Author's Note
To get the most out of this story I highly recommend reading A Tale of the Sun, Moon, and Stars (link) and its other sequels first!
Her Longest Night
Her Longest Night
By Dal
She was falling.
A prismatic maelstrom whipped and churned all around her. Over the din she heard her sister’s cry.
"Forgive me Luna. I have no other choice."
She had failed.
Jealousy and resentment had warped her mind. She had thought herself better than her sisters. The true and only ruler of Equestria! Oh the arrogance she had shown thinking she could contain the Nightmare, and now she was going to suffer the consequences of giving herself over to that temptress.
Her loving, dearest sister--the kindest being she had ever known--had resorted to the Elements of Harmony to stop her. The most powerful magic in all creation had been brought to bear on her, and now its power coruscated with rainbow light along her flailing form.
For this she harbored no ill will towards her sister. Celestia wouldn’t have been allowed to use the Elements without the Stars’ permission. And if the Stars were forced to act--she must have been truly lost.
"I love you, sister," she screamed with what little strength she had. A token gesture at this point, but one she hoped would provide some comfort.
She could scarcely imagine the thoughts and feelings her sister was experiencing right now. An icy shiver ran across her spine at the thought of Celestia falling. She wouldn’t of course. She was always the strongest of the three, but nevertheless this had to be putting the poor Sun through a living Tartarus, and the Moon hated herself for it.
Faster and faster she fell. Her sister quickly became a mere white speck upon the land until it shortly vanished as the entirety of Equestria came into the view, then the lower continents, and finally the entirety of the world and the stars the that surrounded it.
The moon filled her vision. She should have figured she would end up here. She was the Moon, just as she was Princess Luna; it was a part of her just as much as her mind or her body. The Elements must have known this. This was her wellspring, and if she was to defeat the monster that had nearly claimed her, this would be the place to do it. Or at least she hoped.
The comforting embrace of the moon wrapped around her like her favorite blanket back home. It guided her down until the ever present rainbow faded, and she found herself in the middle an expanse of what seemed to be shards of glass floating in the twilit darkness. She looked upon the vast sea of memories, thoughts, and even tiny fragments of her personality. This is it? This all that remained her shattered mind? She sighed. At least she had managed to save this much. If the Nightmare had her way there wouldn't be anything left at all.
She probed out with the little bit of magic she had and bounced off her wards, and let out a breath she wasn’t aware she was holding. Those wards were the only thing stopping the Nightmare from fully claiming her. Even within them she could feel the the Nightmare’s assault against the mystical chains that bound them here. The Moon let out a raspy chuckle at the irony of her moon being their shared prison.
She collapsed upon the ground. The Element’s magic had been taxing beyond measure, and even here she would need to rest. Her eyelids drooped, her breathing slowed, and and everything felt entirely too heavy.
The the Stars’ voice boomed in her head like a nearby thunderclap.
"Welcome to MY realm, despicable creature. Leave my sister now and you will be spared. Refuse and oblivion is surely all that you will KNOW!"
An equally terrible voice answered back, "Hahahaha! I AM HER! I'm the embodiment of the Moon she should have always been! No, never again shall you see that pathetic excuse for a sister!"
The Moon smiled before succumbing to the sleeps siren song. Even after all the evil she had done, all the misery she had caused, the Stars were here--here to save her.
A long dreamless sleep came to the Moon. Every once in awhile she would be woken when the war between the Stars and the Nightmare flared up and dull thumps of catastrophically powerful blasts met her ears. Thankfully no pony would notice an extra crater--or hundred. Even with such distractions her weary mind would soon lull her back to her slumber.
“Wake up sleepyhead.”
The Moon jumped to her hooves. No pony should be here. The wards she built were strong enough to keep Discord out. How anypony would manage to break in was beyond her. Maybe she was going insane--again.
An impossibly cheery blue mare popped up in front of her. “Hiya!”
The Moon stood still, her face frozen with shock.
Giant sky blue eyes peered directly into the Moon’s. “Are you okay, Moonie?” the mare asked.
The Moon blinked. “Yes, thank you. I was not expecting ‘guests’, or anypony for that matter.”
Taking a step back, the Moon evaluated the interloper. She was varying shades of light blue from end to end. Her mane and tail reminded the Moon of the fluffy clouds pegasi would take naps in. Her coat gave off a warm glow in the darkened moonscape. She had the horn and wings of an alicorn which caught the Moon off guard. Despite this, her most defining feature was definitely the smile she wore.
It was bright, genuine, and infectious. So much so that if anypony were to see it they would break into song and dance just to show the everypony how much joy the world had to offer. Yet the Moon felt nothing, and it terrified her.
“You can sense it? Can’t you?” the mare asked, her smile fading into a look of concern. “The emptiness at the pit of your tummy. Like something should be there, but it’s not.”
“Who are you?” the Moon asked.
“You don’t remember little ole’ me?” the mare said, sticking out her tongue and giving a little wink. “Though I guess your sister gave me a little makeover since the last time we met. I was an itty bitty blue gem, and we were best of buds.”
The Moon shook her head. It couldn’t be. “You are Laughter.”
The mare hopped up and and down, as confetti rained down and balloons floated up from nowhere. “Yep! Isn’t this awesome!”
“But I nearly destroyed you when I turned. I must be the last pony you would want to see,” the Moon said.
Laughter giggled. “I’m here to help you, you silly filly.”
The Moon’s eyed flashed a dangerous white. “By help do you mean how you and your weakened me to the level of a filly? Or was it your help when I was imprisoned within my moon? I seem to have forgotten.”
Laughter let out a nervous laugh. “That was an oopsie on our part,” she said, twiddling her hooves. “The Nightmare kinda overpowered us, and kinda used her connection to you to stop us from pulling you back. Like you said, we weren’t in the best of shape after you abandoned us.”
The Moon bit her lower lip. “And yet you would still offer me your aid?”
“Because you are still our friend. Isn’t that enough?” Laughter pleaded. “Even if that weren’t the case, what kind of pony would I be if I left you without the ability to feel joy. A bad one, that’s what.”
The Moon looked Laughter deep in her eyes, finding no doubt, nor trickery or deception, only the glint of an unrelenting glee. “So, what now?”
“All we have to do is make you laugh,” Laughter said, her smile finally returning. “Follow me!”
Laughter lead the Moon out into the lake of memories, hopping from shard to the next in search of the just the right one. A memory of the Moon’s foalhood flashed underneath her and she shook her head. “Too young.” She took another hop and quickly turned bright pink. “Too mature.” One after another they all failed to satisfy her, until she spotted one hidden beneath a layer of blackness. She landed on it and grinned. “Perfect!”
“This is it,” Laughter said, and pointed to the unassuming shard.
“I can remember that this day was important but I do not know why,” the Moon said, watching the little flashes of memory at the shard’s surface.
Laughter scooched to the Moon’s side, and touched her horn to hers. “It’s the day I chose you as my bearer.”
“Almost got it… and done!” Luna said, her tongue sticking out as she placed the finishing touches on a large frosted cake. It was a typical cake: white frosting coated a vanilla core, and icing with little flourishes lined the edges, middle, and bottom. On top was pink lettering that spelled out, “Happy birthday, my dearest sister.”
Today was Celestia’s birthday, and Luna had been baking since before dawn. Thanks to some magic icing and the bakery down the street letting her bake in secret, she was going to make today one birthday Celestia would never forget. Cake after cake after cake lined shelves all around Luna. There were chocolate, vanilla, yellow, coconut, and so many different ones--all of them Celestia’s favorites.
She boxed them up and levitated them single file out the bakery’s door. Carefully she placed them in the waiting cart outside. She placed a red blanket to cover her illicit cargo and hitched herself up to the cart. Hopefully Starswirl had provided the distraction she would need to sneak them into the castle or her plan would be for naught.
***
Luna prowled the poorly lit corridors of the castle, slipping from one shadow to another with otherworldly ease. There was no trace of Celestia in sight, and now it was a race against time until she showed up and ruined everything. Luna trotted along Celestia’s wing of castle with her army of cakes in tow. She grinned as she reached her sister’s bedroom. “This is going to be perfect.”
***
Thankfully no nosy white alicorns showed up while Luna put her plan into motion. Now all that was left was to wait for said white alicorn, and watch from the shadows.
As if right on cue, Celestia entered the hall. “Luna, I’m back.”
Hearing no answer she looked around and found something delicious: a cake. “Happy birthday, my dearest sister,” she read out loud. “Oh Luna, you shouldn’t have.”
She then reached to pick it up with her hoof.
*Pop*
The caked vanished then reappeared a little further down the hall.
Celestia raised an eyebrow. Cakes--as far as she knew--weren’t supposed to do this. She trotted back up the cake and tried to reach for it again.
*Pop*
Once again the cake had teleported down the hall.
“Okay Luna, that’s pretty funny. Can I please have my cake now?”
Silence.
“Fine!” Celestia huffed as she tried to pick up the cake with her magic this time.
*Pop*
Celestia reared up and charged after it. “Come here you tasty little morsel! No cake has crossed my path and lived!”
The popping sounds of teleportation echoed throughout the castle, each one was shortly followed by the whinny of an incensed princess. All the while Luna watched on, desperately trying to stifle her laughter.
Finally Celestia cornered the cake in front of her bedroom door. “Nowhere to run now,” she said, licking her lips.
*Pop*
This time the cake vanished completely out of sight.
“ARRGH!”
Celestia’s horn began to glow and Luna’s eyes went wide.
Luna leapt out of the shadows. “Sister wait!”
*Pop*
Luna brought a hoof to face and shook her head. She took a few steps forward and entered Celestia’s room. Inside she found Celestia splayed out across her bed, the remains of nearly a hundred cakes coated her from hoof to tail. Two magenta orbs peeked out of the mess as Luna stepped closer.
“Happy birthday, Sister. I baked you cake,” Luna said, levitating the cake which started it all.
It started with a smile, then a giggle, then a full out guffaw. The Moon clutched her sides laughing as she collapsed to the ground and rolled back and forth. Laughter joined in, and soon the cacophony of two laughing ponies filled the air. She didn’t know how long she laughed, definitely more than the memory warranted, but it just felt right--like some part of her had returned.
A blue aura engulfed the laughing pair then swelled out from them. One by one the little fragments that dotted the landscape flew towards sky until there were thousands of them streaking through the air. A flash of light erupted from the sky, blinding Laughter and the Moon. When the light faded they looked up and saw a crescent moon hanging there.
Laughter looked up and smiled. “Looks like my job here is done.”
“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” the Moon said, wrapping Laughter up in a bone crushing hug.
“You welcome, Moonie. But I gotta get back to the Stars. Black Snooty is really clever and has probably figured out that I’m missing by now.” She winked. “We can’t let her find you. At least not yet that is.”
Laughter started floating as magenta sphere encased her. “I hope we can get together and have some fun after this. You were always a wicked prankster.”
The Moon nodded. “I hope so. But I have to ask. What is this fun you speak of?”
“Fun is when--” Laughter gasped and looked at the Moon, her eyes going wide. “Stop! She doesn’t know what fun is! I’m not dooooone!” she begged, and bounced around the sphere like a hyperactive pinball.
*Pop*
And she was gone.
The Moon shrugged--it most not have been that important.
It had felt like ages since Laughter left the Moon alone in her cocoon. Well it could have been ages--time wasn’t the most perceptible of constants in this place. The Moon shuddered at the thought of how much time could have passed since she was trapped here. Perhaps it was a blessing that sleep came so easy.
In her brief bouts of wakefulness she would recall the memories Laughter had helped her recover. Much like the one that Laughter had showed her, they full of the many joyous and wonderful times in her life. Times with her friends, her sisters. Times of cheer and mirth.
They were the good times--the times that made life worth living. And the Nightmare had taken them from her. It hid them away and used them to bend her to its will. She had been too blind to see how much she had lost even before the Nightmare consumed her.
It had been no coincidence that Laughter had visited her. Like the Element had said, something was wrong. Very wrong. Her connection to the moon was gone. She should be at the peak of her power, a literal goddess, but she felt as weak as an unmarked foal. It was when Laughter left that she felt the moon, distant as it was. What should have been an ocean felt like a mere raindrop.
But there was a drip now. Whatever Laughter had done had reconnected the Moon to her charge, no matter how tenuous it was. A warm feeling sparked in her chest. Hope. Something she hadn’t felt in many, many years.
It was then the sky cracked.
The deafening blast from the shock wave hit her first, knocking her off her hooves and sending her skidding along the ground. She righted herself and looked up to see an expanding ring of rainbow colored light, and in its middle, the red streak that was heading straight for her. In an instant it struck the ground next to her like a lightning bolt, the flash nearly blinding her. Thunder echoed and the ground shook as the Moon’s vision returned.
In the crater stood a pony.
Her coat was a shimmering red and wreathed in lightning. Her wings were spread and her horned head was hung low--a pose similar to the ones ancient pegasi used when ready for war. Her mane was jagged and wild, and pulsed with unbridled power. Everything about the mare exuded confidence that Moon knew was utterly genuine and earned.
She looked at the Moon and grinned. “Did you see that entrance! Do I still got it, or do I still got it?”
“See it? Oh I would go so far as to say that I experienced it. You indeed still have ‘it’, whatever ‘it’ is,” the Moon said. “Excuse me if I seem presumptuous, but are you Loyalty by chance?”’
The mare cocked her head to one side, her jaw hung open. “Huh? How did you know?”
“I have been expecting you or Honesty for some time. And to be ‘honest’ as it were, I never thought Honesty to be so flashy.”
Loyalty snorted, blowing a bit of her mane out of her eyes. “Ya, ya, I’ve heard this all before from the girls. They will never understand why I look the way I do.”
“Oh but I do,” the Moon said, and looked Loyalty straight in the eyes. “They never were the ones I called upon to lead armies--to inspire ponies to acts of uncommon valor. No, it was you who were always there, always willing, and always faithful. And how did I repay you?
“I betrayed you, and every pony I ever loved.
“But now you are here--once again the ever dutiful knight. And I know I do not deserve your help, or your forgiveness. Yet you will give me both, and for that I have no way of ever thanking you,” the Moon said, looking away from Loyalty.
Loyalty walked up to the Moon, using her wing to bring the Moon’s head up. “Isn’t that what loyalty is? Sticking with your friends no matter how high they soar or how low they fall? Forgiveness is a part of that. Just as long as they seek it.”
“Then what would you have me do?” the Moon asked.
“Follow me,” Loyalty replied, lighting her horn.
A shimmering portal opened up before them.
“Do you know where this leads?” Loyalty asked.
The Moon nodded.
“Does that make you uncomfortable?”
The Moon looked to Loyalty then back to the portal. “Yes. For more reasons than one.”
Loyalty smiled. “You forget that I’ve seen you in action. I know the mare standing in front of me is more than ready for the task at hoof.”
“It is not my abilities that worry me, even as weak though I am. There is a question that has been bothering me, and where that leads only makes it more concerning.”
The Moon sighed. “Before we go, you must tell me how long it has been since my fall.” She gazed back into the portal. “Since I have forsaken them.”
Loyalty flinched. “Are you sure you want to know?”
“Yes. No matter how much grief it brings me--I must know.”
“Nine-hundred and seventy years.”
Everything stood still while she reconciled with the terrible truth. She had been gone for nearly a millennium! Not only that, but her poor ponies were left without a guardian of the night for all that time. Would they even recognize her if she returned? Would she recognize them or even Equestria for that matter? Her head felt light and her knees weak.
“Whoa there,” Loyalty said, catching the Moon before she fell. “Maybe you don’t have to do this right now.”
“But I must,” The Moon said, righting herself and walking to the portal. “I have been gone for far too long. It is time the dreamlands once again knew their master.” And with that, she leapt in.
She arrived sitting on a lush island covered in a soft mat of grass and flowers. The large luminescent petals that had bloomed from a strange tree cast a magenta glow around her. Above everything shone the majesty of her moon, its reflection sparkling in the water around her. It was just as she remembered it.
Her horn glowed, and thousands upon thousands of glowing orbs flocked around her. Each one was the dreams of some slumbering pony. Some where bright and buzzed around in an almost whimsical way--good dreams. Others were darker or grey, representing a pony with a relatively light dream, or a dream one would forget about upon waking. Nightmares were darker still, and one orb in particular was a pitch black void among the others.
She levitated the orb to her. “What a terrible dream you must be having,” she cooed.
“Unfortunately my magic is only strong enough to get us here. So no dream hopping for us,” Loyalty said, appearing beside the Moon. “I just wanted to remind you where your loyalties lied.”
“And I believe you have. Thankfully I still possess my own magic,” The Moon said, and touched her horn to the orb.
“Wait, wait, wait! The Stars said I wasn’t supposed to let you do that!”
Loyalty’s protest had come far too late. The orb opened and sucked the two ponies in.
Gusts of wind howled through the dilapidated castle. Storm clouds gathered in the distance while a full moon through the ruined ceiling. Inside cracked and partially collapsed pillars loomed over the what was once brilliantly polished marble floor. Ancient tapestries whipped back in forth in the darkness, their ends frayed from years of neglect. On a balcony that overlooked a once enchanting waterfall sat an alicorn. Her multi-hued mane fluttered in the steadily increasing breeze. Her white coat was disheveled and grey. And she was staring right at the the pair of intruders who had tumbled from the portal behind her.
“Is it not enough when I raise the moon every night that I am reminded I sent her there? Is it not enough that all I dream about is her shadow looking down upon me?” Celestia asked. “Yet now you conjure her image to torment me, and I am afraid I can not shed another tear for I have no more to give.”
Luna felt her throat tighten and mouth go dry. Of all the ponies, of all the dreams, she had found herself in her sister’s. What would she do? What would we she say? She felt a wing brush her side and she looked over to meet Loyalty’s rose red eyes. They flickered like a wildfire that filled her with a reassuring warmth. Loyalty nodded to her. She was right, Luna had this.
“My dear sister, I have no idea the horrors you have endured in my absence. But mark my words, I am not the Nightmare, and I am certainly not here to torment you,” Luna said, her eyes filled with power and her horn sparked alight. “Begone darkness! Begone suffering! Begone nightmares and terrors! This is my domain! And you are not welcome here!”
Her horn flashed with bluish light. The dreariness of the castle had been replaced with the rolling hills of knee high grass. The sun was out and white fluffy clouds hung in the sky. The sweet smell of wildflowers filled the air, and the grass swayed in a gentle breeze.
“Luna is that you?” Celestia asked.
“Indeed, it is I.”
“How? I-I banished you to the moon. It’s been so long I thought you would never return.”
“I had help from a friend.” Luna pointed to her red companion. “This is Loyalty.”
Loyalty bowed. “Nice to meet you. The Stars had told me so much about you.”
Celestia ran up to the pair and wrapped them up with a massive hug. “I have missed you so much.”
Luna returned the embrace. “I missed you too.”
Loyalty tapped Luna on the shoulder. “We really need to go. I can sense the Nightmare’s presence approaching. If she catches us here our wings will be clipped for sure.”
“I suppose it’s goodbye for now,” Celestia said.
“Regretfully it seems that way,” Luna said. “Do not worry, one day soon we shall meet again. Especially if my bejeweled friends have any say in it.”
Celestia embraced her again. “Don’t take too long. Equestria has changed much since you've been gone, but they still need their Princess of the Night.”
“Goodbye, sister,” Celestia said.
“Goodbye.”
Luna lit her horn, and with an upstroke, cut a rip in the dream. She entered the portal and Loyalty quickly followed.
It was the best night of sleep Celestia had in nearly a thousand years.
They arrived back at the entrance to the dreamland face to face with a black alicorn.
“Tsk. Tsk. It seems you have been playing the truant, little Moon. What would your sister say if she found you outside your little shelter hmm?” The Nightmare stalked around the pair like some predator toying with its captured prey. “I’ve been looking for you for long time. You are the last thing standing in my way from taking what is mine, and you should be proud your cocoon kept you hidden for this long.”
“Get out of here. I’ll hold her off,” Loyalty said, her wings flared and her head lowered.
“Come now, Loyalty. Do you think you can face me without your friends?” The Nightmare turned to the Moon again. “And you, why leave? You look so adorable without your power. In fact you look so cute I think I could gobble you right up!” she said, baring her fangs and pouncing.
Red electricity arced and sent white hot sparks shooting into the pond below as the Nightmare crashed against Loyalty’s shield.
The Moon charged her horn only for it to spark and fizzle. “I can’t! I used the last of my magic taking us out of the dream!”
Magical blasts that could sunder castle walls rained down against Loyalty’s barrier, the force of which pushed her back as her hooves dug deep grooves in the soil below. Blow after blow kept coming, and the once solid red bubble of her shield had now turned almost translucent under the Nightmare’s relentless barrage.
“I can’t hold her much longer!” Loyalty cried.
The Moon looked deep within herself for anything she had left. There she found the little drip of power from her moon. As weak as it was she dared not touch it lest it unravel and fade away. Now it was the only thing that could save her and Equestria from certain doom--even if it would cost her everything.
She tugged on the connection, drawing upon what little power it could provide.
*Fizzle.*
“Hurry!” Loyalty said, her voice cracking under the strain.
Once again she reached out--only for it slip from her grasp.
The crack of shattering glass broke her concentration. She looked back and watched in horror as Loyalty’s shield failed. The Nightmare was almost upon her. She had one last chance.
She took it.
A tidal wave of power coursed through her body. Her horn instantly alight as she teleported both her and Loyalty to her sanctum just moments before the Nightmare’s teeth reached her neck.
The two ponies collapsed on each other with Loyalty draped over the Moon’s withers like a sack of potatoes. Neither pony cared as they tried to catch their breaths.
“Sweet Harmony that was close,” Loyalty said.
“Indeed it was. Though I dare say it was also a little exciting,” she said, and flashed a grin to Loyalty.
Loyalty returned it with one of her own. “I knew their was a reason you were my bearer.” With a flap of her wings she disentangled herself from the pony below. “Hey look,” she said pointing to the sky above.
A full moon graced the sky--the ground below illuminated by its silvery glow. One by one the little shards flashed then vanished as the moon’s light washed over them. The moon grew brighter and brighter as more shards joined it till it was nearly blinding. Then it faded to a single shaft of light that shone down upon the Moon.
Thoughts and memories came crashing back to the Moon. Though they were both good and bad, she welcomed just them same. She was whole again, and that’s all that mattered.
“Looking good there, Moon. I would say you are almost ready to teach that jerk a lesson,” Loyalty said.
“I haven’t felt this way in many years. Thank you, Loyalty,” the Moon said, bowing to her friend.
“Any time! You and I always made an awesome team!” Loyalty said, hoof bumping the Moon. “Well with you settled I need to jet. I’m sure the Stars are furious with me, and I don’t think it’s wise to make her wait much longer.”
The Moon chuckled. “She will get over it. Besides, it was my fault we went into the Sun’s dream in the first place.”
“Hah! I’m sure helping out your other sister is the only reason the Stars won’t make be making some nice Loyalty hide saddlebags.”
“Well good luck, my friend. It was an honor.”
“I’ll see you around!”
Loyalty took off with a massive gust of wind. High above, the Moon saw her friend’s crimson vapor trail shooting ever skyward The sky cracked once again, but behind a shield the Moon was already prepared for the rainbow shock wave rapidly approaching her.
“Show off.”
The Moon found herself alone again. She paced back and forth while lost in thought. The moon still shone above, its light never leaving the Moon as it trailed her motions.
By all rights she should be an equal match for the Nightmare now that she had most of her power back. Yet she was still trapped. She had tried to dispel her magic but it wouldn’t listen. It didn’t make sense. She was ready as she would ever be, and her meeting with the Sun only made every wasted minute that much more unbearable.
She kicked the ground and a clump of grass shot into the air. Grass? She looked down and saw the newly formed divot in a field of green. She then looked around to find herself in the middle of some kind of farm.
To her left row upon row of fruit trees stretched over the horizon. Apples, cherries, peaches, citrus, and even more exotic species the Moon had never seen were present in the endless orchard. Some were flowering while others had fruit laden limbs that sagged under their own weight.
On her right were large fields of grains and other vegetables. Some looked ready to harvest--rows of greens, reds, yellows, oranges, and purples glistened in the sunlight. Every so often an enormous pumpkin or melon the size of a carriage would break up the uniform lines.
Before her was a thatch roofed farmhouse--its chimney producing a little trail of smoke that smelled absolutely delicious and made her mouth water. It looked homely and lived in, but all so cozy. Through the windows she spied a stone hearth with a bubbling cast iron kettle over its open flame. A well worn wooden table flanked by six equally worn chairs sat near it.
In front of the house stood the form of a veritable goddess of nature.
The earth thrummed with power below her. Her mere hoofsteps caused plants to sprout and grow around them. A sleek orange coat barely hid the powerful muscles that rippled and flexed with her stride. Her mane and tail looked like they were formed with layers upon layers of autumn leaves, giving it a golden hue with orange and red splotches sprinkled in. Every once in awhile a leaf would fall free only to vanish before hitting the ground. And without saying a word, her emerald eyes and warm smile were more welcoming than any dignitary or official back home.
“Well hey there. Sorry ‘bout the change of scenery, but I didn’t want to disturb you. You had the same look the Stars get when she’s cooking up some plan or another,” she said. “Oh where are my manners. I’m Honesty, and it’s an honor to finally make your acquaintance.”
“The honor is all mine, Lady Honesty. I only wish we were meeting under better circumstances,” the Moon said then bowed.
Honesty chuckled. “The only self proclaimed lady around here is Generosity. And don’t you start with that melancholic talk about ‘better circumstances’. If there were better circumstances I would still be some orange rock buried in a tree or your vault. And to tell you the truth, neither one is a very exciting prospect.”
That was it. The reason why the Elements have deigned to help her so. In a roundabout sort of way she had been the catalyst for their awakening. By the heavens above she was still so naive.
“There’s the look I’ve been wanting to see in you,” Honesty said. “It seems you are starting to understand your situation that much more.”
The Moon brought a hoof to her chin. “Yes, I suppose I do, but I am still at a loss as to why I am here.”
“I’m glad you asked,” Honesty said, and started to trot around the Moon. “You see, honesty isn’t only about telling the truth or standing strong when one’s integrity is tested. It’s also about not deluding one’s self.” She poked the Moon in the chest with her hoof. “And you, Missy, are so full of self doubt you can’t even begin tell where the lies end and the truth begins.”
Honesty sighed. “I know you want to fight the Nightmare, we all do, but it wouldn’t even be close if you were to face her now. She would use those doubts get under your hide so fast you would probably just let her take you all over again. Thankfully some part of you recognized that, and that’s why you couldn’t release your wards.”
Honesty’s horned glowed and a bag of what looked like seeds popped into existence beside her. “Your little moment of realization earlier gave me an idea,” she said, and motioned the Moon to follow her.
She lead the Moon along a gravel path that seemed to stretch into forever. All this talk about doubt had the Moon in a reflective mood, and it seemed Honesty had picked up on it as well. Their journey remained silent besides the crunching of the tiny bits of stone being pulverized by their hooffalls.
Was she really as messed up inside as the Element had told her? She had to go back decades to find a time when she was this confident in herself. It didn’t matter if ponies never cared for her night, or how they were never grateful for her vigil of the dreamlands. It didn’t matter if the Sun and Stars just watched as her deteriorating mental state grew worse and worse over the years. And what if the Nightmare was her, but only with the courage she lacked.
The Moon stopped in place and looked to Honesty. “What is in that bag?” she asked, a worried look on her face.
“Oh these little things?” Honest said, and held up the sack. “These are seeds of doubt. And judging by your reaction, you must be starting to feel their effects.” She jiggled the bag. “Potent little suckers aren’t they?”
“I would request you seal away them for the rest of our journey.” The Moon shuddered. “The dark thoughts they inflict are most disturbing.”
“I hate to tell you this, but they are just dragging whatever’s there to the surface. Besides, we’re already here.”
The pungent aroma of a freshly plowed field filled her nostrils, its rows of rich looking soil - judging by its darkened color - looked ready for planting.
“Don’t tell me we are going to sow those things.”
“I would be lying if I said no, and you should know I ain’t one to fib.” Honesty threw the sack to the Moon. “Ever worked on a farm before?”
“Once long ago the Sun and I worked on farm with a bunch of earth ponies when we were trying to foster more unity between the tribes. All I remember is the incredibly hard work that would last from moonfall to moonrise, and how I went to bed some nights more sore than I was after any battle.”
“Heh. No profession more honest than farming I always say. There is nothing really like leaving your blood, sweat, and tears in the fields, then reaping the bounty all your hard work provides. You get what you put in, and nothing less.” She produced another bag out of nowhere. “Let’s get to work. I’ll take this half, you take the other,” she said, and started to place the seeds one by one in the loose mounds of dirt.
The Moon huffed, but followed along with Honesty’s example. Drop a seed. Push it in. Repeat. The cycle happened over and over again more than than the Moon was willing to count. It was even hard to judge how long they toiled as the fake sun above did not move at all. Fake or not, it sure beat down on the two mares like the real thing. The Moon resolved that after she was free, she was going to take a nice, long bath.
After what seemed like days the last of the seeds were gone. She sighed in relief, and turned to back to admire her hard work.
Honesty trotted up the Moon and joined her in looking over their collective effort. “Whew. That was quite the workout,” she said, and wiped some sweat from her brow. “At least the hard part is done. All we have left to do is to give these puppies a little boost.”
She dug her hooves into the soil below her, and the buzz of energy began to creep along the earth. The Moon had never felt such powerful earth magic before. It was like a lightning storm had formed under her hooves, and she was in the middle of it. Her puffed up coat could certainly testify to that. Suddenly there was a booming thwump as Honesty’s magic pulsed outward.
The seeds reacted immediately to the wave of magic, and a cascade of green erupted along its path. The plants weren’t anything special if she was to judge them by their looks; just a single stalk with broad leaves on the top that surrounded a central oblong shaped fruit. They all looked fairly similar except one half had pale colored fruits while the half she planted were shades of purple and indigo.
“Would you look at that--no black fruits. Seems like you aren’t such a lost cause after all,” Honesty said, and sauntered up to one of the plants. She bent over and took a bite of one of the darker fruits. Her eyes went white, and a little bit of drool started to leak out of the corner of her mouth. Before the Moon could say something, Honesty shook her head and grunted.
“Boy, the Stars weren’t kidding when she said you went through a rough patch. Just the fact you didn’t produce a black fruit after all that means you are even more stubborn than I am.”
“What is so bad about a black fruit?” the Moon asked.
“Well when you plant seeds of doubt they take a little imprint of what’s going on in your noggin. The fruits they produce are just a reflections of all the dark thoughts kept under lock and key. Light colored fruits means a pony has very little dragging them down, while a black colored fruit means they are so far gone that only the most powerful of magic could hope to save them.
“When I took a bite of your fruit I got to see all the doubt, anger, frustration, and resentment you let build up over the years. That was quite the doozy I’ll tell you what. Would’ve knocked my socks off if I were wearing any.” She patted the Moon on the back. “Never seen a pony keep on going like you have.”
“If I were to make a guess, I would say the Nightmare would be such a fruit,” the Moon said as she prodded a fruit with her hoof.
“Hmm. I guess so. I never had to sort out an alicorn before,” Honesty said, and shrugged. “I’m just thankful I won't be having to resort to anything drastic.” She closed her eyes and lit her horn. Light green magic danced and swirled around before the Moon while Honesty hummed a tune. Slowly an ornate mirror that would not look out of place in her sister’s chambers began to take shape piece by piece from top to bottom. “There we are.”
“A mirror? This is the sword that shall slay my doubt?” the Moon asked.
“Yes Ma’am. From what I’ve seen from your past, this is all I need,” she said, and stood behind the Moon. “So tell me, what do you see?”
Farming and now this? The Element’s methods were rather unorthodox, but then again, Honesty never resonated with her as strongly as Laughter or Loyalty did when she was their bearer. She shrugged and peered into the mirror.
She saw what she expected--a mare who was a shadow of her former glory. She seemed so small when she once stood proud and tall. Gone was her brilliant mane of the starry night- replaced with the light blue she had not worn since she was a filly. Her coat of midnight blue had even lightened several shades. She looked pathetic, or worse, adorable.
“So is this who you think you are? A lost little filly? That ain’t the Moon I know,” Honesty said, looking over the Moon’s shoulder.
“What did you expect to see. ‘Tis only a mirror.”
Honesty shook her head. “Nope. Let’s just say this one is special. Now I am gonna ask you again--what do you see?”
The Moon looked back into the mirror expecting to find the same broken mare, but instead the face of the Nightmare stared back at her. She let out a yelp and jumped, but Honesty kept her in place.
“Try again.”
She looked again and saw her former self, a majestic alicorn who ruled the night.
“Who are you?” She heard Honesty ask.
Every time she looked the mirror changed. The moon, the Nightmare, her old self, her younger self all kept flashing across the mirror’s surface. And the whole while Honesty kept up her chant.
“Who are you?”
Over and over again she was asked. The Moon couldn’t take it anymore. She held her hooves to her ears and closed her eyes, but it didn’t stop the visions or Honesty’s incessant questioning.
“Who are you?”
She didn’t know.
“Who are you?”
“Please stop.”
“Who are you?”
“I DON’T KNOW!”
“Yes you do. Now who are you?”
The Moon snapped.
“YOU WISH TO KNOW WHO I AM? I am Princess Luna of Equestria, Goddess of the Moon, Bringer of the Night, Weaver of Dreams, and Slayer of Nightmares!” she screamed with all her might. A light blue aura surrounded her, and her power grew until it hit its crescendo. In a flash the field around her was instantly obliterated in a shock wave of raw energy, the earth below blasted entirely to bedrock as it expanded ever outward. Honesty seemed unfazed by the outburst--in fact she was smiling.
Luna looked back in the mirror and saw the reflection of a being that was nothing less than divine. Her midnight coat shimmered with in the moonlight that radiated from her. Her mane and tail of stars wafted to and fro. Her teal eyes sparkled brighter than the most perfect of gems. She now stood head and shoulders over the Element sitting behind her. Bits of stone and dirt levitated near her as they were caught up the in sheer power flowing from her.
“There is the mare I knew. The mare who was always so sure of herself. The mare who will stop Nightmare Moon,” Honesty said, and slung her foreleg over Luna’s withers. “And the mare that I was proud to call my bearer.”
The fields, the farm, and even Honesty faded away like fog dissipating under the morning sun, and Luna found herself back in her sanctum. The moon above shone brightly as ever, Luna looked to the it and smiled. She called down a shaft of moonlight upon her. Her magic continued to flow as the light around her grew brighter and brighter until she vanished in a blinding flash of white.
The Nightmare’s reckoning had come.
A thundering boom heralded Luna’s arrival. She looked out to see the grey dusty expanse of the surface of her moon. The stars of her sister lit the skies above, and on the horizon she could see the blue and green jewel of her home.
Not wasting a moment, Nightmare Moon slithered out of from the shadow of a massive crater. Her billowing purple mane rose like smoke from her shoulders. Her piercing catlike eyes were locked on Luna, and her serpentine tongue licked across her onyx lips. Every little bit of her projected a look of danger. Yet Luna stood strong.
Luna took a step forward, and lit her horn. “You are at least punctual, I will give you that.”
“My, my. Has our little Moon grown a backbone? Have you forgotten that I own your body, and soon, soul? Or was our last encounter not convincing enough?” Nightmare Moon let loose a furious cackle. “You are fool to face me! Never forget I am the true Moon, and you are just pathetic and unloved Luna.”
“I am afraid your lies fall on deaf ears, Nightmare,” Luna said.
One by one there was a flash of blue, red, orange, purple, pink, and magenta. Flanking to both of Luna’s sides where the six Elements of Harmony in all their resplendent glory. To her left was Laughter, Loyalty, and Honesty. To her right were two mares she had never met, and one she hadn’t seen in many, many years. They all wore looks of determination upon their faces with Laughter and Loyalty even bearing teeth.
Luna figured Kindness was the light-pink mare who was trying to hide under her long flowing mane that reminded Luna of lengths of silk.
Generosity looked like a vision of perfect beauty. Her curly locks of her mane and tail, and svelte form would surely reduce the most jaded of pony to tears the mere moment they could no longer gaze upon her.
And she knew the ambulatory starfield set upon a magenta-colored alicorn shaped backdrop was her sister, the Stars, the Element of Magic.
Luna and the Stars hugged, and nuzzled each other while they exchanged whispers. The Nightmare gagged.
“My friends never once gave up on me.” Luna motioned to Laughter, Loyalty, and Honesty. “These three mares showed me the joy you had hidden from my life. They gave me the chance for redemption even when I did not deserve it. And they cut through the lies that you used to bind me. Without their help I would surely still be your pawn.
“And now they are here to help me finish what they started, and send you back to the void from whence you came!” All seven mares started advancing on the now quickly retreating Nightmare.
“You should have listened to the Stars, Nightmare. I am not above sharing the night, and with our help you would have been like a sister to us. But you wanted everything: the night, the moon, Equestria, and even myself. And you would never let go once you had them.” Luna shook her head. “I will offer you one last chance to give up and renounce your evil ways.”
“Never! Even if you defeat me here there is no going back to Equestria without me. Your body is mine forever! Hahaha!” Nightmare Moon cackled, and tried to slink back into the shadows.
Bolts of moonlight shot from Luna’s horn, and banished the shadows surrounding the Nightmare. The Nightmare gritted her teeth, and looked back at Luna.
“It seems my sister has already thought of that.” She nodded to the Stars, and her horn pulsed. “Now go to sleep.”
The Nightmare’s eyelids began to droop as she started to wobble back and forth on her hooves before falling to the ground. “What are you doing? This is not possible.”
Luna yawned and collapsed to her knees. “We still share a connection. Or did you forget? Only now I am making it more than just a one sided affair.” She laughed. “Sweet dreams, Nightmare.”
Luna’s eyes closed, and she soon joined the Nightmare in unconsciousness with a smile on her lips. When she next awoke, the darkness of her longest night would have given way to the light of a brand new day.
A day with no Nightmare.
The first day of the rest of her life.
