Author's Note
This was written not long after I started writing Mirage and was intended to be a prequel of sorts, although it doesn't directly lead into Mirage, it explains how, at the time, I envisioned how Nightmare Moon came into existence.
This chapter is actually fully completed, however I never finished the second chapter. I included what remains of chapter 2 at the end of this story. Now that we have an in show version of how this went down, I honestly don't want to continue with it right now.
Nightfall
“Luna! Where are you!?”
A tall, pink maned Alicorn ran through the castle corridors in a panic. “This isn't a game sister! We're late for the rising of the sun!”
Princess Celestia, keeper of the sun and co-ruler of the Kingdom of Equestria, was searching for her sister, Princess Luna. This morning was the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration, a celebration to herald in the new season of crops for the year. It was tradition that all the ponies of Equestria stay up through the night to witness Celestia raising the sun, but without her sister, Luna, she could not lower the moon.
The two sisters worked together to keep the cycle of night and day in balance, but there was a level of trust and teamwork involved. The sun and the moon could not exist in the same sky, to do so would cause a catastrophic imbalance in the flow of magic though out the land. Thus, one princess could not raise the sun or moon without the permission of the other.
Celestia rounded another corner, she had not seen her sister since the day before when she raised the moon for the night. She had seemed odd to say the least. Her normal... inventive way (as Celestia had put it) for raising the moon accompanied with her singing was replaced with a more conventional, more withheld raising. Luna herself almost seemed to be in a trance, saying nothing to her sister other than biding her a good rest when the job was finished. Now it was time to raise the sun, and Luna was nowhere to be found. The castle of Everfree was mostly empty, all the staff and visitors were awaiting the Princesses in the courtyard to witness the sun's raising. She had not seen a single pony anywhere.
Celestia ran full gallop towards the giant golden doors of the throne room, the last place she had yet to check. Using her magic, she swung open the doors just as she reached the entrance. She stopped dead in her tracks.
The throne room was lined with Guards... but they were different, they all wore dark armor, the same armor Luna's personal guards wore, but there were far more than she had the need for. They all stood at attention, their faces blank and emotionless, not a single one of them moved an inch. At the end of the room were the two thrones the sisters shared, but one, Celestia's, had been destroyed, golden pieces of it lay strewn about the dark room. In the other, sat Princess Luna. A cold frown spread across her face, her normal bright eyes were dull and narrowed. He normal deep blue coat seemed dim and lifeless. Celestia stood still, too aghast to even think.
Luna shifted slightly in her throne, “Hello, sister.” Her words were deep and cold. They hung in the air as if to make their presence known to all in the vicinity.
“L-luna...” Celestia still couldn’t grasp what she was seeing.
“Do not speak!” Luna's magically amplified voice boomed through the throne room, rattling the windows behind her. Celestia shrunk under it's force. Luna raised from her throne and smoothy walked closer to her terrified sister. She stopped halfway down the room and turned to face one of the many stained glass windows lining the chamber. The Window depicted a scene of the two sisters defeating a terrible monster made of different animals. “Do you remember this day, Celestia? The day we finally defeated Discord?”
Celestia remained silent, still trying to regain her composure.
Luna continued, “I remember it quite well, the day the royal sisters worked together to defeat chaos incarnate. Something else happened on that day...” she paused and looked at her sibling, “...sister.” She spat the word. She turned to fully face her sister again, “Do you remember?”
Celestia, finally regaining her senses, straightened herself up, “I do.” She said flatly.
“Do you!?” Luna once again used her magic voice usually reserved for their subjects. She gave a mighty flap of her wings and in an instant was face to face with her older sister, pure rage burning in her eyes. “Do you remember when we promised to share the duties and the rewards!? Do you remember how we both were herald as the rulers!? Do you remember, dear sister!?” The tears in her eyes betrayed her imposing voice. Celestia remained standing, hardly even moving to blink or breath.
Luna backed away from her sister again, choosing to remain in flight, “All those years Celestia, things changed. They changed so slowly I hardly even noticed it.” Once again, she stopped in the center of the room, once again looking at the window. “You betrayed me Celestia.”
“Luna, I'd never-” Celestia again tried to speak
“I said silence!” Her word were accompanied by a blast of magic that sent Celestia flying back into one of the many columns in the room. She slumped to the ground, breathing heavily.
Luna settled back onto the ground and trotted toward her sister, “You betrayed me. Little by little you stole all of the attention. Little by little I became less and less a part of the kingdom until I was simply the little sister.” She stopped just short of her heap that was her sister. “I should have seen it sooner.” Her horn began to glow a deep blue, suddenly, Celestia felt a enormous, crushing force upon her.
“S-sister... you're... hurting me...” She managed to say through the pain.
Luna sneered, “This is nothing compared to how you have hurt me.”
Celestia could barely see anymore, her vision was fading. “Guards!” She managed to cry out. Not one of them batted an eye.
“They no longer serve you Celestia. These are my Lunar Guards. They will help with the transition.” Luna noticed her sister's eyes begin to glaze over. “Oh no you don't.” She said curtly as she let up the pressure, “You'll miss the best part.” Luna once again turned and walked away leaving Celestia gasping for air and in pain on the floor.
“Luna... why...?” Tears streamed down Celestia's face and matted her mane.
Luna stopped a few paces away and turned, “I'm tired, Celestia.” Luna lowered her head to the ground, “Tired of living in your shadow,” she flared her wings, “tired of being second best,” wind began to pick up around her body, her deep blue coat began to darken, “tired of being the little sister!” Her eyes began to glow a sickening, pale blue; lighting struck the ground behind her. “This is the end of your day Celestia! From her on...” There was a brilliant flash of light, causing Celestia to shield her eyes. When her vision returned, her sister had been replaced by a tall, dark Alicorn with a mane of stars, slits for eyes and armor adorned her body. “... the night shall last forever!”
The pony laughed as more lighting struck, the guards saluted, “Hail Nightmare Moon! Hail to the night!” They chanted in unison. Celestia struggled to her feet, her head still spinning. This thing could not be her sister.
“Luna!” Celestia cried, “Stop this! This is madness!”
“Madness, Celestia?” Nightmare Moon sneered, “This is my time, soon they will see how glorious I am, they will all respect my night.” Her demeanor changed, she grew angry, “They will love it as I have for centuries.”
Celestia realized she wasn't getting out of this so easily, “And what of me?” She lowered her head.
Nightmare laughed softly, “You are no longer required.” Celestia braced for another blast, but it did not come. Nightmare moon raised her head again, “I suppose though, for old time's sake, I can allow you to be a servant to me.” She chuckled again, “What do you say, Celestia? Serve me for all time, or face the consequences of your treachery?”
“Never.” With that one word, Celestia snapped her wings out and rushed at Nightmare Moon headlong, using a magical blast of her own to knock her down. The blast should have been powerful enough to throw her away and through the wall behind her... but she held back. Celestia held Nightmare to the ground. “Luna, listen to me, this isn't you. Fight it!”
“Don't call me that!” Celestia was lifted and thrown once again, this time the righted her self with her wings, saving her from impact with the wall. “I am more than that! I am more than you.”
“Our powers are equal sister.” Celestia said flatly, “we will destroy each other before one of us wins.”
Nightmare Moon stood up, “You'll find I'm different than you remember, Celestia.” He horn began to glow, her eyes faded, becoming pitch black, her armor shimmered with an unnatural light. The room was shaken by a silent explosion, sending rubble, guards and Celestia reeling backwards, it tore down the beautiful tapestries that decorated the throne room, shattered the elegant stain glass windows and knocked down the wall to the outside of the palace.
Rubble fell upon the courtyard, confused and terrified ponies ran about in disarray, dodging rubble and other derbies. When the dust settled, they looked up to see Nightmare Moon, holding a barely conscious Celestia over the edge with her magic.
“Citizens of Everfree!” Nightmare's voice boomed so loud it caused many ponies to fall to their haunches to cover their ears, “It is to my greatest pleasure to inform you that The Summer Sun Celebration has been canceled! My name is Nightmare Moon, bringer of the night and your new ruler!” The ponies on the ground were too petrified to speak. “Your previous ruler has tried to oppose my rightful place as leader,” Nightmare Moon smiled to herself, “she will now pay the price.”
With an exceeding amount of force, Nightmare Moon magically threw Celestia down into the ground with a sickening thud. Celestia cried out in pain. She tried to regain her footing, but a sharp pain in her back right leg told her it was broken. Trembling, she used her magic and wings to raise up on her three good legs. Nightmare slowly lowered herself down to the ground in front of the broken princess.
“A lesser pony would be dead.” Nightmare Moon said smugly, she grabbed Celestia again with her magic, “Let's see how much more than a normal pony you really are!” She threw Celestia through the wall into the castle’s kitchen. Pots, pans and terrified ponies were thrown about. Again, Nightmare lifted Celestia, “You though I was weak!” Again she threw her, this time into the main foyer of the castle. Beautiful paintings and sculptures were destroyed as the hapless body of the princess flailed through the room.
Celestia could not stand this time. Merely able to shrug off some of the debris and face Nightmare as she calmly walked up. “You can't even focus a defense.” A handful of ponies coward behind the stairs, helplessly watching as Nightmare, again, picked up Celestia's body and throw her though another wall. This time she landed in the second courtyard, near the sculpture garden. She looked up to see Discord's prison. He almost seemed to revel in the moment.
Nightmare stopped a few feet away, “If you are so willing to give up the throne,” she bent down to look Celestia in the eyes, “Then it shall be mine.” Her eyes and horn began to glow again. Celestia weakly raised her head and looked at the sky, the moon moved from the setting position it was in to the center of the sky.
“Lu... na...” Was all Celestia could muster, her vision was fading, both her wings were broken, it hurt to breath, a small trail of blood ran from her mouth betraying her well guarded mortality. Her eyes slowly closed, her breathing slowed... and eventually halted.
Nightmare gave a satisfied snort and turned to face the crowd of ponies that was slowly gathering around. “Your Princess of The Sun is no more.” In the back of her mind, she felt a tiny twinge of guilt, but pushed it aside, “Submit to me, or suffer the same fate.”
Many of the ponies were crying, staring in disbelief at the lifeless body of their benevolent ruler, her pink hair tangled with debris, her wings bent at awkward angels, her chest, unmoving. One by one, for one reason or another, each one of them fell to their knees. Night had fallen on Equestria.
Hours passed. The ponies at the celebration were ushered away by Nightmare's frightful guards. Nightmare herself had taken to the skis, traveling to inform all the citizens of Equestria of their new ruler herself. Celestia's body remand on the ground, beneath the statue prison of Discord.
“Awww... poor pink princess.”
“Leave me alone, I'm dead.” Celestia's dry words echoed through the darkness that enveloped her. The brazen voice that had disturbed her eternal slumber laughed.
“But are you, Celestia?” the voice seemed to surround her, a deep male voice that seemed almost gleeful that it had some company. “You talk pretty well for a dead mare.” A soft chuckle echoed off into the void. The voice was all too recognizable to the Princess, but she had no reason to retaliate, she would only be giving Discord more fuel for his chaotic, manipulative fire. There was a flash of light, and the asymmetrical, misshapen form of the Spirit of Disharmony appeared before her grinning. Celestia simply frowned.
Discord sighed, “Grim as always... no wonder you were never any fun.” Discord turned and walked a few steps away, only to quickly spin around, a tribal Zebra mask on his face, “Booga Booga!” he shrieked. Celestia didn't bat an eyelash. “You really have given up haven’t you?” He crossed his arms.
Celestia finally looked up, “So this is my punishment for what I have done? An eternity with you?”
Discord chuckled again, “Come now Celestia, it's not so bad,” He reached behind his back and pull out a chess set from seemingly nowhere, “I'll finally have somepony to play poker with now, other than my self that is.” Celestia blinked at the odd comment, but as soon as she reopened here eyes, there was another Discord, sans the mask, sitting at the chess set, a mismatch of pieces from many games ranging from chess to Monopoly scatter haphazardly across the board.
“Gin!” Cried out the Discord with the mask as he moved his small, metal dog to take a black checker piece.
The maskless Discord threw the table over, “You always cheat!” he bellowed and quickly snapped his claw, making the first Discord and the table disappear. He glanced at Celestia, a small grin on his face, she was unphased. “Tough crowd.”
Celestia sighed, “Are you even the real Discord?”
“I ask myself that quite often, it's hard to tell after a while.”
“Well, what ever you've come to do, just get it over with!” Celestia barked, “Then leave me.”
“Wow, I wish you had been this much of a push over when I fought you, maybe it would have been me sitting in that cushy throne of yours.”
Celestia glared, “Are you insinuating something?”
“You pulled your punches Celestia.” A snide grin spread across Discords face.
“How dare y-” Celestia paused, then let out a deep sigh, “Your right... but what would you have me do? She is my sister, she's all I've known these long years.”
“Is she? Perhaps, Celestia, you haven’t noticed, or maybe you've forgotten.” Discord disappeared again, “I'll jog your memory.”
The darkness around Celestia began to lighten, fuzzy images began to appear one by one all around her, some were yellowed, some were covered in static, but each one was familiar, they were her memories. One by one they faded into existence around her, swirling and shifting in the deep ocean of her mind.
“How did...?” Celestia stammered.
“Ah-ah-ah.” Discords words echoed around her, “You remember how little sence I can make I'm sure.”
Celestia looked around, each time she turned, she was meet with a gathering of nobles, a gala, a rising or setting of the sun, a delicious meal from her past. “Why are you showing me this?”
“Tut tut my dear, you don't notice? Maybe Nightmare was right.” Discord chided, “Take a closer look.”
Celestia focused on a group of memories, her eyes widened. Somewhere, in every single one, Luna was by her side. This one was one of Luna's birthdays, the one where she ad blown on the candles a bit too hard and accidentally fell into the cake. That one over there was just a few months ago, one of the few times the sisters had a chance to share a meal together in peace. Yet another was of the time when she was much younger, she had sprained her wing after crashing into a tree branch trying to impress Celestia with one of her tricks, Celestia herself had bandaged the wing.
Tears were welling up in Celestia's eyes, “Why!?” She cried, covering her eyes to hopefully stop the painful memories, “Why are you doing this!?”
She felt a clawed hand on her back, “To remind you of who your sister really I.” Discord snaped his paw and the memories vanished, sans for one. “Look here.”
Celestia reluctantly opened her eyes, the memory before her was of the first day she and Luna had arrived in Equestria. The landscape was twisted, blotted with distorted colors and upside down houses, the sun and moon raised and set both at the same time and at random, trees grew out of the ground at awkward angles, chocolate milk rained down upon the chaotic land. She saw all of the ponies of the land, forced to live in such conditions, seen as nothing more than meer playthings to the godlige being known as Discord.
“It didn't take you long,” Discord said and Celestia watched the memory play before her, “You and your sister sought me out mearly mineunts after you first laid eyes on this.”
“You were hurting them, all of the ponies, niether me, nor my sister would stand for such atrocities...”
“Again with the grim Celestia, cant we just reminisce together, about the old times?”
“What is your point, Discord?”
“Fine, fine, here...” Discord pulled a black box covered in buttons out of the thin air behind Celestia's ear, “...lets just skip to the ending then.” He pressed a button and the image played at a much faster rate, the momentous battle that had waged for days passed before their eyes in mere seconds.
