The Stars Above Know

The Stars Above Know

by Denim Blue

“I will be the first to admit that I am not perfect. Far from it, in fact. My sister and I had disagreements, and like most siblings, we didn’t always get along. However, the day I imprisoned Luna in the moon was the day I realized just how much she truly meant to me. Even with the thousands of ponies who lived in Equestria at the time, without Luna, I felt alone. I missed my little sister...simple as that.”

• an excerpt from the autobiography ‘Ages Passed, But I Stood Still’ by Princess Celestia

Nightmare Moon opened her eyes for the umpteenth time and gazed calmly at the planet.

How long had it been now? Seven centuries? Eight?

I am just as unsure on how long it’s been, Luna. The four stars are getting closer though...Luna chimed in, catching onto her thoughts. I want to say it’s been about eight hundred years, but that is only my best guess.

“It’s alright. We’ve waited this long. Another two or three centuries won’t be a problem.”

Mm. I only hope the Elements of Harmony were right when they said they will be able to take care of things when we get back. I am pretty sure Celestia has been working herself to the bone trying to figure out what to do to help ‘us’.She sighed, and Nightmare Moon could feel the guilt and worry being from her younger self. I miss her, Luna. I really do.

“I do too...well...” the midnight alicorn paused. “I...don’t know if I can really consider her my sis-”

No, she isour sister, Luna. I told you that. She is not like the sister you may have known, but that doesn’t mean that the Celestia down there is any less of a sister to you. You felt something for her when we confronted her, right?

The weight in her chest lightened a little, just like it always did when Luna spoke of ‘her’ Celestia. I am sure when we explain things to her, she will take you in with open wings. You and I have both seen how much she has changed. She has taken a more subdued role in the day-to-day governing of Equestria, and has allowed representatives, governors, and mayors do the majority of the work now. She has become more patient with problems, and she has built up strong relations with the griffons and dragons. Not to mention she helped create and fund the public schools and the numerous universities throughout the kingdom, created numerous charities and...

Nightmare felt warmth spread throughout her as she listened to Luna speaking so highly of her...no...of their sister. Yes, Nightmare would do everything she could to make sure her sister would not repeat the same mistakes that had been made before.

If that happened...

No, it wouldn’t happen again.

“Celestia...” Nightmare whispered. “We’ll see you again soon...”

Chapter Three: Here Comes the Moon

Everfree Forest
2978 E.B.

The thick canopy of the Everfree Forest was well known for the darkness it created. Light from the sun rarely penetrated through the leaves, and whenever a tree fell for one reason or another, the space it left was quickly sought after by the competing foliage.

Yes, the Everfree Forest was an oddity within the land of Equestria. Plants competed for soil, sun, and water. Animals fed on each other. The enigmatic forest, according to Luna herself, was a place that had been in existence for as long as she could remember. It held within it a magic, but it was a more primal, instinctive magic. No unicorn could bend the forest to their will, for it followed its own laws.

Due to this, few ponies ventured here aside from those that stayed on the path leading to the Royal Sisters’ Castle. Guards patrolled the road every so often, but preferred keeping close to the castle itself.

So, when a loud bang and flash of magic erupted within the heart of the forest, it was no surprise when not a single pony was there to investigate. A single, dark violet colored pony with wings and a horn lay on the ground, taking in huge gulps of air while beads of sweat ran down her body.

“Ce...lestia...” Luna whispered hoarsely. She cracked open an eye, and found herself surrounded by greenery.

Did she crash into the forest after trying to stop the Sun? No...no, she had been in space, she remembered that. She had been pulled by some unseen force at speeds no pony could think of reaching. She had felt her body being tossed around in what could have only been described as pure chaos. Lightning had crackled around her, her vision saw nothing and everything at the same time. She felt like she had traveled for eons within the blink of an eye.

Sniffing the air, Luna found that she was indeed in the Everfree Forest. The familiar scent of wildflowers that bloomed in the thick forest confirmed that much. She sat up, and groaned as she felt sore muscles and joints protest against the movement. Eventually she managed to stand up on shaky knees and take in her surroundings. She heard running water, and followed the sound to its source. Walking over to the edge of a small stream, Luna took in large gulps of the crystal clear water, coughing from inhaling so much at once. After quenching her thirst, she took in her blurry reflection.

Her armor was still on, and her overall appearance was still the same as it had been when she had fought Celestia.

Celestia...

Luna felt pain in her chest, and bowed her head.

“Celly...” Luna began to sniffle. She had killed her. Oh, stars above, she had killed her own sister!

Like a dam breaking open, Luna began to sob. Hot tears ran down her cheeks as she felt her throat tighten. She slumped to the ground and began to cry openly, her body shaking as she slammed her hooves against the soil.

Why? Why had she done that? How could she have done something so...so monstrous? Surely she could have talked Celestia into listening to her, right?

You did try to help her, Luna...

Luna’s eyes, red and puffy, snapped open as she looked around. “W-who’s there? Where are you?! I, Luna, Princess of Equestria, I demand you show yourself!”

Luna, there is nothing to be afraid of. We are still with you.

Luna’s eyes widened as she began to remember. “Th-the Elements of Harmony?”

Yes, Luna. We’re still here with you.

Luna sniffled before speaking, a little more clear this time. “I see. Where exactly is here? I realize we’re in the Everfree Forest, but...it feels off somehow.”

That would be due to the fact that you went back more than one hundred years into the past. You are currently standing on a meadow that will later become part of the road leading to what you currently know as Hoofington.
“One...one hundred years?” While that wasn’t a very long period of time for an alicorn like herself, it was still decent number of years for any other pony. Luna shook her head. “What...what of the Sun? What about all the ponies still near the castle when-”
We do not know for certain, Luna, but we could still sense life before we were separated from that time.
“Separated?”

“Correct. We are mere fragments of a whole that stayed within you when you left your original time. Right now, you house a small portion of the Elements within you.”
Luna forced her breathing to slow down as she processed this information. If she was in the past, then that meant the events that had transpired with her and Celestia had yet to happen. Right?

“Does this mean that I can prevent the fight between my sister and I from happening?” Much to her chagrin, there was no reply. She should have expected as much. “Elements, please give me an answer! Why won’t you give me an answer?!”

Luna...you must find out what must be done yourself. We are unable to discern what will become of the future. We are not all-knowing. The knowledge we have never is both finite and infinite, it has no rhyme or reason to it. It simply makes itself known when it feels it is most appropriate. After a moment of silence, they spoke, a little softer this time. We truly wish we could help more.

Luna hung her head while looking to her reflection once more. “No, I understand...” Turning her head upward, she was surprised to see how bright the moon hovering above was. “Hm, I don’t recall making the moon so bright since...wait...”

The alicorn shot up to her feet. “Wait, no, this perfect!” She looked up to the moon and smiled. “The last time the moon had been this bright was before the dragons! Oh, this is terrific! I can still change things!”

Yes, she could change things...but how?

She went silent, dozens of thoughts running through her head. She could talk directly to Celestia. That...may lead to some problems though. While Celestia had been a rather patient pony earlier in Equestria’s history, she would likely be suspicious of high-caliber magic, and Luna was surrounded in it constantly now. Not to mention the fact she’s an alicorn. Alicorns were a far cry from natural. Would she be able to convince Celestia of her story?

“Perhaps...I can find my past-self and speak to her?” Luna thought aloud.

She watched as the stars above twinkled with a gentle light while the occasional shooting star flickered across the clear night sky.

“Yes, that will have to do. I’ll just...have to figure out a way to speak to her...”

Luna’s eyes began to droop as she watched the horizon to the east begin to brighten. It had been a long night, at least for her anyway. Celestia was awake already, seeing as she had gotten the sun to begin rising. Soon ponies across Equestria would wake up, and go about their lives, hopefully enjoying the fair spring day.

Daytime...

Luna frowned a little. While she wasn’t one to seek attention from others that often, she still liked to know she was appreciated by her subjects. Few ponies were ever awake at night. She knew this for a fact, seeing as she had flown across the kingdom on more than a dozen occasions, much to the annoyance of the Royal Guard. She knew that night wasn’t a natural time for ponies to be awake, but still...

“Luna, dearest, are you ready to lower the moon?”

The midnight alicorn looked over her shoulder to see her elder sister looking at her warmly. The stray rays of dawn shining off her pink mane really brought out the beauty in her. She was, indeed, the Princess of the Sun.

“Yes, Celly.”

Celestia gave a nod, walking over and placing a wing over her younger sister. “I saw Filly’s Comet going over the castle last night, by the way. Truly beautiful in my opinion.”

“Oh...thank you. I’m glad at least somepony saw it.”

Celestia’s smile slipped a little. “Luna...I know you wish more ponies could see your night. Try to understand that most of them work very, very hard during the day, and rest is needed.”

Of course Luna understood that. She was the one who had helped farming ponies begin with setting out plots of land after Celestia convinced the wandering herds to settle down and make permanent residence in the land of Equestria. While Luna wasn’t what one would call an agriculturalist, she did know how to give basic care to plants. After showing the ponies (more than one thousand years ago, mind you) how to grow crops and save the seeds, the population of the kingdom grew exponentially.

Still, a little part of her wished she could have someone other than her big sister to talk to when it came to the night. Ponies mostly spoke to Celestia about issues involving Equestria’s well-being, since the elder alicorn was more of a public figure and more sociable than Luna. The Princess of the Night was more inclined towards quiet activities, such as painting, reading, and other fine arts. Celestia, while more of a philosopher and thinker, not to mention politician, was also artistic in her own right. The sunrise and sunset that occurred every day were proof of that. Still, Luna was the one who had created the night sky, and the moon. The stars, while they had been there since before she could remember, responded to her magic in their own way. The moon was her masterpiece, a work of art she had spent ages upon ages crafting from stone, pouring her heart and soul into every bit of its surface.

Perhaps, if she convinced Celestia, she could have the sun set earlier for a season or two, and in return there would be longer days for the other two seasons. Summer seemed like a logical time for long days, what with the warm weather and farming...

“Luna?”

The smaller alicorn blinked, her mind snapping out of her daydreaming. “Hm? Oh, sorry, Celly. What did want to tell me?”

Celestia gave Luna a smile while rolling her eyes. “I was wondering if you wanted to join me for an hour in the court. I know you had something to eat earlier, and I had an early breakfast, so court’s opening early today.”

Luna looked down. “I...I don’t know...”

“I know for a fact that a sculptor wished to speak today about a statue that would be placed in the eastern garden. I’d rather have you look into it, personally. You have better aesthetic tastes than me, after all.”

“Well...I guess I could join you for a little while.”

“Wonderful,” Celestia said happily. “I just hope the ponies don’t start complaining about taxes again.”

“Celly...we could probably lower the taxes a bit, don’t you think? I mean, it is not like we are experiencing an economic crisis right now, so...”

Celestia gave Luna a gentle nuzzle. “Don’t worry yourself with such things, Luna. I know you don’t enjoy the technical aspects of governing as it is, so I shall take care of it. I assure you that we are taxing the kingdom just fine.”

“...if you say so...”

The two ponies left the balcony as the Sun had begun to peek over the horizon. As soon as they had disappeared within the stone walls of the castle, a blue mist rose up from the shadows underneath the balcony. Luna’s deep violet form took shape, and the mist formed into her star-covered mane.

“Looks as though things are still the same as they had been for me,” Luna thought aloud. “Perhaps I can be more subtle about this, at least for now.”

She had an idea in mind, but it would require a small degree of manipulation on her past-self. Nothing too serious, though.

With a plan forming in her mind, Luna faded once more into a blue, sparkling mist and trailed into the castle, hugging the walls and hiding in the shadows when possible.

Luna sighed as she made her way to her chambers, blowing a stray portion of her mane out of her face. Her mood had soured a little in the hour she had been with Celestia. The sculptor, as it turned out, had been intent on making a statue of Celestia herself. Then Luna had tried to speak up when Celestia declined an increase in funds from the castle when a pony from the small settlement of Fillydelphia had requested it. The two sisters argued, Luna claiming that a few hundred bits was hardly anything to worry about for the kingdom, especially when the very thing it needed right now was growth in towns.

Celestia eventually relented and allowed the funds for Fillydelphia, but had suggested in a very stern tone that Luna get some sleep after that. It would probably be a day or two before Celestia got over the whole ordeal.

She does like to have total control of things most of the time, doesn’t she? It is only a matter of time until she goes mad with power.

Luna blinked. Where that thought had come from? She shook her head and opened the door to her personal chambers. The curtains were open, and rays of sunshine flooded the room. After closing them she began removing her regalia with her magic. “I just hope she will be alright with my idea to extend night a little during the year...”

I’m sure she will put up a fit about it at first and claim it would be too much of a problem to change things. She can be a bit of a spoiled filly when she wants to.

Again the dark colored alicorn paused. Celestia, a spoiled filly? Well, yes, Celestia would likely complain about her idea, but it was still a good idea for the most part.

Not if it shortens the day for her. Then it is an annoying idea.

No, Celestia was a good sister, she would probably agree-

Agree that I should stop with the silly ideas and just focus on maintaining the cycle of day and night like we always have.

“Stop that!!!” Luna eventually shouted before blushing. Arguing with herself. Great, she was going insane. She may as well turn over her crown and warn Celestia to stop drinking the water until they got new pipes installed for-

I’m sure Celestia’s already going insane as well.

“No she’s not! How do you know?”

Just a hunch?

“Who do you think you are, speaking in such a manner about my dear sister? Celestia is a wonderful pony, and a wonderful sister.”

Her thoughts continued to betray her.Are you certain of that, Luna? She does tend to ignore you, at least when it comes to things relating to the kingdom. Not to mention she is always against increasing the amount of personal freedoms of ponies. Remember how much of a tantrum she put up when you managed to convince her to allow the freedom to distribute printable text?

“W-well...yes, but..” Luna shook her head. “No, I’m not going to do this. I’m just tired, I need rest. That’s all.”

The Princess of the Moon slumped into her bed, groaning as she buried herself under her sheets.

...not to mention she was against carving crescent moons in hallways to match her emblem of the Sun.

“Silence, you traitorous thoughts.”

I’m only being truthful, Luna.

“I’m done talking to you.”

Really? I thought you were talking to yourself? Does that mean you’re done thinking in general. That must be quite difficult for-

“UGH!” Luna sat up and stared a hole into the wall across from her bed. “Alright, am I under some kind of curse? Who is responsible for doing this?”

No, you’re perfectly fine. If you want, I can reveal myself...

Luna snorted. “I would highly recommend that before I have my guards seize you and place you under arrest.”

A chuckle escaped the disembodied voice. If only you knew how ironic of a statement that is...

Luna jumped back as an odd mist of sorts rose up from beneath her bed and began swirling around the ceiling of her room. She watched as the mist condensed, falling to the floor and taking a solid shape of sorts. Her eyes widened as a pony with a fur coat as black as the night sky itself stood before her, dressed in an armor not unlike her own. She studied the pony, and gasped as she saw a pair of wings unfold, along with a horn on the top of her head.

“Y-you’re an...alicorn!”

“Yes...also...” The alicorn standing before her turned to reveal her side, and the cutie mark on her flank.

Luna felt a chill run down her spine. “H-how...?” She looked to meet the eyes of the alicorn. “Th-that is impossible! You must be an imposter! Cutie marks are unique for each and every pony.” She looked at her own. Exactly the same, down to the blotchy shapes of night sky surrounding the crescent moon. Though, she did note the fact that her own was more dark blue, while the mystery alicorn’s was a dark purple color. Still, the resemblance aside from that was uncanny.

“Yes...the crescent moon and night sky cutie mark is unique to the alicorn princess known by the name of Luna of Equestria. No one else.”

Luna’s eyes widened, her sight went blurry, and then she fell back onto her bed, having passed out.

“Hm...” Luna thought aloud as she gazed upon her unconscious past-self. “I suppose that could have gone much worse.”

Luna’s eyes slowly opened as she let out a groan. What time was it? Her eyes looked across the dark room to see the clock, which read seven in the morning.

“Ugh, what a horrid dream that was.”

“I’m hurt. You think I’m horrid?”

Luna let out a scream as she fell off her bed. Looking up, she met the eyes of the very pony she had seen in her dream. Well, at least what she had thought to be a dream.

“S-stay back!” Luna warned, her horn glowing. “I know how to defend myself! I-I’ll warn the guard, and my sister has little tolerance for assassins and thieves!”

The ‘older’ alicorn rolled her eyes before her own horn glowed. She cast a spell across the room, which the smaller alicorn recognized as an enchantment which made the walls soundproof.

“What do you want?” Luna whispered fearfully.

“To talk,” replied the elder Luna.

“Talk?”

“Yes. The verbal exchange between two ponies when-”

“I know what you meant!” The younger alicorn grumbled. “I...well...” She glanced at the cutie mark on her intruder’s flank once more. “Who are you?”

Luna looked down and frowned. “I’ll explain everything to you, on one condition.”

“...alright...”

“Promise you won’t try to cut me off, and save your questions for when I finish.”

The younger Luna frowned. She didn’t trust this pony, but if it bought her time so that she could figure out a way to escape and warn the guard, then that was fine with her.

“Very well, I can agree to that.”

The dark violet alicorn nodded. “Actually, I have a faster way of explaining myself.”

Within a minute’s time she produced a ball of light from the tip of her horn before levitating it over to her younger self. The ball of light emitted a dull hum upon making contact with the younger Luna’s horn. Her eyes went wide as her face went through a myriad of emotions within the span of a minute.

Celestia imprisoning ponies for the smallest of misdeeds...wars with other races...starvation across the land...the Sun...Celestia attacking her...the Elements of Harmony...the Armor of the Night...the final struggle...Celestia being erased from existence...

Luna had a far-away look in her eyes as the memory faded, tears running down her cheeks. Eventually she collapsed to the ground, sobbing weakly. “O-oh...Celly...n-no! No!!!”

Memory transfer. A fast and fairly effective way to share thoughts with another pony, though it did have a side-effect: whoever was subjected to the memories also experienced the emotions like they themselves had been at the events involved. Luna, despite being an alicorn, was no exception.

Luna slowly walked over to the crying alicorn and nuzzled her gently. “I’m sorry...I wanted to explain as quickly as possible...”

The younger Luna shuddered while looking up to her future-self with an expression filled with pity and sadness. “I’m...I’m so sorry for what has happened to you...”

The taller simply nodded. “Thank you, but I’m still coming to terms with it myself.”

For a long while the two sat in silence. Luna was surprised by how silent her younger self was being despite the things she had witnessed via memory transfer. She was beginning to wonder if perhaps she should erase the past ten minutes from her mind when the young alicorn spoke. “If we don’t stop Celestia soon, the same events will happen again.”

The armored alicorn bowed her head. “I’d rather not kill my sister a second time.”

“We won’t!” Luna spoke with a hopeful tone to her voice. “We’ll open her heart up to the world around her once more. She’s still a good pony right now...she has been ignoring some of the problems Equestria’s facing, and she is getting a bit pushy with the expansion of the kingdom...but she does care about the land and its inhabitants.”

“Just watch how quickly that will change in another thirty years.” the elder stated somberly. “She changed so quickly after the first skirmishes with the Diamond Dogs took place in my time.”

“There has to be a way...” Luna mused. “I don’t want to fight her either, but...wait...wait!” Luna bounced up to her feet. “What if we use the Elements of Harmony on her?”

The younger pony’s suggestion was met with a harsh gaze. “I refuse to use such powerful magic, especially a magic intended for good purposes, for combat.”

“You used them before, didn’t you?”

Luna paused, realizing that her past-self was right. “Well...yes, but I hadn’t planned on trying to harm Celestia with them...”

“Neither do I,” her younger self began. “I think we should go through with your plan; help Celestia before she even begins to go down that dark road.”

Luna looked down at her younger self and couldn’t help but smile proudly. Despite the fact it was her, she was beginning to understand a little of what Celestia had probably felt with being an older sister.

“I think that’s a great idea.”

The younger Luna beamed happily. “The Elements of Harmony were made for the intents of peace. If that’s what we wish to accomplish, then I’m sure we cannot go wrong.”

Had she been this smart one hundred years ago? Had she really been capable of being optimistic about such a bleak situation? “I’m glad you are able to stay positive about this, Luna.”

“Oh, well...I’d rather believe there’s a chance we can make things right than not. You’ve had a hard past as well, but I’m certain we can fix things for the better...um...” Luna paused before laughing. “It feels weird referring to someone else by my name, even if you are me.”

“Ah, yes...” Luna chuckled a bit before kneeling down to face her younger self at eye level. “I suppose I should give myself an alias, shouldn’t I? Just in case someone sees me, and inquires about my identity.”

“How about...Moonbeam? No...too simplistic...Night Light?” She hummed to herself while beginning to pace. “How about...no...Moonlight...Crescent Moon...Dreamy Skies?”

“How about...Nightmare Moon?”

The younger pony’s eyes widened a bit while she frowned. “That sounds a bit menacing, don’t you think?”

“Well...considering what I’ve done and seen is close enough to an actual nightmare, it is only fitting.”

Luna frowned, letting a sigh escape her. “Very well, Nightmare Moon. I guess I shall refer to you as such for now. I still think it is a bit scary for someone like you, though.”

“Well...” Nightmare began while her lips quirked into a sly smirk. “I guess we will just have to come up with a plan to make my name all the more convincing, won’t we?”

To be continued...