Luna woke up screaming, her body drowning in a sea of cold sweat. Another day, another nightmare, not that the horror she woke up into was any better…
She had lost track of time for how long she was locked in this tiny stinking cell. She was alone, with only chains and flickering shadows to keep her company and the pain of magic suppressor biting into her horn. The damn contraption made sure she couldn’t use her magic to dispel the nightmares. Maybe that was the point.
As she sat there, rocking in her stinking bed, a clicking sound filled the air, and the heavy metal door opened with a high-pitch screech. A commanding yell quickly followed.
“Nightmare Moon! On your hooves!”
Luna’s squinted eyes adjusted to the bright light of the corridor just in time to see half a dozen guards walking inside her cell. They were all unicorns wearing royal armor and looking straight out of the gym.
“What? Who are you? What’s going on?”
“We have orders to escort you; that’s all you need to know.”
“Escort me... where?”
The head guard ignored Luna’s question and threw a pair of heavy shackles in front of her.
“Put these on.”
Luna shook her head. “First, tell me where I’m going—Argh!”
A sudden agonizing sting of magic coming from all the unicorns interrupted her, pinning her down – much stronger than it was necessary. A moment later, the shackles locked around her hooves and wings, but the guards held her in their magical grasp for a few more seconds. Judging by their grins, they enjoyed her screams way too much.
Finally, Luna’s body hit the floor, sizzling and twitching, her groans of pain echoing through the entire corridor. “W-why? Why are you doing t-this...”
“To show you who is in control here, honey. You’re not to ask questions, just follow orders. Try to attack us, run, or anything else and you’re gonna end up in a world of pain again. Get it, Nightmare Moon?”
“M-my name is Luna... Princess Luna.”
That only made the head guard smirk. “Well, in that case, your Highness.” He pointed his hoof at the door. “After you...”
***
As they made their way from the dungeons, Luna could hear the voices of the nearby crowd, but it wasn’t until they reached the large hall when she saw them all. Hundreds of creatures of all kinds sat in the oval room. There was one empty stand in the center and a large bench in the front of the chamber with a familiar face sitting on it.
“Celestia!” Seeing her sister for the first time in a millennium, Luna instinctively lunged forward, only to be snapped back by the chains. “Ugh... Celestia, tell them to free me!” Luna said, but Celestia’s face remained a stone. “Sister?”
A mix of loud clicking and clanking sounds interrupted Luna’s pleads. She turned her head to see her chain tightly fastened to the stand in the center. She was shackled in place, like some dangerous felon.
“W-what is this?!” Luna yelled, fighting her restraints. “I demand...”
Her voice suddenly died down, and the entire chamber quickly followed. A lavender alicorn the size of her sister entered the hall, walking towards the bench in the front. Luna blinked and shook her head, thinking her eyes were playing tricks on her, but the alicorn’s cutie mark left no doubt. It was her.
“Y-you? I know you! But... you were a unicorn back then. How is that possible... And what do you want from me?” Once again, Luna’s question remained unanswered. Both her sister and the lavender alicorn just gaped at her with stone-cold faces. “Answer me—Ugh!”
“Silence, villain!” One of the guards ordered, crushing Luna’s throat with his magic. “You will address Princess Twilight only when asked, understood?!”
“Iron Shackle, that’s enough!” Twilight said to the guard, and he immediately released his grasp allowing Luna to breathe again. “Now, then, citizen Nightmare Moon—”
“L-luna!” Luna corrected, coughing. “My name is Luna! And what am I doing here?!”
“You are here to stand a trial for the crimes against Equestria and other creatures.”
“What crimes? What are you talking about? I didn’t do anything!”
The eyebrow on Twilight’s stone face arched up. “Allow me to refresh your memory...”
A scroll appeared in front of Twilight with a puff. The Princess cleared her throat and opened it, then the litany of accusations started.
“Destruction of property, namely the Castle of Two Sisters. An attempted coup to overthrow the legitimate ruler of Equestria at the time. An attempt to cause everlasting night by blocking the Sun with the Moon. And last but not least... An attempt to murder your own sister, Princess Celestia.” Twilight glanced back at Luna. “Does any of this ring any bells?”
Luna swallowed hard. It was all true, but one crucial detail was missing. “B-but, that was over a millennium ago! And I paid for my crimes! Is thousand years on the Moon not punishment enough?” She turned to Celestia, her lip trembling. “S-sister, I swear I’m a different pony now, tell them!” But Celestia glanced away. “Sister p-please! Why are you acting like this?! Please, help me!”
But no matter how hard Luna pleaded and cried, Celestia remained silent – gaping away with sorrow on her face, like some sculpture of pure misery.
Seeing no rescue coming her way, Luna turned back to Twilight. “I already paid for all the mentioned crimes. And when I came back, you and your friends freed me from Nightmare Moon only to banish me to limbo for many years!”
“The Elements of Harmony did that, not us, and they did it for a reason. Or did you forget how you tried to take over again? Or how you attacked my friends and me?”
“That was Nightmare Moon, not me!” Luna tried to explain but noticed Twilight arching her eyebrow again. “I can understand your skepticism, but Nightmare Moon and I are not one and the same!”
“Is that so?”
“It is! When the Elements struck, she was destroyed, and I was reborn a changed pony!”
Twilight nodded. “Fair enough... let’s talk about things you did after you came back as the ’changed pony’ you claim to be...”
Once again, Twilight levitated a parchment, opened it, and began reading.
“Taking part in the conspiracy to overthrow the legitimate ruler of Equestria. Spreading panic, chaos, and disorder by means of magic. And...” Twilight glanced up, frowning coldly. “An attempt to capture me, my family, and my friends in which many lives were lost.”
Luna bit on her lip, desperately looking for something, anything to explain her actions in a way Princess could understand. But with Twilight’s accusatory gaze locked onto her, her mind turned blank.
Seeing no answer coming anytime soon, Twilight decided to continue. “You say you’re a different pony, and yet you helped the evil trio after they freed you from the limbo! How do you explain that?”
“It’s not what you think!”
Twilight arched her eyebrow again and composed herself. “Do you deny you helped Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow to capture me?”
“... no, I don’t. B-but—”
“Do you deny that you caused an eclipse and held the Moon in place to create a diversion for the mentioned trio?”
“I do not! But let me explain—”
“DO YOU DENY that thanks to your actions part of Canterlot’s Palace lies in ruins, and nearly a dozen royal guards lost their lives?!” Twilight yelled, piercing Luna with a bone-chilling gaze. “Their blood is on your hooves!”
“I had no choice!” Luna yelled back. “B-believe me, I didn’t want to help them. And the nightmares of what I did to these poor ponies haunt me every night. But I swear, I had no choice!”
“There is always a choice, sister,” Celestia interjected with tears in her eyes. “And you chose evil, again...”
“Tia... they tortured me for days. They used my own magic against me, inducing nightmare after nightmare. In each one, they mutilated me and... made me feel all of it.”
Luna shamefully glanced down, her whole figure shaking at the overwhelming memories.
“Can either of you imagine the agony when your body gets destroyed piece by piece? How it feels when not even death can save you from the torment? You wake up from one nightmare into another, praying for some relief, but there is none...”
Luna glanced back up, looking the two princesses in their eyes.
“Yes, I am guilty of everything you accuse me of. But I ask both of you... if you had to choose between that and eternal torment, what would you do?”
The air filled with confused murmurs. For a moment, Luna could see that even Twilight’s face changed, and a ray of sympathy began protruding from under her stone-cold expression. Seeing this as her chance, she continued.
“Please, believe me, I have changed. I don’t want to hurt anypony anymore. I just… j-just...” Luna stammered, whimpering and sniffling like a beaten-up foal. “I just want to go h-home...” She bowed shamefully, tears rolling down her cheeks. “I beg you for mercy.”
For the first time since the trial started, Luna could see a glimpse of hesitation in Twilight’s eyes. The Princess had probably expected a ferocious adamant foe, spitting insults and threats of violence in her face. Instead, she got this wailing broken shell of a pony, begging for forgiveness. Looking confused, Twilight turned to Celestia, but one glance at the shaky older alicorn was a dead giveaway her heart was torn between duty and love to her sister.
Luna knew that the silence that hung in the air was working in her favor. But just when she thought mercy was within her grasp, someone from the crowd ruined it all.
“Don’t believe that murderer!”
The single comment filled the air with treacherous whispers that quickly crescendoed into full pitch screams of revenge.
“She killed my son!” One pony yelled.
“And my daughter!” Another added.
“Silence in the court!” Iron Shackle and a few other guards tried to silence the crowd, but every attempt only made the mob angrier and louder.
“Don’t let her trick you! She’s a cold-blooded murderer and a manipulator... like that Cozy Glow!”
“No! I’m nothing like her!” Luna cried out. “P-please... You have to believe me!”
But the more Luna tried to deny it the guiltier she sounded. She could see as that glimpse of hope she saw earlier in Twilight’s eyes was quickly fading away. When the voices finally died down, Twilight’s face was a stone again.
“You told us an interesting story today, but one thing doesn’t add up. Why didn’t you ask for help?”
“Ask whom? How? I was being held captive with a magic suppressor around my horn all the time!”
“Then how did you move the moon?” Hearing Twilight’s question, Luna’s lips curled, painting a confused expression on her face. “Let me rephrase that... Was your magic suppressed in any way when you were helping the fugitive trio create the eclipse?”
Twilight’s question hit Luna like a speeding train. Why didn’t she just teleport away once the suppressor was off? In retrospect, it seemed like an obvious solution. Yet... no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t come up with any logical explanation on why it didn’t occur to her.
“Well? We’re waiting,” Twilight said. “Was your magic suppressed or not?”
Luna locked her gaze to the cold marble floor and sighed in defeat. “No... No, it was not.”
“So, you could have teleported away and asked for help?”
“... yes.”
“Then, why didn’t you? If you are the change pony you claim to be... why didn’t you try to save lives?”
Luna could only shake her shoulders. “I don’t know. It never occurred to me at the time.”
Judging by her frown, Twilight wasn’t impressed. “It didn’t occur to you... Or maybe you’re just lying to us, and you helped them out, of your own free will?”
“N-no, I swear!” Luna said, but Twilight remained unfazed by her denial. “Please... try to understand – I wasn’t thinking straight at the time! The only thing on my mind was fear and pain... So much pain...” Tears of anguish rolled down her cheeks. “Please, I beg of you, your Highness, show us mercy.”
“Even if I believed you, fear is not an excuse for what you did. The facts are... you helped one of the worst villains Equestria ever faced and ponies died because of it.” Twilight shook her head and sighed. “Now, you say you’re sorry... Maybe you are, or maybe you are trying to manipulate us just like Cozy Glow... I’m not sure. What I do know is that was the third time you did something like that, and...” Twilight paused for a moment and glanced apologetically at Celestia. Whatever was on her mind, it wasn’t anything good. Then she cleared her throat and turned back to Luna. “I’m afraid that... we can’t afford you trying again.”
“W-what do you mean?” Luna asked, but instead of an answer, saw Twilight nodding to one of the guards in the back. Then a squeaky sound like fingernails on a chalkboard began echoing through the hall. Luna tried glancing back at the source, but the chains made it impossible. “What are you doing?! Tell me! I demand to...”
Luna’s voice died, and her eyes widened at sight. Next to her stood the evil trio; their twisted figures once again petrified into a stone statue. Luna glanced back at Twilight, trying to scream ‘no’ – but the lump in her throat would not allow it. Then came the final verdict, straight from Luna’s worst nightmare.
“Citizen Nightmare Moon, I, Princess Twilight Sparkle, find you guilty of crimes committed against Equestria and other creatures.”
Luna stared, frozen in horror. This wasn’t happening! It must have been a dream. Except she was awake.
“However...” Twilight continued. “This court also recognizes potential mitigating circumstances. While your claims cannot be verified due to a lack of witnesses, the court is willing to believe you based on data contained in the psychological profiles of your... companions.”
Twilight’s words forced some whispers out of the disoriented crowd. Luna joined in, as confused as the rest of them. “W-what does that mean?”
“It means that when it comes to charges of conspiracy, spreading panic, and even an attempt to capture me, the court shall grant you leniency due to extraordinary circumstances.”
Luna brightened up, the crowd not so much. But before their outraged whispers could turn the air toxic, Twilight added...
“But... the same cannot be said when it comes to the deaths you directly caused. The facts are – afraid or not – you had the means to escape. Instead, you stayed with the villains and helped them with their coup, which cost ten royal guards their lives.”
Twilight sighed heavily, her sad expression a clear proof she wasn’t enjoying doing this. She glanced at Celestia as if trying to apologize for what she was about to do. Then her eyes went back to Luna.
“If you were an ordinary pony, the sentence would be life imprisonment. But... given that as an alicorn you are immortal, that would be cruel and unusual punishment. Therefore, using the authority given me by the citizens of this realm, I sentence you... for a thousand years of petrification.” Hearing this, Luna’s eyes shot wide in shock. “A hundred years for the life of each of your victims. The sentence shall be carried out immediately,” Twilight said, nodding to her guards.
“No! Heavens, no!” Hearing the chains rattling and feeling the painful jerk, Luna began screaming and flailing desperately. Like a convict seeing the noose. Then her terrified eyes went to Celestia. “Tia, help me! Don’t let them do this! Sister!”
But Celestia just cried in silence, staring at the scene. Her red, swollen eyes were begging for forgiveness. Then, rainbow magic from Twilight’s horn enveloped Luna, turning her scream into a terrifying shriek.
“No! Stop!” Luna hollered in horror as her body began turning to stone in front of her eyes. “Tia, help me! Please! Argh! P-please! Heeelp!” She extended her hoof towards her sister just before the petrification spell reached it and let out one final begging scream. “TIAAAAAAA!” The stone reached the tip of her horn, and it was over.
As soon as Twilight’s magic died down, the air filled with soft whimpers and sobs. They were coming from Celestia.
“... the court is dismissed. Everycreature, please leave the premise immediately.”
Witnessing Celestia’s pain, everyone began to leave in silence. When the bystanders left, Twilight turned to the sobbing alicorn to see her crying a river of tears over Luna’s stony form. She opened her mouth to say something, but her throat was as petrified as Luna’s. She couldn’t utter a word. Or maybe there was nothing comforting to say.
“Leave, Twilight...” Celestia glanced up and whispered with a waterfall of tears still running down her white cheeks. “P-please, leave me alone with her.”
Twilight nodded and left the hall without another word.
Sniffling, Celestia grabbed her sister’s petrified hoof. With her voice trembling, she managed to whisper a single sentence.
“Forgive me...”
Her knees gave way then, and the pit of misery swallowed her up. Above, a single tear rolled down Luna’s stone cheek.
Author's Note
It's another one of the stories that have been 'cooking' on my hard drive for a long time. I hope you enjoyed it 
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