin to burn away at them should they allow it to sit for too long, but they chose to sleep as close as they could to the same schedules that their subjects did, so as not to seem too removed from the average pony. A large dish of fruit sat on an ornate table nearby, grapes and bananas spilling out of it. It remained untouched for much of the same reason that the bed was frequently disused. “Was I right to bring that up?” Celestia asked herself. She’d taken to talking to herself after Luna was banished, having no one else to confide in. “She hasn’t been getting much better, but she may try something rash now that she knows nothing has touched her old prison.” The white alicorn was uneasy about having lied to her sister when she said that the message had been found by the Elements; Celestia had kept it in her treasure vault as a reminder of her sister before the darkness came. She’d brought it out hoping that it could help drive away the memories that almost seemed, at times, to possess Luna.

A strange vibration began humming in the solar princess’s horn. She sat up quickly, alert for any signs of magic nearby. “Is everything okay out there?” she called into the hallway. A pegasus, covered in the golden armor of the Solar Guards entered looking confused.

“Yes, your highness,” he said, his voice low and rough, “we haven’t had any sign of disturbance in months.” He noted Celestia’s confusion at this and continued, his voice softening slightly with concern. “Are you alright princess?”

“I’m not sure, somepony used powerful magic just now,” she said, trying to think of who could have access to magic powerful enough to alert her. “If it was Discord we would know by now. Chrysalis wouldn’t have had a chance to grow enough changelings yet to try anything else… but that only leaves…” she ran to the window and looked out at the enormous, full moon in the sky. The side normally kept in shadows was now as brightly lit as the rest of it and was covered in strange glowing patches of various colors.

“So she went after all,” she mused, ignoring the guard still standing behind her. He was unsure as to whether he should stay or return to his post, as Celestia continued staring out the window, he decided on the latter.

Celestia dimly heard the door close softly behind the guard. She sighed, “Maybe Luna isn’t the only one who needs to remember what happened all those years ago.” Her horn began to glow with a golden aura and the room around her began to waver. The two golden doors fused together and melded with the wall, keeping any of the, now alarmed guards, from interrupting her.

As hoofbeats sounded on the wall of magically infused gold, Celestia closed her eyes and began to breathe deeply. A feeling of calm began to grow deep within her, strengthening with each breathe. After a few moments, she opened her eyes and turned to a nearby mirror. Brushes of various types were carefully organized along the shelves bordering it, along with several different products for mane and tail improvements. The solar princess found that the older she got, the more she became concerned with her looks. She stepped towards the gilt mirror, still enveloped within a cool bubble of calm. As she approached, the mirror began to waver, rippling like a disturbed puddle. She pressed a hoof against its surface. The mirror resisted for a moment, then gave way, allowing the rest of the white alicorn to slide through.

Celestia stepped out of the reflecting pool behind the throne room of the old castle. The room containing it remained exactly as it was when she had last stepped through the pool, nearly a thousand years ago when Canterlot Castle had been complete. A flash of golden light from her horn removed the magical seals around the room and lit the aged sconces that decorated the wall. She walked over to a slightly discolored patch of wall and touched it with the tip of her horn. It slid open, revealing the secret entrance near the old, twin thrones. Scorch marks littered the room, but in the middle of te ancient, dirty stone, a singular patch or greenery grew. Thick, lush grass that was almost green enough to have been drawn in place. Large flowers sprouted from the otherwise unyielding stone, creating a circle of life amongst the ghosts of the past.

“Finally back,” Celestia whispered, “Back to where it all ended, only to see it begin again.”

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Thunder shook the ground as lightning rent the air. The wind howled and tore at the countryside, threating to sweep away anything lighter than a building. Behind thick stone walls, two alicorns stood, towering over the ponies around them. On one side, Celestia and the troops she’d gathered under the banner of the Solar Empire, on the other, the hideously morphed followers of Nightmare Moon. The assorted warriors had gathered deep within the palace, both sides ready to die to prevent any gain by the other.

“This ends now Celestia,” the dark creature roared, a black glow surrounding her horn, “you and your meddlesome sun shall no longer outshine my glory!” As if to emphasize her point, huge blast of sound shook the throne room, the flash of light penetrating deep into the castle.

“No,” said Celestia, lowering her head, “No more of this. We cannot continue like this.”

“What?” asked the dark mare gleefully, disbelief clouded her face for a moment before being replaced with a boastful smirk. “Is Celestia finally admitting defeat? The great and powerful sun finally admitting its weakness?”

“No,” the white alicorn answered softly, shaking her head, “I’m showing you yours.” As a group of gold-clad guardsponies behind her began to move apart, she continued. “I’m sorry sister, but it’s time for this to end.” A massive stone sculpture was brought into view, five large crystal orbs adorning its otherwise gray surface. A flash of golden magic brought the orbs circling the, now luminescent, alicorn.

Each orb began emitting a different color of light- one orange, one yellow, red, blue, and green- as they circled. It quickly became obvious that they were growing smaller and smaller as they moved. Without warning, they shot towards the princess, each one slotting itself into a different piece of her royal attire. As soon as all five were present, a sixth appeared high above, quickly dropping down into place on the tip of her horn.

“The elements?” sneered the dark mare, “That’s your answer? I wield three of them! And in any case, they couldn’t harm me even if you did control all six- they can’t hurt anypony!”

“No,” a tear fell from Celestia’s eye, splattering on the floor with a strange sense of finality, “but imprisonment has never been out of the question.”

Nightmare Moon waxed paler at these words. She swiftly regained her composure, “Ah, but I still hold the power of half of those. You still can’t do anything.”

Inspiration struck Celestia. She raised her head, eyes opening wide. “Maybe not while my sister’s power bolsters you, but let us see what happens if you’re not together anymore.” A dark gleam appeared in Celestia’s eyes as she spoke. No sooner was she finished, than a massive glow appeared around her. Colors radiated off of her body like the corona of the sun, wisps of bright lights shooting everywhere. The gathered ponies were unsure as to whether they should run in fear or continue watching. The colors began condensing into a massive ball of energy above the princess’s head and they opted for the former.

“Now,” said Celestia, unleashing the collective energy of her elements. A massive, almost solid, beam of rainbow colored light struck Nightmare Moon, knocking her to the ground. Her fur seemed to peel away, momentarily leaving a large pony-shaped skeleton in its wake. The fur reshaped itself, a  malevolent shadow now floating high above, radiating hate towards the white alicorn below. Celestia watched anxiously as the skeleton was reformed in the shape of Luna.

“’T-Tia?” she asked, blinking confusedly, “where am I?”

“There’s no time,” said Celestia, “quickly, take the other half of the elements and help me rid us of this spirit.”

“I- I can’t,” said Luna, terror in her eyes.

Celestia whirled towards her sister. “There’s no time for this, quickly, help me banish this- this thing before it can rejoin with you!”

“That’s just it,” said Luna, a sad smile playing across her face, “it hasn’t been separated.”

“NO! THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO WORK! IT WAS THE ONLY THING THAT COULD WORK!” Celestia pounded a hoof against the floor in fury.

“It will work, I promise,” said Luna, darkness beginning to spill across her again, “just hurry before she regains control. There’s not much time.”

“But it will-”

“Like you said, there’s no time for that now.”

Celestia nodded, her eyes narrowing. The rainbow aura spread, attaching itself to Luna as well. A bright flash rent the air. As the dust cleared, a large crater remained in the floor. The ceiling was missing and much of the wall had been destroyed.

“It’s over now,” whispered Celestia, “finally over.” She fell to the floor weeping, wishing she had her sister back to celebrate this moment with her.

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Celestia- the real Celestia- cleared her eyes. She had begun crying long before her counterpart from the memory. She released her spell, unable to watch herself for any longer. The enchanted water flowed back down to the floor, gathering once more in its still pool. Celestia turned back to the doorway. Looking through it now revealed nothing more than an empty, stone room. She turned away, unable to bear the rush of feelings that accompanied the sight of that room.

“How could I do that?” she asked herself, “How could I do that, knowing what would happen, and not be consumed by the guilt.” It suddenly occurred to her, she had been consumed with the guilt. Her entire reign while her sister was gone had been marked by very few changes, either socially, politically or technologically. Innovation had won through at some points, but for the most part Equestria remained how it had been a thousand years before when Luna had been banished.

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The memory continued for Luna. She watched herself flying through the air, rocketed into the sky by the spell. It had been designed to send her dark side so far from Equestria that there was no hope of it ever finding its way back.

The spirit fought, trying to regain control before it was too late for Princess Luna to stop their flight. A massive white orb hung in the air, giving Nightmare Moon an idea. It stabbed itself into Luna’s side, sending her reeling in pain. A large back patch now surrounded her cutie mark, smoke rising from it in thick, oily spirals. She moved enough to send them careening towards the moon. The pain, however, had awoken Luna. Adrenaline coursed through her body, magic seeming to take control. A flash of indigo light sent the dark spirit from Luna’s side, shooting it out into space.

The lunar surface neared. The sudden magic had driven all energy from Luna and she knew that, even with her immortality, there were some things that nothing was meant to survive. Her anger, though, had a different idea. As Luna closed her eyes, accepting the fate she now saw before her, Nightmare Moon shot a tendril of darkness at Luna, seeking to regain control of the exhausted alicorn and save her physical form from being crushed. As it began to pull itself in, the present Luna knew that if the spirit was able to take control, she would never be free from it in the past, and thus wouldn’t be free now.

She launched her own bolt of magic, stronger, even, than the frantic, pain and fear driven bolt from her counter-part. It struck the tendril, splitting it down the middle, causing the spirit to cry out in pain. It released its prize, forced to watch it hurdle towards the massive rocky surface. Luna watched as a blue aura seemed to appear out of nowhere, greatly slowing and cushioning the fall of the nearly unconscious princess.

The shade continued on, no physical form to stop it from flying through the moon. Vile curses rained down as it passed, but without a body, it could do nothing. As it passed through the moon, the surface around it seemed almost to wither; the massive silhouette of a mare forming from the poisoned rock.

A dark voice began to whisper once more in Luna’s ear as the memory ended. So it begins again, then? Good, maybe we can have some fun. As it left, it seemed almost to pause, a mere fraction of a second. A bolt of pain shot down her side. An echoing laugh followed. A present to truly relive your ‘triumph’ princess, the voice said mockingly. It left swiftly, leaving a feeling of cold emptiness behind.

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This took a whole lot longer than it should have, but I know a whooooole bunch of stuff that wouldn’t fit in this chapter. That means that chapter four should come quickly :3

I’m hoping that Silverweed91 makes some more art for this chapter. If so, be sure to check back eventually to see if there is a new one. If not, well, there’s still the picture for the first chapter (the cover art for this fic) and the one for the second chapter (posted at the top of the second chapter)

Thanks again to Defening of fimfiction for editing. He’s the boss of the ever amazing Dunder Shux Studios.

Stay tuned for more! (These chapters go faster when I get feedback so I’m motivated to write more *hint, hint*)