Celestia Gambit

Celestia, Ruler of Equestria and slightly tipsy princess of the sun, glided silently through the dark night over the city of Canterlot. From up here the lights of the city seemed to be the twin of the star laden sky above her. She stretched her wings and enjoyed the feeling of cool night air. This had been one of the better Grand Galloping Galas, she thought to herself, although she did not think she would manage to pull off the trick a second time. She had not actually planned for Twilight and her friends to make such a mess of it; she had more wanted them to see if they could liven up the rather stuffy ponies that the event tended to attract. But the night had ended well enough; Spike had given his friends most of his insider's tour of Canterlot city and Celestia had managed to tag along without too much trouble. She suspected that Wing Sword would give her a bit of telling off for having slipped her guards without having told him. That thought again amused her. She was a Princess of Equestria and goddess of the sun - why should she not slip out for doughnuts whenever she wanted to? And unless she was very much mistaken Winged Sword worked for her not the other way round? But all of her royal body guards tended to be like that, all through the centuries right the way back to Sheet Lighting.

She sighed, she was getting nostalgic again but the Gala did that to her. The Grand Galloping Gala was an old tradition dating back to the founding of the new city of Canterlot. Tradition stated that the Gala was originally held on the very evening after the battle for the Smoky Mountain was won and was a party danced by the newly freed slaves in celebration of their new freedom and of their liberation.

It always brought a smile to Celestia's face when she heard this version of the story. It was one of those wonderful things that, while not false, managed to be not true at the same time. The Gala had not been first danced on the very evening of the battle because firstly the battle had gone on well into the night and secondly because the only people who feel like dancing in the aftermath of a battle are those who have never been there. The aftermath of a battle is a hellish place, especially one as hard fought as the one for Smoky Mountain; the destruction makes it a difficult place to dance and the presence of the dead and wounded sap even the most joyous ponies' dancing mood. No, the Gala had in fact been celebrated about a week after the end of the fighting, after the worst of the wreckage had been cleared and most of the wounded had been tended to. Most of the delay had been down to the freed slaves. They had fought hoof and nail for their freedom and had suffered for it. Celestia and her allies had been able to help them, but they had fought with whatever they could get their hooves on and sometimes without anything at all. They had taken a terrible toil, but they had won.

The memories of the first Gala made her smile as she glided onwards towards the palace, it had been a much more lively event than the stuffy formal affair it had evolved into. Much more the sort of thing that Pinkie Pie would have approved of, ponies dancing to the rather improvised band and sometimes joining in song. Even the young would have been there; she had a fond memory of Sheet Lighting, his wing still wrapped in a bandage, bending down low so he could dance with the very young Sunrise.

She landed lightly on the balcony that circled the top of the tower, her hooves ringing softly off the marble. She took another last look round at the still night before she quietly opened the door and slipped inside. This was one of the upper stories of the library, the spaces between the bookshelves deep in shadow. As Celestia walked slowly round she saw what she had been seeking; a faint light from one of the reading areas up ahead. She lowered her head and tried to walk more softly. She snuck up and peered round the bookshelf at the end, watching. Her sister Luna was sitting in the middle of the reading area, the circle of light coming from a candle holder in the middle of the table. There were several piles of books sitting around her and on the table in front of her there was a chess board. Celestia looked more closely; unless she was mistaken her sister's opponent seemed to be an abacus. Unless she was even more mistaken her sister seemed to be losing. Celestia grinned mischievously and snuck round the maze of bookshelves until she was behind her still unaware sister. A sudden movement made her freeze. Luna's horn glowed as she picked up one of the pieces and held it in the air. Then a book also floated up in front of her after a few seconds both the book and the chess piece floated down again. Celestia let out a breath she did not know she had been holding and crept forward. When she was less than a meter away Luna picked up the chess piece again and slid it forward.

“Checkmate,” Celestia whispered in her sister's ear.

Luna screamed and jumped a full body length in the air, scattering the chess board and pieces all over the room. She landed on all four hooves and twisted round to face Celestia.

“Tia!” she screamed, the pillow she had been sitting on rising into the air and flinging itself at Celestia. “What art thou doing?!”

More of the pillows that littered the reading area joined in the barrage. Celestia was almost paralysed with laughter at her sister's reaction and could only make a feeble attempt to fend them off. To make her laughter worse her sister's shock had made her drop back into the formal Canterlot accent.

“We could have done oneself an injury!”

Celestia raised a fore hoof. “Yield,” she spluttered out from between the pillow onslaught and her bouts of laughter. “I yield.”

Luna let the pillows drop and stood their breathing heavily. Celestia also stood there, trying to get her laughter under control. After a few seconds her sister's face broke into a smile then into a full blown laughter. The two royal sisters stood there for a few minutes letting the laughter roll over them.

“So the Gala is finished?” Luna asked when her laughter eventually subsided.

“Yes Luna, the Gala is finished. You should have come, you might have liked it.”

Luna looked down at her hooves “I think not Tia, I do not really think I am ready for the crowds of ponies.”

Celestia walked over to her sister and put a fore hoof over her shoulder. “Come on Luna, you cannot stay hidden up here forever playing chess with yourself.”

“I was just studying all the new gambits that have been documented recently.”

“Still you have to get out more. Go out and meet ponies - dear sister I did not go to all the trouble of rescuing you from the moon and banishing the Nightmare just to have you hide in the library for the rest of eternity.”

“I know Tia it is just...” Luna's face screwed up.

Celestia bent her head down to her sister's. “Just what Lun?”

“I just cannot face them...” she let out with an explosive sob. “All those ponies... they don't want me, they don't need me. For a thousand years they got on without me, they forgot all about me. And the only thing they remember of me,” she gulped, “the only thing they remember of me is this.” A different book floated up off the pile and opened itself in front of Celestia.
“This twisted joke of a holiday.”

Celestia looked at the title of the chapter. 'Nightmare Night and the tale of Nightmare Moon,' it read.

Celestia looked at her sobbing sister. Oh that, she thought to herself.

“They hate me,” Luna sobbed, “they fear me. Not content with just ignoring my night now they mock me with this holiday this, corrupted parody of my night celebration, and they run from my likeness.” Luna collapsed back onto one of the pillows sobbing.

Celestia sat down next to her sister and folded a wing over her. “Oh Lun, they don't hate you, they certainly don't fear you.”

“They do!” her sister sobbed. “You can see the pictures, you know the holiday.” She put on a singsong voice. “Cos Nightmare Moon wants just one thing, to gobble up ponies in just one quick swing.” She let her head fall back to the pillow. “They hate me and they think I will eat them up if I see them. This is worse than before. Then I was ignored now I am feared.”

“They don't hate you Luna.” Celestia picked up the book and ruffled through the pages. “They hate this.” She held up the picture of a fearsome midnight black alicorn. “They hate Nightmare Moon. Even I hate Nightmare Moon, but you are not Nightmare Moon.” She looked at the picture in the book. It was a copy of a statue which itself was an image from a story that had been told around many a campfire hundreds of years ago, but even it was too accurate for Celestia's tastes. She let the book snap closed.

“I was.” Luna sniffed. “I was her. I remember being her. I remember the hatred and the anger and the urge to dominate and control. To stretch out my power over the land and seize it for my own, to take the admiration that ponies felt for you and to make them love me.”

“it was not you.” Celestia comforted her sister. “You where taken. The Nightmare had you, those where not your thoughts, those where the thoughts of it in your head.”

“Not all of them. I remember at the beginning being jealous of you. Of your power and your strength and wishing that I could have your followers. And then afterwards I remember facing you down that first time, watching the shock as you tried to trap me and feeling the exaltation as you failed, as your carefully layered weaves of magic where blown apart by my new power. And I remember liking it.”

“It was not you.” Celestia comforted her sister again. She wandered how much of that statement was true. True the Nightmare was not Luna, nopony who knew her could have mistaken the creature that called itself Nightmare Moon for her sister, but apart from the change in its name the thing had always referred to itself as if it had been Luna. It had Luna's memories, it had Luna's abilities and then some. When you came down to it where had her sister ended and Nightmare Moon began? She looked at her sister and asked the painful question that had been on her mind for more than a millennium “Luna,” she asked softly, “what happened back then?”

===

Luna stood upon the high mountain and concentrated. In the heavens above her a pinpoint of light moved an infinitesimal amount. She stopped concentrating and relaxed. She gazed up at the new constellation. Perfect, she thought to herself, a night to be proud of. She raised her wings and leapt into the sky. Yes, she thought as she flew over the Castle and down over the enchanted forest that surrounded it, it was a night to be proud of. The full moon hung large in the sky shedding strong if pale moonlight over the world. The stars hung in their constellations, their patterns elegant against the black of the night sky and she had added a single comet just to give it that special something. She was proud of this night.

That last thought made her wince. Yes, she enjoyed her nights but she thought she was the only one. The land she flew over was always silent. The streets of the earth pony villages were deserted, the sky empty of pegasi. Even the small hunting creatures always seemed to be elsewhere. Sometimes Luna thought she was the only being to see her beautiful night. She knew that ponies had to rest but she was disappointed. She made such beautiful nights and they always went to waste. Well there was a reason that she had taken such special care over this one; this one would be seen by ponies.
Tonight was a special night. Tonight was the longest night of the year and the date of the Winter Moon celebration A celebration of her night and the rest and beauty it brought to ponies. All over the land ponies should be staying up late into the night. Customarily it was held as a party with games for the younger foals and dancing and most likely drinking for the elder ponies; the biggest party of all would be held right here and she would be the special guest. Hundreds of ponies would be there to celebrate her beautiful night with her

Luna set her wings into a glide and flew low over the forest. Up ahead she could see the clearing where she had ordered her staff to prepare the party. It was well lit with torches and she could see the tables laden with food and the tubs for apple bobbing as well as other games. She circled once and with a flourish of wings landed on the raised platform at one end of the large clearing.

“BEHOLD,” she bellowed out in the official Royal Canterlot voice “YOUR PRINCESS OF THE NIGHT IS HERE.”

Her proclamation was met with only a few desultory cheers.

Luna opened her eyes and looked round the clearing.

The clearing had been setup for the party; down the centre and in front there were trestle tables and benches ready for the food and drink, while at the rear there was a large dance platform and off to the sides there were tubs and poles for the various games, the whole place lit with torches at various intervals. It was just as Luna had ordered it, but the only ponies there were her servants and other court hangers on; there was no crowd of ordinary ponies, no groups of playful foals. Just her attendants with their fixed, fake smiles.

She let out a deep sigh and stepped off the raised platform. She knew that ponies had been avoiding her night but she had made such a big effort and she had wanted this night to be perfect. Now she was going to spend it alone with her servants. And they did not want to be here either; they had just come because she had ordered them to. Just like last year and the year before.

NO.

She stamped her hoof on the ground and spread her wings. She would find somepony to celebrate her night with. With a fierce downstroke she leapt into the sky and set off to find ponies.

===

Luna landed back in the clearing and scuffed at the ground with a fore hoof. She had searched the whole night but everywhere she had stopped ponies had been asleep or had been too tired or in some cases had even hidden from her. She not found any other party's celebrating her night or any evidence that they had even been planned. It was a truth she had not wanted to accept; no pony remembered her night or still celebrated the festival. They had forgotten about it and forgotten about her. She had not even had the courage to approach the ponies who had been awake and ask them to come to her meticulously prepared party. When she had returned even her attendants and flunkies had left; it seemed as if no pony wanted to party with her.

She looked up at the moon. The night would be ending soon, she thought sadly to herself, she would have to lower the moon and make way for her sister to raise the sun.

“You don't have to,” a silky voice whispered.

Luna spun around. She could not see anypony in the clearing and she had been certain that there had been no pony there before. “Who art thou,” she called out. “Have thou come to celebrate my night?”

“In a sense,” the voice came again. “I have been watching you Princess Luna.”

Luna was confused. If the owner of the voice had been watching her why had it not spoken up when she had been here before? She twisted again, trying to see to whom the voice belonged.

“Well I am very grateful that anypony showed up, but it is nearly time for night to be over. I will be setting the moon soon and then my sister will raise the sun.”

“You don't have to,” the mysterious voice said again.

Again Luna turned to try to find the voice's owner. This time she thought she caught a glimpse of a wispy shadow flitting between the trees. “You have said that before. What do you mean?'

“You do not have to lower the moon,” the voice purred. Luna twisted again but which ever way she turned it seemed to be coming from behind her. “You could keep the moon in the sky, keep the night going - then ponies would come to your party.

“No,” Luna said.

Yes, a small part of her mind rejoiced in a whisper

“Yes,” the voice purred, “you could. Your sister could not stop you, it would hurt too much for her to try.”

“No,” Luna said more forcefully.

Yes, the part of her mind insisted Celestia could not lower the moon, that bond is yours. She would not raise the sun at the same time the disruption of the balance would cause to much pain to both of you.

“Yes,” the silk voice rejoined, “you could keep the moon in the sky, keep the night going, then all ponies would see your beautiful night.”

“No. Ponies need their day, the balance must be kept. Day must follow night.”

Yes, the small part of her mind insisted, what balance? Ponies worship your sister and her day, they shun you and your night.

“Yessss,” the voice hissed, “you could. Then ponies would come to your party, they would enjoy your night and they would love you just as they love your sister.”

Luna shook her head. “No they love us both equally. I am as beloved as my sister.”

No, her own thoughts chilled in her mind, the Summer Sun celebration is a packed event with thousands of ponies and you are standing here alone with a voice you cannot even see.

“No,” the voice echoed her thoughts, “your sister is loved. You are forgotten.”

“NO.” Luna stamped her hoof. “It is not so.”

Yes it is, her thoughts insisted.

“Yes it is,” the voice said, “but it does not have to be. You could have it as well, you could keep the night going and take
over.”

“NO,” Luna screamed.

Yes, her thoughts echoed in her head.

“Yes,” the voice insisted, “do not lower the moon.”

“NO.”

Yes.

“Yes. Keep the night going”

“NO.”

Yes.

“Yes. Deny your sister her day.”

“NO.”

YES, her own thoughts shouted.

“YES,” the voice echoed even louder. “Make this beautiful night of yours last forever.”

“NO.”

“Yes!” the voice screamed triumphantly over her own thoughts

By the time Luna had realised she needed to fight it was too late for her to start. The ice cold thoughts of the voice rushed into her mind, overwhelming her own and blanking them out. The goddess of the moon screamed and fell to the floor.

“Yes, keep the moon up. Make the night last forever, make everypony love you and only you.” She could not tell which were her own treasonous thoughts or which were those of the nightmarish voice. “Yes, defy your sister, defy the day. Keep the night going, make ponies worship you.” The black ice rushed through her, obliterating parts of her. She barely had time to scream again before all thought vanished.

The midnight black alicorn opened her eyes and looked out round the empty glade, then flexed her hooves gently and carefully got up. Around her a cloud of smoke and stars flexed and billowed; she spread her wings and beat them experimentally. A smile totally devoid of humour spread across her face. That is better, the alicorn thought as she looked up at the night sky. Yes, it was a very beautiful night and there was no reason why it ever had to end. She reached out her will and with barely a thought stopped the moon in its tracks. She looked round. Strange that such a momentous action would have no witnesses. No pony knew that their world had changed, well they would soon, yes soon they would know. They would wake up and see the moon still in the sky. They would walk out of their houses and into their fields and look up at her beautiful night and they would wonder what had happened, then she would tell them and they would love her. She stretched out her wings again and tensed her legs.

She would have to go and tell them, show them that this beautiful night of hers would last forever. With a leap Nightmare Moon, Queen of the night, took to the sky.

=======

Luna lay on the cushion, tears running down her face, as she recalled the painful history. “I remember it all sis,” she gulped, “even after all this time I remember everything. It is a bit like it was a story told to somepony. remember thinking things I would never think, but it is me doing the thinking and then doing all those things I would never do but it is still me doing them.”

Celestia let her sister continue, the memories where just as painful to her.

“I hurt ponies Tia. I remember doing it - I hurt ponies just to get your attention.”

Celestia grimaced. Yes, Nightmare Moon had been an evil creature, no doubt about it. Some of what she had done during the fighting had pushed Celestia to her limits.

“In my memory it is me doing it. ME, not her.” Luna said pointing to the book. “In my memory it is me enjoying, it is me taking satisfaction from the look of pain on your face. Me reveling in the fear and terrified worship from ponies. ME. I DID IT ALL!”

Luna collapsed into tears.

Celestia folded her wing over her sister. “No Lun, it was not,” she said softly. “No matter what you think or how you remember it you where just as much a victim of her as the ponies she hurt. She stole you. Made you into a twisted vessel for her and then used you to try to take the world from me. But she is gone now.”

Luna waved a hoof at where the book had fallen. “Not to them she is not,” she sobbed. “To them it will always be Nightmare Moon who stalked the night looking to gobble up ponies.”

“Then change it sister,” Celestia said. “Take back your night from your nightmare.”

Luna sniffled and looked up at her sister.

“What do you mean?”

“It is your night sister. Go out there next Nightmare Night and take the holiday back. Go out there and show them that Nightmare Moon is gone and that Luna is back, show them that they need no longer be afraid of the night.”

A spark of happiness passed across Luna's face but it was quickly replaced by sorrow “I can't,” she muttered. “They still think of me as that nightmare.”

“Go to Ponyville,” Celestia insisted. “There are ponies there that know who you are, I am sure that you will get a good welcome from them.”

Luna brightened. “You think so?”

“I am sure of it dear sister.” Celestia rubbed her sisters back. “Next Nightmare Night go to Ponyville and show them who you are and enjoy yourself.”

Luna sat still for a while before rising to her hooves. “Yes,” she said excitedly. “I shall do it, I shall go to Ponyville and show them that their Princess has returned.”

Celestia stood as well. “Excellent Luna,” she said, then she looked around in exaggerated concern. “Now have you seen Winged Sword recently?”

Luna looked confused for a few seconds then nodded. “Yes actually, I have. He was here a few hours ago shouting something about royal princess or not he was going to give somepony such a telling off when he found her.”

Celestia put on a worried expression. “Oh well, in that case I suppose I better go and find him and tell him to stop worrying.” She picked up the chessboard and placed it back on the table. “After I show you how chess is supposed to be played.”