The Only Comfort (edited)
Hi. I am Aurora Skywriter, or Little Luney, as some may call me. I have always loved the night, as it just calls to me, and I watch the starry sky every single night. There is a hill with long grass that blows in the wind, and an oak tree that I go to every time at the end of a hard day. The view is just breathtaking. Also, it's not too far away from the abandoned warehouse that I always hide in - I live there so I will never have to go to the orphanage.
You see, my dad left my mother before I was born, and my mother died a couple years ago from lung cancer. She is one of the only ponies that I ever loved, and who loved me back. She used to tell me so many stories about the stars and moon; about the wonders and mysteries that the night has to offer. I'm lucky that she saved me from believing the same lies like every pony else; about how the day is so wonderful, and Princess Celestia is a beloved goddess who can do no wrong. I know the truth, and I'm proud of that.
The stars are there in the sky, like testaments to the past. They give us wishes; wishes for a better life. They smile and laugh. And I can hear their music every time they twinkle. They are up there as a sign of hope - which I do desperately need. They just call to you, a call that makes you just lose all your cares as you stare at all the beauty the night sky has to offer. The stars do so many wonderful things; they tell us stories, and draw us pictures. They are always there for you, even when no pony else is.
And the moon... she is so big and beautiful in the night sky. Mother to all she surveys; the stars, her little children. She is calm and relaxed, like the lightest gale. So wise, here since the very beginning. The faint glow, bathing the world in soft moonlight. She is nothing like the sun who will blind you. You can look at her, and be comforted. The moon that shows the softer shades of the world, and the vast, endless, sea of stars. The night is here always, and it will never leave you. The mystery and wonder that cannot be comprehended.
The shadows lurk in the background. The crickets chirping and the owls call softly into the night. The breeze blows through the trees, rustles their leaves and branches, and you can hear the voice of the wind.
The voice, the feeling. All this will always be here, even when nothing else is. When ponies turn their backs on you, and the world laughs at your expense. All the shunning, loneliness, and tears that the world brings along with their mocking sun. It says that all is well, and happy is the world.
It lies.
It knows that I am not okay, that it will blind us eventually and burn the world to a crisp. The lying day is just like its ally, Princess Celestia, as it never truly cares. They only pay attention to themselves and only those who bow to them. They ignore and shun the rest; just like Princess Luna and I
But the night and moon will always be here. They, like their creator, understand what it is like to be ridiculed and forgotten.Luna is misunderstood, just like I am. She should be the ruler, and not Celestia. But all the rest of pony kind have been fooled by Celestia. And I am not very popular. I just don't know how to help them see things the way they really are. I wish I could though.
I wish a lot. I wish night after night on the evening stars. I wish that I could do something big and important. I wish that I could be more popular... I wish I could just help some pony for once.
But it seems, no matter how hard I try, I can't wish anymore. Even those big, bright, lovely stars seem to strain. Maybe I'm just wishing too hard. Sometimes, though, I can wish for something, and it will happen. I wish to find peace after another heartbreaking day. I wish to find relief after all the stress. I wish to find just on friend after all my pain that I have endured. The stars and moon seem to hear these pleas. I can be having the worst day, and as I go to view the night sky's beauty; they do send me peace, relief, and in a way, even friendship. I feel like all those stars up there might be all the souls that have gone through what I have, maybe worse. Even if not, the spirits they carry.lift me up as though I might - just might - be one of them
And one day, when it is my time, I hope to ascend to the night sky just like them, and find my place within Princess Luna's domain. And I will find eternal peace and happiness at last.
But, something awful has happened. I can't believe it, and at times, I have even thought that it might be a bad dream; that it can't possibly be true. But I know in my heart that it sadly is. That awful, cruel, cunning, deceitful, mean and manipulative witch, Celestia, banished my Princess Luna. The sun Princess imprisoned her sister upon her own creation.
I HATE HER!
I have always disliked certain ponies, but never to the point of hating them so much that my stomach hurts. But I do now. I loathe that low-down, attention seeking, selfish, lying Princess! This is one of those times where I have a million wishes that not even the stars can grant. I wish that I could just kill Celestia and bring Luna back. I wish that I could save my princess from a thousand years of imprisonment. I wish all the terrible things on Celestia that I can never, ever, do to her, even though I want to so badly, and all the terrible things that will never happen to that Sun Demon.
I wish that I had a chance to tell Luna how I feel. That I could have been Her true friend; just the two of us. I wish that I could have somehow helped Her bring eternal night, and maybe have even ruled beside Her. That we could've gotten rid of Celestia forever. I wish so many things that will never come true. But most of all, I wish that I could've just told Her how I admire Her, I love Her night, and how I will always be faithful to the end.
But you know what? I have always been .the type that just sits around, hoping that one day everything would be better without me putting in any effort; that things would just magically improve. I'm guessing that Princess Luna did the same. But no matter what was holding Her back, She finally took action - even if She didn't succeed, She still tried.
So, I shall try as well. No more just wishing things will get better. I will actually do something for once. Even if it takes the rest of my life, I will get my Princess off of the moon. I will help Her escape, so she can finish what she started, and She will be bathed in eternal glory forever. I will try... but knowing me, the fact that I've been involved will probably just confirm the fact that this is doomed to fail. That I might never be able to help.
Heck, knowing me, I will probably make things worse, like possibly killing, my Princess rather than saving Her.
But guess what? There is one last resource that I have not used up; and that is the Magical Wishing Star. I may have wished on the stars before, but I know something. I know this because my mother told me this secret before she died. She told me that no matter how much you wish, if you pull all your heart and soul together... wish with all your might... and you only use it once... you can have one super wish that the Magical Wishing Star will grant you.
But you only get one, so be careful for what you do wish for.
I have thought about this wish so hard. Even if I have had some rough times before, I never used this special wish. I saved it for when I would really need it, and this is it. It is time for me to use my once-in-a-lifetime wish. I close my eyes, and I wish with all my heart and soul.
I wish that I can help Princess Luna. Even if I can never find a way to free Her, I will at least have the chance to tell Her, face to face, all the things I have never got to say before. That She will know at last, the entire truth. Even if it takes a lifetime, I will get to do this one thing. Maybe this will help Her, maybe it won't. But that is all I wish for.
I open my eyes. I don't know if it will work, but only time will tell. In the meantime, I now dedicate my life to find any way possible to either free my Princess, or a way to finally tell Her all the things that I have wanted to tell Her, but only the stars know what will happen, and where events will lead.
Only time will tell.
100 years later ....
Here I am, on my deathbed. I have failed yet again. I, Aurora Skywriter, was not able to free my Princess. I've spent my entire life doing and using magic, science, hopes and prayers, and it didn't work. Even when I became old and worn, I did not stop, I did not stop. Even my encroaching Alzheimer's' could not stop me - I may have forgotten things in my life such as my birthplace, any possible family or friends... sometimes, even my own name. Yet I still retain certain things, and I always will. Even when I am gone from this life, and no pony remembers my existence.
I may have forgotten so many things that I no longer know much at all, and my reality has become warped and twisted, but, but a few things still ring true in my mind and heart: I love the night, I hate Princess Celestia, and I will always be loyal to the Moon Princess. I still remember the promise and wish I made on the night stars a hundred years ago; I remember talking to the moon every night after my Princess was banished, hoping She could hear me. And I'm crushed that I - yet again - was unable to do anything. I failed once again, and because of that, my beloved Princess will lie imprisoned for another nine centuries.
And my one heartfelt wish never came true; I never got to tell my Princess how I felt. But I have thought of the future, and I've even tried to write a few letters that express my knowledge and belief in the night and Princess Luna, and I have amassed a decent collection of them. It may be the one thing that I have done right in all my life. A preservation spell that will help these letters to last far longer than normal paper could... maybe even forever. And perhaps one day, when my Princess returns, centuries in the future, She will be the one to find them and know the truth at last. We'll see.
But, even if that will ever happen, I will be long gone from the face of Equestria. I will never know what was to be. At least not in this lifetime. Maybe I will in another form, but that is no certainty. For now I am exhausted, and I know that I'm not going to last much longer. At least I can pass away some place that I want to be in when I do die at last. I'm not in a hospital bed, or in the street. No, I am somewhere I actually want to be.
Even in the past one hundred years, this place has not changed. It is still the same hill, with the same long grass. It still has not been converted into the city, thank goodness. Even the old oak tree is still here too, surprisingly. It's nice to know that something I knew all those years had lasted this long, same as me. The letters are buried beneath the trunk of my childhood oak tree.
They will last for all time, even when I do not.
I don't have much longer.
I crane my neck one last time to look at the moon and stars in the night sky that I hope to go join. Maybe now that my time is up, I can finally join them up on high, and sing with them forever more.
I may even become a star that another little foal will one day wish upon as well. And then one day, they will wish upon a star as well. And then they shall pass on, and come join me. And we then will inspire yet another, and another, and even more still. And maybe in a little less than a millennia, all our inspiration will pass down to an individual who will be right here, in this same spot, and maybe they will be the one who can help my Princess finally get what she deserves. And then, little foals everywhere will know all the wonder, grace and beauty that our princess and her awe-inspiring night sky have to offer
I feel a last cool breeze rustle the leaves on the oak tree. I know it is time. I catch a last glimpse of the beautiful night sky, the stars, and the lovely moon that my dear Princess is imprisoned on. I finally close my eyes for the last time, and I feel myself drifting away.
This is it. The end. I tell myself.
But something isn't right. I feel the breeze that I just left behind. I also can still breathe. Is this what lies after death, in the world I should've just left? I still have not opened my eyes, in fear of what I may see. But I feel a presence. Something, or someone is watching me.
"Arise," A firm voice commands.
I'm confused. Is the ruler of the afterlife calling for my soul?? But despite all my questions and confusion, I do as I am told. After I stand, the voice speaks again.
"Look at me."
And I do. What I see is too unreal to be true; It is my Princess! I finally get to meet Her! I wonder if this is just a dream, and if I'm actually still alive back in the waking world. Dream or not, this is happening, and I will finally be able to tell Her how I have felt face to face. I also look at myself. I am no longer an old fragile mare, but the young filly who made that one wish all those years ago.
"Come," She speaks. And with that She turns around and walks down a hallway. I hadn't even been paying attention to the surroundings, but it seemed to resemble Canterlot Castle, with all the halls and rooms. And there is fresh lavender hung up on the walls everywhere. I take note of all this as I follow her. She doesn't speak for a long time, so neither do I. I wonder where She is taking me. My unspoken question answers itself only moments after. She takes me to a large ballroom, and up a long flight of stairs. Up at the top is a balcony overlooking the ballroom, two chairs, and a small cedar wood round table.
"Sit."
I did. The chair was a cushion one covered in dark red velvet. The outline, arms, and legs were made of the same fine dark cedar wood that the table was. A teacup floats down into my hooves.
"What type of tea do you like?" my Princess asks me.
"Rosemary and peppermint," I reply politely as my cup begins to fill up with the requested tea. "Thank you, Your Highness." I say.
I can't help but notice she seems to look a little uncomfortable. "Is everything alright?" I ask.
"Sort of. It's just... It's just that I don't understand how you are here. You are the first visitor that I have ever had here. I haven't seen a pony in over a hundred years. Do you know how you are here, or why for that matter?"
"I... actually don't, but I'm glad I am," I answer honestly.
"Wait. You are glad to be here? Are you sure you don't have any possible idea on what has happened to get you here? Why would you want to be here in the first place?" she pushed, maybe a little desperately.
"Yes, I am glad to be here. I have as much a clue as you do. All I know is that I was an old fragile mare that passed away in Equestria not too long ago. And somehow I am now the young filly I was when you were imprisoned in the moon. So if this is what comes after death, I'm not complaining. I would rather be here than in Equestria under the rule of that fake, lying, deceiving, cruel Celestia. Or Molestia as she should be known. This is where I've always wanted to be," I started.
Now that I was here explaining everything to my Princess, I could not stop in fear that I may not have unlimited time to tell Her everything in my heart. My wish to talk with Her face to face had somehow come true, but I knew with certainty that it would not last forever. Once the words started flowing, they would not stop until everything was revealed, and every inner feeling uncovered.
"And so a couple of nights after you were banished, I wished upon the Magical Wishing Star that one day, somehow, I would get to tell you face to face. And here I am. So maybe that is how I got here. In fact, now that the idea has been brought up, I think that is exactly what happened. I can't believe Celestia did this horrible thing to you. I hate her! No matter how hard I tried, I could not find any way to free you, and I fear that I will never get to see you become free. I love the night, and I always have. The stars, the moon; everything about it. The sun only blinds us, and it lies, just like Celestia. I hope that somehow, when you return to Equestria, you get rid of Celestia, and all the generations thereafter will know the truth and not believe the false lies that every pony does these days. Also, when you return, there is a lonely hill in the outskirts of Fillydelphia with an oak tree that has a crescent moon with the Magical Wishing Star and two others carved into the trunk. It will still be there because I have cast a spell on it to make it last for all eternity. Beneath the tree is a stack of letters; they will explain much more than I am able to speak now. It will flourish, because I have placed a Prolonging Spell upon it that will extend its' life for many millennia. The Tree and hill also have this spell, so the place should still be upon the face of Equestria when you return. I don't know how much longer I have to keep speaking, but I wanted to let you know that you have been, are still, and will always be My Princess," And with a final breath, I finished.
I had done it. My wish had come true at last. I told Her, and now I don't care what happens. She looks like She is thinking, and I wonder about what She may be thinking of. It is a long moment of absolute silence before She speaks again.
"So, after my imprisonment, you wished on the Magical Wishing Star that you would get to speak to me? What do you know about the Magical Wishing Star?"
"I know that it grants the most powerful wishes, but it will only grant you one. And you need to wish, with all of your might and heart, and know exactly what you want. And even then, only the pure of heart can sometimes reach it," I answer solemnly.
"And where did you learn this from?"
"From my mother. She told me before she died. She told me she knew because the knowledge had come to her in a dream. I don't know if anyone else knows, but I also left some letters explaining the truth about Celestia, you, the Magical Wishing Star, and everything about the night. Just like I did for you when you return," I explained.
She did not speak for a moment. Then She explained something that I somehow had known from the very moment that I saw Her.
"The Magical Wishing Star does indeed do that, and more. It made it so that you could speak to me after a normal mortal death. Even returning you to the age you were when you wished upon it. But even the magic of such a wonderful thing can't last forever."
"I know. But I have told you, and that is all that matters. I don't know what will happen after this, but I am not afraid," I answer.
"I know you're not," She replies with a kind smile.
"What was your mother's name?"
"Her name was Wishing Heart," I tell Her.
She smiled again in a sort of smirking, but sad rememberful way. "I suspected so."
"Did you know her?" I asked.
"In a manner of speaking. Tell me. Is there anything you wished for after death?"
"Well, I wasn't sure sure what came after death, but I always hoped that I would become a star in the night sky. That even after I was long gone from Equestria, I would still be there to inspire others who knew the whole truth of the night. That I could be one of the stars that comforts others and can grant wishes. To be there for another as all the others were for me. And so I could be with you and the night forever," I admitted
"Your mother wished for the exact same thing. She knew her health was declining, and she was worried about you. I met her when she too was a small filly in a dream. I did not know why I was in her dream, and I did not show myself at first, but instead observed. In that dream, Celestia was being portrayed as the monster she truly is; Your mother cowering in fear. When I saw this, I had to do something. I drove away the nightmare, and comforted her for a while after. She was terrified, but there was a hint of curiosity as well. I asked her what had happened in the waking world that would inspire such a nightmare. She explained that since her father could not pay his taxes, he had been thrown into jail by the order of Celestia. The reason he couldn't was because of his health and her. She was a secret, but he loved her anyway. But since that Celestia took him away a few days prior, he had died in his prison cell. Princess Celestia had not cared that he was dying, and she let him. Wishing Heart hadn't even been able to say goodbye. And she broke down crying again," my Princess told me. And I could tell this was only the start.
“I was furious at my sister! It was one thing to hurt me, but to hurt such an innocent foal was quite another! I became her friend thereafter and told her the entire truth concerning Celestia and the cursed day. After her father died, she knew the truth: Celestia was a monster, and so was anything she created. She was now free from all lies, and we became close, but we lost touch. Celestia was getting suspicious, so we called it off. But we had both changed. And we were now a little better because of each other,” She continued.
"I had not heard from her in many years. But a couple of days before she passed, I somehow stumbled into her dreams once more. This time they were filled with sorrow. She knew her health was declining, and she worried about the young foal she would leave behind. I met up with her, and we caught up with each other over all the years we had been out of touch. And she had a wish. and I knew it, but I asked anyway. She wished that she would also be in the night sky so that when you looked up, she would be there for you always, and any others that might follow. So I told her I would do my best. I spoke with the moon after I had left her dreams. And that is when I used my wish upon the Magical Wishing Star. I wished that Wishing Heart and any others like her would have the chance to join the night sky when they passed, as to truly become part of the night and belong there forever. So this that you wish is possible. I know you do not have much longer, but I know now, and I will do everything in my power to bring the truth to others when I return to Equestria," She finished.
I was ecstatic. This was amazing. As my heart rejoiced, I felt something strange come upon me. It was the most peaceful thing I had ever known, and I knew at that moment I was only moments away from rejoining my mother, and we would be together forever where we truly belonged for always.
"Thank you," I whispered. I see Her smiling, as I slowly fade away into the beyond. It is my time now, and I am finally at peace.
Author's Note
I hoped you enjoy reading this, as much as I had writing it. So this is just something I thought might've happened. Maybe it did. We may never know. But I do know that it sure is fun to imagine.
The "She" a lot to refer to princess Luna because at this point she is both Luna and Nightmare Moon. So it is not neither. "She" is a reference to the fact that Aurora views Luna/Nightmare Moon as a divine being, beyond her and all mortals.
Nightmare Moon is actually the good guy here (edited)
900 years later
It was going to happen any day now, and Nightmare Moon was ready to fight. She had the past 1000 years to prepare herself for when she returned to Equestria. She was ready to bring down the lying princess and bring truth to all. She was ready to make others adore her and her night. She was ready to bring the eternal darkness. She was ready to bring the truth to all ponykind. She was ready to avenge Wishing Heart, Aurora Skywriter, and a couple others she had seen while in her imprisonment. She was ready.
How dare Celestia lie! How dare she be so selfish! How dare she fool every pony and treat them like her personal puppets! How dare Celestia hurt her subjects without giving a hoof about them!
Nightmare Moon was ready to fight and save Equestria from Celestia and her lying light. But she needed to do something first. She needed to visit that oak tree, on that solitary hill, in Fillydelphia to see the letters Aurora Skywriter had written 900 years previously. Then she could destroy her sister!
She wanted to read them so bad. She hoped that when she was successful, she would be able to bring the truth to all ponies. So that they could see what Wishing Heart, Aurora Skywriter, and a few others had seen. She wanted to do so much. But she had a few promises and personal things she needed to attend to first when she got back to Equestria, before she started her take over.
It was time. She felt it. She saw the stars in the distance that had come to free their Princess at last. She closed her eyes, and felt a strange sensation go over and throughout her entire body, right down into her very existence. She felt a breeze. A breeze. It felt so wonderful to feel it blow through her mane, and ruffle her fur. She had not been able to enjoy this in the past millennia. She opened her eyes at last and gazed at the moon she was no longer trapped on, and a faint smile crossed over onto her face. But despite how wonderful this moment of freedom was, she needed to be somewhere. Then she could enjoy her freedom. And from there, she would start her conquest.
She took in her surroundings, and it looked like she was on the edge of the Everfree forest. She looked around a few more moments, then she teleported to Fillydelphia. She wound up in an abandoned alleyway, and in the distance she saw a hill with a big tree swaying in the wind. The hill. The tree. She almost couldn't contain her excitement as she once again teleported, but this time it was to the hill, the tree, and the letters.
When she got there, she was worried that someone might see her. But she then realized that from where she was standing, plus the surrounding areas, she was completely sheltered from view. She then used her magic to summon something that she could sense. That something was the letters that held truth and passion. A few seconds passed away and her magic latched on to what she had come for; a box rose up out of the ground.
Nightmare Moon took a few moments to observe the box's elaborate detail. The workmanship was exceedingly fine; the wood seemed to be made of the same oak as the tree that loomed overhead; carvings of bluebells under a night sky full of stars and a crescent moon decorated the box. She lifted the lid off, and the scent of lavender came up to her nose. And there, in the box, were the letters she had waited over 900 years to read. As she took the first one out, she was oh so careful. Even though Nightmare Moon's conscious mind knew that they had an eternity spell on them that protected them from all harm, her subconscious still worried that they were so delicate and fragile, that they could break apart at any moment into dust that would be lost forever. Before she unrolled the letter, she lifted it up to take a whiff. It smelled like old parchment, but it also had a faint and distant, yet still detectable, scent of lemon and peppermint.
She now began to unroll the yellowed aged letter, and began to read it to herself.
Dear Princess Luna,
My name is Aurora Skywriter, and I just want to tell you that I have always loved your night. The moon and stars; the mystery and wonders; all the grace and awe-inspiring beauty that you bring every single night. Celestia lies, and us from your night sky. She is evil.
I am writing this to let you know that you are the only true Princess. You tell the truth, care about others, and are amazing. Celestia, on the other hoof, is a lying, backstabbing, no good sun demon. Her Sun is also terrible as it can only blind and burn.
I am heartbroken that you were banished, and I would have loved eternal night. But alas, I fear that no other ponies know the truth, and they believe Celestia and her lies. I have tried to free you, but have failed. I can only hope that when you return, you are successful and every little filly and colt of the future will know the wonder and majesty of your night.
May the night last forever, and save us all. You are not a monster, but a hero. I can only hope that others can see that too. May you exceed every expectation, and be bathed in eternal glory forever.
Yours now and forever,
Aurora Skywriter.
Nightmare Moon was almost in tears, and this was just the first letter. She didn't know what to feel exactly, as this was so much, and yet not enough at once. Nightmare Moon knew that Aurora Skywriter was very old and not completely mentally stable when this was written, but it was still the best thing she had ever read. She spent the next hour reading and re-reading the rest of the letters that had been written; there were 12 in total. These gave Nightmare Moon the inspiration she needed to go beat Celestia. Well, she already wanted to eliminate Celestia because of her day alone, but this just insured it. And so it was. No backing down, as it was go time.
She cast a restoration spell on the letters so they were as fresh as the day they were written, and to keep them that way. She neatly folded the letters, put them back into the box, and safely tucked the box back into the ground, and she also cast a spell preserving this place for eternity, and no other spell of any sort, even the Elements of Harmony couldn't undo it.
After she had done this, she teleported to the Castle of the Two Sisters, and she waited for her arch nemesis, her foe, her sister, Celestia. She was ready to destroy her sister, so where was she? Did she need to set the forest on fire to get Celestia's attention, so she could finish destroying her once and for all? Just as Nightmare Moon was going to move on and start her conquest, sister destroying or not, she looked into the sky and she saw Celestia at last. It was show time.
"You finally have the guts to finally show your lying face!" Nightmare Moon shouted at her sister.
"Sister, I do not want to fight you," Celestia replied. "This is wrong. Come back Luna, and be the little sister I knew all those years ago. This is my fault, and I know it. I admit I ignored, shunned, hurt, and forgot you. So much so that you felt that this was the only answer; to become this monster, but please come back Luna," Celestia cried out.
"I'm the monster?" Nightmare Moon said with absolute shock. "Me? No you are the only monster! And do you know why?"
"I know because of what I did which turned you like this, and that led us here," Celestia guessed, but she also had a hint of absolute certainty that this was the real reason behind all this.
"You are right when you say this is your fault, and that you are the reason I am like this. But that is just the beginning," Nightmare Moon said, just getting started. "What you did to me was one thing, and I could kill you alone for that. But there is so much more on why you are the real monster Celestia. I have just one example and there is probably a ton more that I shall fail to cover at this point in time this night. Do you even remember over a thousand years ago when you let a little filly's father just die? Do you even remember?" Nightmare Moon asked Celestia while she visibly shook with anger.
Celestia had no clue what Nightmare Moon was talking of, but whatever it was, whatever had happened, it clearly bothered her sister. But she honestly didn't know. "I am not sure of what you speak of. I am sure that I did not do such a horrible thing, but if I truly, truly did, I want to know everything," Celestia answered.
Nightmare Moon roared with fury. "Just because he couldn't pay his taxes you had an old fragile stallion thrown into prison. He was sick and needed help, which you denied even when he begged for it. You just didn't give a damn about him, and he died in your jail. And that was not even the worst part. He had a little girl with no wife as she had died as well, and she saw you take him away. She didn't even get to say goodbye to her father, and he died. She was left an orphan, but you didn't care. You left her homeless, alone, defenseless, hungry, and let her live a life in fear. She had no one because of you! And you don't even remember! How many others died because of you? How many little foals had to suffer? I fear I may never know, but I am here to avenge them all!" Nightmare Moon shouted at her sister.
Celestia was shocked to her core. She had not known about this. Had she really done this to her subjects? No, this had to be a lie to mess with her. "You lie," Celestia confronted Nightmare Moon. "You are trying to mess with my brain just long enough so you can distract me and bring eternal night as you seek revenge on something that happened over a millennia ago."
"This isn't about me anymore Celestia! This has absolutely nothing to do what you did to me anymore; this is about protecting my subjects from you, you evil tyrant! I don't care about eternal night anymore! I care about protecting those little ponies from you!" Nightmare Moon yelled at the Sun Princess.
Celestia hadn't expected that response. Nightmare Moon didn't care about eternal night anymore? How was that even possible? No. This had to be a trick, it had to be. But despite all her brain was telling her, she knew deep in her heart that what Nightmare Moon had said was true. She could slightly recall a face of an old, unfamiliar, but yet too familiar in a way, stallion. Was he the one who had died? That she had let die? Was she really the monster her sister claimed? But when she looked over to her sister, she knew without a doubt it was true. Her sister, now gone nightmare, was a physical manifestation to the testament of what she had done. She could try and fool herself that she had changed, but maybe she hadn't really.
But what would happen if Equestria knew what had happened for sure? Wouldn't they love her sister more than her from now on? She realized with a stab of guilt, she wasn't ready to give up her position in Equestria. She truly was selfish, but how to keep others from knowing all the little details? But, while she wanted to stay in power, she also really wanted her little sister back. The answer struck her like lightning, the Elements of Harmony. They could bring Luna back, and erase the awful memories that Nightmare Moon seemed to remember with frighteningly accurate details. And no one would need to remember and or know the terrible past. She felt awful wanting to do this, and she knew that she really had not changed, and she probably never would. Maybe one day, but that wasn't this day.
During the time it took for Celestia to think through all this and hesitate, Nightmare Moon was getting ready to fire an imprisonment spell. And when Celestia saw the firing beam, it was too late to run, block, react, or do anything for that matter. All Celestia knew after the painful beam had struck her was nothingness.
Nightmare Moon watched as her sister was sent to the Prison in the Sky in a blast.
The Prison in the Sky was a place that was neither space nor earth, but sort of in between. It seemed to be made of solid stone, but yet was as light as a cloud. Celestia would be in the Sky Prison trapped to the ground of it while she was held within a trance of her own mind, reliving all the awful things she had ever done in her long lifespan . It was a perfect prison, and it would hold her until Nightmare Moon could deal with Celestia further.
Nightmare Moon had conquered her sister, and now it was time for the rest of Equestria. She would be under the veil that she wanted to bring eternal night. But the truth would be revealed in due time, and until then, Nightmare Moon would have to be what the stories portrayed her as to get anywhere. But that didn't matter to her anymore. She had avenged Wishing Heart, and was about to make Aurora Skywriter's dream about to come true. One day all little foals would grow up with the truth, and they would never suffer.
But little did Nightmare Moon know, Celestia, even while still in her mental prison, had messed with the Elements of Harmony. She had them so that when used on her sister, they would revert her back and erase most of her memories. Equestria would never know the truth, just the story of a supposed monster, while not even realizing the whole story and who was truly behind it all. And Wishing Heart, Aurora Skywriter, and the others would be forgotten forever more. They would never be avenged, and their worst enemy would continue to prevail. A false god would continue to rule. All would never be well again.
Author's Note
So this is what I think happened before Nightmare Moon showed up in Ponyville in the first episode. Celestia is no innocent.
I think that Celestia might have messed with the Elements, and that is why Luna looked so different in the first episode. We see her with the star mane in the flashback in season 4, but not in season 1. But she regains her appearance by season two, but not all the memories that were lost.
Flashback
Season 1
Season 2
