Luna's Fight For Canterlot.

by chazzergamer

Rating: everyone
Tags: Other, Nightmare Moon, Adventure, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 5650

The events of Luna during the Canterlot wedding

While the Changling attack at the Canterlot Wedding ended up with Twilight and her friends being victorious, everypony has no clue what Luna was doing during the chaotic time.
As she is forced into battle with a similar enemy and forced to face the evil inside herself.
The pic is not mine I except no credit the picture. It was made by anbolanos91 and 90sigma on deviantart
This is my first fic so I hope you enjoy, please give feedback but don't scold me too much on only grammar mistakes.

Published 2012-09-08 00:44:02 UTC
Last updated 2013-08-22 12:11:49 UTC

A Dark Voice On The Air

The Canterlot wedding is not what most people would call the perfect wedding. The Changeling invasion was tough on the whole of Canterlot, but with the help of the main six, Princess Celestia and the happy couple themselves, everypony managed to fight the evil Changelings and their dreaded Queen: Queen Chrysalis.

But what of Princess Luna, the Mare of the Night?

Some joke that she was sleeping but actually, she was having an adventure of her own and if not for her efforts, the Changelings could have had a second chance on that fateful wedding day.

Atop the royal watch tower Celestia watched over her capital city, agitated by the message of warning. She found little rest. Shining Armour’s shield, which surrounded the city, did little to abate Celestia’s fear.

“Rest my sister. As always, I will guard the night,” said Luna, as she stepped toward the telescope and allowed her sister to pass by blankly and seek her chambers.

Luna gazed upon the sky she had created, she took extra time creating these last few nights, she wouldn’t have the wedding spoiled by a cloud filled night, so she let the stars shine and her moon crystallize in the otherwise black sky. Luna had out done herself.

She admired her handiwork and allowed herself an ego boost , however she could not ignore her sister’s subtle signs of fear. “’Tia has never been one to be worried about her kingdom,” Luna said with concern. “Even when Discord returned she was confident that it would get better as long as she and her star pupil, not to mention her friends kept fighting, she knew they would win,” Luna sighed, “but this time something is amiss.”

A voice in the distance hit Luna's ear like an arrow.

“Luuuuna” teased the voice

Luna jolted back to reality and looked to the east of her tower. “Who is that?!” she cried. The voice teased again, “over here Luna,” the voice said, followed by a menacing chuckle. Luna looked down from her balcony, “Who goes there?” To find a familiar violet mare running across the ground

“Stay indoors, Twilight Sparkle,” said Luna as she saw the pony run to her temporary living quarters. Luna began to wonder what that voice was. Luna was not the kind to fear anything but the unknown made her uneasy, and more importantly, concerned for her subjects. She wanted to protect them with all her heart.

Ever since she returned to her duty of caring for the night sky and being partly responsible for her kingdom, she had felt horrible guilt for her past actions as Nightmare moon and wanted to be trusted by her citizens as she once was.

The voice came again like a boomerang. “You really think you can stop us?” This time Luna managed to get of more details from the voice. It was a male with a hideous echo that distorted the voice in front of it beyond what could be deciphered by pony ears, Luna had hit her limit she wanted to find out who this being was and what he wanted.

She closed her eyes and let her horn glow, “If anypony is using strong magic I will be able to trace it,” she focused and filtered out the other unicorns using magic in Canterlot before she detected a strong presence outside the gates.

She couldn’t, she shouldn’t. It was her duty to guard the capital no matter what, but the same urge to protect her people is what gave her the energy to fly out of the shield and onto the mountain side far from the city, where she then landed on a large circular ledge. By the time she got to the ledge, which was near the top of the mountain, it was early morning. Luna wanted to end this adventure quickly so she could return to the wedding and avoid a scolding from Celestia.

“Show yourself. Or will you cower in the corners?” After a few minutes, Luna began to grow impatient and decided to use the Royal Canterlot voice, “GET OUT HERE YOU DEMENTED WHELP!!!” Her voice shook the floor and was answered.

“Is it wise to follow my voice like a mouse to a trap?” questioned the voice with a deep cackle. Luna grew increasingly impatient at the voice. “Don’t mock...ME!!” she said as she stomped her hoof. “Well,” droned the voice, “if you really want to have a look...”

From nowhere, locusts circled the centre of the circular ledge. They continued getting faster and larger, creating a thunderous buzz that sounded lethal, before dispersing to reveal a pitch black pony-like figure with decayed hoofs and horn, and with green hair pointed up like a crown. His cape of black torn ends covered his back. He was bigger than Luna and maybe even bigger than Celestia.

Now Luna knew what she was up against, she now knew the feeling of fears’ ice cold claws. “Who...what are you?” she stuttered. She dare not blink, lest the monster make a move.

The monster smiled and cackled and said, “Ironic, you know nothing about me yet I know so much about you, Princess Luna or do you prefer...Nightmare Moon!” Luna looked disgusted at the name the monster used to address her. “Nightmare Moon is dead, I live only to protect my land, my subjects and my sister. Now what are you and what do you want?!” She wanted to see who this guy really was before acting. She started to formulate a plan in case things turned ugly.

“Evil never truly dies, Luna,” the monster spoke with great confidence, “you will have to face that inner evil sooner or later,”, Luna’s gaze broke from the monsters eyes. She knew he was right but didn’t want to face that dark truth. “As for me...” The monster paused before revealing his identity, “I am King Metamorphosis,: King of the Changelings and this world will soon be under my rule!”

Luna managed to put the pieces together, “You’re the one who sent the threat to Canterlot.” King Metamorphosis smirked, “Well it was kind of a united effort between me, my wife-” Luna cut him off in sheer surprise. “WIFE?!?!” she asked as she pondered to herself how anypony could find this dying mostly-deceased-looking creature attractive. “My wife is within the walls of your precious city,” snarled King Metamorphosis. Luna was in disbelief as she bombarded herself with questions.

How did an enemy sneak into the city with this level of security?

How did they manage to get through Shining Armour’s force field?

Why didn’t she or Celestia detect anything suspicious from within the city?

King Metamorphosis took great joy from the frightened and confused face that Luna dawned. She then, realizing her blunder, showed a face of anger aimed toward King Metamorphosis. She wouldn’t have to wait long now. It was just a matter of letting the king talk for a few more minutes, before she struck.

“I suppose there is no point in keeping the plan a secret anymore, seeing as victory is as good as ours!” countered King Metamorphosis as he walked to the edge of the ledge, and looked down upon Canterlot, as if he had taken over the city already. “My Queen Chrysalis has disguised herself as none other than the bride of the hour.”

Luna gritted her teeth and growled, “Where is Cadence?” Her eyes became as sharp as daggers. The king bared his crooked grin as he walked back to his spot, in the centre of the circular ledge. “Well that was up to my wife, she can be very...imaginative.” He stared at the capital and spoken quietly but noticeably.

“It is begun.”

Luna witnessed the horror from behind King Metamorphosis. Tens of thousands of Changelings filled the skies, covered Shining Armour’s force field like a velvet blanket. “Wha...how?” Luna could not think straight. “An army of this size...shouldn’t exist, what can we do against such a force?” She realized what she was saying and dismissed the thought from her mind. “No, there is always a way I’m sure that my sister and the others will stop them...as for me,” she looked back to King Metamorphosis, “I need to keep this heathen away from Canterlot and if necessary...” She swallowed hard at the thought of killing a living thing, if she did, how is was she any different from Nightmare Moon?

The king began to see a glint of opportunity. But he would not to attack, he knew what Luna was pondering. “You see I told you that evil never truly dies and why should it?” King Metamorphosis’ evil tongue suddenly became a seductive whisper as he walked slowly toward Luna. “You’ve been nice to your subjects, you’ve tried to amend yourself for your wrong doings but did they forgive you?”

Luna broke into get a cold sweat as she knew the answer, but did not want to face it, she wanted to shout back at him but no words came out of her mouth. That allowed King Metamorphosis to ask a question that could change the course of Equestria forever.

“Will you join me, Princess Luna?”

Luna’s mind went blank, as if her brain could not understand what her ears were telling her. She stared and listened to what she wanted to believe were the mad ramblings of a deranged king.

“I mean, it’s what you want right?” King Metamorphosis began to circle around Luna who remained motionless as she listened to his every word. The question, more a statement, which he followed, “to punish those who fear you, when the only thing you want is to be accepted.?” Luna began to see more and more truth in the Kings’ words, as she imagined herself walking through a dark alleyway in Canterlot with the looks and comments from the other ponies.

“I told you to stay away from her!”

“I can’t believe they would just allow her back into our society.”

“Oh no it’s...it’s her again”

“GO AWAY!”

“YOU MONSTER!”

Luna collapsed and wept quietly until she noticed the puddle created by her own tears; it felt like the suffering would go on forever. “Is this it?” Luna questioned, “Is this what my strength really is..?”

“No!”

Luna forced herself out of the walls of her nightmare and bucked King Metamorphosis to the other side of the ledge with her powerful back legs. The King stood up which was a challenge; that kick had cracked a few ribs.

“This is not good,” King Metamorphosis thought, “even if she is weakened by the sun she is still this strong?” He had to do something as Luna stood confident, ready to strike again.

He revealed insect like wings under his cape; they were bigger than a normal changeling and twice as powerful. “Let’s see if you can keep up!” The King took off far into the sky but Luna’s reactions were sharp and she was quickly on his tail. She decided to take a different approach as she veered toward the right side of the mountain.

King Metamorphosis reached the top of the mountain and remained aloft as he searched his surroundings never admitting to himself that the longer he waited, the more tense he got. “Where is she?” growled the King, “where is the little-!”

The King was blasted back down to the ledge, he looked up and saw Luna. “Dammit, she must have gone around the mountain and flew up from behind.” The King was embedded in the rock ledge and this gave Luna the opening she needed.

Luna glowed with magic until the magic surrounding it became large and jagged, “Say goodbye!” And when the energy within was at its peak, the tip of her horn created a large shining sphere.

“SELENA…SPEAR!!!!” The sphere released a flare of blinding light that shot down towards the grounded King. He could not get away.

Luna flew down to the ledge to inspect what had happened. After removing a few rocks she found King Metamorphosis lying motionless in the rubble. Luna stared at the still body as thoughts of guilt dripped into her consciousness. “No,” she thought, firmly making up her mind. “If I did not do this my kingdom would be the one to pay.”

She walked to the edge of the ledge, the weight of murder slowing her down, ready to take off back to Canterlot to help her people.

“Peek-a-boo.”

Luna’s blood turned to ice in fear, and before she knew it, she was smashed against the mountain side looking up at King Metamorphosis. He stood their tall and proud, with not so much as a scratch or bruise. “Wha-…How could you survive that?!” Luna tried not to let the fear color her voice, “I hit you with the force of a small meteorite, by all rights your body should have been blown to bits!”

“Ohhh, you wanna know a dirty little secret?” chuckled the King. “Well, take a look!” Luna threw up after what she saw. King Metamorphosis’s chest became wider and started to tear. His ribs opened up like a royal gate revealing the truth hidden inside: King Metamorphosis had two black hearts.

Luna could not take her eyes off of his chest, no matter how sick it made her. The smell, on its own, was bad enough to put ten rotting corpses to shame, but then she figured it out: rotting. When Luna began to inspect the hearts she noticed only one was beating, the other was shriveled and dead.

“I get it now,” she thought to herself before addressing the King. “Those hearts are like lives in a video game, correct?"

King Metamorphosis chuckled, “Give the little pony a prize. Whenever my heart rate goes flat my magic instinctively reactivates one of the hearts to keep me alive, I can practically reincarnate myself!”

Luna began to smirk, “But only the one time and now you’re on your last life.” She stood up and met his gaze and said, “I beat you once and I can do it again… maybe even faster!”

“Well, well, aren’t we getting cocky?” The King was rather relaxed despite Luna’s threat. “But I think I forgot to mention that without two hearts, I don’t need the stored magic to keep both going. Meaning…I can do this!!” King Metamorphosis punched the air and from his hoof came a green, five fingered hand, made up of powerful magic, which slammed Luna to the mountain side and crushed her into it.

“Impossible.” Luna was so crushed she could barely think, “how can he get so powerful so quickly?!” She used all of the force she had to quickly push the hand back and fly up the mountain.

“Now, this is more like it, make it more fun!” King Metamorphosis changed his hand back into a hoof and gave chase before readying his hoof for another blow. When Luna reached the top of the mountain she looked down for a split second to see where King was.

A split second was all he needed, as the King charged his horn right through Luna’s chest.

Luna wanted to fight back but that Selena cannon had taken its toll. She had had to use a lot of magic for an attack of that scale. All she wanted to do was scream, but the horn had ripped through her lung and with it her ability to shout.

While Luna suffered, the King seemed to have nothing but glee as he laughed to himself. “Garbage,” he exclaimed as he tilted his head down and let the Princess off the Night, scrape off his horn before falling back down to the ledge.

The force was so great it created a small crater around Luna, she tried to get up but it took all her strength merely to open her eyes.

There stood the King proud and smug over her bleeding body.

All the strength used to open her eyes and now she wanted nothing more than for them to close. The King forced them to stay open, he pounded his hoof on Luna’s throat and he turned her head to the left.

She could just make out the top part of Canterlot, but it was not the home she remembered, it was crawling with Changelings. They ravaged the city, killing anyone who got in their way as they infected the castle and the land around it.

All the power of the Princess of the Night, and all she could do was watch. King Metamorphosis, still staring right into Luna’s eyes, put his mouth to her ears, “You don’t deserve this land,” he whispered, “now watch it die.”

He forced down upon Luna’s throat with all his strength, bursting it wide open. She could feel herself fading as her vision blurred and the only thing working were her thoughts.

“Is this it?“

“Is this how it ends?”

“I am so sorry…Tia…you had faith in me…you trusted me…and now I’ve let you down…I’ve let everyone down.” Luna’s world was turning black and she was not fighting or struggling to come back, she accepted it as if her world was black for her entire life, maybe it was?

“Wait, what is that?”

She could see a small, white flare. “It looks like…a spark?” The spark became a wave that swept away the darkness, as it engulfed Luna in its embrace.

Revised and edited by ROTAM

Bright Memories and Dark Nightmares

Luna opened her heavy eyelids, the bright sun pierced right through them.
She got back up of her four hooves, finding herself on a cloud just outside Canterlot but there was no Changelings to be seen.
“Wait a minute?“ she sounded groggy and her head was pounding.
“I remember…I remember the King and a bright light and…”

She spread her wings and glided across Canterlot looking around in complete awe and confusion. Watching all the ponies go about their daily lives but the Changelings were gone. Every single one as if they were never their.

“Hmm…strange” she pondered “I know that Canterlot is bigger than this and there is something else too…its quiet.” She started to float down a bit towards the main palace. “Canterlot in the middle of the day should be bustling and noisy but its as if the population has been halved.”

She was flying over the palace courtyards before noticing a few fillies playing with a ball, something about the fillies had drawn Luna in to find out who they were.
The two fillies were play fighting over a ball like normal ponies would.
Luna started to stare at the two fillies.

Those two are so familiar its scaring me.

She began thinking of why they were so familiar.
Until one said something that answered all the questions that Luna had and added even more to the list.

“Hey Tia give that back!”

Luna could hardly believe her eyes or ears as she thought to herself. Did that filly really say Tia?

“Nah-uh Lu-lu you gotta catch me first!”

“Its mine Tia, give me back my ball!”

Luna could hardly believe it herself. She was staring at herself when she was just a little filly. Luna had travelled back through time. “Its me…that’s me and Tia too” she started to worry about what her sister used to say about time travel and the mistakes that can be made “it’s a very risky venture Lu-lu and if your not careful…Very bad things can happen, very bad!”

Even with Celestia’s warning, Luna found it hard to care when she was actually looking at how carefree she was when she was a filly. How playing with Celestia and wondering what flowers she wanted to water was the biggest concern in her life. Being a princess had its perks but she did miss the simple things she could do as a filly.

Luna was daydreaming for too long, when she glanced back at her younger self, she was staring right at her. “No no no what happens now?!” Luna was panicking but still remained completely still in case she made things worse, still staring into her younger self’s eyes.

The younger Luna’s face began to smile “Hey Tia look…what a pretty bird,” the young Celestia walked over to take a look too “Wow that is pretty isn’t it?”

Luna became extremely confused “Bird?!?!” Luna started to wonder what was wrong with their eyes before turning round and seeing a phoenix fly pass “Wait a minute,” she came up with a theory “can they…?” She glided down and stood right in front of her past self.

Little Luna gave off nothing. No shouts, no scream, nothing.

Luna went to touch her younger self. Her hoof went straight through her as if she was air.
“I see now, I’m a ghost” she stood still as she watched the little fillies run off to play. Luna was relived that she could wonder around the city but there was still so many questions going through her head. “What I am suppose to do here and how did I even get here to begin with?”

One of the royal guards entered the courtyards and bellowed for attention. “Princess Luna and Princess Celestia!” The two fillies ran to the guard, “Yes Captain Thunderhoof” they both said politely and in unison.

“The King has summoned both of you to the Treasury.” The two fillies looked confused as they turned to each other, “Daddy doesn’t normally summon us during the day” pondered young Luna ”wonder what he wants?”

The guard broke out into a small smile “Its time girls.” The two fillies faces began to light up as they darted into the castle, through the infinite corridors to find the Treasury and Luna not far behind them. She sensed the familiarity within a second, “Will I really get to see Dad again?” Her heart began to glow with the possibility of seeing her father again as she glided through the grand doors of the Treasury.

The Treasury looked magnificent. It was a large hall with a gem encrusted door at its end containing all sorts of treasures and riches.
There was eight windows, four windows on both sides. Only a few of those windows were stained with some of the more brilliant moments of Equestrian history. After The Three Tribes had formed an alliance they elected a powerful Alicorn King who was named after the land itself, King Equestria. His coronation is on one of the stained windows and opposite that was a window decorated with the birth his two daughters.

Celestia and Luna.

They both galloped onto their Father for a quick hug. King Equestria was very old but his stature showed he still had the strength of giant, his once golden coat was now gray, how old he actually was is a mystery. Some say he has watched over Equestria for thousands of years.

Luna didn’t care about the legends going through her head. She just galloped up to her Dad with a happy tear flowing down her cheek.

But she stopped to realise the truth, her happy tear became cold.

“He can’t see me…I’m a projection.”

Even though her own Father couldn’t see her, it was still a wish come true to see him again. King Equestria walked to the gem encrusted, stone door before turning round to face his daughters

“My lovely daughters” he said with love from his heart, “both of you have the ability to raise the sun and moon, but there is one last thing I must give to you, you must be careful for these are powerful weapons.” The King used his magic to open the stone doors and brought a stone chest to his daughters.

“The Elements of Harmony!”

When the chest opened, the fillies grabbed the elements like they were new toys but Celestia noticed something about these artefacts. “If these are powerful weapons then why can’t I feel any magic from them?” she questioned.

King Equestria chuckled “The elements are not just simple weapons that can be picked up and used.” The king knelt down to the same level as the fillies, “The elements are mystical and will only let ponies they see fit acquire their incredible powers”.

“What do we need to do to use the elements?” questioned the younger Luna.

The king returned to his four hooves and calmly illuminated his horn with a golden coat of magic, revealing ancient text on the stone chest that once contained the elements, “Whomever shall obtain these elements,” he narrated quietly, “if their heart is pure and should they be worthy…will be overcome with the feeling of harmony.”

The younger Luna looked up at her father with admiration and wonder, whilst Celestia looked confused, “What the hay is that supposed to mean?” The king rubbed Celestia’s mane, “That is a question you must figure out on your own.” The king looked up to see a small, red coated earth colt with a rainbow mane and tail,

“Ahh look Celestia, your friend is here.” Celestia turned around to the colt who bowed down to the king, “Your Majesty,” said the colt politely, then turning to
Celestia, ”Hiya Tia”. Celestia’s face lit up with a slight blush and galloped towards him, having a quick hug then leaving the treasury. Leaving young Luna with her father and leaving older Luna staring at the exit with old memories on her mind.

She turned back to find her younger self with her head down being comforted by her father.

“What is the matter Luna?” Questioned the King, Luna looked up with her wide eyes at her father, something about that old pony could make anyone open up.

“You see…Dad.” Her voice cracked and weak “Celestia is always the one that people look up to and admire…she is clearly the best so…” a tear could be seen trailing down her face ”Where does that leave me?”

Her father smiled and brought her into a tight hug. “Listen my daughter” he whispered “Ponies are not divided into who is best and who is worst, there is only ponies, Celestia is Celestia and you are you.“ The King knelt down to Luna’s level and looked right into her eyes, “You are special to me and your sister, that’s all that matters, besides…” The king rose and placed the elements back into the stone chest, “I think that fate has a important path planned out for you Luna.”

Older Luna looked at her father and pondered his words in her head.

Yeah…a path that leads to nightmares and fear…

As older Luna returned from her head she could see that everything around her was disappearing, bit by bit. Until she looked up to see a familiar white spark. “Oh no not this again.”

Luna closed her eyes to shield them from the bright light and when she opened them, she was at one of the walkways of Canterlot, but Canterlot had become hell.

The city was aflame, buildings were destroyed and ash flouted through the streets like leaves in the fall.

Luna remembered this day but would give anything to forget it, she looked up into the sky, finding the cause of this armageddon, scaring Luna to her very core.

“Why take me back here of all the days in my life?”

“…the day Discord attacked.”

Discord was above the city causing chaos throughout Canterlot, laughing at the misery of all the other ponies that were lucky (or unlucky) enough to survive that long.

Luna ran to the citadel but not to get away from Discord.

If this is that day, then I am about to…oh no.

She flew to the top of the citadel where an older Celestia and Luna were waiting.

When Luna glided through the Citadel, she found King Equestria and his daughters in a heated argument.

“FATHER YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS!!!” Screamed Celestia “I won’t do this, I won’t leave you behind!” With teenage Luna standing beside her, “I am not going anywhere!”
“Girls that is an ORDER!!” Bellowed the King slamming his hoof on the ground which made mice out of the brave daughters.

King Equestria brought out the stone chest from behind him and gave it to Luna “Take these and learn how to use them, only then do we stand a chance against Discord, I will use my magic to send you south to the Badlands.”

Celestia was crying and her sister was not far from it with current Luna standing right next to her younger self, “You can’t…I don’t want to go“ whimpered both Lunas at the same time “I won‘t let you die here!!” The King kissed both of his daughters foreheads and looked into their eyes “I promise…I will find you there.”

Something crashed through the side of the tower behind the King. It was Discord.
“Give me the elements!!”

The King wrapped his wings around his daughters “Goodbye my little sun and moon.”

Both Lunas screamed and when King Equestria pulls back his wings his daughters were gone and Luna vanished into thin air.

Luna could not stop her tears from running like a stream, screaming at the dark because she knew what happened after that.
“You never found us did you.” crying in-between words “Stupid old man…WHY DID YOU HAVE TO GO AND DIE…we had to return and imprison Discord ourselves.”

Luna’s distraught mind was too preoccupied to see where she was.

She was on a bridge above a calm stream in a secluded countryside, the moon large and glistening like a diamond nailed to the sky.

Luna was getting tired of this trip though memory lane, “Where am I now?!” she
shouted at nothing, hoping to get some kind of response.

“Hello Luna”

Luna stood completely still, she knew that voice came from behind her and she knew the voice too.

No that can’t be him

She turned round to the left side of the bridge, “Dad?” The old pony smiled and walked closer to her “You’ve grown taller” he said quietly.

A thousand questions were racing through Luna’s head and her Dad could see it, “Listen Lun-” he was pulled into a tight hug and could feel tear on his neck, when the pulled apart Luna was ready to ask all the questions.

“Where am I?”

“You are in your subconscious and you have been travelling through your memories.”

“How am I able to do this?”

“The day discord took control, I kissed you on the forehead.” Luna remembered but could not make the connection, her father smiled “When I did that I gave you a bit of my magic, hopefully it would stay dormant but should a time come when you are faced with a great challenge, it will ignite and start healing your physical body while keeping your spiritual self safe in your head.”

Luna was amazed by how far her father thought ahead, “What happened to you?”

Equestria‘s smile faded “I knew that I was going to die that day, but since then I have seen the world through your eyes…”

Luna could feel her heart sink, the person she admired most saw her become a monster, “I…I didn’t mean to..” she chocked up her words only to be stopped by her fathers hoof.

“I told you fate had a path planned out for you.”

“FOR WHAT!?!?!” Luna screamed at her father and her past “WHAT GOOD COULD COME FROM THAT THING…What good came from Nightmare Moon?”

Equestria was unfazed by her daughters shouting, “Who was it that stopped you from creating eternal night?”

“Twilight and her friends, the Elements of Harmony” Luna whimpered “What does that have to do with anything?”

Equestria began to smile, “And how would they meet if not for her?”

Luna looked up, the cogs in her head worked it out.

Without Nightmare Moon the Elements of Harmony would not be bought together and Discord would have concurred Equestria when he returned, Nightmare Moon had saved them all.
But the thing that mattered most to Luna was that her Father still trusted her.

“Even after everything I did…” tears of happiness began to come “You still believed in me?”

Her Father put his hoof on Luna’s shoulder

“Always.”

Luna threw her self onto her Father and he embraced her, the ever mutual love of a father and daughter. However the hug was short lasted and Equestria became serious and urgent.

“Luna, you must stop the King from destroying our home!”

Luna lowered her head “I can’t…he is too strong.” her father lifted her head and asked a brave question “You could always ask her?”
Luna knew what he was suggesting but could not fathom why he would consider asking someone like her.

“No, I won’t go to her.”

Equestria knew that Luna had lived in the fear of her for long enough “Isn’t it time for you to face your fear?”

Luna could not help but nod in agreement “But what do I do?”

“This is your alter-ego, Luna, only you can answer that.”

Luna took a few steps back, prepared for her meeting and looked at someone who never doubted her for a second “Love you Dad, thank you for everything.”

Her father began to cry and weep, the only time this powerful alicorn ever cried in front of Luna “You have become a beautiful mare, both inside and out, and a far better ruler than I could ever hope to be.”

Within the second that Luna blinked she was taken away from her father and into a pitch black field, nothing could be seen.

Luna was fuelled by her father and had no fear in her heart, “Hello!”
“Hi”

Behind her was two giant pillars wrapped in chains.

The chains leading off and tied around the source of all nightmares.

Nightmare moon.