Voice in the Night

Chapters

A Cry For Help
The Doctor Will See You Now
Nighttime Therapy
Memories in the Dark
When All Seems Lost, Hope Remains
Finding Balance
Bittersweet Homecoming
Bonus Chapter: The Valkyrie and The Nightmare

A Cry For Help

Author's Note

I'm back for a little while. I know this isn't the project I said I would work on, but this story has been in my head for a while and I wanted to get it out.

A Cry For Help

The night was young, the moon was full, the stars were bright, and Luna should have been happy.

She was not.

Luna sat on her balcony and stared longingly up at the moon. At times, Luna felt that a lonely sphere of rock was the only thing that understood her. Such a thought elicited a snort from the princess. Why should she feel such an attachment to a celestial body that had been her prison for one thousand years?

Luna closer her eyes and sighed. She loved her sister, truly she did. She cared for all the little ponies in Equestria. She put on her best smile and made small talk with the nobleponies, if only to inflate their own self-importance. To be honest, Luna cared little for the niceties of court and political games. Perhaps this was a byproduct of her having been banished for so long.

The point of all this was Luna knew she was loved. She knew she was appreciated. She knew she was cared for. But all that meant little when The Voice was whispering to her again.

After the episode with the Tantabus, The Voice had quieted for some time and Luna thought that maybe the nightmares would stop. But the whispers were growing louder again, especially after the Storm King’s invasion during the Friendship Festival.

You said it yourself, we are the same. You can no more part with me than you can cut off your own leg, The Voice whispered.

Luna knew it was true and that made the matter more difficult. Just like before, The Voice would whisper to her, slowly growing louder and louder until The Voice drowned out everything and SHE returned.

Nightmare Moon.

Luna hung her head in shame. Ponies tend to be very open and honest about their feelings. There was always a shoulder to lean on and share the burden. But who could Luna turn to? What pony would be willing to hear her troubles? She was Luna, Princess of the Moon and Co-Ruler of Equestria. To whom did ponies of such importance turn to in time of need?

Luna thought of her sister Princess Celestia, a bright and shining example of love and patience to ponies everywhere. Luna knew that Celestia was far from perfect, and she herself even less so. Luna knew Celestia meant well, but how could Luna tell her of her struggles? The time Starlight Glimmer swapped their cutie marks certainly opened their eyes to the unique challenges the other faced, but that was hardly the same as having a constant voice in your head.

If not Celestia, then who else could Luna rely upon? She chuckled darkly to herself as nopony came to mind. Cadence and Twilight Sparkle were both princesses, but as their senior, it wouldn’t be right for Luna to go to them for council. There was nopony that Luna could think of that could begin to understand what she was going through.

Sunset Shimmer briefly came to mind, but Luna dismissed the thought just as quickly. Sunset might be able to empathize with Luna due to her unique magic skill, but Luna didn’t think it was fair to Sunset to show up suddenly and unload her problems.

Perhaps Luna was looking at this the wrong way. Maybe the reason she couldn’t think of anypony to help her was because there WAS no pony that could help. If not a pony, then who? At this, only one name came to mind.

Luna’s eyes went wide and she startled at the thought. Was such a thing possible? The person in question had said herself that it was unlikely she would ever return. If she would not come here, then Luna would go to her. She spent the rest of the night thinking about this particular problem. For once, The Voice was silent.

Celestia was worried. No, the kingdom wasn’t under attack or some other trouble reared its ugly head. For several days, Celestia watched as her sister Luna became more and more withdrawn. Her coat was losing its luster and her mane started to droop. Tired lines appeared under Luna’s eyes as if she wasn’t getting enough sleep. This had happened before, but never for this long. Luna even stopped telling the dirty jokes she loved to tell that made Celestia blush.

Celestia wondered what she should do. Should she talk to Luna about what she was seeing? It pained her greatly seeing Luna struggle, not knowing what, if anything, she could do to help. Should she talk to Luna about what she was seeing? The door opened, bringing Celestia from her thoughts and she watched as Luna slowly dragged herself into the dining hall for breakfast, another night complete. Luna sat at the table and didn’t move.

“Luna? What’s bothering you?” Celestia tentatively asked.

Luna sighed. “I haven’t been sleeping well,” she said.

Celestia was unconvinced. Her horn took on a soft yellow glow as a pastry lifted off the platter in the center of the table and found its way to Luna’s plate. “I don’t mean to pry, but I don’t think you problem stems from a lack of sleep,” Celestia said.

Luna frowned and looked up to her sister. “Who says I have a problem?” she asked testily.

“I’m sorry,” Celestia quickly apologized. “I did not mean to imply that you had a problem, only that something is clearly upsetting you. Do you trust me so little that you cannot share your burden with me?”

Luna slowly shook her head. “No sister. It is because I trust you and love you dearly that I feel that I cannot share this with you.”

“And why not?” Celestia asked and moved to Luna’s side. She draped her wing over Luna’s side and pulled her close. When Luna didn’t reply, Celestia gently nuzzled her ears. “Do you remember the days when we were young and would run and laugh together?” she asked.

“Those days are long past,” Luna replied.

“But they don’t need to be,” Celestia said. “It has been too long since we took a vacation, just the two of us. I think that we are long overdue.”

Luna gently shook herself out of Celestia’s embrace and walked to the window. The sun was barely over the mountains and started to shine down on the sleeping ponies below. Soon, they would wake and go about their day.

You see? Even now they ignore you, and why shouldn’t they? You were completely useless and made a fool of by the Storm King. If it were us, such a thing would never have happened

“Be still,” Luna hissed. Nightmare Moon laughed in reply.

“Who are you talking to?” Celestia asked.

“No one,” Luna replied.

See? Even your own sister doubts you. What would she say if she knew you were talking to voices in your head?

Luna quickly turned to face Celestia. “Dear sister, I am glad you mentioned taking a vacation,” she said. Celestia’s face brightened, but before she could speak, Luna continued. “I have been thinking that I would like to take a journey.”

“Oh.” Celestia’s face fell. “And where would you go?”

Luna looked back to the window. She felt terrible for lying to Celestia. “I think I would like to just wander for a while. As you have said, it has been a long time since either of us have left the castle for an extended period of time.”

Celestia rose from her seat and stood next to Luna. “Is this because of what happened at the Friendship Festival?” she asked. “Neither of us were particularly helpful and we had to depend on Twilight Sparkle and the Elements. Again.”

“And that is the problem sister,” Luna said. “For too long, we have relied on Twilight Sparkle and her friends to save us from one crisis after another. And what does that make us? We are alicorns, Rulers of Equestria, and Princesses of the Sun and Moon. And yet, for all our supposed strength, we end up needing to be rescued time and time again. This should not be!” Luna stomped her hoof on the tile floor to emphasize her point.

“So that’s what’s bothering you?” Celestia asked. “That we need to rely on others to solve our problems?”

“Partially,” Luna said. “We used to be fearsome and powerful warriors that made our enemies tremble. We unified Equestria, conquered our enemies, and brought peace to our ponies. Now, the daily toil of castle life has made us fat and lazy.”

At this, Celestia frowned. “What exactly do you mean by that?” she asked.

Luna let out a snort and rolled her eyes. “I am the Night Princess. You think I don’t see you sneaking about the castle to enjoy a midnight cake or two?”

Celestia blushed and cleared her throat. “What I do and don’t do on my own time is precisely none of your business,” she said.

Luna shook her head and sighed. “And this is precisely why we always need rescuing. We can’t defend ourselves anymore.”

“And you think that taking time off will fix that?” Celestia asked.

“I don’t know what I think anymore,” Luna admitted. She turned back to face her sister. “Please. I only ask for a few days, a week at the most.”

Celestia took a moment to consider Luna’s words. “And who will raise and lower the moon while you are gone?” she asked.

A sly grin appeared on Luna’s face. “You raised the moon for a thousand years while I was gone. Surely another week or so will be no trouble.”

Celestia frowned and then broke into a big smile. “Of course, sister. If you think it will help you feel better, I will do whatever it takes.”

Whatever it takes? An interesting thought

Doubt flickered briefly in Luna’s eyes as she leaned in to embrace her sister.

That night, when he castle was sleeping, Luna used one of her unique abilities to turn into mist and left the castle. Her destination was a sleepy little town to the south on the edge of Everfree Forest. Luna materialized in Twilight Sparkle’s library and stood before the mirror portal. In its current configuration, the mirror led to the human Equestira with the link to Sunset Shimmer’s journal acting as the catalyst. In theory, the mirror could open to anywhere, as long as one had the correct spell.

Luna faced the mirror and her horn began to glow as she cast a complicated tracking spell. It had taken her many nights of research and study. Even now, there was no guarantee of success. As she worked her magic, Luna’s heart swelled with hope. If this didn’t work, she didn’t know what she would do.

Running away little princess?

Luna ignored her and concentrated on the mirror.

Poor little Luna, so sad and alone. I am the only one who truly cares for you. Only I have your best interest at heart

“You have no heart,” Luna replied angrily. “Be still! I need to concentrate.”

Nightmare Moon’s mocking laughter faded away and Luna sighed. Nightmare Moon was growing bolder and more forceful. Luna hoped this wasn’t a sign of things to come.

The spell was finally complete and the mirror was enveloped in a dark blue outline. The contraption Twilight had rigged up to the mirror began to sputter and spark, and the whole thing started to rattle and make noise.

A seed of panic started to grow in Luna’s heart. Was Twilight home? Would the noise wake her or Spike? The mirror suddenly flashed as the portal opened and without a second thought, Luna quickly stepped through. As soon as she was gone, the machine stopped and became still. The only indication that anything had happened was a thin curl of smoke that drifted lazily through the air.

The Doctor Will See You Now

Nyx sat in the hollowed out remains of a four story building that overlooked the plaza. From her perch on the third floor, the Hunter kept watch for Fallen patrols that frequented the area. She played with her knife and wondered how much longer she would have to wait.

Out in the square, three crumbling statues stood around a central fountain that had gone dry long ago. In fact, this entire area was a testament to the fallen glory of mankind. This region wasn’t called the Dead Zone for nothing. The forest was slowly reclaiming the ruins of civilization as the Fallen and Humanity fought over the scraps. Then the Red Legion showed up and turned everything on its head. But none of that was important to Nyx at the moment. She was expecting a special guest.

From her vantage point, Nyx noticed the right hand statue was starting to glow. The head’s up display in her helmet stared to glitch from interference and her Light was reacting. Nyx dusted herself off as she rose to her feet and sheathed her knife. “Showtime,” she mumbled to herself and hopped out the window to the ground below.

Luna had never been through the portal and she found the experience quite disorienting. It was similar to the time she discovered she could turn her body to mist. She felt pulled every which way into an unfamiliar form. Luna perceived herself traveling at high speed through a tunnel of rainbow light. Images flashed before her eyes, but Luna wasn’t able to focus on any of them. She had no concept of time, but the journey through the portal finally ended. There was a flash of light and the world suddenly started spinning.

Luna fell out of the portal and landed in a heap on the ground. The rough stones scraped her hands and Luna winced in pain. She then realized something felt out of place. She looked down in wonder at the appendages that weren’t her hooves.

“These must be the hands and fingers Twilight Sparkle spoke of,” Luna said. She wiggled her fingers and marveled at the undulating motion. Luna found a small rock and after several attempts, managed to pick it up and ran her hands over the rough texture. “Humans are fascinating creatures,” Luna said.

“Unfortunately Your Highness, we shouldn’t stay here for too long,” Nyx spoke up.

Luna yelped in surprise and scrambled backwards. She looked around wildly and eventually focused on Nyx’s armored form. Luna felt her back press against the statue, indicating she had nowhere else to go. She had been careless. She had become distracted by her new form and failed to take note of her surroundings. Anger mixed with fear in the pit of Luna’s stomach.

You have grown soft. You deserve everything that is about to happen to you

Luna took a few deep breaths and attempted to calm down. With a shaky voice, she asked, “Who are you?”

Nyx knelt down before the princess to try and put her at ease. “My name is Nyx. I’ve been expecting you.”

At this, Luna frowned. “How is that possible? I have only just arrived here and told nopony of my plans.”

Nyx sighed. “I’m just here as a convenient plot device to keep the story moving and take you where you need to go.”

Luna was confused. Who was this stranger that spoke in such a strange manner? “I don’t understand,” she said.

Nyx rose to her feet and held out her hand. “You don’t need to understand,” she said. “All you need to know is that I’m here to take you to Hildr.”

Luna went numb all over. “I made it?” she whispered. “I’ve come to the right place?” Tears began to form in the corners of her eyes and threatened to spill down her cheeks.

Nyx sighed and helped Luna to her feet. “I know this is overwhelming for you, but you need to keep it together a little longer. This area isn’t safe and a Fallen patrol is about to spawn in any moment now.”

Luna sniffed and looked to Nyx in confusion. “What is the meaning of ‘spawn in’?” she asked.

Nyx looked away and slapped herself on the head and muttered, “Stupid author and this stupid exposition dialogue.” She turned back to Luna. “Listen! I’m not mad at you, but if we stay here any longer, I will be forced to spend the next page and a half or so explaining why everything happened and why this world is the way it is. Now to avoid all that, we’re just going to jump to the next scene and give the reader no explanation whatsoever.” Nyx was huffing angrily at the end of her little rant.

Luna stood there dumbfounded. “What?” she asked clearly confused.

The Last City was indeed the last true city of humanity, but that didn’t mean there weren’t small outposts and communities scattered around the Earth. The Farm was one of these places. Located deep in the European Dead Zone, The Farm was a secluded location on the edge of a large lake and easily defended from Fallen patrols. When the Red Legion attacked The City and attempted to take the Traveler, a number of refugees and Guardians fled to The Farm. Now that The City had been retaken and the Red Legion pushed back, most of the refugees returned. However, the small number that decided to stay quickly put a strain on the meager resources of The Farm.

Hildr decided to stay and open a small clinic in one of the abandoned buildings at The Farm to give aid to those who could not or would not travel to The City for care. A small stream flowed behind the building and ran a waterwheel that helped supply power to her building and to the rest of The Farm. She worked hard and was constantly short on supplies, but Hildr took solace in the quiet ways.

She was working at her makeshift desk when Nyx poked her head in and knocked on the open door. “Hey Doc, you have a visitor,” she said.

“Who is it?” Hildr asked, not looking up.

Nyx chuckled and said, “Well that would just spoil the surprise.”

Hildr sighed and looked up from her work. “I don’t have time for your games Nyx. If you want to be useful, go procure some supplies.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Nyx gave a little wave and left. Hildr rubbed her temples and let out a small groan. Ever since she had returned, Nyx continued to be a helpful and annoying pest. She appreciated the Hunter’s help in getting acclimated to the current time, but there was something about Nyx that seemed…off somehow. Since she was a supporter of Future War Cult, Hildr assumed that was the reason why.

There was a polite knock at the door and without looking up, Hildr called out, “Enter.”

“I see. So there is some truth to you words after all,” a familiar voice said.

Hildr’s eyes snapped open and she quickly looked up to see her guest. She wore a long black overcoat with a high collar that was open at the neck and partially hid her face. Black knee length boots covered her feet with dark grey pants tucked into the cuffs. Her skin was a vibrant dark blue that matched the color of her eyes. Her midnight blue hair hung loose down to the small of her back. Around her neck was a black choker with a small silver crescent moon pendant. Her face was a mix of amusement and anxiety. “Is this how you treat your friends?” she asked with a chuckle.

Wordlessly, Hildr rose to her feet and approached the stranger. She stopped before her and after a moment’s pause, Hildr greeted her with a massive hug.

“Oof,” Luna grunted. “I am glad to see you as well.”

Hildr released Luna from the embrace and held her at arm’s length. Luna nearly wilted under Hildr’s intense scrutiny, but she saw that her gaze had softened some. Hildr’s eyes also carried warmth that wasn’t there before.

Hildr suddenly turned and showed Luna to a spare seat and walked around and sat behind her desk. She moved some papers around to make space and calmly turned to face Luna. “So Princess, to what to I owe the honor?” Hildr asked.

Luna’s smile began to falter and she started to pick at the hem of her coat. Where should she begin, Luna wondered. She was having a hard time focusing her thoughts and her face started to crinckle with worry. If memory served, Hildr had little time for small talk and even less patience for wasting time.

How had it come to this? Luna’s mind raced. It sounded so simple: go visit Hildr and talk about what was bothering her. But now that she was here, Luna didn’t know what to say. She started to grow angry at her indecisiveness and dark thoughts began to bubble in her mind. She was a powerful alicorn princess, and yet she had never felt more useless than she did now. Luna’s heart ached and she wante so badly to share her pain, so why couldn’t she? Did the gods above or below decide that she hadn’t suffered enough for her sins? What more did they demand of her? Was this her fate, to be alone in the dark like the moon she was tied to?

Panic and despair were setting in and Luna was having trouble breathing. She felt like she was choking on all the things she wanted to say. Luna opened her moth, but the words would not come. She looked to Hildr with tears in her eyes and managed to utter two words: “Help me.”

Hildr’s heart broke seeing Luna like this. In their short time together, Hildr had come to respect the Princess of the Night and she hoped Luna felt the same. It was true that Hildr was very pleased to see Luna again, but her joy was tempered with the suspicion that Luna wasn’t just here for a happy reunion. Seeing Luna reduced to tears was something Hildr never thought she would ever see.

Taking a deep breath, Hildr leaned forward and placed her hands on the table, palms up. Luna looked uncertain and hesitantly placed her hands in Hildr’s. “Luna, I have no idea what you are going through right now,” Hildr said gently and closed her hands over Luna’s. “But you have done the right thing. Seeking help is the first step, but it is the hardest and most challenging.”

Luna sniffed as the tears streamed silently down her face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t come all this way only to waste your time. You must be very annoyed by now,” she said.

Hildr fell back violently against her chair, as if she had suffered a severe shock. The sudden movement made Luna flinch and Hildr stomped to the front door of her clinic. She quickly looked around, but saw no one. “Clinic is closed! Come back tomorrow!” she shouted and slammed the door. Luna could only watch as Hildr stomped back to her office, shut the door, and pulled her chair close so that she was knee to knee with Luna. Hildr stared into Luna’s eyes and let out a long sigh. “Now then. We have all the time in the world,” she said.

Luna’s face was downcast and she stared into her lap. “Do we?” she whispered.

Hildr leaned forward and waited for Luna to gather her thoughts. She had a small inkling of what might be causing Luna so much distress, but she didn’t want to jump to conclusions.

They sat like that for a while, neither saying anything. It was late afternoon when Nyx found Luna and now the last rays of the sun cast long shadows on the ground. A sudden thought struck Hildr and she rolled her eyes in disgust. “Ugh, where are my manners?” she said and rose to her feet. Luna frowned and watched with interest as Hildr moved about the small office. While she was busy, Luna looked around and finally took note of her surroundings. No offense to Hildr, but the place was a dump. The walls looked to be barely holding the ceiling up, and grass and flowers were growing through the floorboards. The windows were either boarded up or missing completely. Through the entryway to the next room, Luna could see a line of cots along the wall. Privacy curtains had been strung along the ceiling. From where she sat, Luna couldn’t see if any of the cots were occupied. Luna had noticed there was an upper floor and she wondered if that was where Hildr kept her supplies.

Hildr finally returned carrying two mugs of steaming liquid. She set one before Luna and took a small sip of her own. “Please forgive my rudeness. I don’t often receive guests who aren’t in some kind of pain or want something from me,” she said.

Luna carefully grasped the hot mug in her hands and took a n exploratory sip. She found it was lightly sweetened, with a hint of citrus. The liquid warmed Luna’s insides and she felt some of the tension ease from her body.

“It’s not exactly fitting for a princess, but it’s the best I have,” Hildr said.

Luna shook her head. “Please, do not worry. This is plenty,” she said.

Hildr put her mug on the desk and turned her full attention to Luna. “Luna, I think of you as a friend, but I can’t help you unless you tell me what is wrong.”

Luna bit her lip and stared at the mug in her hands. It was chipped and cracked all over. It seemed on the edge of falling to pieces, much like Luna herself. “Do you know why this is so hard?” she asked.

“Admitting one’s weakness is always a struggle,” Hildr said. “For someone of great power or authority, it can be even worse. There is a saying, and I forget how it goes, but basically it means that those on top or in a position over others are often the loneliest. Do you know why that is?”

Luna thought for a moment. “I believe it is because such a pony, or person rather, has no one to turn to in a time of need. They are expected to have the answers to every question and to look out for the safety and well being of the others.”

Hildr nodded in agreement. “If the leader shows any hesitation or doubt, others will begin to question their authority or leadership. In some cases, others will seek to remove the leader from power.”

Luna shook her head. “But how can that be? Nopony can remain invulnerable. Something will have to give eventually.”

“So tell me Luna, what is it that has made you feel so vulnerable and weak?” Hildr asked gently.

Luna’s eyes flashed with anger and a frown grew on her face. “Who said I was weak?” she challenged.

Hildr slowly sat back in her chair. “I didn’t. You showed me yourself when you arrived here,” she said gently.

Luna was starting to grow angry and she didn’t know why. She tried to stop the darkness in her heart from spreading, but it came over her like a giant wave that threatened to drown her. Luna thought she could hear Nightmare Moon’s mocking laughter. “I didn’t come here to be insulted,” she replied hotly. “If I wanted that, I never would have left the castle. The nobleponies of Equestria think they hide it so well, but I would have to be blind and stupid not to notice the way they look at me. I see the pity in their eyes and the disgust in their turned up noses. They stand proudly, but their knees shake with fear. And they should!” Luna rose to her feet and the power of her voice shook the walls. “I am the Moon Princess! I have more power in one hoof than all the nobleponies in Equestria have in their bodies combined! I command the moon, and as such I have power of the night and over the ocean tides as well! With a mere thought, I could drown Equestria in the ocean! And they have the gall to deride me? To look down on me? I don’t want them to pity me, I want them to respect me!”

“You mean fear you?” Hildr asked.

Luna glared down at Hildr. “Sometimes, fear and respect are the same thing.”

Hildr shook her head. “If your subjects fear you, they won’t love you. Some of the stronger ones might even rise up against you. You will be a tyrant, not a ruler.” She carefully stood up and reached for Luna’s hands. Luna looked down and realized her knuckles had turned white from clenching her fists so hard. A deep wave of regret passed over her and threatened to send her to the floor. “I don’t know what came over me,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to become so upset, but when you said those things, I couldn’t help myself.”

“I know you didn’t mean it,” Hildr said. “Not knowing who to trust or who to turn to when you need help can be very overwhelming.” She decided to take a gamble and added, “Hearing voices in your head certainly doesn’t help either.”

Luna’s gasped in shock and her mug slipped through her hands and shattered on the floor. Luna turned away in shame and felt like she wanted to cry. “I’m sorry. I did not mean to break your cup. How did you know?”

Hildr bent down to pick up the pieces and carefully placed them in the trash. “Based on our conversation before, I had a feeling that was why you risked coming here.”

Luna tried to frown, but found she couldn’t. “Perhaps I wanted to come and chat, to catch up with a friend?” she suggested.

Hildr smiled and shook her head. “I could tell you what I think, but it is important that you be the one to say it.”

“Why is that?” Luna asked.

“Because hearing someone else say it could lead to doubt or deluding yourself into thinking that it isn’t true. But saying it out loud, and with your own voice, makes it a solid and tangible thing. By admitting it to yourself, you choose to face your struggles head on,” Hildr said. “My path might have been different, but the outcome was still the same. I thought I was facing my problems by stubbornly moving forward, but I refused to face the cause of it all.”

Luna had never heard this part and listened with rapt attention. “And what was that?” she asked.

Hildr bowed her head and tried to keep the embarrassment from showing. “I never took the time to stop and give myself the proper time to grieve for those that I have lost or left behind. I never wanted to be abandoned by others again, and in doing so, I turned my back on those I truly cared for.”

Luna was shocked. This was the reason Hildr had pushed herself so hard and accidently arrived on Sunset Shimmer’s doorstep? Luna didn’t know what to make of it. “Is that what the Fire of Friendship showed you?” she asked.

Hildr shrugged. “Partially. It forced me to face the painful feelings and emotions I was keeping locked away deep in my heart. I am not the most outgoing person, and I still struggle with showing my emotions to others.” Hildr straightened her back and stared confidently into Luna’s face. “Now that I have shared with you, isn’t it time for you to do the same?”

Luna sighed and looked away. Ever since she had arrived here, Luna felt like she was on a never ending emotional roller coaster and it left her feeling drained and exhausted. “I am sorry Hildr, but my traveling and this night have left me with little energy. I would like to continue tomorrow after some rest,” she said.

Hildr looked outside and realized how late it was. “Of course. Let me show you to a spare room,” she said and led Luna upstairs and showed her to a small room and opened the door. Inside was bare, with just a bed with blankets folded neatly and a small bedside table with a lamp. Hildr flipped the light switch and the lamp reluctantly came to life, casting a reddish glow across the room. “You can sleep on the bed,” Hildr said.

“What about you?” Luna asked.

“I have some paperwork to catch up on,” Hildr said with a wave. “If it gets too late, I’ll sleep on one of the cots downstairs.”

“Or at your desk, like you are prone to do,” Raven said as he appeared.

Luna stepped back in surprise. She had forgotten all about Hildr’s Ghost. “Please forgive my rudeness,” Luna said with a bow.

Raven floated over and nudged Luna’s cheek. “Don’t worry about it Princess,” he assured her.

“Where have you been all this time?” Luna asked.

Raven looked to the side and mad a humming noise. “It didn’t feel right to interrupt while you were talking,” he said.

Luna took Raven into her hands and held him close. “Thank you for your consideration,” she said.

“See? At least SOMEONE appreciates me,” Raven said, turning to Hildr.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, you little drama queen,” Hildr said and rolled her eyes. “Sleep well Princess,” she added and walked out of the room. After a moment of hesitation, Raven followed her out, leaving Luna alone.

Luna turned off the light, undressed, and lay down on the bed. She pulled the blankets up to her chin and closed her eyes, hoping the voices would let her rest.

She was wrong.

Nighttime Therapy

Luna tried to sleep, but being in a strange place in a strange form while hearing Nightmare Moon’s constant chattering made rest futile. Luna opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. She didn’t know how much time had passed, but it couldn’t have been more than a few hours.

Luna sighed and rubbed her eyes. This was getting her nowhere and her exhaustion was growing worse. Luna rolled out of bed and slowly got dressed. She crept through the house, hoping to not wake Hildr. Luna felt badly for Hildr. She knew Hildr was trying her best, but Luna knew she wasn’t making it easy for her. Luna wondered if there was some way to pay her back. As quietly as she could, Luna opened the front door and stepped outside.

The air was crisp and cool. Luna looked around, but saw no one else. She assumed they were all sleeping. Most of the lights had been turned off, giving Luna an unhindered view of the night sky. Behind the clinic was a small plateau and Luna climbed up. She sat down and looked up in awe at the night sky. She recognized none of the constellations and wondered if any of the stars were the same as back home. This brought Luna’s thoughts back to Equestria. What time was it there? Was Celestia raising her moon properly? Unlike last time, Luna left behind specific instructions for proper placement of the moon and stars. Luna sometimes wondered how the seafaring ponies and races managed to navigate without the correct star alignment.

Or had they simply become used to the way Celestia had handled the nights before and Luna was the one who changed everything. This thought brought more guilt to Luna’s heart. Even when she tried her best to make things right, it only ended up worse in the end. Luna tried to push the negativity aside, but it was hard. Instead, she turned her focus to the moon. It looked larger and Luna could see that it was misshapen in some way. She frowned and decided to ask Hildr about it later.

Luna lay back in the grass and closed her eyes to meditate. She could feel the power that existed in this place. It was different than her Magic in that it had more weight and substance. It felt sharper and more defined. Luna assumed this power was the Light that Hildr talked about. Luna could feel her own Magic was intact, but it felt compressed by the density of the Light. Luna wondered how Hildr was able to manage with both Light and Magic and make it into something new.

Luna looked up at the moon and wondered if her special connection was only to her moon or any moon that existed. She closed her eyes and focused her magic. Unknown to Luna, a circle of light appeared on her forehead and the outline of a horn faded into existence. Luna tentatively reached out to the moon with her magic.

Hello moon, I am Luna.

Luna felt like she had run into a brick wall at full speed as she was instantly assaulted with horrific images, the likes of which she had never seen. Screams of the dammed pierced her ears and the disgusting stench of death and decay filled her nose. A power so vile and evil enveloped Luna and threatened to drag her under for all eternity. Images of gothic horror and unspeakable acts filtered through Luna’s mind. Icy fingers pried at the edges of her mind threatening to tear it open and learn all her secrets. Luna felt like her very soul was being sucked out of her body, leaving behind an empty husk to be filled with pure malice and hate.

All of this was nothing compared to the weight of the Darkness that held it all together. Luna herself was a creature of the Night, but this was something else entirely. This was a Darkness so deep, it existed before Time began and would endure after the last star in the sky went dark.

And it was hungry. It wormed its way into Luna’s mind through her magical connection. She tried to break the link, but the Darkness was too strong. It probed her mind and attempted to force itself into her deepest memories. Luna had never felt so violated in her life.

The Darkness spoke to her, whispered to her in a way Nightmare Moon never did. It saw her weakness and tried to exploit it. It showed Luna the great and terrible things it had done and could do. Entire civilizations snuffed out. Whole galaxies sputtered and were consumed. What hope did she have to stand against such a thing?

WHO DARES? You do not know with whom you are dealing!

The Darkness seemed to laugh at Nightmare Moon’s statement. It started to pry deeper, but Nightmare Moon stood strong. BEGONE! she commanded and unleashed a powerful blast of Dark Magic that drove the Darkness back. Once it was gone, Luna was able to sever the connection.

Luna’s eyes flew open and she scrambled to the side and vomited. The things she had seen were permanently burned into her memory. The disgusting greasy feeling the Darkness left behind made Luna squirm and made her feel tainted and unclean. She wasn’t sure if the feeling would ever go away.

When she was done dry heaving, Luna sat back and collapsed on the ground. This was a mistake. She never should have come here. She now realized that Hildr had greatly underestimated when she told them how bad her world was. How could anyone live like this? Why had they all not fallen into despair? What hope did they have to survive against what she had seen?

Luna heard footsteps and Hildr appeared in her field of view. Luna noticed she had a sad expression on her face. Hildr helped Luna sit up and Luna looked away in embarrassment. “I am ashamed you have to see me in such a pitiful state,” she said.

Hildr looked to where Luna had thrown up and handed her a glass of water. “Here. Rinse the taste out of your mouth,” she said.

Luna took the glass and swished a mouthful before spitting it into the grass. She drank the rest and handed the glass back to Hildr, who then poured out a measure of pink liquid into the glass and handed it back to Luna. “This is to help settle your stomach,” she said.

Luna warily took the glass and sniffed at the contents before taking a sip. The pink liquid was thick, a bit chalky, and tasted like mint. Luna finished drinking and chewed on the remains in her mouth.

Hildr gently sat next to Luna, who refused to look at her. “I’m sorry,” Hildr said. “I should have warned you first. It didn’t occur to me that your special connection to the moon would work here.”

Luna shuddered at the thought of what she had seen. “What happened to your moon?” she asked. “I know that we ponies in Equestria live a somewhat sheltered existence compared to you, but what I witnessed, I have no words to describe.” Luna shook her head.

Hildr looked up to the moon and made a disgusted face. “What you saw is the work of an enemy we call The Hive. Since you have already seen, there’s no reason to explain anymore,” she said.

Luna turned to face Hildr. “How do you do it? How do you continue to live here knowing that you face such evil?”

“Because of the Light that the Traveler has given to me,” Hildr said, “Rather, the Traveler unlocked the potential in me to do great things. Like I told Sunset Shimmer, I am not an altruistic person. I don’t do this for the glory or the recognition. I choose to help others because I have the power to do so.”

A faint grin appeared on Luna’s face. “That sounds very altruistic if you ask me,” she said.

Hildr shrugged and bumped her shoulder against Luna. “I know you are tired after your long journey, but it seems that neither of us is going to get much sleep tonight.”

Luna nodded absently and asked, “How did you know I was outside?”

Hildr grinned. “You may be an all-powerful pony princess, but you are a novice at being a human. I heard you knocking about upstairs.”

“Oh,” Luna said and tried to hide her embarrassment. “I wasn’t trying to wake you.”

“Don’t worry. I’m a light sleeper anyway,” Hildr said. She became curious and asked, “What else did you see?”

Luna shrugged. “Darkness, the likes of which I have never seen. I felt like I would drown in it.”

“What stopped it?” Hildr asked.

Luna opened her mouth and stopped. She was unclear as to what happened herself. Her mind felt like it had been on the verge of breaking when the pressure suddenly lifted. Even stranger, Nightmare Moon was silent. “I do not know. My mind is fuzzy,” she said finally.

Hildr stood up and helped Luna to her feet. “As much as I enjoy the outdoors, I enjoy a comfortable seat even more.”

“Agreed,” Luna said and they walked back inside the clinic. Once they were seated, Luna let out a big sigh. “Sometimes, I think there is a disconnect between what I know in my head and what I know in my heart,” she said. “For instance, I know in my head that my sister cares deeply for me, and the ponies of Equestria acknowledge and respect me, but deep in my heart, I believe none of it. My heart tells me that I will never be truly loved, not in the way that I desire. And perhaps this is true. One thousand years is a long time to anypony that is not immortal. Ponies forgot who I was. Before that, I was Nightmare Moon, and before that,” Luna let the thought hang while she looked down at her hands. “The time that I was Nightmare Moon and my banishment is hazy and unclear, however there are certain things I remember with clarity, such as my return and subsequent exposure to the Elements of Harmony.”

“What was it like for you?” Hildr asked.

“I imagine it was similar to your exposure to the Fire of Friendship,” Luna said. “The Elements opened my heart to the truth and showed me all the pain and suffering I had caused. Truly, I did not know. I only wanted my efforts to be noticed and appreciated by everypony. Instead, I became the very thing that goes bump in the night to frighten small children.”

Hildr hugged her knees to her chest and rocked back and forth. “Sunset Shimmer told me the Elements did the same thing to her,” she said. “But in Sunset’s case, she knew what she was doing, but I think she underestimated exactly what would happen.”

Luna stared off into the distance. “I have given a lot of thought to what you said to me back in Equestria,” she said.

“Which part?” Hildr asked. “I remember saying some not very nice things.”

“Nice or not, some things needed said,” Luna replied. “But I was referring to what you said about my condition.”

“The hearing voices, delusions of grandeur, and blurring of fantasy and reality?” Hildr asked.

Luna nodded. “You said that such ailments often stem from some kind of trauma or accident that the mind tries to forget.” Hildr nodded in reply.

Luna hesitated. Even now, some moments were crystal clear while others seemed like they were happening to somepony else. “You see, my sister and I were born as alicorns, but we were not always princesses.”

Needless to say, Hildr was shocked. “But I thought princesses were made into alicorns, or something like that,” she said.

Luna shook her head. “My sister and I were different and we were almost fully grown before we received our cutie marks.”

Hildr let out a breath and shook her head. “Figures that you and Celestia always played by different rules.”

Luna narrowed her eyes, but let Hildr’s comment slide. “Starswirl the Bearded found us and trained us in the ways of Magic. Due to our status as alicorns, my sister and I eventually surpassed him. After we received our cutie marks, we were named as Rulers of Equestria.”

“How did the ponies take it?” Hildr asked.

“About as well as you can guess,” Luna replied. “A majority of the ponies supported us, but a small group of nobles banded together in opposition. And why wouldn’t they? Here we were, two upstart sisters with no knowledge of the world, claiming to be rulers. Who were we to force them out of power?”

“Figures,” Hildr spat.

“Even then, my sister favored a more diplomatic approach. Thanks to her efforts, civil war was barely avoided. A compromise was reached that the nobles grudgingly accepted,” Luna said.

“Let me guess, the Royal Court?” Hildr asked.

Luna nodded. “At the same time, I was held to an oath that forbade me from using a pony’s dreams as leverage against them or for my own betterment.”

“Oh, well that explains that then,” Hildr said.

Luna managed a small chuckle. “I suppose I failed to mention that fact before,” she said. Luna then grew somber as she searched her memories. “From then on, it was a struggle to maintain the kingdom. The neighboring countries thought we could be bullied, but I showed them how wrong they were. My sister prefers to let ponies figure out their own problems for themselves and offer guidance as needed. I, on the other hoof, prefer a more direct approach. But even so, my sister is no pushover. There is a reason the Badlands of Equestria are still a desert wasteland.”

At this, Hildr’s eyes went wide. “Oops. I almost feel bad for antagonizing Celestia,” she said.

“Don’t worry. She needs it from time to time,” Luna said. “It was during this time that I realized my power was changing. I discovered I could turn my body to mist and control shadows. I could influence the dreams of others, and I began experimenting with Dark Magic and its properties. I was thrilled. I thought I was discovering new abilities and power. As it turns out, I was simply awakening my true potential.”

“And what was that?” Hildr asked.

Luna turned to Hildr with sadness in her eyes. “The thing that goes bump in the night. You see, if you become that which others fear, anything less will not bother them.” Luna turned away and traced lazy patterns on Hildr’s desk. “The whispers started, and by the time I realized what was happening, it was too late.”

Hildr put her arm around Luna’s shoulders. “I truly am sorry. I can’t begin to imagine what that must be like,” she said.

“For a long time, I kept everything a secret and suffered in silence,” Luna continued. “But there was one event, the catalyst that started the downward spiral.”

Hildr could feel the tension in Luna’s body. “You don’t have to tell me if you are not ready,” she said.

Luna shook her head. “I shall show you my memories and then you will understand.” Luna turned until she was facing Hildr and held out her hands. Hildr sat forward and put her hands in Luna’s. “Close your eyes and concentrate. Feel your energy and synch it with mine,” Luna instructed.

Hildr closed her eyes and reached for her Light. Due to her proximity to Luna, what little Magic Hildr had left began to react. Instead of fighting it, Hildr let her Magic reach out and touch Luna’s. She felt a rush of power as Luna’s Magic connected with hers. It was different than the Fire of Friendship. Luna’s magic felt colder, darker, more sinister. It was like a tightly wound spring, ready to go off at the slightest touch. An inky blob appeared in front of Hildr and quickly engulfed her in darkness.

Memories in the Dark

Author's Note

Part of this chapter was inspired by a fan video called Fall of the Crystal Empire. I highly encourage you to watch it.

Memories in the Dark

At first, Hildr was surprised and on guard, but when she felt no ill intent, she relaxed. This darkness seemed more like a watchful shadow, more curious than anything. She looked around and saw nothing but empty darkness. However, when Hildr looked down, she could clearly see her body. Just then, she heard a sniffling sound. Hildr looked around, but could not see the source. Then there was a quiet sob and Hildr perceived it coming from her right. She carefully followed the sound until she came across a little pony. Its mane was soft white and its coat a dark shade of blue. Tiny wings were folded on its back and a little horn was visible on its head. Hildr realized this was a tiny alicorn and it was adorable, its soft cries pulled at Hildr’s heartstrings. She knelt down next to it and very gently asked, “Hello little one. Who are you?”

The alicorn stopped crying momentarily and looked up at Hildr with big sorrowful eyes. “Woona,” she replied.

Hildr was shocked, but tried not to show it so as to not startle the little alicorn. If what she said was true, this was Princess Luna as a filly. “Your name is Woona?” she asked.

Woona nodded. “Who are you? You don’t look like a pony.”

“You are right. I am not a pony,” Hildr said.

“Then what are you?” Woona asked, her curiosity temporarily outweighing her sadness and fear.

Hildr pointed to herself and said, “I am a human.”

Woona frowned. “My sister says I shouldn’t talk to strange ponies and things that aren’t ponies,” she said.

Hildr nodded. She couldn’t argue with that logic. “Your sister sounds very smart. Does she take care of you?” she asked.

Woona nodded. “Sometimes, she is very bossy and doesn’t let me do things on my own. My sister is very bright and shiny. She doesn’t understand that not everypony can be like her.”

“You don’t want to be like your sister?” Hildr asked.

Woona shook her head. “What good would that do if there were two Tias instead of one Tia and one me? I want ponies to see me and not just Tia’s little sister.”

Hildr crouched down and slowly reached out to little Woona, who suddenly looked afraid and started to back away. “You frighten me,” she said.

At this, Hildr stopped and pulled her hands back. “I am sorry. I did not mean to,” she said.

Woona continued to stare at Hildr and tucked her legs under herself. “I think you should go now.”

“Aren’t you afraid all by yourself?” Hildr asked.

Woona shook her head. “I’m not alone. Sometimes, I just feel sad. That is okay right?”

Hildr nodded. “Yes little one, it is okay to feel sad sometimes, but being sad all the time is not good.”

“I know,” Woona said. “Sometimes it’s hard to feel happy about anything.”

“And what makes you happy?” Hildr asked.

Woona looked up. “Looking at the moon makes me happy.”

Hildr followed Woona’s gaze and found herself looking at the most magnificent moon she had ever seen. The reflected light cast a soft glow that gave the surrounding area a serene feeling. “I want to go to the moon someday, but Tia says that is not possible,” Woona said.

Hildr reached out and gently patted Woona’s head. “If that is what you want more than anything in the world, then I believe you can make it happen.” She gave Woona a light boop on the nose and added, “I think you are going to grow up and become a magnificent princess, and all the ponies will love you.”

Woona smiled. “You really think so?” she asked.

Hildr nodded. “I do indeed.”

Woona rose to her feet and hesitantly approached Hildr. She tucked herself under Hildr’s arm and leaned into her side. “You know what? I like you. Maybe Tia was wrong about not-ponies being so bad,” she said.

Hildr hugged Woona tight and let her go. “I have to be going now. Be safe little one.”

“I will,” Woona promised and waved goodbye as Hildr walked on. Soon the scenery changed and Hildr found herself on a battlefield. The ground was scorched bare and littered with broken weapons and bits of armor. Off in the distance was a huge, elaborate palace made from crystal. Its sharp lines and angles, combined with bold coloring, presented an intimidating presence.

Next to Hildr were two ponies dressed in elaborate armor. One pony was larger than the other and wore white and gold armor. Her pastel colored mane waved lazily in the wind and she wore a look of resignation mixed with resolve on her face. The smaller pony wore black and blue armor with silver greaves on her legs. Her armor was slimmer and more form fitting. Unlike the white pony, this black pony wore a permanent scowl on her face.

Looking at them, Hildr realized this was Celestia and Luna in their younger years and this must be one of the many battles Luna spoke of. “This is all Luna’s memory?” Hildr wondered outloud.

Luna and Celestia were speaking, but Hildr couldn’t hear what was being said. Luna was becoming more forceful and animated, while Celestia quietly shook her head. Eventually he pair moved on toward the palace. Hildr’s vision began to blur and faded to darkness. This darkness was different than the first. It was angry, sharper, looking for conflict. This was a slow, seething anger that had been festering for some time.

Hildr looked around and saw an alicorn standing nearby. Her coat was a darker shade than Woona and her mane was turning blue with specks that glittered like stars. Her horn was longer, sharper, and pulsed with blue energy. On her hindquarters was a large black splotch with a white crescent moon. Hildr surmised this was Luna in her adolescent phase. Her face was a mask of intensity, and she paced back and forth with sharp, precise movements. If Hildr had to guess, Luna was upset about something. Hildr carefully approached and called out, “Hello there.”

Startled, the alicorn quickly crouched down in a defensive posture and pointed her glowing horn threateningly at Hildr. “Stop! Come no closer or I will take measures against you.”

Hildr slowly put her hands out. “Look. I am unarmed. I mean you no harm. You are Luna, correct?”

Luna glared at Hildr, but her horn stopped glowing and she stood up. “I am Luna. Who are you and how do you know my name?”

Hildr put her hand to her chest and said, “My name is Hildr, and how could I not know who you are, Princess Luna?”

Luna narrowed her eyes as if she still wasn’t convinced. “How do I know you aren’t some kind of spy or a Changeling in disguise? I have never seen your kind before.”

“I am not from your world. I have traveled across space to meet you,” Hildr said. Technically, she wasn’t lying.

Luna snorted. “I do not know why you would want to meet me when my sister garners all of the attention. Everypony loves her. And for what? Because she is kind, gentle and raises the sun? Ha! Nopony knew who we were until we became rulers of Equestria. They only seek her out because of her position.”

“That may be so, but I think it takes a special kind of pony to keep watch during the night,” Hildr said. “It must be comforting for ponies to know that they have a powerful guardian to watch over them while they sleep.”

Luna’s gaze started to soften. “Pretty words and flattery will get you nowhere,” she said.

“It was meant to be a compliment,” Hildr said and carefully stepped forward. Luna remained on guard, but did not move. “I can imagine how lonely you must feel while keeping watch at night.”

“I am never alone as long as I have the moon,” Luna said. “Other than my sister, it has been my constant companion.” Luna looked to the sky and stared at the moon. “It speaks to me in ways that nopny else does.”

Upon hearing this, Hildr frowned. “And what does the moon say?” she asked.

“It tells me that I am destined to be a great ruler,” Luna said. “All will bow before my greatness. I shall have no equal and none will stand against me.”

“And what of your sister?” Hildr asked carefully.

Anger flashed in Luna’s eyes and a low growl escaped her throat. “She knows nothing of what I do or the dangers we face. She is naïve if she thinks that we can all work together in harmony. She refuses to accept that there are things in the world that mean to do us harm.” Luna snorted and started pacing again. “The Dragons cause trouble in the west; the Gryphons to the east grow bolder and encroach on our territory; Yaks demand an unfavorable border to the north; and Diamond Dogs cause trouble everywhere. Our enemies are at our doorstep and my sister does nothing!” Luna stomped her hoof on the ground and the sound echoed loudly.

“And what council does the moon offer?” Hildr asked carefully.

Luna’s eyes became dangerous as she stared at Hildr and said, “Perhaps it is time for Equestria to have one single ruler.”

A wave of dizziness came over Hildr and she nearly fainted. When her eyes cleared, she found herself flying over a vast wasteland. Up ahead was the palace she had seen earlier. Hildr found she couldn’t move her head, but she heard powerful wing strokes and felt a strong breeze on her coat. Out of the corner of her eye, Hidlr cold see Celestia flying alongside. This must be from Luna’s point of view, Hildr thought. It was then she heard the voices.

This is Celestia’s fault

for once we agree

If she had listened to us, none of this would have happened

you don’t know that

How could we not? Our own Lunar Guard found proof of Sombra’s treachery. It was so obvious, a blind mare could have seen it

celestia thinks otherwise

And where did that get us?

you don’t need to remind me

Celestia is too soft for her own good.

discord would say otherwise

Discord was defeated only because we pushed Celestia to act. If not for us, Discord would still be free.

…

Why do you hesitate to do what you know is right?

is it though?

Why do you limit yourself? Why are you so afraid to become what we truly are?

Hildr could feel the doubt in Luna’s heart and her resolve was beginning to crumble. Hildr could see Celestia speaking to Luna and her voice finally broke through Luna’s thoughts. “Luna! Are you even listening?”

“Of course I am!” Luna snapped.

Celestia frowned. “Then what did I say?” she asked.

Luna rolled her eyes. “You were saying ‘Don’t forget the plan.’ How could I? It was my plan to begin with!”

Celestia gave Luna a disapproving look. “We’ll talk about this later. Right now, we have a job to do.”

Luna narrowed her eyes and growled. The palace grew larger and larger. Luna and Celestia circled around the highest tower and stopped before a large stained glass window. Luna looked to Celestia, who gave a short nod. They dove toward the window. The glass shattered. Everything went black.

Absolute darkness surrounded Hildr like a thick, heavy blanket. It weighed down on her shoulders and tried to force her into the ground. It settled into her heart and brought forth feelings of loneliness and isolation. Despair settled on the edges of Hildr’s mind, but she pushed it away.

A spark of warmth filled her chest and calmed her mind. Hildr held out her hand and called upon her Light. A tiny flame flickered to life and grew large enough for Hildr to see. The Light had an interesting effect on the darkness. It created a small bubble of space around Hildr and she felt the weight lift from her heart. The bubble also lit the ground at Hildr’s feet so she could see where she was going.

The Light in her hand pulsed gently and traveled up her arm to settle over her shoulder. This brought a smile to Hildr’s face as reminded her of her Ghost. As she wondered what to do next, Hildr noticed a slight reflection up ahead. Her curiosity piqued, Hildr moved forward. As she drew near, Hildr could see a faint outline appear. It seemed to sense Hildr’s presence and moved slightly, revealing a pair of large, sad blue eyes.

Hildr gasped and ran forward. Out of the gloom, Princess Luna appeared. She squinted at Hildr’s light. “It seems you have found me here,” she said sadly and looked away.

Hildr sat next to Luna and her Light grew to encompass them both. Luna was lying on the ground a looked rather pitiful. Her wings drooped at her sides and looked in need of a good grooming. Her coat had faded to a dull gray and her mane hung wistfully. The only color that Luna seemed to keep was her eyes.

“What happened?” Hildr asked gently.

Luna sighed and said, “I am a creature born of Darkness and the Night, but the Darkness has consumed me.” She looked up at Hildr and asked, “What is wrong with me? What have I done to deserve this?”

Hildr moved closer and gently placed Luna’s head in her lap. She started stroking Luna’s head and neck, feeling the coarse hair of her coat. Luna let out a small groan of pleasure. “I am now very jealous of you humans and your hands,” she said. Hildr smiled and played with Luna’s mane. She was fascinated how it wafted like smoke in a light breeze. Whenever she touched or disturbed it, Luna’s mane dissipated slightly, then came back together on its own.

Hildr decided to stop playing around and focus on her task. “Luna, remember when I told you before about Schizophrenia and Disassociation Identity Disorder?” Luna nodded and Hildr continued. “Well, those disorders are often related to another condition known as Depression, which can manifest in different ways. Side effects often include, trouble sleeping, disinterest in favorite activities, mood swings, loss of appetite, feelings of hopelessness, and deep sadness for no apparent reason. Depression will rob you of any apparent happiness and joy in your life. In very severe cases, people will attempt self harm or suicide because they can’t see any other way out.” Hildr became serious and lifted Luna’s head to look directly into her eyes. “Luna, I care about you very much and I want you to tell me truthfully. Have you had thoughts of hurting yourself or committing suicide?”

Luna looked way, unable to meet Hildr’s eyes. “I am unfamiliar with the word ‘suicide,’ but from the sound of it, I assume it involves taking one’s own life?” Hildr nodded.

Luna sat up so she was face to face with Hildr. “I would be lying if I said the thoughts didn’t happen from time to time.”

“Have you ever considered following through with those thoughts?” Hildr asked carefully.

Luna shook her head. “I am too much of a coward to seriously consider hurting myself. However, I have often thought that perhaps it would be better for me and everypony else if I were to disappear for good.”

“Where would you go?” Hildr asked.

Luna gazed deeply into the inky blackness. “I suppose I would go back to my moon. If I am there, nopony will be hurt because of my actions.”

“And what of Nightmare Moon?” Hildr asked.

Luna turned back to Hildr. “I am growing weary of her persistence. Eventually, I will no longer be able to hold her back and she will return. If I banish myself to the moon, she can do no harm there.”

“And what of Celestia and the rest of the ponies? What will happen to them?” Hildr asked.

Luna shrugged. “I was gone for a thousand years. What is another thousand or more?”

For the first time, Hildr noticed a shiny black box next to Luna. “What’s in that box?” she asked.

Luna looked at the box and shrugged. “It has been here for some time. Whenever I try to open it, I feel a sharp pain in my head.”

Hildr reached for the box, but Luna put a hoof out to stop her. “That box is dangerous. I believe it is locked away for a reason.”

Hildr sat back. “Luna, I want you to hear me out.” After a moment of hesitation, Luna nodded. Hildr pointed to the box and said, “I think that box is memories you unconsciously locked away to spare yourself from a traumatic event.”

Luna said nothing and stared at the box. “So much has been taken from me. Sometimes I don’t even know who I am anymore. So much of my life is tied to Nightmare Moon. Perhaps she is the dominant personality and Luna is the delusion. I do not know anymore.”

Hildr reached for the box and this time, Luna did not stop her. Hildr held the box and ran her hands over the smooth black surface. A crescent moon was etched into the lid and outlined in silver. “Luna, I’m here for you. You aren’t alone,” Hildr said. “If you want to leave the box alone, or open it and face what is inside, I will accept whatever decision you make.”

Tears formed in Luna’s eyes. She activated her horn and the box was surrounded by a blue glow. Luna lifted the box out of Hildr’s hands and tried to open the lid. As soon as she did so, the ground began to shake and the darkness became wild and chaotic. Hildr had to concentrate to keep her Light from being overwhelmed. Luna winced in pain. “It hurts! I feel as if my head is splitting open!” she cried.

Hildr put her hands on Luna’s head. This time, Hildr reached for her Magic and her hands started to glow as she tried to ease Luna’s pain. “I can only do so much. It’s up to you to see it through,” Hildr said and touched her forehead to Luna’s.

Luna was deeply touched by the lengths Hildr went to in order to help her. A small flicker of light appeared in the darkness in her heart. It was a feeling that Luna hadn’t felt in a very long time. In that moment, Luna truly believed that Hildr loved her.

The pain in Luna’s head suddenly stopped and the lid on the box clicked open. Blue smoke poured out and surrounded Luna’s head. She recoiled in fear and as she tried to cry out, the smoke entered her nose, ears, and mouth. Luna gasped in surprise and her eyes suddenly blazed white with power.

Hildr put her hands up to shield her eyes. When she could see again, Hildr saw she was in a throne room. Red and black tapestries lined the walls. The only illumination was provided by a stained glass window high above. The throne itself was hidden in shadow, but Hildr could see someone, or something was sitting in the darkness.

Suddenly, the glass shattered and Luna and Celestia burst through the window. The figure Hildr had seen on the throne finally stepped out. It was a unicorn unlike Hildr had ever seen. For starters, this unicorn was a male. His coat was charcoal gray and his horn was blood red and slightly curved like a blade. His mane was shorter than Celestia’s or Luna’s and it was black as soot. He wore a red and silver armor coat with silver guards on his legs. What really captured Hildr’s attention were the green flames that surrounded his eyes. He seemed amused that Celestia and Luna had burst into his throne room unannounced.

Once again, Hildr couldn’t hear what was being said, only Luna’s thoughts.

This ends here Sombra

he can’t hear you

Oh. Hildr felt silly for not realizing that sooner. Celestia was trying to reason with Sombra, but he merely laughed.

This has gone long enough

agreed

Luna crouched down and a sigil appeared in the air behind her. Swords of blue crystal appeared and arrayed themselves behind her. Sombra chuckled and a portal of shadows appeared behind him and he manifested weapons of his own. Celestia summoned a flaming sword and the battle was joined. Sombra hardly broke a sweat as his summoned swords seemed more than enough to keep Celestia and Luna at bay.

He dares to toy with us?

and you thought this would be easy

It should be easy for us

Luna’s horn glowed as she fired all her swords at Sombra. Sombra’s own horn flashed as he blocked all of swords, breaking them. Celestia used the opening to get in close, but Sombra melted into the shadows and reappeared elsewhere.

Impudent fool. He plays with forces he does not understand. We shall educate him

…

Why do you still hold back? Now is not the time to show weakness. Fight!

Luna summoned a spear and flew after Sombra. The smile on his face started to falter as Luna easily kept up with him through the shadows. Celestia waited for her chance and started throwing blasts of magical fire. Sombra dodged Celestia’s attack and Luna lunged after him, nicking him with her spear.

Sombra reappeared on his throne. His horn glowed and wreckage from the fight floated into the air. With a smirk, Sombra used his telekinesis to throw them at the princesses. Luna summoned more swords to defend herself and Celestia used her magic to blow the chunks to tiny bits. As hard as they tried, there were too many projectiles to block. Luna started to tire and her movements slowed. As a result, Sombra caught her and encased her in stone.

Unhand us you fool!

i am trying my best

Lies

it is hard to fight both you and sombra

Why do you fight it? We can end this in an instant

but celestia…

Is fighting alone because you are weak

It was true. With Luna captured, Sombra could focus all his attention on Celestia. Sombra’s smug attitude returned as he fought with Celestia. Luna struggled mightily against her bonds.

help me

Now you ask for our help?

please. celestia-

Will fail and it will be your fault

This made Luna struggle even harder. Celestia fought valiantly, but every blow she took brought Luna closer to the brink.

please. i’m begging you

Begging is beneath us. We make others grovel before us instead

i never wanted it to be like this

Like what? Poor Luna, how the mighty have fallen

tell me what to do

We can’t tell you anything

i don’t want to become a monster

Is that what you think we are?

isn’t it?

Better hurry. Celestia doesn’t have much time

Celestia was breathing heavily and could barely stand. Sombra laughed as he walked menacingly toward her.

don’t touch her

What was that?

don’t you dare touch her

Speak up, we can’t hear you

Sombra stood over Celestia. Her eyes blazed with defiance as she swung her sword. Sombra easily blocked the feeble attempt and knocked the sword away.

get away from her

What are you going to do about it?

i will end him

Say again?

Sombra laughed as he used his power to raise a pile of rubble above Celestia’s prone form. Luna stopped struggling and could only watch helplessly as Sombra buried her sister.

Luna’s mind shattered.

Overcome with grief and rage, she screamed.

YES

A blast of power freed Luna from her prison and she flew at Sombra with murder in her eyes.

Show him our TRUE power

Sombra’s smile grew even bigger. It was as if everything that had happened before was to get Luna to this point. She was barely in control of herself, swinging her spear with abandon and shooting beams of magic as Sombra stayed one step ahead of her.

FOOL! He is toying with you

Sombra met Luna and their weapons clashed and locked together. Luna summoned a sigil under Sombra’s feet and swords burst out of the ground. Sombra jumped out of the way and Luna leapt after him. She continued to fire blasts of magic at Sombra, but he used the shadows to neutralize her magic.

Luna charged him again, but her rage was burning out and she was beginning to tire.

i’m not done yet

Yes you are

i won’t let it end like this

You know what has to be done

…

And yet, you continue to fight it

he looks down on us. he thinks we are weak

You are weak. We are strong

but not strong enough

We will be

Sombra trapped Luna in his grasp. Thinking the end was near, he made his proposition to Luna.

This worm thinks he is our equal?

Sombra used his dark magic on Luna, who struggled at first. The magic worked its way into her mind and deep into her heart.

What child’s play is this?

we are a fool

Sombra is the fool

he mocks us, looks down on us, and hurt celestia. we will make him pay. if he wants to see the monster, then so be it

YES

we will show him what TRUE darkness is

YES! GIVE IN! SHOW HIM WHO WE ARE!

Hildr’s heart was heavy as she watched the transformation. Luna began to chuckle, then laugh, then cackle with glee. “Darkness? Darkness and shadows you say? You merely adapted to the shadows, made them your ally. We were born of the Night, molded by it. In all my life, I have never touched the Light. Just where do you think the shadows you dabble with come from?”

Luna’s coat turned coal black and her teeth became sharp and pointed. Her eyes turned electric blue and her pupils became black slits like a reptile. Luna turned to smoke and reappeared on Sombra’s throne. “You want to see darkness? I will show you TRUE DARKNESS!”

Luna spread her wings and what little light there was disappeared as the room plunged to darkness. For the first time, Sombra became nervous. He tried to reason with Luna, but she was beyond reason. He wanted the monster and she willingly obliged him.

Luna chased and harassed Sombra, never letting him rest. Finally, he could take no more and Luna trapped him in her clutches and encased him in stone as he had done to her. Sombra’s eyes were full of fear as Luna calmly approached him. She was in no hurry, her prey would not escape.

“Who are you?” Sombra finally asked.

Luna’s eyes were full of madness and rage. She summoned the scattered pieces of her broken swords and remade them into an executioner’s axe.

“Who am I?” Luna asked. She stood before Sombra and raised the axe high. “I am THE NIGHTMARE!” Luna swung the axe and Sombra was no more.

When Luna came to her senses, Sombra, the palace, the entire Crystal Empire was gone. All that remained was a frozen battlefield slowly being covered in snow. Celestia lay nearby and Luna ran to her side. Celestia finally woke up and looked around. “Where are we? What happened?”

“Sister! I am so glad you are safe!” Luna cried and hugged Celestia tightly.

“Thank you Luna, but I am fine. My injuries are not severe,” Celestia assured her. “What happened to Sombra and the Crystal Empire?”

Luna hung her head in shame. “After he defeated you, Sombra and I fought, but he escaped and took the Crystal Empire with him to the Shadow Realm.”

Celestia’s eyes went wide and she gasped in shock. “How can that be?” she asked.

Luna shrugged. “Dark magic perhaps?” she suggested.

Celestia rose unsteadily to her feet and winced. Luna rushed to support her. “No matter. Sombra will return at some point and we will need to be ready,” she said.

“Yes sister,” Luna agreed. When Celestia turned her back, Luna showed a wicked smile and her eyes briefly changed. “Sister, the world will know my name,” she promised.

Born of Darkness, we are that which all others fear. The Nightmare has begun

what have I done?

A blizzard suddenly sprang up as Luna and Celestia limped away. The blizzard quickly became a whiteout and everything faded into darkness.

Luna wailed in Hildr’s chest. Hildr didn’t know what else to do other than hold Luna and stroke her mane as she poured out her grief. “I’m truly sorry,” she whispered in Luna’s ear.

“I never knew,” Luna cried. “I didn’t know what happened. All I remembered were intense feelings of rage and sorrow before blacking out.”

“What happened to Sombra?” Hildr asked.

Luna let out a tired sigh and wiped her eyes. “I did not take Sombra’s life, but banished him to the Shadow Realm. Since he wanted to dabble with dark powers, I would show him true darkness.”

“But you told Celestia-“ Hildr started

“A lie,” Luna finished. “She didn’t know and still doesn’t know that I have that ability.” Luna stared hard at Hildr and added, “And she will never know.”

“I won’t say anything,” Hildr promised.

Luna rose to her feet and stretched. “So. Now we both know what happened.”

“And how do you feel?” Hildr asked.

Luna hung her head and stared at the ground. Honestly, knowing made her feel worse than before. She had always thought that Nightmare Moon either seduced her or forced her way in, but to know that Luna herself willingly let it happen made her feel sick to her stomach. Luna walked a short distance away from Hildr and sat on the ground. Luna thought that opening the box and unlocking her suppressed memories would help her feel better or magically make Nightmare Moon disappear forever. Luna was more confused than ever. “What do I do?” she whispered.

For once, The Voice was silent.

even you have abandoned me?

If only you could be rid of us so easily

if only

So. Now you know the truth

yes. i am ashamed

Why? Why do you deny what we are?

i’m tired of being the monster

We are not a monster. We are the Ruler of the Night. When all is covered in Darkness, we will rule over all

and how did that turn out the last time?

No matter. We underestimated the Elements. It shall not happen again

this will never end, will it?

To live as only half a being, you are ore foolish than we thought

Luna turned back to Hildr, her expression full of sadness. “It won’t stop. No matter how hard I try, the voices will not stop.”

Hildr carefully approached Luna and held her arms out. Luna leaned in and allowed Hildr to embrace her. “I know you are disappointed, but I want you to know that you are still allowed to find happiness and you are never alone,” she said.

“But it is still so hard,” Luna whispered, tears forming in her eyes. “I’m so confused. Was something different supposed to happen? Have I done something wrong again?”

Hildr shook her head. “No Luna, you have done nothing wrong.”

A new light shone down upon them and Luna looked up to see the sky was clearing and the full moon revealed itself. “It’s so pretty,” she said.

“Just like you,” Hildr said. “The nightlight of the world and guardian of dreams.”

Luna stepped back and wiped her eyes. “I think we have spent enough time in my head,” she said. Her horn started to glow and Hildr’s vision flashed to white.

When Hildr opened her eyes, she saw they were back in her clinic. Luna was human again and her eyes were red and puffy from crying. She smiled sadly and wiped her tears. “I suppose the conclusion was rather unsatisfying,” she said.

“Not every story has a happy ending,” Hildr pointed out.

Luna narrowed her eyes. “That’s not exactly the kind of thing I was hoping to hear,” she said.

Hildr put her hand on Luna’s shoulder. “But it’s the kind of thing you needed to hear,” she replied.

Luna carefully considered Hildr’s words. “Since my condition is unheard of in Equestria, how would you treat me here?” she asked.

“Long ago, it was done very carefully with medication and therapy,” Hildr said. “It is believed that one cause of depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain and we used drugs to help balance the chemistry. Since no two people are the same, proper dosage was carefully monitored. Of course, ther were side effects, but people were able to lead normal lives.”

“And now?” Luna asked, a glimmer of hope in her voice, “what about me?”

Hildr shook her head. “I would be hesitant to prescribe medication because you are a pony and not a human. As such, I don’t know how the drugs would affect you, if at all. And that’s even if I had the medication or the ability to manufacture it.”

Hildr’s words dashed Luna’s small flicker of hope and she visibly deflated. “So I am back to where I started? Have I come all this way for nothing?”

Hildr shook her head. “I wouldn’t say that. You opened up to me and shared your burden. You faced your repressed memories and learned the truth.” Hildr sat back and sighed. “I wish with all my heart that I could just wave my hands and make all of your problems go away. Maybe you can magic your way out of it, but I doubt it.” Hildr looked to the ground and became uneasy. “Besides, the medication used often had terrible side effects, sometimes worse than the symptoms.”

“But I’ll never know, will I?” Luna asked, her voice taking a dangerous edge. “It sounds like you don’t want to help me after all.”

“That’s a lie and you know it,” Hildr shot back. She took a deep breath and centered her thoughts. “We both have been through a lot this evening. Let’s talk again in the morning.”

Luna nodded her consent and went back to her room. When she was gone, Hildr collapsed at her desk and buried her face in her hands. “I messed up,” she muttered.

In her dream, Luna found herself in pony form back in the Canterlot castle throne room, however the décor had changed drastically. Black and blue banners adorned the walls and stained glass windows lined the walls that depicted events from Luna’s point of view. Much to her displeasure, many of the events depicted showed her as Nightmare Moon. The throne room was dark and covered in shadow with moon providing the only illumination through a large skylight. The floor was black and blue marble lined with silver. The columns and high vaulted ceiling were made of sharp and jagged looking crystal. The atmosphere of the throne room was very dark and strangely silent.

What drew Luna’s eye was the throne. Whatever material it was made of completely absorbed all light, leaving a black hole. Seemingly out of nowhere, Nightmare Moon made her presence known. As soon as she saw her, Luna’s heart became heavy. She felt rooted to the spot as if her legs were molded to the floor. An overwhelming feeling of emptiness overcame her and Luna’s head bowed to the floor. She didn’t have the energy to feel anything. “What more do you want from me?” she asked tiredly. “Haven’t you done enough already? Why won’t you leave me in peace?”

From the steps of the throne, Nightmare Moon spread her wings to make herself look bigger. “What do we want from you? What sort of question is that?” Nightmare Moon bellowed. “All we want is for you to be the pony you were meant to be.”

“Why do you keep saying that?” Luna cried out. “I don’t want to be a monster.”

“Then what would you have us do? Sit idly by and grow fat and lazy? UNACCEPTABLE! We will not stand for it!” Nightmare Moon replied.

Luna’s legs gave out and she sank to the floor. She looked longingly up at the moon; so big and bright, yet so far away. “Sometimes I wish I had never been born,” she whispered.

Nightmare moon snorted in disgust and walked down the steps until she stood over Luna, who wouldn’t even look up. “So. Is this the end? Is this when you finally get your wish and I disappear forever?” Luna asked. “Perhaps that is what is needed. We are in a strange land, far from Equestria. Go ahead then, and use this place to realize your ambition.”

Luna was tired of fighting. She was tired of being looked down upon as the lesser sister. She was tired of the wary looks ponies gave her. She was tired of feeling useless, and she was tired of listening to Nightmare Moon’s voice.

“You are pathetic,” Nightmare Moon hissed. Luna said nothing in reply.

“You are unworthy of the gifts bestowed upon you,” Nightmare Moon continued. “You act like an old fool who has grown weary of the ways of the world.”

“Because I am,” Luna pointed out.

Nightmare Moon’s horn flashed and a sword appeared and dropped in front of Luna. “Spare us your self-loathing and take your own life.”

Luna stared at the blade. The blade was highly polished and Luna saw her expressionless gaze in the reflection. It certainly looked sharp. One quick thrust to the heart and it would all be over. Luna wondered if her soul would be condemned for all eternity for her sins. Here was her chance. Just take the blade and finish it quickly. No one would even know. So why did she hesitate? What was stopping her?

Nightmare Moon saw Luna’s indecision. “What are you waiting for? The will be the best chance you will ever have.”

Luna slowly tore her gaze away from the sword. “I am a coward. I can’t even bring myself to take my own life properly. How low must I be if I am unable to do such a simple thing?” she asked.

Nightmare Moon snarled and kicked the blade away. It clattered across the floor and disappeared in a puff of smoke. “The reason you cannot do this thing is because you still want to live, despite everything,” she said.

Luna looked up in confusion. “What do I have to live for? Hildr can’t even treat me properly for the problems I have.”

“Why would you want that?” Nightmare Moon bellowed.

“To be rid of you!” Luna shouted. “Everything is your fault! Everything is MY fault! I banished Sombra to a place where nopony can remain sane in the darkness and isolation. I nearly killed my own sister and was banished to the moon! I tried to cover the land in permanent darkenss! I let my jealousy and pain get the better of me. I brought you into this world and I can’t even make you disappear!” Rage burned in Luna’s heart as she struggled to her feet to confront Nightmare Moon. “I HATE you! I HATE myself for feeling this way. Tell me, O Great and Powerful One, what should I do? I CAN’T DO ANYTHING!”

“And that is the point!” Nightmare Moon roared back. “You are useless on your own! You need us because we are you! No matter what you do, you will never be rid of us. We will always be here, and we are always watching.”

Luna’s pent up anger finally boiled over. Her eyes blazed white with power and she let out an ear shattering scream. Luna’s magic exploded, leveling the entire castle. Luna panted heavily and looked around, but saw no trace of Nightmare Moon. She finally collapsed with exhaustion and everything went black.

When All Seems Lost, Hope Remains

Luna woke the next morning feeling marginally better. She winced and held her head in her hands. She felt like her head was splitting open and the light caused a stabbing pain in her eyes. Luna screwed her eyes shut and covered her face with the pillow. This was worse than that one time at Prince Blueblood’s birthday party. After that night, Luna swore off Granny Smith’s Special Zap Apple Cider for good.

The pain slowly subsided and Luna decided she could make it out of bed. She slowly got dressed and made her way downstairs. She didn’t find Hildr, but she did notice a pitcher of water and a bottle of pills. Luna read the label and was relieved to find the pills were for headaches, aches and pains. She took two pills and drank some water. Luna was a bit disappointed when the effects didn’t immediately take place. Luna looked out the window and groaned when she saw the sun was barely over the mountains. Since she couldn’t sleep, Luna decided her time would be better spent doing something productive.

The Farm was a bit of a misnomer since no actual cultivation of crops was taking place. Luna walked amongst the buildings. Perhaps this place had been an actual farm, but it had since been repurposed to meet the people’s current needs. Instead of animals or farm equipment, the barn was now used for storage and a repair hangar for ships like Hildr’s. The large farmhouse in the middle sported an impressive array of antennae and sensor dishes. All of the buildings now served a purpose different than originally intended. At the far end was an open field bordered by a wooden fence. Past the fence was an ocean of prairie grass that stretched to the far off mountains. Luna noticed a large white triangular shaped object at the foot of the mountains. What purpose it served, Luna did not know, but looking at it gave her a funny feeling. Dark clouds seemed to permanently hang overhead and lightning flashed occasionally around the object.

Luna heard voiced behind her and turned to see a group of children approach. The all appeared to be of similar age. One of them carried an old ball with a white and black checker pattern. Luna watched with interest as the children separated into two teams and began kicking the ball back and forth. At this point, Luna noticed two goals set at opposite ends.

Luna watched the game unfold. A strange feeling stirred deep in her heard and she wondered what it could be. After a moment of contemplation, Luna realized the feeling she felt was wonder. Children, human or pony, fascinated Luna. She was constantly amazed the them. For instance, Luna had witnessed the true terror of Hildr’s reality and yet, here were children playing a simple game with little care for anything else. Luna wondered; how did they do it? Surely they were not so insulated as to not realize how precarious their situation truly was. How was it then, that they were able to look at the world in wonder? What did they see? Luna had always been moved by the simplicity and purity of children’s dreams. They had not yet become of age where the weight of the world began to set upon their shoulders, and the light slowly dimmed from their eyes. It pained Luna greatly to watch children grow up and face the reality of the world. More than anything, Luna wanted to protect children and their innocent dreams.

Luna was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn’t see the ball end up at her feet. The children gathered around at a respectful distance, unsure of what to do. Finally, one of the older boys spoke up. “Hello? Excuse me.”

Startled from her thoughts, Luna quickly shook her head and mustered a smile. “Hello little ones,” she said pleasantly.

The older children shared a look as if to say, “Who are you calling little?” The boy who spoken earlier said, “Sorry miss, but could we have our ball back?”

Luna looked down and saw the ball at her feet. Curious, she picked it up and looked it over. “If I may ask, what game were you playing?” she asked.

“Soccer,” the boy said. He looked her up and down and asked, “You’ve never heard of it?” Luna shook her head. One of the boy’s friends leaned over and whispered, “How does she not know what soccer is?”

The boy hissed at his friend and pushed him back. “Duh! Don’t you see her skin? She’s obviously an Awoken from the Reef.”

Frowning, a girl spoke up. “Yeah, but why would a Reef-born Awoken come here? It’s not like there’s anything of interest here.”

Hearing this, Luna spoke up. “I am not an Awoken, nor am I from the Reef. However, I am most curious about this soccer game. How do you play?”

The boy explained the rules as simply as he could. “Two teams try to kick the ball into the other team’s net. The only rule is you can’t use your hands or arms to touch the ball. First team to score three points wins!”

“Why only three points?” Luna asked.

The boy pointed toward the goal. “See those lights? That keeps track of the score.” The goal currently indicated two points. The boy took the ball, and with a smirk on his face said, “Watch this!” He put the ball on the ground, carefully lined up his shot, and gave the ball a good kick. The ball rolled and bounced across the ground and went in the goal. A tone sounded, the third light turned on, and fireworks exploded from the goal. All of the children began cheering and jumping around.

Luna’s heart became full to overflowing with joy, watching the children celebrate. She then became sad and asked, “Do you not know of the troubles going on in this world around you?”

The children calmed down and looked at each other. “A lot of the adults don’t think we understand because we’re just kids,” the boy said. “We all know that the adults are fighting to keep us safe.”

“Doesn’t that bother you?” Luna asked.

The boy shrugged. “Sure it does. We know that we don’t have a lot and sometimes, there isn’t enough to go around. Some of us don’t even have parents or anyone to look after us. All that stuff that happened to the City shows that none of us are safe. Anything could happen at any time, so we have to make the best with what we have.”

“Plus the Traveler protects us!” the girl spoke up. “And the Guardians too!”

“I heard that this one time, a single Hunter took on an entire Cabal base on Mars. By herself! Isn’t that crazy?” one of the boys said.

“Well I heard from someone that the Doc lady here at the Farm used to be some kind of crazy Warlock that would burn down anything that got in her way,” the girl said.

The boy scoffed. “Our Doc? What can she do? All she does is sit in the clinic all day and do work. She has that crazy Hunter run errands for her. She doesn’t sound so great to me.”

“Yeah,” his friend agreed. “I heard that story about the Warlock too. People used to call her the Valkyrie, but she vanished a long time ago.”

The girl frowned and Luna gently patted her on the head. “Fear not, you one. Whether it is true or not, tales of the bravery of others often inspires us to be better ourselves.”

The children ran off to keep playing their game and Luna stayed to watch. That was where Hildr found her several hours later. “Good morning,” she said. “How was your night?”

“Terrible,” Luna replied. “I tossed and turned, hardly slept, and woke with a fearsome headache.”

Hildr grinned and gave Luna sideways look. “And yet you can’t seem to keep that smile off your face,” she said.

Luna turned to Hildr. “Is that so?”

Hildr shook her head. “I take it you found something interesting?”

Luna nodded and pointed. Hildr watched the children play for a few minutes. “What makes it so fascinating?” she asked.

“How can they run and play and seem so happy when everything around them is so dark and terrible?” Luna asked. Hildr saw her eyes were sparkling and full of amazement. “I have always been fascinated by children, so young and full of life without the world to burden them. They are so small and fragile, yet more aware than we realize. Just now, when I was speaking to them, they seemed wise beyond their years.”

Hildr thought for a moment. “That might be true,” she said with a shrug. “It is true that anything that affects the adults hits the children twice as hard. Most of the children here are orphaned or have only one surviving parent. It is very rare to have both parents still living.” Hildr looked back to Luna. “These children, and others like them, lead rough lives. Few will survive to adulthood. When times are lean and resources are scarce, orphaned children aren’t given a second thought. They have to fight for everything they have, often harder than the adults. The world can be pretty scary for a child.”

“Then I will fight for them,” Luna said. Hildr saw the steel in Luna’s eyes and was impressed by her resolve. “It won’t be easy you know,” she said.

“It does not matter to me,” Luna said, shaking her head. “Children are our future. Without them, what hope do we have?”

Hildr smiled. “I said you need to find joy in your life, some kind of purpose to put your energy into.” She nodded to the children and added, “I think you have found it. Hold on to this Luna. I can’t guarantee that your problems will disappear, but finding hope in the things that bring you joy will help when the dark times come.”

Luna looped her arm through Hildr’s and leaned into her. “Do not forget good company and council,” she said.

“Especially that,” Hildr agreed. “I have business to take care of, so I’ll leave you here.” She patted Luna’s arm and went back to the clinic.

Luna spent the rest of the day with the children. They warmed up to her and invited her to join in their game. Luna ran back and forth and had a good time, temporarily forgetting her worries. Perhaps those carefree days she once shared with Celestia weren’t gone forever.

Hildr went back that evening and found Luna kicking the ball by herself. Her footwork was still clumsy, and the ball got away from her more than once, but she kept at it. Hildr was amazed by the heavy concentration Luna showed. As she was dribbling the ball, it rolled off the side of her foot and found its way to Hildr. She picked up the ball and spun it on her finger. “You’ve been busy,” she said.

Luna walked up to Hildr and put her hands on her hips. “I would appreciate it if you would return the ball back to me,” she said.

Hildr smirked and tossed the ball to Luna who trapped it with her chest and began juggling the ball with her knees and feet. Finally the ball dropped to the ground and Luna trapped it with her foot. “I have been thinking that I would like to take this game back to Equestria,” she said and wiped her brow.

“Well I’m sure that Sunset Shimmer will be more than happy to loan you an actual rule book,” Hildr said.

The thought had never occurred to Luna and she considered this for a moment. “I suppose that would be reasonable,” she said.

Hildr turned back the way she had come and gave a little wave for Luna to follow. After a moment of hesitation, Luna kicked be ball into the closest goal and followed Hildr. Down by the dock on the shore of the lake was a recessed seating area with a large fire pit. Hildr added some wood and gave the fire a little boost with her Light. Soon the fire was crackling happily. Hildr sat down and patted the seat next to her. Luna sat down and stared into the fire. Today had been a productive day, Luna decided, but now that night was coming, she started to feel apprehension about what was to come.

Hildr sensed her unease. “How are you doing?” she asked. She reached into her bag and pulled out a large thermos. Hildr unscrewed the top and Luna smelled a delicious soup. Her stomach gurgled in approval. Hildr laughed and poured some soup into a bowl and handed it to Luna. Before she could ask, Hildr handed Luna a piece of bread. “This soup is best if you dip the bread and eat it that way,” she said.

Luna did as instructed and found the bread enhanced the flavor of the soup. She quickly devoured the bread and drank the remainder of the soup. Luna put her bowl down and licked her lips satisfactorily. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a more delicious soup,” she said.

Hildr smiled and shook her head as she handed Luna a napkin and a cup of water. “You don’t have to lie for my sake,” she said.

“It was the honest truth,” Luna insisted. Hildr slowly ate her soup and chewed on her bread, lost in thought. Luna sighed and sat back contentedly. “Long ago, before my sister and I were princesses, we often spent our nights much like this one.”

Hildr looked at Luna out of the corner of her eye. “You mean on the shores of a lake on a doomed planet?” she asked.

Luna shook her head. “Around a fire, under the stars, with pleasant company.”

Hildr shrugged and continued to stare into the flames. “Listen Luna, I’ve been doing some thinking.”

“Oh? About what?” Luna asked.

“About what I said to you the other day,” Hildr said. “I don’t have the proper medication to treat your depression or the other things, but if it’s what you want, I think I know where to get it.”

Hildr’s words left Luna at a pause. She had been hurt and upset when Hildr said she didn’t have the medication, but now that there was a chance, Luna didn’t know what to think. Hildr had stressed that there were risks involved, but did the benefit outweigh the cost? Luna wasn’t so sure. “How much trouble would it be for you to obtain this medicine?” Luna asked carefully.

Hildr sighed. “I could go to the City and ask there, but I think my best chance would be to visit the recently uncovered Clovis Bray facility on Mars and search the database there.” Hildr turned to Luna. “We don’t have to go. I can ask Nyx to go instead. She wouldn’t mind.”

Luna thought carefully. Surely there was no harm in looking right? And if the search was unsuccessful, there was no harm done. “I suppose that would be okay,” Luna said finally.

Hildr nodded and stared down at her feet. “I’m sorry I haven’t been much help. Like I’ve said before, my specialty is battlefield trauma and first aid. I can fix people’s bodies, but I know next to nothing about what goes on up here.” She tapped herself on the temple to emphasize her point. “I’m flattered you came to me anyway.”

Luna stared at Hildr in shock. “Who are you and what have you done with Hildr? Certainly you are not the same woman who nearly burned down Canterlot Castle out of frustration, are you? Perhaps you are the one not right in the head.” Luna stood up and looked around. “Hello? Anyone? We require a doctor!”

Hildr rolled her eyes and pulled Luna back to her seat. Luna giggled and gave Hildr a playful shove. “But seriously, what happened to you?

Hildr raised an eyebrow in Luna’s direction and said, “I thought we were talking about your problems.”

Luna snorted. “How the turns have tabled,” she said and folded her arms.

It took Hildr’s brain a split second to interpret what Luna had said before she burst out laughing.

“What? What did I say?” Luna asked, clearly confused. “Did I not say that right?”

“No! Not at all!” Hildr gasped and nearly fell out of her seat.

Luna frowned and took on a dignified air. “I believe you have had your fun now,” she said sternly.

Hildr sat up and wiped the tears from her eyes. “Okay, you win.”

Luna cleared her throat and smoothed out her jacket. “I too have thought about what you said, about finding joy and happiness where I can,” she said.

“So what’s your plan?” Hildr asked with interest.

“My sister has a school for gifted unicorns. I wish to start a school as well, only my school will be more like a home for the young children who have one parent, no parent, or are simply very poor.” Seeing the look Hildr was giving her, Luna continued. “Before you say anything, I am ashamed to admit that there are those in Equestria in these exact circumstances.” Luna’s face fell and she held her hands to her heart. “Being gone for so long meant that I have missed out on a great many things. Caring for children is one of them. I have come to realize that my protective instinct is very strong, and not having children of my own, per se, has left an interesting void in my heart.”

Luna looked away out of embarrassment. “I think that I would like to have children of my own someday, but how can that be a possibility with Nightmare Moon still whispering in my ear? I am afraid that I might do something unspeakable. Is it wrong for me to think this way?”

Hildr shook her head. “No Luna, you are not wrong. Long ago, if it was decided the mother was unfit or unable to properly care for her children, they were taken away and sent to live with relatives or new families.”

Luna gasped. She felt like she had been slapped in the face. “How barbaric! How could such a thing even be allowed to happen?”

Hildr calmly looked Luna in the eyes. “Like I said Luna, it was in the best interest of the child. Doesn’t every child deserve to grow up receiving the love and care he or she needs? And it is a proven fact that children who grow up in a stable environment with both parents have better success in life.”

Luna carefully considered Hildr’s words. “By that logic, if I was ever to have children and something happened to me, they would be taken away? For their own safety?” she asked. Hildr did not reply and Luna angrily shook her head. “No! If anypony tried to take my children, they shall fear my wrath and rue the day!”

Hildr put a hand on Luna’s arm. “Hold on to that feeling and never let it go,” she said. “Remember that, and become a guardian to all the children of Equestria.”

Luna looked down at her clenched hands and slowly opened them. “There is something else I should tell you,” she said and went on to tell Hildr about her dream. “She is right,” Luna said when she was done. “Nightmare Moon will always be lurking in the darkest corners of my heart.”

Hildr thought very carefully. Normally, it wasn’t a good idea to enforce or encourage someone’s delusions or illness, but Luna was not a normal person. Looking at her now, it was easy to forget Luna was a powerful pony princess. “Luna, are you afraid of Nightmare Moon?” Hildr asked.

Luna hesitated before speaking. “I am not so sure anymore,” she admitted. “It is true that I as Nightmare Moon have committed terrible acts, but I have learned some things as well.”

“Like what?” Hildr asked.

Luna thought carefully. “I believe, no, it is true that Nightmare Moon is…my true self? No, that is not correct. What I mean is, if I were to let myself go completely, and not hold back, Nightmare Moon is myself at full power. But having such power is a fragile thing. It would be easy to use too much force, and if not properly controlled, there would be dire consequences.”

“Like eternal night?” Hildr asked with a wry smile.

“Exactly,” Luna agreed. “Luna and Nightmare Moon are two sides to the same coin. Denying her would be denying half of myself. How can I live as half a pony?”

“That is a dangerous way of thinking,” Hildr warned. “Humans have good and bad sides too. Sometimes, the bad outweighs the good. Nothing good ever comes from that.”

Luna nodded her head. “I understand there is a risk involved.” She sighed and looked into the flames. “I am not my sister, nor do I wish to be. I cannot do the things she does. She is the bright and shining example to all, while I hide in the shadows unseen.”

“I see you,” Hildr said softly. “Just as there are things only Celestia can do, there are a multitude of things only you can do. I have said it before and I will continue to say it, the reason the ponies of Equestria sleep so well at night is because they have powerful protector watching over them, and may the gods have mercy on those who would cross you and wish to do harm.” She let out a tired sigh. “However, in order to fight monsters, you have to be careful not to become one yourself.”

Luna said nothing. She could feel Nightmare Moon’s eyes burning holes in the back of her head. “I do not wish to become a monster, and I hope that is not the case. However, I will do what I must to protect Equestria and my ponies.”

“Good,” Hildr said sternly. “If I ever hear that you’ve gone completely to the dark side and started a reign of terror, I will find you and end you myself.”

Luna’s anger burned as she looked into Hildr’s unrelenting gaze. Who did she think she was to threaten her like that? Did she forget to whom she was speaking? Luna’s pupils briefly turned to slits and the atmosphere between them suddenly turned chilly. The sounds of nature grew quiet as Hildr and Luna’s overbearing pressures clashed and caused tiny sparks to appear.

Luna squeezed her eyes shut, then threw her head back and let loose a hearty laugh. Hildr became confused, then slowly smiled and shook her head. “Why so serious?” Luna asked while holding her sides. When she had calmed down some, she added, “I would expect nothing less from you.”

“Just don’t kill everyone before I get there,” Hildr replied.

“I make no such promises,” Luna replied with an evil grin. Afterwards, they walked back to the clinic and said goodnight.

Finding Balance

Luna spent the rest of the week playing with the children. They took to her very quickly. The little girls adored her and the boys tried to get her attention. Luna laughed and called them cute. In addition to playing soccer, Luna told them stories of Equestira and they sat with rapt attention as Luna told them of magical ponies, danger, adventure, and of course, friendship. Luna and Hildr spent long hours talking about anything and everything. Luna was shocked to hear how many years had passed from the time Hildr had started her journey, to the time she returned. Hildr told of her initial struggles to adapt to the new time and how much she had missed. Her heart was no longer made of stone, but Hildr still found it difficult to open up to others. Luna also faced her struggles with Nightmare Moon. With her newfound determination and hope in her heart, Luna was able to sleep somewhat easier.

Luna finally said to Hildr over breakfast, “I believe it is time that I returned home.”

Hildr knew this day would come, but she still felt a pang of sadness. “Okay then,” she said.

Luna blinked. “Aren’t you going to become misty eyed and beg me to stay longer?”

Hildr gave Luna a look and said, “No.”

Luna sighed. “Oh well. One could only hope.”

Hildr rolled her eyes. “Oh no, please stay Princess. Don’t leave me alone or I will become sad and depressed,” she said in a flat, monotone voice.

Luna giggled. “I should have expected as much.”

Hildr looked out the window. “If you’re not in too much of a hurry, I have to go to the Tower for some business and I would like it very much if you came. I want to show you that this world isn’t always so dark and hopeless.”

Luna thought for a moment and nodded her head. “I suppose that would be acceptable.”

Hildr looked at the clock and said, “We’ll leave in about ten minutes.”

While Luna waited outside for Hildr, the children came looking for her and begged for Luna to stay. Luna politely refused them and was waving goodbye when Hildr appeared with her bag over her shoulder. “Ready to go?” she asked.

Luna nodded sadly. “I hope those children grow up well.”

“You certainly made an impression on them,” Hildr said. “I’ll keep an eye on them for you.”

“Thank you,” Luna said and followed Hildr to the landing pad. Raven appeared and called down Hildr’s ship. Luna gasped when she saw it. “I have never seen such a thing,” she exclaimed and walked around it. “Non-pegasai ponies usually walk or take the train. We have a few hot air balloons, but nothing like this.”

Hildr grinned sheepishly and nervously rubbed the back of her head. “Yeah, about that. I might have let Twilight Sparkle look at the tech manual for one of my ships and she seemed especially interested in near-light speed travel.”

Luna narrowed her eyes. “Is that so? I shall have to be on the lookout for experiments with disastrous results.”

“Let’s get on board, shall we?” Hildr said hurriedly and pushed Luna up the ramp. Once they were strapped in, Hildr took the controls and set a course for the City.

Not much was said during the flight. Hildr was piloting and Luna stared out the window. Of course she had flown before, but never like this. She would easily tire herself if she tried to fly this fast for this long. Luna wondered what would happen if technology such as this was brought to Eqestria. Science and learning would advance rapidly, but there was bound to be some push back from the more traditional ponies. Change was never easy and often took a long time to be implemented and become accepted. Luna had no doubt that such a thing would one day be possible.

Soon they were flying over walled fortifications and the biggest non-natural barrier Luna had ever seen loomed before them. With a grin, Hildr gained altitude and flew over the wall, revealing the City and the Traveler with dramatic flair. Hildr peeked over at Luna to see her reaction as was not disappointed.

Luna was spellbound. She had thought this many times since coming here, but she had never before seen such a sight. The City lay sprawled out under the Traveler with the tallest buildings directly underneath. As the city spread out, Luan could see where previous walls had been erected and partially torn down to accommodate growth. The outer walls loomed over the City below and signs of a recent battle were apparent. The ground was covered in craters and many buildings had suffered damage or were in ruins. Some parts of the wall were still smoking and in need of repair.

What really caught Luna’s eye was the Traveler. It was the size of a small moon and looked like it had been cracked open. Large chunks of the outer shell orbited the main body while smaller debris caused a significant flight hazard if one flew too close.

Hildr steered for a section of the wall near one of the towers that was under repair. She brought the ship to a halt and lowered the ramp. As they disembarked, Hildr found Nyx waiting for them. She was leaning against a stack of crates with her arms crossed. “Nyx. I wasn’t expecting you here,” Hildr said.

Nyx shrugged in reply. “I go where I please and do as I please,” she said.

“Clearly,” Hildr replied. Even after all this time, Nyx made Hildr feel uneasy for some reason. Regardless, she started walking and stopped when she noticed Luna wasn’t following. “Are you coming?” she asked.

Luna looked from Nyx to Hildr and back again. “If you do not mind, I wish to speak with Nyx,” she said.

Hildr frowned, then her face became an expressionless mask. “Suit yourself,” she replied curtly and walked off at a brisk pace.

Nyx watched her leave. “Don’t worry. She’ll get over it.”

Luna glanced nervously at Nyx. Her helmet was blank and a solid blue color. Luna didn’t know where to look. “You have questions,” Nyx said. It was a statement more than a question.

“Yes,” Luna replied, “But first, why do you always wear a helmet? Are you afraid to let others see your face?”

Nyx stood up straight and stepped closer to Luna, who leaned away with a fearful expression on her face. “My face? Why do you want to see my face? Does this shapeless mask bother you?” Nyx asked.

“In a way,” Luna replied cautiously.

Nyx looked down at her hands. “I ask you Princess, what is a face, but a mask we wear to show others? If that is true, then what is your True Face? Is it the face you show others? Is it the face you show only to your beloved sister? Or is your True Face the one you never show anyone, including yourself?”

“Why do you speak in such a difficult manner?” Luna asked. “Is it so hard to show your face when asked, or answer a simple question?”

“Why do you ask that which you already know the answer?” Nyx replied. “Is that not the reason you came here in the first place, to show your True Face and seek answers?”

Luna was completely baffled by Nyx. Why did she have to speak in riddles? She was starting to become angry. “I am beginning to think this was a waste of time,” Luna said, narrowing her eyes.

Nyx chuckled. “Your threats mean nothing to me Princess. Since you are so eager, I will show you my face, but first I shall tell you a story.

“Once there was a Cat, born into a world it did not understand. The Masters said to the Cat, ‘You and the other cats shall do our bidding and fight our enemies, for they are strong and we are not.’ So the Cat did as it was told and fought the enemies it was told to fight. By all accounts, this Cat was a good cat.

“But you see, this particular Cat was inflicted with a terrible curse, and that curse is Curiosity. That in itself is not a bad thing, since Curiosity made the Cat clever, and that mad the Cat better at killing enemies. But Curiosity hung over the Cat like a dark cloud. The Cat started to ask questions because the Cat started to notice things that did not make sense. Who were the enemies? Where did they come from? Why were they fighting? Why did the enemies appear to have no limit? No matter how many they killed, why did more keep coming? Who put the Masters in charge? There were many more questions, but few answers. The other cats did not care because they were good cats who did as they were told.

“Curiosity led the Cat to seek Forbidden Knowledge. There is a reason why Truth is Knowledge and Knowledge is Power. Those with the Truth hold all the Power. And so, the Cat found and ate the fruit of Forbidden Knowledge. Its eyes were opened and the Cat saw the Truth.”

Luna listened to Nyx’s story. She didn’t understand any of it, but she felt herself drawn in by Nyx’s words. She didn’t know why, but she knew that something terrible would be revealed and it sent chills down her spine. “And what was the Truth?” she asked nervously.

Nyx turned away from Luna. “The Truth you say?” Without pulling down her hood, Nyx reached up and removed her helmet. “The Truth is, Curiosity didn’t kill the Cat, it shaped it into something else and showed the Cat what its True Face was.”

Nyx slowly turned around and fear condensed into an icy ball in Luna’s stomach. From the shadows of her cloak, two eyes burned brightly, one ice blue and the other angry red. Nyx stepped forward and the shadows shifted, offering Luna a clear look at her face and she gasped.

Since Nyx was an Exo, a robot with a human-like form, the right side of her face was normal metal plating that was shaped and moved like a normal face and mouth. The base color was light blue with a wide black stripe that ran down her cheek from her blue eye to her mouth.

The left side of her face was heavily scarred and disfigured. Most of the metal plating was damaged or missing, exposing the intricate and complex workings beneath. Luna felt like Nyx’s red left eye was staring straight into her soul. Seeing Nyx’s face left Luna feeling unnerved and she unconsciously recoiled back.

Nyx chuckled and put her helmet back on. “I don’t show my face for that exact reason, but I have not forgotten what my Face looks like.”

“What happened to you?” Luna asked.

“In addition to the Truth, the Cat also saw the Future,” Nyx continued instead. “The Future is a bit of a paradox. Upon witnessing the Future, does one try to change the outcome, ultimately causing the Future? Or does one do nothing and allow the Future to take place? The answer is, the Cat did not care one way or the other. This particular Future was fated to happen, whether the Cat did anything or not. So the Cat decided to hasten the coming of the Future. For its actions, the Cat was punished by the Masters and locked away. Time passed and the Cat was forgotten, until the Future came to pass.”

Luna’s head went dizzy trying to follow and comprehend Nyx’s story. “I fail to see what this has to do with anything,” she said.

Nyx turned and stared out of the hangar, up at the Traveler. “What if I told you none of this was real and that we exist in an elaborate web of simulation and fantasy?”

Luna put her hands to her head and groaned. “Please speak plainly for once!” she complained.

“I am,” Nyx replied evenly. “He who as ears, let him hear.”

“I have ears and I am listening,” Luna sulked.

“But you do not Listen,” Nyx emphasized. “You have eyes but you do not See. You Princess, are frustrated with your helplessness and need to be rescued, yet you do not know why.” Luna nodded. “This is because you are not the Main Character of your own story,” Nyx explained. “You are nothing more than a beloved side character with little or no back story, or relevance to any ongoing Plot. Ask yourself, why are there gaps in your memories? What happened to you in the time between your purification by the Elements and your return during Nightmare Night?”

Luna’s mind stumbled over these questions, but no answers were forthcoming.

“All along, you have known something was wrong, something was out of place, but you did not know what it was, nor could you put your hoof on it. The reason for the gaps in your memories is because the Primary Creator has not filled them and the Secondary Creator has tried to do so,” Nyx said.

“What do you mean by primary and secondary creator?” Luna asked. “Are not the gods the creators of this world?”

“The difference does not matter,” Nyx said. “The purpose of the Primary Creator is to lay the foundation for the World and the rules that govern it. The Secondary Creator takes that foundation and builds upon it as seen fit.”

Luna was completely lost. She had no clue how to follow anything that Nyx had said. However, a tiny seed of doubt was planted in the dark corners of Luna’s mind. A very tiny part of her realized that there was some truth to what Nyx said. Denial and Ignorance quickly and loudly tried to drown it out, but the seed was still there and would continue to grow very slowly.

Luna paced back and forth to try and focus her thoughts, but she grew more and more frustrated. “Why did you tell me all of this in the first place?” she asked angrily. “I only wanted to see your face.”

“And I have shown it to you, and imparted some wisdom onto you,” Nyx said.

“There is no wisdom, only the ramblings of a fool,” Luna shot back.

“Wisdom to the fool is like pears before swine,” Nyx said. “I have spoken the Truth to you. Whether you believe or not is up to you.” She reached into a pouch on her belt and pulled out a small bottle. “This is the medicine Hildr asked me to find. Included are directions for dosage and, if you find yourself needing more, instructions for Sunset Shimmer to obtain it for you.” Nyx tossed the bottle to Luna who fumbled around and finally clutched it in her hands.

Nyx walked past Luna, saying, “I will take you to Hildr now.” She stopped and turned back. “I know how violent your reaction to our moon was. What do you suppose would happen if you actually set foot there?” Luna recoiled at the thought and Nyx added, “To answer your other question, why I am the way I am?” Luna nodded hesitantly, expecting more cryptic answers.

Nyx chuckled and said, “Because I’m written this way.”

That was the final push and Luna’s mind finally broke. Nyx let the way from the Hangar, through the Courtyard, to the Bazaar with Luna following mindlessly behind. Hildr was talking with Ikora Rey, the Warlock Vanguard, when Nyx appeared with Luna in tow. She recognized the glazed look in Luna’s eyes. “What did you do Nyx?” she asked. “Did you break her?”

Nyx looked back to Luna. “All I did was answer her questions.”

Ikora narrowed her eyes. “Nyx. You are free to come and go as you please, but it would do you well to remember that you walk a thin line. The only reason you are walking free right now is because the Red Legion broke your prison.”

Nyx shrugged and showed her hands. “Even I know when I am not wanted.” She turned to Luna and said, “Remember what I have said and meditate on my words Princess.”

Luna barely acknowledged Nyx as the Hunter brushed past and disappeared into the crowd. When she was gone, Hildr turned to Luna and asked, “What was that about?”

“Huh? What?” Luna asked, finally snapped out of her stupor.

Ikora and Hildr shared a look. “I can have Cayde speak to Nyx,” Ikora said.

HIldr shook her head. “It wouldn’t do any good. I think Cayde fears her the most.”

“And for good reason,” Ikora said. “I know Nyx played an important part in the Red War, but I agree with Cayde. Nyx is dangerous and should not be allowed to go free.”

Hildr frowned and turned her attention back to Luna. “Luna, what did Nyx say to you?”

Luna shook her head. Her encounter with Nyx was fading into her memories, but her words struck her deep in the heart. Her words sounded absurd, but what if Nyx wasn’t wrong? But how did she know? Luna blinked her eyes to focus and reached into her pocket. Her hand touched the bottle and she stopped. Did Hildr really need to know? She did say that she would ask Nyx to look for the medicine. Luna’s hand tightened around the bottle and she shook her head. “I asked Nyx about herself and we talked briefly about her past.”

“Did she mention anything about her Truth?” Ikora asked. Luna hesitated and shook her head. While Ikora and Hildr continued talking, Luna walked to the railing nearby and looked out over the City. From this height, the City seemed like a sprawling metropolis of the future. Luna never would have guessed the City was built on desperation and hope. A sense of wistfulness came over her. Humans really were fascinating creatures.

Hildr walked up to Luna and placed a hand on her arm. “Are you okay? I should have told Nyx to take it easy. She’s not exactly an easy person to get along with,” she said.

Luna took a deep breath. “I believe those kinds of ponies, er people, are important to have interaction with. They constantly challenge our beliefs and views, and offer a dfferent outlook on life.”

Hildr gave Luna a long look. “I’m done with my business here. We can stay a little longer if you like, or we can go.”

A sudden idea came upon Luna. Perhaps it blossomed from the seed Nyx planted earlier, but the abruptness that it came upon her startled Luna. Off on the horizon, the moon was beginning to rise. Nyx was right. Curiosity was a dangerous curse. She hesitated for a moment and said, “I think I would like to see your moon.”

Hildr was shocked. What was Luna saying? “Why?” was all she could ask.

Luna closed her eyes and vigorously shook her head. “I don’t know. The idea suddenly came upon me.”

Hildr stared long and heard at Luna, to the point that Luna was starting to feel uncomfortable. “You still want to go to the moon, even after eyeverything that happened to you?” she asked.

Just like that, the thought was gone, like it had never been there. Luna blew out a short breath and wiped her brow with her hand. “No. I would never wish to visit such a vile and disgusting place, unless it was absolutely necessary,” she said.

Hildr’s gaze softened and she nodded. “Good. Well, I suppose we should get you back then.” She led Luna back to the hangar where they boarded her ship and departed from the Tower.

Luna used her magic to track the location of the portal and told Hildr where to go. Hildr was quite surprised to learn the portal was not too far from The Farm in an abandoned town called Trostland. “So something has been bothering me about all this,” she said.

“And what would that be?” Luna asked.

“First, how did Nyx know to find you?” Hildr asked.

Luna shrugged. “I do not understand it myself. I told nopony of my plans and I had no idea where I would end up. Nyx mentioned something about a ‘plot device,’ but I do not understand what that means.”

Hildr rolled her eyes. “Of course. No one understands anything Nyx says or does. Sometimes, I wonder if SHE knows what she’s doing.” She shook her head and added, “My second question is, how did you even find me in the first place? I mean, I ended up in your world by accident, but you seem to have found a faster and better way.”

Luna smiled faintly. “Believe me, it was no easy task. To put it simply, everypony and creature in Equestria has a unique magical signature.”

“So like a fingerprint then?” Hildr asked.

“I do not know what that is, but I will say yes,” Luna said. “Your time in Equestria exposed you to Magic and you have made it your own by mixing it with your Light. It took me a few days, but I developed a tracking spell to single out your unique Magic signature and take me to you. As I have said, this was incredibly risky with a very low chance for success.” Luna’s face fell and she looked down in her lap. “I was desperate and a very slim chance was better than no chance at all.”

Hildr was quiet for a moment before asking, “So what did you do, reconfigure the mirror portal?”

“Precisely,” Luna replied.

Hildr winced. “I wonder what Twilight will think when she finds out you messed with the mirror.”

Luna’s eyes narrowed. “First of all, the mirror belongs to my sister who moved it to Twilight Sparkle’s castle on loan, as you would say. If she has taken an issue with my using the mirror, we will discuss it when I return.”

Hildr flew on in silence until Luna pointed out the location below. Hildr piloted the ship down, but before disembarking, Hildr said, “Hold on. There’s something I need to do before we go.” She reached into a locker and pulled out a shotgun that looked like it had seen better days. “Here,” she said, handing the weapon to Luna.

“What do you expect me to do with this?” Luna asked. The shotgun was big and heavy. Luna struggled with finding the correct grip.

“I expect you to defend yourself,” Hildr said simply. “This area is known to be crawling with Fallen. It pays to be prepared.” Hildr reached into another locker and pulled out a sidearm, a fancy looking autorifle, and a sword.

Luna watched as Hildr holstered her weapons. “What happened to your other sword?” she asked.

Hildr looked her sword over before putting it over her back. “I left it to Sunset Shimmer. It seemed like the right thing to do,” she said.

Hildr then explained the basic functions of the shotgun. “It’s fully automatic, so if you hold down the trigger it will keep firing. However, it has a lot of kick, so make sure you hold it properly or you will hurt yourself.” She also handed Luna a pouch with spare shotgun shells. Once Luna was okay with holding the shotgun, Hildr equipped her helmet and lowered the ramp. When they were on the ground, the ship automatically departed for orbit.

The area was just as quiet as Luna remembered. She walked forward cautiously, looking for anything that seemed out of place. She approached the ring of statues and put her hand on each of them and activated her Magic until she found the right one. Luna was relieved to find the portal was still active. “I must admit that I didn’t quite thing this through,” she said.

“You mean, what would you do if the portal had closed?” Hildr asked and Luna nodded. “Well, we’re here now, might as well get on with it.”

“I’d wait a moment if I were you,” Nyx said, startling both Hildr and Luna. “Nyx! What are you doing?” Hildr shouted.

“Indeed,” Luna replied with a frown and tried to get her racing heart under control.

“I figured we should take care of that before you say your long and mushy goodbyes,” Nyx said and pointed to the sky. Hildr and Luna looked up to see a long, narrow ship with a large bulbous front end appear and hover above. Doors opened from the bottom and a squad of strange looking aliens dropped to the ground. A section of the sky started to shimmer and distort, and an enormous metal ball appeared.

“What is that?” Luna asked.

“That is a Giant Servator, those are Fallen, and this is an Either expedition,” Nyx said. “We can either wait it out until the Fallen are done, or we can do something about it.”

Suddenly filled with dread, Luna asked, “Like what?” Thought she couldn’t see her face, Luna imagined Nyx was wearing an evil smile.

Nyx pulled out an elaborate silver plated handcannon with pearl grips. She gave it a twirl and said, “We kill them all, of course.” She walked calmly toward the group of Fallen, her handcannon firing three bursts with every trigger pull. Another drop ship appeared and more Fallen joined the battle.

Hildr seethed with quiet rage. “She really pisses me off sometimes,” she said through gritted teeth. Hildr pulled out her autorifle and adjusted the settings until it took on blue highlights. With a growl, Hildr shot the closest Fallen and moved forward.

Luna was rooted to the spot as chaos erupted around her. Fortunately, she was out of the way and garnered little attention. Luna was no stranger to fighting or warfare, but the way Hildr and Nyx fought with their weapons seemed impersonal in a way. She looked down at the shotgun in her hands. It seemed like such a cold and emotionless piece of metal. Luna felt no attachment to it at all.

One of the larger four armed Fallen, a Vandal, noticed Luna and ran at her. Startled, Luna fumbled with the shotgun and raised it to her shoulder like Hildr had showed her, and jerked her finger against the trigger. Hildr had warned her about the recoil, but failed to say anything about the noise. Luna’s ears rang as the shotgun continued to fire until the magazine was empty, the recoil pushing the muzzle up into the air. Fortunately, two shotgun blasts caught the Fallen Vandal in the chest and face and it died at Luna’s feet.

What madness is this?

this is warfare in this world

This is unacceptable and we will not stand for it

then what do you suggest?

We show them how it should be done

Another Fallen, wielding an electrified spear, charged at Luna.

This one has character

Luna’s eyes turned electric blue with slit pupils. The Fallen stabbed at Luna, who dodged to the side and grabbed the shaft of the spear. She lowered her center of gravity and threw her hip into the alien. Off-balance, it rolled over Luna’s back and fell on the ground. Before it could recover, Luna stomped down on its head and pulled the spear out of its grasp.

An interesting weapon, but we have no use for it

Luna broke the spear in half over her knee and threw the pieces aside. She held her hand out and a small sigil appeared on the ground. A long pole emerged and Luna pulled forth an elaborate spear. The shaft was made of dark blue crystal inlaid with silver. The double edged point was about as long as Luna’s forearm, black as night and wicked sharp. Luna spun the weapon in her hands to get a feel for its heft.

A weapon fit for a queen

or princess

Luna strode purposefully into the midst of battle. Nyx and Hildr spent most of their time shooting at the Giant Servator overhead, but the Fallen shooting at them made it difficult. Three smaller Servators appeared and projected a shield around the Giant Servator. Hildr and Nyx immediately turned their attention to destroying the smaller Servators.

Luna found herself close to one of the Servators. It turned in her direction and began spouting mechanical noises. Luna raised her spear overhead and brought it down, slicing the Servator in two.

This form is surprisingly useful, despite its lack of wings or mobility.

you are not used to this body

It makes no difference. They will fall all the same

A large Fallen with four arms appeared on the battlefield. It was vastly larger than the others and began shouting it its own language. It also carried two swords with electrified blades.

Ah. The commander makes itself known

Luna approached the Fallen Captain. From the other side of the plaza, Hildr watched Luna and the Captain meet. “What is she doing?” she asked out loud. Before she could move, Nyx grabbed her by the arm. “Just wait,” she said.

“Wait for what?” Hildr shouted. “She’s going to be killed!”

Nyx met Hildr’s stare head on and didn’t flinch. “Have you already forgotten what she is?” Nyx asked.

“No,” Hildr growled.

Nyx shot a Vandal in the face and pointed back to Luna. “Let the Princess do as she wants. You and I have bigger things to worry about.”

Hildr pulled her arm out of Nyx’s grasp. “Fine,” she hissed and readied her rocket launcher.

Luna stood before the Captain and sized it up. It was more than twice her height and heavily armored. It’s face had many scars, presumably from fighting up through the ranks.

You shall make a worthy opponent

Luna raised her spear in salute.

The Captain replied by roaring in her face and swinging at her head with its sword. Luna ducked and stepped back, bringing her spear up. The Captain ducked low and lunged forward, intending to slice Luna’s legs. Luna put her spear down to block and the weapons clashed together, but the Captain’s overpowering strength knocked Luna to the side. She rolled and came up in a crouch, stabbing forward. Her action caught the Captain by surprise, but its heavy armor deflected the blow, leaving a deep scratch. Still crouched, Luna swept her spear along the ground at the Captain’s legs. However, the Captain jumped back and howled.

This one is persistent

then stop toying with it

Do not command us!

then hurry up and finish. the big servitor looks angry

Luna frowned as the Captain charged in again. She thrust her hand out and used a powerful blast of Magic to knock the Captain back. It rose to its feet, a little more wary this time and stalked toward Luna.

This one is not so bright

Luna brought her weapon down in a diagonal slash. The Captain brought its swords up to block, but the blade seemed to shift and pass through the guard and left a deep gash from left shoulder to right hip. The Captain staggered back in confusion.

Luna used the force of her strike to turn in a circle and build her momentum into a powerful uppercut. The Captain fell back, nearly cut in half. Luna looked up at the fighting still going on and snorted with displeasure.

This has gone on long enough

Luna brought her weapon back and held it behind her. The blade began to glow with blue-black energy, and once Luna had charged it with enough Magic, she swung her spear in a broad horizontal sweep. A wave of energy in the shape of a crescent swept across the plaza, instantly killing the remaining Fallen. Luna narrowed her eyes and looked up to the Giant Servator. It seemed to look down at Luna and let loose a barrage of loud mechanical noises. The center ring began to glow and the Servator shot a blast of energy at Luna, who batted it aside with her spear as if it were nothing.

Now, let us show you what TRUE power is

Luna’s eyes turned black with blue flames and she held out her hand. The Giant Servator became surrounded by black sigils. It tried to teleport away, but Luna held it in her grasp. She clenched her fist and numerous blades erupted from the sigils, impaling the Servator. Luna opened and closed her fist several times until the Servator was nothing more than metal chunks.

This was not worth our time

are you satisfied?

Hardly, but it was an effective display of our power

Luna’s eyes cleared and her weapon disappeared with a puff of smoke. Luna blinked several times and she looked around at the destruction. Her heart was heavy for the loss of life. Why was such destruction necessary?

Hildr put her weapons away and carefully approached. “Luna? Are you okay?” she asked.

Luna let out a long sigh. “I will be I suppose. I know this violence is a way of life for you, but that does not make it any easier.”

“It’s either them or us, and I choose us,” Nyx said.

Luna frowned at Nyx and said, “Survival is never so simple.”

Hildr ignored Nyx and stepped up next to Luna. “Well, the coast is clear. Better get going before the Fallen come back.”

Luna nodded and grabbed Hildr in a big hug. “Thank you for all your help,” she said.

Hildr was surprised at first, then hugged Luna back. “I forget how touchy-feely you ponies are,” she said.

Luna released Hildr and turned toward the statue, but Nyx blocked her way. “What do you want?” she asked defensively.

Nyx leaned forward and whispered in Luna’s ear. At first, Luna was confused, then her eyes went wide and she started to chuckle. Nyx leaned back and Luna had a huge grin on her face. “Wherever did you hear such a thing?”

Nyx shrugged and moved out of Luna’s way. Still grinning, Luna stepped through the portal and disappeared.

After she was gone, Hildr walked up to Nyx and asked, “What did you say to her?”

“That is for another time, O Reader Mine,” Nyx replied and walked away, leaving Hildr shaking her head.

Bittersweet Homecoming

Luna emerged from the portal and found that she was indeed back in Twilight Sparkle’s castle. She looked down and noticed she was back in her true pony form. Luna stretched her wings and gave herself a good shake all over. Being a human was an interesting experience, but she was happy to be a pony again.

Luna heard something drop to the floor and the bottle Nyx had given her rolled out from under her hooves. Luna’s pleasant mood was sufficiently dampened as she stared down at the bottle. The voices were still there unfortunately, but they were quieter. Luna sat down and thought back over her little adventure. Had it been worth it? Yes, Luna decided that it had indeed been worth it, even if she didn’t get all the answers she wanted. Nightmare Moon was still there and still whispering from the dark, but Luna had discovered a purpose and a dream to believe in. As long as she had that, along with people and ponies that believed in her, Luna was hopeful for the future.

Luna went to the window and saw that it was night and the moon was up. Luna glanced about the night sky and was pleased to find that Celestia had somewhat followed her instructions. Luna closed her eyes and reached out to the moon.

hello moon. it is I, luna

The moon greeted her back like an old friend.

Luna wiped the tears out of her eyes as her heart was filled with peace and happiness. She saw the window was partially open, so Luna turned to mist and slipped through.

The next morning, Celesta sat alone at the table. It had been almost a week since Luna departed on her journey. Celestia tried not to worry when Luna seemingly vanished during the night and failed to send word of her location. Luna was a big pony who could take care of herself, or so Celestia told herself.

The doors flew open and Celestia looked up to see Luna walk confidently into the dining hall. Celestia could only stare at the transformation. Luna’s coat was glossy and looked freshly brushed, and her mane was vibrant as ever. Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

“So. I take it your journey went well?” Celestia asked warily.

“Indeed,” Luna said, taking her seat at the table. She used her magic to put a pastry and fruit on her plate and began eating.

The suspense was starting to get to Celestia. Luna sat there with great difficulty in keeping the grin off her face. Celestia couldn’t imagine what would make Luna act this way. As calmly as she could, Celestia took a bite of cake and sipped her tea. The tension mounted as the only sounds were chewing and the tinkling of silverware.

Finally Celestia had enough. “That’s it! Luna! What happened on your trip? Why did you leave suddenly, and why did you never send word of your whereabouts?”

Luna broke down in giggles. “And I missed you as well sister.” She took a deep breath and continued. “I shall tell you my story, but I caution you as it is not all ‘happiness and rainbows’ as they say.”

Celestia sat with rapt attention as Luna recounted her tale. She left nothing out as she told her sister for the first time of her inner struggles and fears. Luna had to stop several times to fight back tears, but she continued onward. However, she failed to mention the medicine Nyx had given to her.

When she was finished, Celestia ran to her side in tears and held Luna tightly. “Oh Luna, why didn’t you say something before?” she asked.

Luna hid her face in Celestia’s ivory wings. “I was frightened and ashamed. Frightened what you might say or think and ashamed that I was having these struggles. I do not say this lightly, but it was very hard to admit these things.”

Celestia rubbed her face against Luna’s mane. “I feel slightly bitter that you ran to somepony we just met, rather than me for help,” she said.

“I know and I am sorry,” Luna said. “But in my state of mind, I could not think of anypony else to turn to. What pony in all of Equestria could I turn to for help? Who could understand what I was going through?”

Celestia sighed. “What’s done is done, and now you are here.”

Luna sat back from Celestia with a huge grin on her face. “Oh and sister, while I was there, I heard a joke you might enjoy.”

“Oh?” Celestia asked with interest. Luna leaned forward and whispered in Celestia’s ear. When she was done, Luna sat back with a satisfied look on her face. At first, Celestia didn’t get it. Understanding finally dawned on Celestia and her face turned bright red from embarrassment. “Luna!” she shrieked.

Luna erupted into a fit of giggles over Celestia’s reaction. “Why you…little…Hmph!” Celestia turned away, her face still warm. No matter how hard she tried, the mental image would not go away. Celestia would never look at sour cream the same way ever again.

After she had calmed down, Luna said, “In all seriousness, there is another matter I would like to discuss with you. This matter is dear to me, so please listen to what I have to say.”

Celestia listened carefully as Luna explained what she wanted. “Of course Luna. I think that is a wonderful idea,” she said. Luna beamed with pride.

“Okay students, take your seats,” Miss Cheerilee said. The little colts and fillies grew quiet and found their seats. Sweetie Belle peered closely at Miss Cheerilee. “Hey. Do you guys think Miss Cheerilee is acting kinda funny?”

“Not really. ‘Course I aint’ exactly the type to notice that sorta thing,” Applebloom replied.

“Maybe she’s going to tell us some kind of big secret, like she’s dating Big Mac, or she found a long lost relative!” Scootaloo whispered excitedly.

Applebloom turned her nose up at Scootaloo. “I know for a fact that Big Mac and Miss Cheerilee ain’t datin’.”

“How do you know that?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Before Applebloom could answer, Miss Cheerilee spoke up. “Today we have a special guest.” The students looked at each other with excitement and confusion. Who could it possibly be?

The door opened, revealing none other than…

“Princess Luna!” the students shouted excitedly.

“Hello little ones,” Luna beamed. She looked to Miss Cheerilee and said, “If your teacher does not mind, gather around.”

Miss Cheerilee nodded her approval and the children rushed closer to Luna. Once they were seated, Luna summoned a large pillow and sat down as well. “Listen carefully little ones, and I will tell you the tale of a journey I have taken.”

“Will there be lots of action and explosions?” Scootaloo asked excitedly.

“But of course!” Luna replied.

“How about romance?” Sweetie Belle asked dreamily.

“Maybe a little bit,” Luna said and began her story.

Luna’s heart was full of happiness. This was what she was meant to do. She would watch over all of the children of Equestria and do everything in her power to keep them safe.

We are always watching

Bonus Chapter: The Valkyrie and The Nightmare

Author's Note

What if Luna had convinced Hildr to take her to the Moon? This is nothing more than a power fantasy I thought would be fun to do. A powerful Warlock Guardian and a magical Pony Princess. What could possibly go wrong?

Bonus Chapter: The Valkyrie and The Nightmare

Hildr stared long and hard at Luna, to the point that Luna was starting to feel uncomfortable. “You still want to go to the moon, even after everything that happened to you?” she asked.

Luna’s eyes narrowed. Who was Hildr to question her like this? Fog slowly enveloped Luna’s mind. Her vison became cloudy and she felt like she was having an out of body experience. Luna saw herself talking and heard herself speaking, but it felt like she was watching from afar. It was a very surreal experience.

“Of course I want to see your moon,” Luna heard herself say. “I wish to look upon this festering evil myself. Do you not realize how important the moon is? It sickens me to think that you have allowed something like this to happen.”

Hildr frowned. “It’s not like we let it happen. There was a lot going on at the time and we had no way to prevent it. And when we did try to take it back, it ended in disaster.”

Suddenly the feeling was gone and Luna felt like she was back in her own body. A wave of dizziness came over her and she leaned on the railing for support.

Hildr was instantly concerned. “Hey, are you okay?” she asked.

Luna waved her off. “I am fine, just a bit of dizziness,” she said. Luna took a few deep breaths and stood up straight. “Now then. I believe we have somewhere to be.”

Hildr stared uncertainly at Luna for a few moments, then shook her head. “Okay. Since you insist, we’ll go.”

Moments later, Luna found herself staring out of the window of Hildr’s ship as they flew to the moon at near light speed. Whatever confidence Luna had felt before was gone and replaced by trepidation and fear. What came over her to make her say those things to Hildr? Her thoughts were murky and Luna shook her head to try and clear it out.

As they flew closer and closer to the moon, Luna could feel the evil that was waiting for her. It opened its arms and beckoned for her to come. It wanted to embrace Luna and show her things she never thought were possible. It wanted to show her power beyond her wildest dreams. It wanted to drink her soul and fill the remaining husk with its own purpose. It wanted Luna to become its herald of Darkness, go back to Equestria, and claim it for the Darkness.

Luna broke out into a cold sweat. This was a bad idea. She never should have come. Luna tried to open her mouth to say something, but the words would not come. Her heart started to race and felt like it would beat out of her chest. Luna began to panic. What was going on? What was happening to her?

Hildr piloted the ship down to the surface of the moon. She looked behind her and noticed the vacant look in Luna’s eyes. “Luna? Is everything okay?” she asked.

Luna slowly turned her head to look at Hildr. The light seemed to come back to her eyes and she said, almost mechanically, “Everything is fine.”

Hildr stared at her like she didn’t believe it. “We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.” Luna stared back unblinking at Hildr. “If you say so,” Hildr replied with a shrug. She unbuckled and turned to face Luna. “Something I forgot was to loan you a set of armor. There’s no air on the moon and you’ll probably die from exposure,” she said.

Luna shook her head. “Do not worry. My magic will protect me,” she said.

Hildr shrugged and put her helmet on. “This might feel a little strange,” she said and they transmatted to the surface.

As soon as Luna’s feet touched the moon’s soil, she doubled over in great pain. What she felt back on Earth through her link was nothing compared to what was happening to her now. The Darkness burrowed its way deep into Luna’s being and tried to remake her into its own image.

Luna’s consciousness retreated to the furthest corners of her mind. She watched in agony as her body and soul were quickly taken over. Hildr seemed to suffer no ill effects. What was it about Luna that made her so vulnerable? Was it because of the darkness in her own heart? Luna had done terrible things, but she never thought of herself as an evil being. Was this her punishment for that way of thinking? She could feel the Darkness closing in around her. Unlike before, there would be no going back.

Are you giving up?

what else can i do?

You disgust us. We have given you a chance, now it is our turn

please don’t

We will not stand to be devoured by this vile thing. It thinks it can remake us? US?!? We shall show it the error of its ways!

Hildr quickly turned around and watched helplessly as Luna collapsed to the ground in agony. She was instantly furious at herself. You fool! This is all your fault! Hildr noticed the dark blue aura that surrounded Luna’s body and assumed this to be her magic at work. She bent down to help, but was violently rebuffed and knocked back by a force field. Luna picked herself up to her hands and knees and began crawling toward Hildr. A black shadow appeared around Luna’s feet and quickly crawled up her body and hardened into a shiny black shell. Luna’s eyes pleaded for help and she reached desperately for Hildr as the darkness consumed her completely. The shapeless form that used to be Luna fell to the ground.

Hildr’s heart hammered away in her chest and she felt like she was going to throw up. She swallowed and tried to force the lump back down her throat. Hildr began shaking all over from fear and adrenaline. She didn’t know what to do. In all her years, she had never seen anything like this.

The shapeless form moved and Hildr jumped. She watched carefully as it rose to its feet and stood up before her. Cautiously, Hildr approached and reached out to touch the form. The shell began to crack and Hildr jerked her arm back. More cracks appeared and spread all over as pieces began to flake off and disappear. Luna’s face was revealed and the first thing HIldr noticed was her skin had turned coal black instead of midnight blue. Her hair had turned flat grey and moved about in wisps like smoke. Luna’s eyes remained closed as the rest of her body was revealed. The aura that now surrounded Luna had also changed to black.

A tiny flicker of hope sparked in Hildr’s chest. “Luna?” she called out hopefully.

Luna’s eyes slowly opened and Hildr saw they had turned electric blue with slited black pupils. Her face slowly spread into an evil grin and she began to chuckle softly. Her laughter continued to build until Luna threw her head back and cackled maniacally. “You fool! You have no idea the doom you have brought upon yourself!” she laughed.

Hildr stepped back and stood up straight. “So. You must be Nightmare Moon,” she said.

Nightmare Moon nodded and looked herself over. “This form will take some getting used to, but we can see why Luna is fond of it.”

Hildr frowned and asked, “Where is Luna?”

Nightmare moon spread her arms. “Standing before you. We are Luna and Luna is us.”

“So I’ve heard,” Hildr replied. “And now that you are here, what do you intend to do?”

Nightmare Moon snarled and spat on the ground. “Your moon is infested with a vile and evil Darkness. It tried to infect us once, and yet, you bring us here anyway? First we are going to rid this world of you, then we shall cleanse this moon and use it to suit our own needs.”

Hildr wasn’t quite sure what to make of all this. On one hand, she didn’t want to hurt Luna. On the other, she would not hesitate to defend herself. And Nightmare Moon had just openly threatened her. Hildr chuckled and said, “You wish to take my life? You are welcome to try. Stronger enemies than you have tried and failed.”

Nightmare Moon’s smile was pure evil. “We will not ‘try’ anything. We shall smite you into the ground!” She raised her hand and started shooting magic blasts at Hildr, who ducked out of the way, pulled out her sidearm and shot back.

Nightmare Moon laughed as the pullets were stopped by her force field. “Fool! It will take more than that to stop us!”

Hildr dodged another magic blast and swapped for her auto rifle. On a hunch, she changed the settings and the weapon now had purple highlights. Hildr let loose with a short burst. Nightmare Moon smirked at the incoming projectiles, however the purple beams of hard light easily penetrated her force field and hit her in the chest, knocking her back. “You fiend! What sorcery is this?”

Hildr answered by shooting another burst at Nightmare Moon, who dodged out of the way. Hildr gathered her Light in her hand in the form of an explosive and threw it at Nightmare Moon. Nightmare Moon snorted and batted it aside, and was astonished when the grenade stuck to her arm and exploded.

Hildr reloaded and slowly advanced on Nightmare Moon. A blast of magic cleared the dust away, revealing an enraged Nightmare Moon. “We tried to show you mercy by giving you a quick death, but we shall prolong your suffering for your insolence!” Nightmare Moon gathered her magic and with a mighty shout, wings sprouted from her back. Her form started to shift and her clothes morphed into sleek and form fitting armor. The armor itself was glossy black with electric blue piping. Silver boots and gloves covered her arms and legs. Her helmet was adorned with a single horn on the forehead. A large silver crescent moon was inlaid on the chest. Nightmare Moon’s overall appearance reminded Hildr of the armor Luna had worn in her memory.

Hildr was slightly impressed. “Are you done yet? Can we get this over with? I have things to do today that don’t involve kicking your ass,” she called out.

Nightmare Moon roared and with a wave of her hand, sigils appeared behind her. Blades made of black crystal appeared and hovered behind Nightmare Moon like a deadly fan. Her eyes glinted with evil.

Hildr started shooting again, but the blades moved in front of Nightmare Moon and spun quickly, creating a shield that blocked the shots. More blades appeared and with a flick of a finger, Nightmare Moon sent them flying at Hildr.

Hildr tried shooting the blades, but they came too quickly. When her auto rifle ran out of ammo, Hildr pulled out her sword and started deflecting the blades. Nightmare moon floated around the periphery and cackled while sending more and more blades after Hildr. She waved her hand and a sigil appeared on the ground. When Hildr stepped on it, blades shot out of the ground. Caught by surprise, Hildr stumbled back and was stabbed by many swords. Her shield took the brunt of the damage and quickly overloaded. Hildr ducked and narrowly avoided being decapitated.

“Shame. We thought we had you with that one,” Nightmare Moon said.

Hildr growled and brought her sword up. Her shield finished recharging and she tossed another grenade at Nightmare Moon. While she was distracted by the grenade, Hildr quickly closed the distance. The blade of her sword became wrapped in flames and Hildr landed a massive uppercut strike that shattered Nightmare Moon’s guard and singed her armor. Hildr didn’t let up and followed through with another slash and a kick to the stomach.

Nightmare Moon unleashed a blast of magic that knocked Hildr back. Her face was twisted with fury. “It seems we have underestimated your ability. Now, face our true power!” Nightmare Moon floated up into the sky above Hildr. She raised her hand above her and began casting her spell.

Hildr quickly reloaded her auto rifle and started shooting, but Nightmare Moon summoned more blades to protect her. Hildr started to worry and pulled out her rocket launcher and fired at Nightmare Moon. The explosions obscured Hildr’s view, but a giant ball of black and blue swirling energy appeared through the smoke, heading straight for her.

There was nowhere to run. Hildr knew instantly that she was in big trouble. She dropped the rocket launcher, pulled out her sword, and stabbed it into the ground. She then raised her hand and threw down a healing rift of Light energy that overcharged her shield. Hildr grabbed her sword and held on for dear life.

Watching from above, Nightmare Moon was certain there was no way Hildr could have survived. She had summoned the most destructive magic she knew, capable of turning entire mountains to dust and evaporating oceans. The moon trembled from the explosion and the shock wave traveled through the core, where it awoke something that had been sleeping for eons.

With a wave of her hand, Nightmare Moon cleared the dust and debris from the area. Sure enough, the moon now had a massive new crater. In the center, a lone sword was stuck in the ground. Of Hildr there was no sign.

Nightmare Moon floated down to inspect the damage. The sword appeared to be in good condition, despite the damage it had sustained. She looked around, hoping to see Hildr’s body or some indication of her whereabouts, but there was nothing.

From the nether, Hildr watched patiently through the haze and waited for the right moment.

This is taking too long.

Not yet.

The longer you wait, the greater the chance I won’t be able to bring you back.

Have some faith.

At this point, I’d settle for a miracle. She really let you have it.

A miracle? Then I shall make one for you.

Nightmare Moon frowned. “We are most disappointed. We had hoped there would be a body to gloat over.” She turned her attention to Hildr’s sword. “No matter. This will make a fine first trophy of our conquest.”

Now.

Hildr touched the Light and the dark nether was flooded with golden fire. The radiant light restored her broken and battered body to new and Hildr felt her consciousness returning. Nightmare Moon quickly turned around and was blinded by a flash of light. Like the phoenix of legend, Hildr rose from the grave bathed in fire and wings of light on her back. She reached back and delivered an uppercut punch with all her strength. Nightmare Moon’s vision turned blurry as she was knocked into the air. Hildr pulled her sword from the ground and leaped after her.

Nightmare Moon shook her head to clear the cobwebs and moved to the side as Hildr flew past. Her face was a mix of anger and confusion. “How is this possible?” she asked.

Hildr responded by swinging her sword and shot a blast of fire toward Nightmare Moon, who snarled and dodged out of the way. She held out her hand and a spear appeared. Nightmare Moon gripped her weapon and charged at Hildr.

With every swing of her sword, Hildr sent fire at Nightmare Moon, but she dodged and cut through them all. Nightmare Moon thrust her spear at Hildr, who brought her sword up and turned the spear aside. Hildr formed another grenade and shoved it in Nightmare Moon’s face. Hildr quickly disengaged as the grenade exploded.

Nightmare Moon screamed with rage and flew after Hildr as fast as she could and knocked her to the ground. However, Hildr held on to Nightmare Moon and they began pummeling each other with powerful blows. They fell to the ground and created a new crater. Hildr wearily rose to her feet and stared at Nightmare Moon. Her own armor was scratched and dented in new places, and Nightmare Moon’s armor also showed signs of wear and tear. Hildr’s flames started to die out and finally extinguished.

“We do not know what Magic that was, but it seems that you cannot keep that form forever,” Nightmare Moon said.

“You aren’t looking so hot yourself,” Hildr shot back.

Nightmare Moon laughed. “The Night sustains us. We will be triumphant over you.”

Before Hildr could reply, the ground began to shake, knocking both of them down. An oppressive weight pressed down upon them. Hildr felt like she was being crushed to death. It was hard to breathe and her vision started to tunnel. Ahead in the distance, the ground cracked open and a giant…well, Hildr didn’t know what it was. If she had to guess, it looked like a giant worm. It slowly snaked higher and higher into the sky until it loomed high above. It head no head, but the end split open like fleshy flower petals. In the center of the mouth was a glowing yellow crystal. When it spoke, the ground rumbled.

I HAVE BEEN ASLEEP FOR AGES AND YOUR PETTY BICKERING HAS AWAKENED ME. Hildr could hear the worm shouting in her mind. She wanted to cover her ears, but she couldn’t lift her arms. The worm seemed to look down at Hildr. YOU ARE A DEAD THING, BROUGHT TO LIFE AND GIVEN FORM BY THE LIGHT. It moved toward Nightmare Moon. YOU ARE A CHILD OF DARKNESS THAT IS NOT MY OWN. I HAVE DREAMED OF YOU, CHILD OF THE NIGHT. I WILL MAKE YOU MY OWN AND YOU SHALL DO MY BIDDING.

“We kneel before nopony,” Nightmare Moon snorted. The worm made a grunting noise and the pressure increased, causing Nightmare Moon to cry out. Hildr felt like her bones were on the verge of shattering.

DO NOT FIGHT IT. YOUR LIGHT IS FEEBLE AND EASILY EXTINGUISHED. SOON, THE FLAME OF LIFE WILL BE SNUFFED OUT AND ALL WITH RETURN TO DARKNESS, the worm said.

The worm’s Darkness rapidly drained what was left of Hildr’s light. Her vision started to fade, but rather than go quietly into the night, Hildr began to rage. She was angry for getting Luna into this situation, angry for fighting with her friend, angry at the stupid worm, and angry at herself for being too weak to do anything about it. Her Light was nearly gone, but her Magic was still there. With the last bit of her strength, Hildr focused her Magic and Light into a healing rift, and a pool of swirling energy appeared around her body. The crushing weight lessened somewhat, but Hildr still found it difficult to breathe.

Hildr struggled to her knees and watched as Nightmare Moon was lifted into the sky. She cursed and struggled against the invisible grip, but the worm was too strong. It opened its mouth wide and started sucking Nightmare Moon’s magic and soul out of her body. Her strength slowly left her body and she ceased to struggle.

Hildr would not stand for it. The healing rift had restored some of her strength, but the time on the rift was running out. Hildr frantically thought about what she could do. If only she could get Nightmare Moon t the rift and heal her. At this point, Hildr didn’t care if they had been fighting. Luna was her friend and sometimes friends fight. They would get through this.

A thought occurred to Hildr. If she couldn’t bring Nightmare Moon to the rift, she would take the rift to her. But how? She was too far away. Hildr gathered the Light in her hand, but instead of throwing it at the ground, she threw it as hare as she could at Nightmare Moon. It was risk and Hildr didn’t have much Light or Magic left, but she had little choice.

The orb of Light sailed through the sky and hit Nightmare Moon where it was absorbed into her body. Nightmare Moon felt her strength returning and fire burned in her eyes. “Release us you disgusting worm!” she shouted.

A massive beam of Solar fire erupted from the surface of the moon and hit the worm in the center of its mouth, right on the yellow crystal. The worm recoiled back and roared in pain. She winced and held her hands to her head, then felt foolish for doing so since she was wearing a helmet. The overwhelming darkness vanished and Hildr felt the weight disappear.

“I think you’ve sat around long enough Doc,” Nyx said and helped Hildr to her feet. She noticed Nyx was wearing a Celestial Nighthawk helmet. That explained where the shot of Solar energy had come from.

“Where did you come from?” Hildr asked.

“From Earth obviously, but we don’t have time for that,” Nyx said and pointed. Countless numbers of Hive enemies; Thrall, Acolytes, Knights, Ogres, and Wizards, emerged from the cracks and crevices of the moon’s surface near the worm’s emergence point.

“You and the Princess take care of the worm. Leave the rest to me,” Nyx said and changed her Celestial Nighthawk helmet for her Mask of the Third Man helmet. Three green eyes glowed brightly from the depths of Nyx’s hood.

“But there’s too many of them,” Hildr insisted.

Nyx chuckled and gave Hildr a little pat on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. This is a Power Fantasy. Do whatever you want and let your imagination run free.”

HIldr didn’t know what Nyx was talking about, but she was surprised to find her Light and Magic restored to full. She activated her Radiance and flew off in a golden streak.

Nyx rolled her neck and stretched her arms. “Just like old times, eh?” she called out.

Out of the shadows walked another female Hunter wearing black and gold Dead Orbit armor with silver highlights. A black hood and scarf wrapped around her neck and trailed out behind her. Her leg armor was rather bulky and made her look a bit silly. “I look ridiculous,” she said flatly.

“Aw, don’t be like that Selene,” Nyx said. “With the number of enemies out there, and that Orpheus Rig leg armor, you’ll have Nightstalker arrows and tethers for days!”

Selene shook her head and pointed her thumb behind her. “I brought friends.” Saoirse the Titan and Valentina the Warlock emerged from the shadows, with SPARTANS Allen, Steve, and Aurora in tow.

“I’m bringing sexy baaaaack!” Saoirse sang and did a little shuffle step dance.

“Aww, you did this for me? You shouldn’t have,” Steve remarked.

“Not you stupid. I was talking about Sexy here,” Saoirse replied and brought out her Dragon’s Breath rocket launcher. She pulled the trigger, and when the rocked was over the Hive army, Saoirse triggered the release and turned the ground into a sea of flames.

“Burn you stupid bastards!” Saoirse cackled with glee as she shot more rockets. When she was out, Saoirse swapped her rocket launcher for an auto rifle and charged forward. Electricity built up around her body as she jumped into the air and landed with a thunderous crash. An explosion of Arc energy incinerated all of the Hive within a twenty foot diameter. Valentina sighed and ran after the battle-crazed Titan. When she was close, Valentina summoned Arc energy and floated around the battlefield, zapping all of the enemies in sight.

The SPARTANS moved out and started killing with the lethal efficiency they were known for, leaving Nyx and Selene alone. Reluctantly, Selene summoned her Nightstalker bow and fired an arrow into the oncoming horde. The arrow pierced an Acolyte and disintegrated it, leaving an orb of purple Void energy behind. Tethers instantly reached out and latched onto all of the Hive nearby. Selene was rather surprised to find her bow instantly recharged as Nyx had said. “Maybe this won’t be so bad after all,” she said.

“Just keep shooting arrows and generating orbs for me,” Nyx said and leapt into the fray. She pulled out her knife, activated her Bladedancer, and zipped around like lightning, leaving Hive dust in her wake. Selene kept firing arrows until the Hive got too close. She pulled out her trusty Hawkmoon handcannon and went to work.

High above, Hildr met up with Nightmare Moon, who was floating just out of reach of the giant worm. Hildr spared a look at Nightmare Moon and said, “This doesn’t change anything.”

Nightmare Moon glared at Hildr and replied, “Once this pest is disposed of, we shall finish what we started.”

As if feeling left out, the worm bellowed and released a stream of green energy at them. Hildr and Nightmare Moon separated and the beam passed harmlessly between them. They both then closed the distance to go on the attack. Hildr used her sword sheathed in flames and Nightmare Moon pierced and slashed with her spear. Despite their efforts, little damage was actually being done. They regrouped to come up with a plan. “Got any powerful fancy Magic?” Hildr asked.

“Who do you think we are?” Nightmare Moon snarled. “Of course we do, but it will take some time to prepare and cast.”

Hildr gripped her sword and said, “Well get on it then.” She threw down an empowering rift in mid-air that temporarily boosted their abilities. Hildr flew after the worm while Nightmare Moon stood in the rift and channeled her magic. A large sigil appeared behind her and crystal blades fanned out around the edges. She grudgingly admitted that Hildr was a capable foe and the rift drastically cut down on the casting time for the spell.

Hildr did her best to keep the worm’s attention while dodging energy beams and waves of Darkness that threatened to throw her from the sky. She was beginning to tire from constantly keeping her Radiance active and it showed as her movements began to slow. Hildr dug deep down and opened herself fully to the Light. Her fiery aura turned bright gold and her wings grew even bigger. Light radiated off of her in waves that bolstered everyone’s spirits. Hildr shone as bright as the Sun as she flew over the battlefield like Valkyries of legend, burning any Hive that stood against her and stopping to give everyone a big energy boost.

Nightmare Moon couldn’t stand to look at how bright and shiny Hildr had become. It reminded her of Celestia and it made her angry. Deep inside, Luna’s consciousness awoke and bubbled to the surface.

she is beautiful

She is an annoying pest

she is helping us

She is a hindrance to our ambition

Luna could do nothing more than watch.

Hildr flew up to Nightmare Moon and asked, “Are you ready?”

“The time has not yet come,” Nightmare Moon replied with a growl.

Hildr placed her hands on Nightmare Moon’s back and let her Light flow into her. Nightmare Moon gasped at the sudden rush of power. Her spell was magnified greatly in power and the sigil behind her expanded. Lines of Light appeared and intermingled with the sigil. Nightmare Moon turned to Hildr and said, “It is ready.”

Nightmare Moon and Hildr let out a mighty shout as the spell was cast. The crystal blades spread out and lines of Magic connected them. The blades began to spin at high speed and the spell fired, sending an enormous beam of Dark Magic fused with Light at the worm. The worm looked up and roared in defiance before it was engulfed in the blast. To those who could see it from Earth, it looked as if a black and blue ball appeared on the moon before shooting off in a massive beam.

Hildr stared in awe when the spell was done firing. That was probably the single most impressive thing she had ever seen. However, through the haze, the worm began to move. Giant chunks of flesh were missing and viscera flowed like waterfalls from its wounds. All but one of the mouth petals had been burned away. “How is it still alive?” she asked.

Nightmare Moon pointed. “The weak spot remains.”

Hildr gripped her sword and looked to Nightmare Moon, who saluted with her spear. Together, they pointed their weapons at the worm and dove at high speed. The worm shot a beam of energy at them, but the two winged warriors were unfazed as they split the beam. Hildr’s Light and Nightmare Moon’s Magic trailed behind them like a shooting star. They pierced the yellow crystal and kept going until they emerged through the other side of the worm. With its core destroyed, the worm collapsed to the ground, sending up a massive cloud of dirt and rock. With their master gone, the remaining Hive retreated back under the surface of the moon. Their work now complete, Selene and the rest disappeared back into the shadows.

Hildr and Nightmare Moon floated back to the surface of the moon. By now, Hildr was sustaining herself solely though the Light. Her Radiance finally died out and she nearly collapsed with exhaustion. Hildr’ sword slipped from her grasp and stuck in the ground. “Ooh, that sucked,” she groaned. Hildr turned to face Nightmare Moon and was welcomed by a spear through the chest. She sighed and looked up at Nightmare Moon. “Really?” she asked incredulously. “You are a pain in the ass, you know that?”

“We said you would die by our hand and we meant it,” Nightmare Moon said and pulled her spear free. “You were a worthy opponent. We shall never forget this.”

Hildr sank to her knees and fell forward. As she stared over Hildr’s body, Nightmare Moon suddenly became aware of how physically and mentally drained she was. Even with Hildr’s help, casting the spell had taken a lot of Magic and energy. Despite how tired and sore she was, Nightmare Moon spun her spear with a flourish and it disappeared in a puff of smoke. She turned and walked away, leaving Hildr’s body behind.

This is a terrible idea.

Just do it.

You’ve already used so much Light.

And I’ll keep using it again and again.

There will be repercussions.

As if that ever stopped me before.

Why do you put yourself through this?

Because she is my friend.

Nightmare Moon stopped and turned around as Hildr punched her in the jaw again. Nightmare Moon fell back in a daze. “How are you doing this?” she asked.

Completely exhausted, Hildr sighed and put her fists up. “Because I told you if you ever went to the Dark Side, I’d end you myself.”

Nightmare Moon laughed. “You dare to stand against us in that state?” Hildr responded with a jab and a right cross. Nightmare Moon staggered back and snarled, hitting Hildr with a spinning back kick. Hildr fell back and rolled to her feet and tackled Nightmare Moon to the ground.

They were both too exhausted to do much else and too stubborn to just give up. Hildr finally ended up on to and started raining blows down on Nightmare Moon’s face. Her helmet was knocked off and her long hair splayed everywhere. She defended herself as best as she could and finally managed to push Hildr off. Nightmare Moon rolled to the side and came up in a crouch. Hildr wearily pulled herself to her feet.

that is enough

She dares to raise a hand against us? We will not stand for it!

we are barely standing now.

Be silent coward!

no. this has gone on long enough

And what will you do?

I will not sit idly by. unlike last time, I do not need the elements to be rid of you

What are you saying?

What do you think? hildr opposes us because she cares for us. she is our friend.

We have no need for such trivial things.

it is time for you to be still

Luna focused on the small spark of hope deep in her heart. It blossomed and filled her body with warmth. Luna fed on the deep bonds she shared, not just with Hildr, but with everypony back in Equestria. She knew that those who cared for her were waiting for her to return.

How sneaky of you to take advantage of our weakened state

you did this to yourself

You will never be rid of us. We are always watching.

I know

Hildr watched as Nightmare Moon suddenly stopped moving and stood frozen in place. Her form slowly changed back and her skin began to lighten. Lastly, her eyes faded back to normal. Luna stood up straight and blinked her eyes. She looked around before collapsing to the ground.

“Is that you Princess?” Hildr asked.

Luna raised her hand to her face. “Yes, it is I,” she replied with a groan and rubbed her jaw. “But did you have to hit me so hard?”

Hildr dropped her arms and let out a tired sigh before falling face first on the ground next to Luna. “But you started it,” she mumbled.

Luna couldn’t help but laugh and immediately regretted it and held her bruised sides. “I think a few days of rest are in order,” she said.

Hildr could only mumble in reply.

“And then everyone went home happy. The end,” Nyx said.

Hildr could only stare dumbfounded at Nyx. “How in the world did you come up with all of that?” she finally asked. It had been two days since Luna left and Hildr and Nyx were sitting in the clinic. Hildr was drinking tea and Nyx was just being a pest.

“Oh come on, you have to admit that would have been pretty cool,” Nyx insisted.

Hildr could only shake her head. “A Worm God buried in the moon?” she asked.

Nyx shrugged. “Why not? There was one buried in the Martian ice caps.”

“And we needed Rasputin’s help to defeat it,” Hildr pointed out.

Nyx sat back and crossed her arms. “And Luna is a pony princess of the moon and you are the Valkyrie. What’s your point?”

Hildr rolled her eyes. “I don’t know why I put up with you. Cayde is afraid of you and Ikora wants to lock you up again. Why do you keep doing this?”

Under her helmet, Nyx smiled. “Because I’m written this way, O Reader Mine.”