The Crimson-Red Star

It was dark and humid, the wind blew gently around her coat, and the earth smelled of a musky-freshness. She gazed solemnly at the sky in silence; the moon's comforting light waned, shrouded by looming black clouds that shifted the sky into a churning mass of coiling darkness, struggling to pierce through the conflagration. It was going to rain soon.

Princess Luna turned away from the sky to the ponies milling about outside Vanhoover, a city near the coastline of the Luna Ocean and just north of the Smoky Mountains. She and the Shadow Troop had only recently arrived after noticing a large crowd of ponies evacuating from the southern exit of the city and went down to investigate. After finding the mayor and helping him calm everypony down, he informs Luna and the troop that another tremor had started. It had rent a part of the city, leaving a ferocious scar in its wake, but luckily it was only a few buildings that got toppled, and everypony was safe.

Princess Luna was relieved at this revelation, but she feared for future tremors; the stronger they became, the more destruction wrought and higher will the chances be that ponies are hurt or even killed during them. Following Agni's words, Luna may be able to find some sort of information while investigating the city, and since the tremor has ceased and Thaney wasn't around to complicate matters, searching around the city shouldn't prove too difficult.

"Birch, Raven, Bay Banks, and Nebula," Luna called commandingly, the bat ponies standing at attention. "Stay here with the ponies; protect them. I will take Agni with me inside the city."

Agni's ears perked up from a few feet away; he was calming down some children. He trotted up to her and gave a respectful salute. "Ma'am?"

"You will assist me in scouting out anything unusual," Luna told him, turning her gaze towards the city. "We won't linger for too long." With a glow from her horn, a large dome of blue magic covered the ponies on the plains, shielding them from the soon-to-come rain. "Bay Banks, make sure to keep everypony safe. When Agni and I return, we will aid in directing the citizens back into the city."

Bay Banks saluted. "You can count on us."

"Good," she said, moving towards the city, Agni cantering after her. She looked down at him. "What should we be looking for?"

"Well," he began, "at the grove, there was a black sludge trail Eldoris intentionally left for me to follow, eventually leading me to encounter the page."

"So, a trail is what we should be searching for?" she prompted.

Surprisingly, Agni shook his head. "The first time was to guide me, but I don't think Eldoris will help us this time," he said with a pensive look on his face, narrowing his eyes and rubbing his chin. "She wants us to seek these pages because they may contain some information. Perhaps the information we could find are not recorded anywhere else."

Luna frowned. "Then where would be the ideal place to search?"

"Where the tremor struck," he answered. "The buildings hit have crumbled to the ground, and from what the mayor told us, there is a scar left afterwards."

"The fissure the tremor caused... We must investigate."

Agni nodded. "I found the first page inside the earth, but I guess that isn't entirely true if I think about it."

Luna raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"I did go in the earth, there was a hole that led into it, but when I woke up after Eldoris put me to sleep, I was in a different location, a tunnel, that held a channel of water and mist that had no end in sight," he explained. "Something about it was surreal. The hole I fell from had gone, and Eldoris was the one that got me out after our brief introduction."

"If we head down the fissure, we may encounter this pony you speak of."

"It's possible," he said. "Eldoris claimed to be an ally, so we'll just have to trust her. Whatever is going on in Equestria, she may know."

Luna sighed. "Perhaps," she murmured. "Regardless, let us find the scar and descend its depths."

The two ponies entered Vanhoover, the city barren of life after the violent tremor; rubble from some of the buildings lay scattered in the streets. It was eerie to see a city normally bustling with life now lay empty with all the ponies taking refuge outside, and every falling piece of rubble or some off-distant sound made Luna wary, as if she'd expect something to suddenly appear out of nowhere to threaten her and her dutiful soldier.

Just up ahead, Luna saw a large, rigid crack snaking along the main street. It was the fissure. Quickly she galloped towards it with Agni following close behind. She stopped once she could peer down its shadowy depths; it was too narrow to jump down, and she suspected an entrance lay near here. Narrowing her eyes, Luna turned her head to where the fissure had split; it ran through a toppled building a couple of feet away.

"Agni, let us go," Luna ordered.

"Yes, ma'am!" Agni said, saluting.

Traipsing carefully, Luna and Agni cantered toward the fallen building, stepping over large stone rubble and following the split until it led them to a blocked passage filled with debris. Luna looked around the building and saw no other entrance. When Agni flew into the air to see if the split went on through the building on the other side, he reported it didn't; the split was under the toppled building.

Using her magic, Luna carefully drilled through the rubble in front of her, disintegrating the stone until she was able to create an entrance for her and Agni to continue. She was surprised; a large hole stained with black-like sludge bubbled around the rim. Eldoris, and she was down there. They had found the entrance into the earth.

"Are you ready to descend?" Princess Luna asked Agni. She could see his tail and ears twitching, whether with anticipation or fear, she did not know.

The young bat pony nodded. "The last time I fell down, I was coerced to sleep by Eldoris. I don't know if she'll do the same thing again."

"Regardless, this is what we came here to find," Luna said. She pulled Agni close to her side with a wing, holding him firmly. "Stay close to me so we do not get separated." Silent, Agni nodded again.

With a long exhale of air, Princess Luna and Agni jumped down the hole together. Immediately, Luna knew that the fissure she and her soldier leapt into was deeper than she thought; the long narrow walls that almost squeezed them was covered in black sludge, and the magic that flowed through her was certainly unnatural.

Luna gazed down to look at Agni and was shocked to see him fighting the urge to sleep. She tried to shake him to keep her bat pony from drifting off, but Agni went limp in her hooves, asleep. Shortly after, Luna saw an image of a pony flickering in her mind: a pony cloaked in black from head to hoof, only their eyes that shone like gold was all she could see.

"What is this?" Luna murmured. She suddenly felt weak, her eyes growing heavy. "N-No...!" She tried to force herself to stay awake, but an overwhelming urge to drift off had won, and Luna went limp.

Opening her eyes, Princess Luna found herself in a dark world, standing atop a watery surface that rippled beneath her; it was a lake of some kind, yet she could feel no water under her hooves. She gazed down and saw a faint light under her hooves and a reflection of herself. She looked to one side and gasped. Agni had gone from her side. She veered her head around to search for any trace of him, but there was nothing but darkness. She was separated from her soldier.

Looking up, Luna saw a vast black sky littered with an array of twinkling stars. Around the lake was a massive dark forested plain with long grass, their tassels swaying rhythmically against a low-blowing wind. Somehow, Luna was transported to another area, but something about it was odd.

"I must be cautious," she uttered, taking a few wary steps forward, her hooves making small splashing sounds on the lake. She attempted to use her magic to leave this odd realm but found she couldn't; her magic seemingly nullified. "What is going on here?"

Suddenly, ears pricking and looking to the darkness above, Luna saw a sharp glistening object descending rapidly from the sky. It stabbed the surface near the lake with a sickening crash, propelling Luna away with such force she almost lost her balance. When the dust settled, Luna was gazing warily at a glistening black crystal.

"Obsidian?" she murmured, taking a few steps towards the lengthy crystal. There was a pulsing purple aura around it, a powerful magic aura. "What is it doing here?"

Suddenly the black crystal split in the middle with a resounding crack that echoed eerily throughout the dark plains, causing Luna to nearly flinch at the sound. She stepped away as the split in the crystal begun to widen and fracture as more splits appeared on its surface until the middle rent and opened.

A mass of black wind whisked out of the crystal, passing Luna by and gracing her coat. She felt magic power wreathe around her and she fought to keep her heart from thumping hard against her ruffled chest and her legs from trembling at the strength. Through narrowed, cyan eyes, Luna saw a silhouette exit the crystal itself and making its way to the lake. Lit by the dim cosmic light from above, a pony draped in a black tattered cloak and hood stood motionless on the lake, their head gazing up at the twinkling stars in silence.

Luna was tense. Was this pony or whatever this was in front of her Eldoris, the one Agni met in that strange tunnel?

The figure turned to face Luna, and that's when she saw. The pony's eyes were a deep, vibrant gold, shining mystically in the sunless gloam. The eyes were fixed on her, never blinking, always staring, but they were soft and warm, and Luna felt a sense of cautious safety when she gazed into those golden pools.

Luna found herself lowering her head in the deepest respect to this pony, and when she looked up, she saw the pony doing the same thing. "Are you...Eldoris?" she asked warily. She noticed the mare was just sightly taller than herself.

"I am," the mare answered, her voice calm and soothing as a faint wind. "I have been to see your servant."

"My friend and loyal soldier, Agni," she told Eldoris. "He told me that you are an ally. He also spoke of something that was coming. Tell me, what are you an ally for?"

Eldoris' golden eyes twinkled faintly, and she turned her gaze to the sky once more. Luna followed her. "There will be battle," she said quietly, her soft-sounding voice carried by the wind.

Luna turned to the mare. "What kind of battle?" she questioned.

"One that has been fought once before," Eldoris murmured.

"Fought before?" Luna echoed.

"A very long time ago, before you and your sister, before your father and mother, and even further before," Eldoris uttered solemnly, going on. "An age, primordial, nearly forgotten and only written briefly in solemn text. A battle that continued the existence of our planet." She turned to Luna. "Your sister is currently researching information about a dream she had."

"She is?" Luna was surprised. It seemed her sister was hard at work, and what was this about a dream? "What did she dream?"

"Whatever she uncovers will be regaled to you and a few others when the time arrives," Eldoris said, turning toward the sky again. "There is another matter to address. Do you know why I summoned you here?"

Luna didn't. And she was summoned? She shook her head at Eldoris' question. "I was hoping to find a page or some sort of information to denote, to tell me about the microseisms occurring in Equestria."

"The rumblings are caused by The Flame's slow approach," Eldoris said.

Luna stared at the pony, bewildered. "The Flame...? Who or what is that?"

"Your sister will tell you what she knows when she's finished with her research," Eldoris explained.

"Then why am I here?" Luna asked. "Why have you summoned me to this...place? Where is this?"

"It's nowhere important," Eldoris answered. "I come here to gaze at the stars and contemplate. We are the only ones here. My reasoning for your summoning is to test you."

"Test?" Luna echoed. "In what?"

"In your ability to fight," Eldoris murmured, her unblinking gaze still transfixed on the stars. "A battle is coming, and we must be prepared. You must be ready, and I am here to see if you are."

Of course she was ready. Luna was always ready to fight for Equestria, so why must she prove herself? "Has my sister gone through something like this?" she asked. If Eldoris knew about Celestia's dream, then she might be able to tell her what happened.

"The reasoning for her test is one not founded by the preservation and safety of others, but rather a wanton curiosity and selfish desire," Eldoris explained plainly. "Celestia survived her internal battle; she is stronger than I previously thought. She harbors strong magic deep within her, and she knows it, but she locks it away in fear."

Luna shuffled her wings lightly in slight discomfort. "Do you know what lies beneath?"

Eldoris nodded. "The magic she stows away out of fear was something she should not have learned, but her mind for knowledge was too great. That form she has will be powerful against The Flame, and she must overcome that fear before the time comes. For now, this is about you. You have a form."

Luna stiffened. "What do you mean? There's nothing inside me."

"It was created by spite and envy, and has been a part of you since then, as such emotions are forever, that is too," Eldoris said.

"I have no form!" Luna spat crossly, surprised to feel anger bubble up inside her. She tried to calm down. "Nightmare Moon no longer exists; I am rid of that past."

Eldoris didn't reply from Luna's fierce objection. Instead, the mysterious pony finally shifted her head and stared wordlessly at her, the mare's glimmering golden gaze making the alicorn flinch from their intense glare. She cantered toward Luna, her hooves not making any ripples on the lake's watery surface. Luna stood stiff as Eldoris peered at her face closely, her golden eyes trailing down to her chest and wings. She cantered around the alicorn silently, inspecting every part of her until she made her way back in front of her.

Luna got a good look at Eldoris, peering closely at the black hood that shrouded her face, straining to see something. The odd mare didn't seem to have a horn, and when Luna would glance at the mare's sides, there were no sign of wings. Was Eldoris an earth pony, one that had access to powerful magic?

"The other one resides inside you." Eldoris lifted her hoof slowly and placed it on the left side of Luna's chest. "She is right there," she murmured, tapping the area where Luna's heart is.

Luna shivered from Eldoris' chilly touch. The way the mare carried herself was so ghostly and careful. And was it true? Did Nightmare Moon live on despite seemingly being destroyed by the Elements of Harmony so long ago? How could Luna not have noticed?

"She slumbers deep, but the other you is very much real." Eldoris stepped away, relieving Luna from her cold touch. "One day the other you will awaken," she told Luna. "You have the power to access that form with your magic, but you must be able to control it for the sake of this planet's survival."

Luna trembled, and her eyes grew dark and sad. "I don't want her inside me... Why must I call upon something so heinous and wrong? Aren't... Am I not enough?"

"Your sister will have the same troubles, but she will succeed because her ponies are at stake," Eldoris said, her lucid tone barren of sympathy. " She will realize this in time, which you do not have. You must master what you have locked away; Luna, you have to face this part of yourself."

Luna said nothing at first, hanging onto what Eldoris just told her with a bit of confusion. "What do you mean that I do not have enough time? Isn't the threat moons away?" When Eldoris didn't reply, Luna's tone grew sharp. "What do you know that you are not telling me?"

"The one who constructed me," Eldoris began after a short stretch of silence, "may not approve of my doing so, but She would understand. If you are able to hold your own in this dream of darkness, I will tell you."

"Why not now?" Luna questioned.

"Seeing if you are ready for what's to come is more important," Eldoris replied solemnly. "We must be prepared."

"Would you truly tell me what you know?"

Eldoris nodded. "Yes, I would. I do not want you unfocused before I see you can be ready for what's to come."

Luna's eyes narrowed and she tensed her muscles. "I am ready to fight."

Eldoris held up a hoof as Luna was about to lower into a battle stance. "I've known your face for a long time, but you do not know mine. It is only fair for you to see what I look like, yes? We are allies."

Luna would be lying if she said no. Eldoris was draped head to hoof in black, the only thing a pony could see was her golden eyes glimmering in the light that dimmed out the area around them, and she wondered what the mystery mare looked like. This whole place was a mystery to her, a place where Eldoris seems to frequent by her lonesome. The sun did not shine here nor did the moon. Instead, the light that shone was odd and unnatural; a dim light that seemed to touch everything.

Silent, Luna nodded. Eldoris slowly pulled back her hood, revealing a dark blue face and a long, wavy mane as black as the crystal she came out of, obsidian. Her ears were pierced with two golden-black rings. On the sides of her neck were tatted with black symbols Luna couldn't recognize that seemed to trail further down Eldoris' body. She was gorgeous.

What kind of symbols are those on her neck? Luna wondered. They were magic, but Luna did not know what any of them say; the words looked so old and beyond her years. These are symbols from a very long time ago.

"Is there something the matter?" Eldoris asked, her tone still plain.

"What are those symbols?" Luna questioned. "It's magic, but the words inscribed does not seem to make any sense to me."

"The words carved into my skin and appears on my coat are what binds me," she answered. "My creator molded me by etching these words on a body She conceived, and are written in a tongue no pony, not even myself, can decipher."

"You are aged, aren't you?"

Eldoris nodded her head. "I am," she said simply. "Now that you have seen me, shall we begin our bout? We must be prepared."

Luna gave a faint nod of her head. "I am ready. Let's begin."

Luna immediately shot a bolt of magic into the sky; clouds began to appear as the magic twisted and morphed into a large full moon, looming over the two mares. The wind picked up fiercely, swaying the long grass harshly. Just like before when Luna used this technique against Flare Brimstone, the fabricated moon amplified her magical strength.

With the moon high in the sky, Luna conjured translucent black armor to cover herself, then a mighty weighty lance to her right and a stalwart shield to her left, gripped firmly by ethereal hands produced by her magic. Luna wasn't going to hold back, not even a little bit; this was a test to see if she could defend her planet, and Luna was going to show Eldoris how determined she was to protect it.

Eldoris did nothing; the mare stood silently a few feet away, her golden eyes unblinking and staring. Was she waiting for Luna to do something? To make the first move? Did the mare have some kind of trick? Regardless, Luna needed to prove herself.

She leaped forward, shield up, and lance close to her body; she was going to ram her mighty lance into the mare. Just as Luna was about to strike her target, Eldoris' eyes gleamed, and Luna found her strike deflected so quickly that she stumbled back and nearly lost her grip on her weapon.

When Luna regained her footing, she glared challengingly at Eldoris. The mare was turned to the right slightly, her right hind leg in the air. She eased it back to the watery surface and stood as silently as ever.

"You turned, moving your back leg to deflect my strike so quickly I could not perceive it clearly," Luna explained, deducing Eldoris' defensive counter. "You are strong as well to deflect my lance with seemingly no effort, but that will not help you always."

"Your deduction skills are praiseworthy," Eldoris said. "You will not be holding back; that is good, you will need to show me how powerful you are. So shall I prove to you that I am a worthy ally."

Her eyes gleamed again, and Luna saw a sharp object erecting from the lake beside the mare, a long obsidian spear. Eldoris held the weapon and twirled it casually, the air around the spear being rent. She slightly spread her legs apart, lowering herself, hoisting the black spear across her back, and holding it firmly with one hoof.

"Prove yourself," Eldoris whispered with a trace of conviction, her soft voice carrying its way into Luna's ears. "Before the dream ends, show me your strength."

Eldoris surged forward in a flash, spear rearing for a swipe, surprising Luna, but she was ready. The alicorn stood her ground, winding up her lance and thrust it forward. The weapons clashed so fiercely that the water underneath them surged outward to the edges of the lake and swamped the grassy plains. Luna tried to push Eldoris back, but the mare seemed to have an unnatural strength similar to Flare Brimstone, and Luna found herself flung back with so much force she tumbled a few times on the lake's surface.

Eldoris leaped into the air and descended towards Luna quickly. With little time to think, Luna hoisted her shield to tank the blow. It barely worked; the shield repelled Eldoris back a few feet, but Luna noticed a few splits in her shield. Standing back on her slightly trembling hooves from the attack, Luna flew into the air and threw her lance into the lake, piercing the surface. Darkness as black as night began to creep out, overtaking the lake.

With her horn glowing bright, Luna announced the magic spell, Black Space, commandingly. "In the darkness, I summon the hoard, the minions of the night! Rise from the hollowed emptiness of the abyss and attack our enemy!"

Black hooves erupted from the darkness infesting the lake, and thirty shadow ponies rose to fight, their beady yellow eyes trained on Eldoris. But Luna wasn't done yet. Surging magic into the lance embedded in the lake, she summons the punishing creature that once tortured her dreams, a manifestation of darkness.

It rose from the black pool it spawned from, looming over Eldoris in all of its monumental glory. Taking a hazy form resembling Luna, this creepy giant housed the very cosmos within it; the magical aura it pulsed out with every groaning breath sent purple shockwaves that rippled throughout the air. It was the Tantabus, a haunting nightmare now conquered.

The shadow ponies rushed toward Eldoris; their mouths open wide showing rows of sharp teeth. Eldoris dashed at them, spear held tight, and started, one by one, dispatching the ponies with quick rending swipes and devastating slashes. She never let a single one touch her.

The Tantabus reared its mighty head back, slicing open a rift in the air. It charged its massive horn and the portal it created started to erupt with streaming missiles of purple light, but Eldoris was ready. Twirling her lance, she deftly deflected the streams of light one by one, the beams hitting the earth far away, exploding.

Narrowing her eyes, Luna used her magic to teleport her lance back to her hooves. She lifted it in the air, gathering energy around it and sliced the air with a yell, creating blue waves of mystical magic. Eldoris leaped back as one of the slashes hit the lake, making a large splash that rocked the water. Whenever Eldoris couldn't block, she would deflect, and each deflect pushed her back until she was on the other end of the lake.

Directing the Tantabus forward, the large creature jumped over to Eldoris, its gigantic hooves held high to smash her. Putting her lance down and holding her hooves up, Eldoris catches the Tantabus', just the same as Flare Brimstone did. But what was different this time was Eldoris pushed herself off the lake, unbalancing the Tantabus and toppling it over with obscene strength. With the mighty creature fallen, Eldoris grabbed her lance, jumped back into the air, and plunged it into the creature's chest, taking it out of the fight; the Tantabus slowly dissipating.

Though shocked, Princess Luna rose her lance into the air to wind up for another magic slice, but Eldoris was too fast. The mare had leapt towards Luna and knocked her out of the sky with a swing from her spear. Luna cascaded to the ground with a sickening crash, letting out a cry of pain. She lost her grip on the lance and shield. Never before had she faced such a wicked blow from another creature, let alone a pony.

She got back on her hooves, stumbling and out of breath. She struggled to see through her blurred vision; Eldoris was descending to the edge of the lake, her ever-staring golden eyes fixed on Luna. I must fight back; I need to prove myself worthy of defending Equestria! she thought ardently, forcing herself to focus. She could feel something squirming deep within her chest, and, suddenly terrified, she fought to keep it under control.

"The other you is stirring inside," Eldoris said slowly, taking a few steps toward Luna before stopping. "She is a source of power for you, and all you need to do is tap into it. You cannot ignore her forever, Luna."

Luna tried to stop her hooves from trembling. She clenched her teeth. "I do not require that monster's power," she retorted acidly, but deep down she was afraid. She didn't want Nightmare Moon to resurface. "I am enough!"

Eldoris stared at Luna silently for what seemed to be hours until the mare dipped her head. "Perhaps you hadn't come to realize how beneficial the other you can be. What are you afraid of?" she asked, earnest in her voice which caught Luna off-guard.

"If I come to use this power inside me, rely on it, to tap into whenever I wish, I fear that one day I will become that monster again," Luna said, a quiver in her voice. "I caused so much pain and heartache... I... I do not want that to happen again."

"You must overcome this fear, or the fate of this planet will be in a worse state," Eldoris said. "Celestia will do what is required of her, but yet you hesitate because of this fear instilled inside you. The other you will reawaken, but you have the strength to master and control it, to use what you say is evil and turn it into a force for good. It would be a waste to leave such power locked away. You do not have time to dither, Luna."

There it was again. Not enough time. The threat that will bear down on this planet is many moons away, and yet Eldoris is telling Luna she didn't have the time to waste or be hesitant or indecisive. Why didn't she have enough time? And was it really true that she could wield Nightmare Moon's power as an auger of good instead of evil?

"What if you are wrong?" Luna asked Eldoris, pain in her voice. "What if she comes back and I cannot stop her? The Elements of Harmony should have destroyed her, and yet she persists. I do not want her festering inside my heart; I want to be rid of her..."

"You cannot," Eldoris said plainly. "She is a magical manifestation of your envy and spite; a construct of powerful emotion given form that cannot be simply destroyed." She pointed her spear at Luna. "We must be prepared. What that means is using anything and everything we have at our disposal for the battle. Mastering what stirs inside your heart is part of that, and you must be prepared to use it."

Luna held in a growl mingled with frustration and fear. She would do anything to ensure Equestria and the planet its on no matter what, but did that truly mean using Nightmare Moon? Using the dark power that harmed not only her, but her sister and the nation she loved so much? Why wouldn't she herself be enough? Why must she rely on that monster's strength?

Because that power is mine, Luna thought to herself. She placed a hesitant hoof over her chest. It came from me, those emotions... twisting my magic and turned it into something dangerous.

Luna thought about Celestia. Her sister was kind and brave, a mother to all under her sun; she was worshipped as a god. She was smart; she has the support and trust of so many ponies for dedicating her long life to serve them; hardly would a pony doubt her. She was a beacon of hope and a hero to many, a mentor to some, and a lover of very few. She was also powerful; Celestia was supremely gifted; a master of fire magic.

She was so...inspirational. And I, so jealous. How could I hope to become even half of what Celestia is? By perhaps doing what is required of me...

Celestia was so many things, and underneath all of that was fear and desperation. She had so many things to worry about, so much riding on her back, and Luna didn't know how her sister was able to keep it all together.

My sister would lay down her very life if it meant Equestria would persist, using everything at her will...even the form she locked away. She would use it. To her it wouldn't matter how scared she was; Celestia would use it if it meant Equestria lived.

Luna began to think if she would do the same. Of course she would, there was no question, but when she really thought about it, would she? Saying was one thing, but actually doing it was something entirely different. Would she lay down her life, use every bit of power she could muster to save and ensure her nation would live on, even using Nightmare Moon?

Luna closed her eyes for a long moment, gathering in a long breath before exhaling, looking deep within herself.

Deep within her mind, Luna found herself sitting in a black void. She looked around and saw another pony, a taller pony, an alicorn that bore a striking resemblance to herself, laying down a few hoofsteps away, slitted eyes staring. She pushed away fear, got up, and strode forward until she was in front of the pony. The pony lifted her head and stood up, towering over Luna, her slitted gaze boring into her.

"It is good to see you again, old friend," the tall pony said, her displaced, slightly distorted voice echoing eerily in the black void, but it didn't sound hostile. "Why have you come to see me?"

Luna stood tall, never breaking eyesight with this pony. "Nightmare Moon," Luna said evenly. "You must already know. You can see my mind, what's in my heart; what I think and feel."

"Yes," Nightmare Moon drawled, her response was long and husky. "I see everything in you, now that I am awake." A smile stretched across her black face, showing serrated white teeth. "You need me, don't you?"

As much as it pained her and how reticent she felt, Luna gave a nod. "I do."

Nightmare Moon slowly craned her neck down toward Luna until their faces nearly touched. "Yet you sound so unsure, so reluctant," she hissed quietly. "My power, our power, can only be used if you are willing."

Luna fought to hold back an angry scowl. She calmed herself, though it was an effort. "I need you. I am... I will not be enough. What's coming will require the both of us."

Nightmare Moon's slitted eyes gleamed. "You are afraid," she murmured, her black wings looming over Luna. "You fear losing control, old friend."

"I am," Luna admitted. "I fear if you and I work together that I will lose myself and revert back into a monster, leaving you alone to do whatever you wished. But this is bigger than you or me; the survival of this planet is supported by our shoulders. What I fear does not matter. What matters is Equestria, something both you and I share deeply."

"Of course we care about Equestria, that is the reason why I wanted to rule, to let the others see the beauty as they saw with the sun; make them revere and admire such beauty," Nightmare Moon explained. "The methods used didn't matter, only the result."

"But others do love the night; Twilight Sparkle admires it, often stargazing," Luna said, her voice growing soft. "So many more love the night and what it gives them. I could never see it because of how jealous I was, but now I have. Ponies love the night."

"Indeed, they do," Nightmare agreed, receding her wings back to her side. "If you desire my aid, then you will have to release this fear infesting your mind and heart."

"But if I do lose control, you'll roam free," Luna retorted. "How can I take such a risk? What if it does not work?"

"Of course it will," Nightmare Moon said lowly, her voice rumbling deep in her throat. "I may persist, but that is all. Ponies love the night, and you rule over Equestria, though as a diarchy; what I wanted has come to pass. And besides," she continued, "I exist to be utilized by you; you created me through means of magic and powerful, overwhelming emotion. I cannot simply cease to exist; the Elements are useless on me. Instead, I can help you reach a higher power, but only if you are willing and able. I may be a monster, but I am your monster. What say you, old friend?"

Luna stared solemnly at Nightmare Moon, trying to determine if the mare in front of her was lying. As she searched for some kind of indication, Luna found she could not. Nightmare Moon was telling the truth. Then, if that was truly the case, Luna knew what needed to be done, and although she still didn't trust her darker half because of what she represents, it would be a waste to ignore a power that can be used to save Equestria.

Luna stepped forward once and held up her hoof. Nightmare Moon held up her own as well. "I will use your power," Luna said firmly, any fear losing control gone. "Help me, Nightmare Moon."

Nightmare Moon gave a low chortle, placing her hoof firmly on Luna's. "I shall," she said. "From this moment on, you and I are truly one."

When Luna reopened her eyes, she stared solemnly at Eldoris. Using her magic, she teleported her lance and shield and gripped them again with magic hands.

Eldoris tilted her head; she seemed to sense Luna's change. "Are you ready?" she asked.

Luna's pupils began to look sharp and slit-shaped, burning fiercely with determination. "We are."

In an instant, Luna surged forward, her lance close to her chest. Her weapon collided with Eldoris', and surprisingly, was able to push the earth pony back so hard that the mare was in the middle of the lake. Amazed with this newfound power after teaming up with Nightmare Moon, Luna felt more powerful than ever before. She could use this new power to help and defend Equestria from The Flame.

"That's good," Eldoris said. Her spear began to glow purple. "Now let us see how much your new self can do."

Eldoris swiped the air in front of her, sending sharp waves of magical energy towards Luna. The alicorn leaped forward, skidding on the earth, her shield held up. With a grunt, Luna deflected the attacks, charging forward. When she was close, she thrust her lance at Eldoris, but the earth pony blocked the attack.

Eldoris pushed Luna back and swiped at her with a series of downwards slashes, rending the air, yet Luna blocked them with her shield. The mighty force of the attacks whiplashed the lake around Luna. Luna leapt away, lighting up her horn and blasting forth a powerful laser. With the fake moon still in the sky and her newfound strength, the laser was amplified greatly, illuminating the whole area in its azure glow.

Eldoris stood firm, rearing her right foreleg back that held her spear, and threw it with immense force. The spear collided with the laser, piercing through it and towards Luna. Thinking fast, Luna stopped channeling the laser to dodge, but when she did, she was not fast enough when Eldoris jumped towards her and kicked her out of the sky again, landing crushingly on the earth.

Coughing, Luna felt the aching of her limbs, but she couldn't stop now. She struggled off the ground but only to see Eldoris rushing towards her, spear in hoof. The earth pony thrust the spear forward, but Luna blocked it and retaliated with a thrust of her own, followed by a sweep to knock Eldoris off balance, yet the mare defended herself from the blow.

The two were locked in a vicious clash, each thundering blow rocking the earth and lake. When Eldoris raised her spear high, Luna raised her lance to catch it, staving the blow. As they struggled, Luna used her shield to bash it into Eldoris' face, forcing the mare to step back, dazed. Then, Luna slammed the side of her lance into Eldoris' flank, propelling the mare across the earth until she skidded to a harsh halt.

"How's that?!" Luna yelled, proud of her brand-new power. "Strong enough for you?! Well, I am not yet finished!"

Using her magic, Luna created black tendril-like constructs. She set her weapon and shield down and used her hooves to send the tendrils forward. Before Eldoris could react, she was snatched up and held tightly as the tendrils rose her high in the air. With a sharp downward motion from Luna's forehooves, Eldoris plummeted into the ground that sent a powerful shockwave through the earth.

Freeing herself from the tendrils, they dissipate, and as Eldoris eased herself of the ground, Luna jumped into the air and descended towards her, lance angled downwards for an impale. Just before she could land, Eldoris evaded the blow, yet the force of the attack broke the earth, and the mare found herself flung back again but she was able to stay on her hooves this time.

Luna didn't let up. She lunged forward, bashing Eldoris again with her shield, the blow causing a whiplash, and knocked Eldoris down. She rose her lance in the air to impale the pony, but Eldoris was quicker, striking Luna's chest with a powerful buck from her hindlegs. Luna was sent careening in the air before landing with a crash.

Letting out a grunt of pain, Luna looked forward and saw a beam of purple magic gunning towards her. Quickly, she raised her shield, catching the purple ray, but it was strong. She clenched her teeth, trying to hold on, but cracks in her shield begun to appear, and before she knew it, her shield broke and she took the beam of magic. It blasted her harshly, going through her body, carrying her off her hooves.

The magic attack broke her armor as well, and Luna lost her grip on the lance. The beam carried her until it disappeared, letting Luna tumble across the earth before coming to a halt. Her lance was gone, her shield and armor broken, and the moon she fabricated above the lake, vanished. Luna let out a long sigh and laid on the earth, defeated.

"You did well," Eldoris said, trotting up to Luna. "You were able to keep up mostly and inflict powerful blows on my body, but in the end, you were beaten."

Did that mean Luna was unfit to defend Equestria? She was not strong enough, even after she and Nightmare Moon joined forces.

"Do not look that way," Eldoris said, seeing Luna's crestfallen expression.

Luna shook her head. "But I failed," she murmured, sadness layered deep in her voice. "I am still not enough..."

"Of course you are."

Luna looked shocked, sitting up despite the aches she felt. "But I did not claim victory over you," she pointed out.

"I wanted you to hold your own fighting me, not to claim victory," Eldoris explained, sitting in front of Luna. "You accomplished just that. You moved past your fear and acquired a new power from the other you, whom you are now synchronized with. This will aid us greatly in the battle to come, but you must practice and hone your newfound strength."

Though Luna was elated to know that she proved herself, she was worried. "What about the tremors affecting Equestria?" she asked.

"Though the tremors infect Equestria, they will become sparse as The Flame awakens," Eldoris explained. She gazed towards the sky again. "You and your sister will have less to worry about, but do not lapse into complacency; stay vigilant and continue to aid those in need."

After a long stretch of silence, Luna asks, "Eldoris, would you show me what you promised? You know something important about me. What is it?"

Eldoris gazed silently at Luna for a few moments before bowing her head. "I did say I would tell you." She got on her hooves, and although Luna did the same, she let out small grunts of pain. "Ah, I have to heal your damage."

With a glint from her golden eyes, Luna felt a warm glow enveloping her, and the aches and pains she felt had begun to fade away until it was as if they'd never been.

Luna bowed, surprised to see another pony besides her sister use that magic. "Thank you," she murmured respectfully.

Eldoris acknowledged Luna's appreciation with a nod. "Before I let you leave this dream of darkness, I will show what I know rather than tell you."

An orb of black appeared in front of Luna and Eldoris, shining brightly with a white hue. Eldoris placed a hoof on it and muttered some words under her breath. The orb began to shiver, the smooth shiny surface revealing to Luna what she wanted to know.

Eldoris watched silently at the expected shock on Luna's face. There was disbelief and anger, but also sadness and a weary acceptance. A part of her believed if she shown this to the alicorn before she was fully committed to the fight, then things may have gone differently. Another part of Eldoris wondered if that was truly the case, but the power to see farther than most has never once failed her.

"This is... Is this truly what lies in wait for me?" Luna asked Eldoris quietly, never taking her eyes off of what she saw. "I cannot prevent this?"

Eldoris turned away from Luna's dark gaze and peered toward the sky again. "This is set in stone, and there is nothing I have seen that showed me otherwise," Eldoris murmured softly, turning back to Luna. "Now you know why I desired to see your strength before I showed you what lay ahead. You may not have gone and did everything you just done if you knew beforehand. Knowing now, does anything change?"

"No," Luna answered. "I only wish I could have done a bit more after what will happen."

"Are you saddened by this revelation?"

Luna shook her head. "At first, I was but knowing this will not change my mind. When it happens, I can only accept it, but until then I will give all I have before that road is inevitably crossed." Luna gazed at Eldoris, and the earth pony saw some facet of peace in those cyan eyes. "Thank you for showing me," she said with a bow. "I will continue serving my ponies and train this new power for the battle to come."

"I will be standing beside you and your sister when that happens," Eldoris avowed.

Luna gave a brief smile. "I am ready to wake up," she said. "Also, where is Agni?"

"Your servant is sleeping soundly just outside the hole you both jumped down," Eldoris said. "He was not needed for this trial, so I teleported him outside shortly after you fell asleep. You will awake beside him."

Luna dipped her head gratefully. Using her magic, Eldoris teleported the alicorn away, her figure vanishing. Left alone, Eldoris gazed at the stars but then was startled when the orb beside her shivered again.

"What is this?" she pondered, gazing deeply into the orb. What Princess Luna saw was still there, but something was different, something had changed. Her golden eyes widened briefly. "A fallacy... But how?" She peered deeper and saw a pony standing over a weakened Luna, protecting her, but before she could make out the pony's features, the orb suddenly became inactive, disappearing before Eldoris' eyes.

Confused by this revelation, Eldoris shifted her golden gaze at the stars again. Something had changed up there too. There was another star shining brightly, more than the others. A new one she had never seen before; a different color than the rest.

"Ah, I see," she murmured, mystified. "How...interesting. My dear creator, are you witnessing what beholds before us in the sky? A star like no other."