“P-please.” The mayor of the small frontier village trembled. “W-we don’t want any trouble”

Luna sighed tiredly. She did that a lot these days, here was the mayor, a full-grown stallion for Faust’s sake, trembling in his horseshoes from her mere presence. “I’m not here to cause trouble. I’m here to stop the manticore attacks that have been plaguing this town.”

“We’ll do whatever you want, Nightmare, just take your monster and leave” The mayor stammered out, clearly not really listening to her.

“I don’t control the manticore.” Luna growled. “I don’t want anything. I was simply following procedure by letting the relevant authority – you – know that there would be an operation in the area.”

“O-of course. Thank you.” The mayor said, still shaking.

“You’re welcome.” Luna said brusquely, and left the small town hall.

I don’t know why I even bother anymore. She thought. It’s not like talking to them serves any purpose.

‘Well, they make some funny faces when you show up. Like that one stallion from Stalliongrad last week. He looked like he was going to wet himself when he saw you. Or those three mares in Trottingham’ Moonbeam laughed ‘that was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.’

“Scream and run around in circles, it’s our only hope!” indeed. Luna thought back with a smile. It had been funny. It would be funnier if it didn’t happen every single time I went anywhere though. Luna contemplated as her smile fell.

‘At least they didn’t throw anything this time, or call the guards. Whenever that happens it turns into a fiasco that makes me want to beat someone over the head until their brain starts working properly’ Moonbeam grumbled.

Luna couldn’t really blame Moonbeam for her opinion. She had been tempted to crack a head or two from time to time. Even if she knew she would never do it, the attitudes of some ponies occasionally made it difficult to resist. Six months ago, she had been attacked by the local militia upon entering a village. Celestia had dishonorably discharged the officer who ordered the attack and reprimanded the militia ponies, but it didn’t help. The event was just seen as the Nightmare manipulating things behind the scenes against them. The officer had even gone on to become a minor celebrity among her more vocal opponents for ‘Holding his ground against the Darkness’.

I know the feeling. Luna thought back. But even if they deserve it, I can’t just go around bashing in the heads ponies who are mean to me.

‘Maybe not, but I can dream.’ Moonbeam thought back bitterly.

Faust, I’m tired. Thought Luna as she flew through the predawn air over Everfree City three days later. Even if monster attacks have become rarer in the last couple of years it would be nice to have some help. The Lunar Guard was stretched thin, receiving fewer and fewer recruits over the years as public opinion turned against her.

‘We’re at the castle’ Moonbeam said, breaking her out of her thoughts, making her realize that she had dozed off and had almost flown right past the castle.

Thanks. Luna replied. That could have been embarrassing.

Alighting on her balcony she was getting ready to collapse into bed when she heard a knock on her door. “Enter.” she commanded, trying not to yawn.

A guard in golden armor opened her door. “Princess Luna. Celestia has requested that you meet her in the throne room as soon as possible.” he said.

Luna groaned, walking to the door.

“Lead the way.” She said wearily.

The negotiations with the dragons must have gone poorly, Celestia wasn’t supposed to be back for another two days. Luna thought. If I came back only to have to leave again without a night in my own bed and go fight dragons I just might scream.

Luna tiredly shuffled into the throne room. “Celestia, you had better have a good reason for calling me in right now. I’ve just spent three days in a forest tracking a manticore. It’s less than an hour to sunrise and my bed is calling.”

“Hello Nightmare.” Said a voice from the direction of the twin thrones.

Luna’s head snapped up, all vestiges of exhaustion leaving her as adrenaline filled her veins. Celestia was nowhere to be seen and the Captain of the guard, Bright Sword, was sitting in front of Celestia’s throne with a grim expression on his muzzle. Bright Sword was a tall, muscular unicorn just passing his prime with a golden sword for a cutie mark. His colors were hidden by the same illusion of a blue mane and white coat that all the solar guards wore while on duty.

‘This doesn’t look good’ Moonbeam muttered as the doors slammed shut behind her.

“What is the meaning of this? Where is my sister?” Luna demanded.

“Celestia is far from your corrupting touch, Nightmare. It’s time we ended this farce.” Bright Sword stated.

“What are you talking about?” Luna asked, confused.

‘Where are the lunar guards? I haven’t seen any since we entered the castle’ Moonbeam commented apprehensively.

“For too long you have worked your dark magic from the shadows, haunting the ponies of Equestria, and invading their dreams.” Bright Sword said, anger coloring his voice. “Once we have excised the blight of your tyranny, Celestia will finally be free of your taint and take her rightful place as sole ruler of Equestria! Leading us into a golden era of prosperity!”

‘This stallion is obviously not sane.’ Moonbeam thought.

Thank you, captain obvious.

“You’re mad.” Luna said flatly. “Guards! Detain Captain Bright Sword. Celestia and I will be having words with him about this when she returns.” She commanded.

Nopony moved.

“Guards?” Luna commanded again, slightly uncertainly.

“Ha! The solar guard is free of your taint Nightmare! We are faithful to Celestia and will not be influenced by your unholy magics. With you at your weakest during this, the shortest night of the year, and with the corrupt Lunar Guard out of the picture we fill finally be able to rid Equestria of your darkness!” Bright Hoof proclaimed.

With that statement, the dozen guards who had been watching the confrontation with blank expressions until this point lowered their weapons. Not at Bright Hoof, but at Luna.

‘You’re in no shape to fight now, we should retreat, find backup return later to deal with this.’ Moonbeam said nervously.

Yes, I am far too tired to fight off a dozen combatants alone. I need to find the Lunar Guard.

Something Bright Sword said registered at that point.

“What do you mean the Lunar Guard was ‘out of the picture’?” she asked.

“The corrupted traitors of the Lunar Guard were offered the chance to surrender and renounce their evil mistress, but they would not accept the truth of our message.” Said Bright Hoof said, sadly enough that one could almost believe that he actually felt remorse.

He wouldn't. thought Luna, dread pooling in her stomach.

“The traitors refused to turn from their evil ways and were disposed of.”

Luna’s vision went red.

‘This monster is not worthy of being called a pony.’ Moonbeam growled.

“You MONSTER!” She roared, launching her magic at Bright Sword.

Bright Sword quickly brought up an azure shield to block the oncoming storm of power. Luna’s spell, which should have reduced Bright sword to ashes in the wind, was stopped cold as his shield pulsed a bloody red. What? Luna thought, taken aback by the display of power. There’s no way Bright Sword should have been able to block my spell so easily. Even the best barrier specialists in the guard would have been hard-pressed to survive that.

“The Nightmare finally shows her true colors! Guards! Rid Equestria of this menace!” Bright Hoof shouted as he raised his sword in his magic.

‘Luna look! Around his neck. It’s the Alicorn Amulet!’ Moonbeam shouted in Luna’s mind as Luna brought up a shield of her own and lept over the attacks with a flap of her wings.

What is that cursed artifact doing outside the Vaults? Luna thought as she began weaving around the attacking guards’ weapons. Even in the hands of an amateur spellcaster the Alicorn Amulet it a serious threat. The Amulet may have removed Bright Sword's sanity, but no one would call him unskilled. I’d have a hard time fighting him empowered by it even if I was well-rested and he was alone. I need to retreat and find help. Luna prepared to teleport to safety but was interrupted as pain split through her head like a bolt of lightning. The wards are active.

The throne room was equipped with powerful wards to prevent entry and exit through magical means, though they weren't supposed to be activated except in an emergency. They would take serious effort for her to bypass. Effort that she couldn't spare as she had to focus on keeping herself alive under the guards' onslaught. They prepared their trap well. There’s no choice but to try to fight my way out.

The guards' efforts continued to chip at her shields as she weaved around the room, dodging spells and weapons, throwing back magic of her own whenever she saw an opening. Bright Sword's empowered attacks were making the fight much more difficult than it should have been. His overpowered attacks were cracking her shields when they hit and scoring the heavily reinforced walls when he missed, lighting up more defensive wards. Looking around the room Luna despaired, she had only brought down four of the traitors so far and she was slowing. She had already been tired when she arrived and adrenaline could only carry her so far. She wasn’t going to make it out of this one without a miracle, and with the Alicorn Amulet in play, the odds were stacked heavily against her.

She looked toward the thrones and saw Bright Sword charging up an artillery spell, shielded by several of the unicorn guards he had brought with him. What is he thinking!? Spells like that aren't meant to be used indoors! Luna needed to stop that spell from being completed. If Bright Sword completed the spell, empowered as he was by the Amulet, he’d bring down half the castle!

‘We have to disrupt the casting! If we can get his spell to backfire, we may just make it out of this.’ Moonbeam said. Luna could tell she was only just managing to keep from panicking.

Luna immediately stopped dodging, trusting that her shields would be strong enough to protect her from the guards’ attacks for a second while she focused on her casting. With a glimmer of hope, Luna released the strongest disruption spell she knew. She only needed to unbalance the spell enough to stop it from forming. The backlash would put Bright Sword out of the fight. At the very least, without their strongest combatant, the guards would be unable to prevent her escape.

Luna’s barriers were beginning to crack as she released the disruption spell. She immediately resumed her dodging, only to be thrown across the room as an earthshattering explosion shook the castle. The explosion, caused by Bright Sword’s failing spell, smashed the treasonous guards against the pillars and walls of the throne room, killing several of them and leaving the rest moaning and bleeding on the floor. Luna herself had been protected from the worst of the blast by her shields, but she was still stunned from the impact. Bright Sword himself was floating, held in a pulsing red corona of dark magic, screaming as waves of poisonous miasma flooded from the Alicorn Amulet. Did I manage to destabilize the Amulet itself? She wondered as the Amulet released a shockwave of red-tinted magic.

The wave of dark magic passed over Luna's shields and struck the runes protecting the throne room, causing them to blaze to life and instantly sealing the doors and windows. Luna immediately began casting every protection spell she knew as the shockwave rebounded, returning to Bright Sword and the Amulet. As the wave struck the captain it released another, even more powerful pulse, which rebounded to create a third pulse, and a fourth, and so on. With every wave that struck the Amulet, it released another, more powerful burst of dark magic, the waves creating a feedback loop of dark power that grew in potency and pressure by the second.

‘This isn’t good. We’ve been trapped inside a thaumic resonance bomb with an unlimited power source.’ Moonbeam nervously remarked as Bright Sword began rapidly turning to ash under the onslaught.

Our only hope is that the wards on the throne room break before my defenses, though I hate to think what a bomb with this kind of power will do to the city. Luna thought back grimly, pushing as much magic into her shields as she could. As the pressure mounted, though, Luna’s shield began to crack, and she resigned herself to her fate. Goodbye Celestia, I’m totally going to come back and haunt you. She thought with dark humor. As her shield imploded her final thought was: Goodbye, my Little Moon, I'm so sorry.

The last thing she heard before everything went away was Moonbeam screaming. ‘MOM!’

Author's Note

Well here's chapter 2, I hope you enjoy it.

If you see any grammar or spelling mistakes please feel free to point them out in the comments. I try my best to keep them out of my writing, but I always worry there are some I've missed.