Last Days

Last Days

Prologue

The last ray of sunlight shot through the hot air, the blazing orb hiding behind the distant mountains. The spacious halls and high towers of Canterlot, once bathed in the golden light, became dark and almost menacing.

Luna stood on one of the countless terraces that adorned the walls of the royal palace. Green vines grew on the golden railing, hanging off the edge and swaying back and forth in the gentle wind. Several hundred feet below ponies made haste for their houses, keen to rejoin with their families. Seemingly thousands of small flickering lights came to life all over the capital, one in every window or door of the ponies’ houses. The city itself emitted a gentle glow, the luminance reaching high into the night sky.

Luna’s horn went ablaze as she concentrated her godly powers. She closed her eyes and slightly leaned her head. The princess reached out to the distant moon, hidden behind the line of the horizon. Her magic crossed the inconceivable distance in a short second, reaching to the moon with an invisible hoof. She felt the familiar cold spread through her body as her magic got a grip. The lunar princess slowly started moving her enormous moon. It ascended a precise trajectory, exactly the same for thousands of years. Light slowly took a peek over the snowy crests in the far East. After a while, the entire face of the moon showed in full wonderful detail. Luna opened her eyes to an enthralling sight; the whole city was illuminated by the white gleam, pouring like waterfalls from between the thin clouds. Soon the moon was accompanied by millions of miniscule glimmering points, looking like small holes in the fabric of the night sky.

Luna slowly let go of the moon, letting it sail across the black waters of the sky on its endless journey. The princess slowly exhaled. She had a hard time admitting it to herself, but she was happy to let go of the moon; to expel the freezing cold that was piercing her very soul each time she touched it. Each time Luna grabbed it, her heart was impaled on a frosty icicle, disappearing seconds after the moon was released of the magic. She turned around, walking to the glass doors to her private chamber. Soft orange light spilled through the glass invitingly. The mare walked in, closing the doors with a thought. A subtle click of the closing door was lost in the crackling of the fire in the fireplace.

Luna stood in her personal chamber. She called upon her magic, coating her chest regalia in delicate telekinesis, the crescent moon shaped diamond casting long magical reflections on the walls. She let the metal piece slide up her neck and off her, and placed it on a cushioned table next to the bed. The diamond went dark abruptly as Luna withdrew her magic.

Her ornate horseshoes hit the white marble floor with a clatter. The noise scared a black raven sitting on the railing outside, making it take off into the cold night. Luna discarded her shoes as she climbed on her bed and under the warm covers. A mere thought made the fire go out with a hiss, and soon dead silence befallen in the whole room.

The pony goddess stared at the bed canopy that hung above her. She studied every single thread that was sewn together to form a white crescent moon surrounded by runes on a black background, resembling the night sky. She was lost in the expanse of her own mind, plummeting amongst hundreds of thoughts, not being able to concentrate on any of them. She tucked deeper into the covers, in a foolish attempt to escape her own conscience.

She and Celestia used to control the celestial bodies together, side by side. The two sisters would stand on the main terrace of the castle, located on the tallest of towers. The white alicorn would drag the sun below the horizon, while the blue one would raise the moon above it. Contemplating each other’s work they would head to the castle halls. They would bid a warm good night and head separate ways, to their private bedrooms.

This night Luna was alone, much alike the night before. It was a puzzle to the dark alicorn, but she just couldn’t stand next to her sister as she had in the past. Grief hit Luna every time. Each time she looked into those purple orbs, a sharp dagger pierced her heart. Her sister’s merry voice that Luna once loved was now planting dread, no matter how she fought against it. A grimace marked the soft features of the alicorn. A tear slid from a half opened eye, ran down her cheek and sank into her deep blue mane like a drop of water in the sea. Her eyelids closed involuntarily, her mind seeking the gates to the dreamland.

-«<♦>»-

The regal gold of the Elements of Harmony seemed to glitter in the light that poured through the palace’s stained glass windows. Each crystal on the gold pedestal emitted a white aura of strong magic, only adding to the magnificence of the artifacts. A shimmering crown adorned the top of the pedestal, towering over the crystals with brilliance. Long clear white pillars stretched from the marble floor to the very ceiling, seemingly watching over the Elements. Flower pots were mount on the pillars, green tendrils clashing with the pale white.

Long shadows were cast on the floor of the hall - two ponies standing in front of each other. Two ice cold stares met halfway, like bolts of lightning. A dark blue, nearly black mane billowed, despite the stoic air. A coat as dark as the void of space contrasted with the golds and whites of the room, seemingly draining color from anything around. The lines of the light blue armor cut with the black coat drastically. Nightmare Moon stood proudly in the hall, her eyes never off the other pony. She waited, wanting to hear what the other pony had to say. She was in an aggressive stance, containing her anger, but ready to strike at any second.

Princess Celestia stood tall on the other side of the pedestal. Her white chest moving slightly with every breath. Her coat was bare; with no armor or regalia on it.

“What be troubling thou, Celestia?” Nightmare spoke right at the solar ruler. “I thought you liked the night!” Nightmare’s voice boomed in the golden chamber. Princess Celestia responded with nothing, which further angered the dark goddess. Celestia’s eyes surveyed her surroundings, cold and calculating. Her horn ignited with magenta magic in a split second, casting reflections to dance on the walls. She accumulated power and got into a fighting stance.

A bright light made of concentrated magical energy shot from Celestia’s horn. The missile zipped through the hall towards Nightmare. A black magical wall rose from the very ground in front of the dark mare, shielding her. The projectile exploded loudly when it slammed into the barrier, shrouding the mare in smoke. She dispelled her shield and ran through the smoke, casting a missile of her own. By the time she could see again, Celestia had vanished. The missile soared through the hall and hit the opposite wall, making it crack. A rain of dust fell on Nightmare as the whole castle shook from the impact. She looked around the golden chamber, searching for her enemy.

“By hiding thou reveal thy real nature, coward!” The walls shook again as Nightmare yelled, hate in her voice. “Reveal thyself!” she finished, stomping her hoof on the floor. She wanted to hear her sister speak.

The Elements were embraced by a purple glow. Nightmare gasped as they disappeared in a white aura. She heard them magically reappearing behind her, and turned to see what was happening. Celestia was standing there, the golden crown shining atop her head. The rest of the elements were slowly orbiting around her, each with an aura of a different color. Nightmare’s eyes widened as she quickly fired another magical projectile at her sister.

A thin beam of white energy shot from the small six pointed star and intercepted the missile, destroying it. The white light of the spell died away as quickly as it had formed. Celestia started chanting ancient words of arcane magic, her voice calm and collected. The Elements started orbiting faster, drawing a circle around the solar ruler.

“No!” Nightmare yelled, fear rising in her heart. She collected more magical energy and projected a gigantic wave of telekinetic power towards Celestia. It soared through the chamber, crushing everything it touched. The podium that the Elements resided on broke away into dust as the wave moved past them.

Celestia closed her eyes, the Elements still picking up speed around her. The star shone with white luminance as the beam was called upon again. It struck right in the center of the wave, causing a ripple to extend. The wave suddenly started to crack. A small chip in the very center soon grew to a fracture wide as the whole wave itself.

Time seemed to stop as a sound akin to one of breaking glass filled the chamber; thousands of miniscule pieces fell to the floor, dissipating into mist seconds after. The dark mare shrieked with pain as her wave was shattered. A terrible sensation flew through her horn, as if somepony split it in half. She fell to her knees, gritting her teeth in agony. She looked up to Celestia just in time for a bright flash to blind her.

Celestia exploded with light, like a second sun, the strong luminance tinting everything white for a split second. Twin rainbows swirled upward from the ball of light. Swiveling around each other in an ancient dance, they climbed majestically into the air above the two ponies. The soft arc soon reached its highest point and started plummeting down, aiming right where Nightmare was laying. The rainbow got closer and closer as the dark mare started screaming. Windows shattered to millions of pieces as a sonorous crack resounded. A prismatic explosion shook the very foundations of the enormous palace. Nightmare felt unbearable pain, as if every bone in her body was being broken into tiny splinters. The only thing she could see was the afterimage of her sister’s figure, looming above her. She screamed again as terrible cold took over her body, every nerve in her body freezing. The vision of her sister was slowly dying, detail after detail becoming distorted.

She was falling, the cold penetrating her coat and stinging her flesh. The unknown surface was getting close. She could feel it. Her eyes shot open, just to see a silver terrain growing right in her face. Luna braced for impact.

-«<♦>»-

Luna hit the cold floor with a cry. She jolted up, wide awake and panting heavily. She touched her face, which was slightly damp. The princess tried to collect her thoughts and calm her speeding heart. It wasn’t the first time that she had this nightmare. After all, this all started with it.

The first time she had it, several weeks ago, she didn’t pay much attention to it. She thought it would go away on it’s own, given time. It didn’t. During the course of those weeks, she grew distant from her sister. Each time she gazed upon her sister’s purple eyes, she couldn’t help but envision the pony that sent her to the cold moon for an eternity. Celestia seemed to notice nothing. Luna worked hard to make her nightmares a secret to the solar ruler. She didn’t want to admit it to herself, but she was scared. What if Celestia took those dreams as a sign? A sign that Luna’s other self was reborn?

Difficulty acclimating to her new surroundings - that was what Luna was telling herself at the beginning. She struggled to fit in. She went out of the castle and tried to have fun. Most of the time it didn’t work, although rarely it did. But she had to return to the castle every time, and her sister was the only pony waiting for her.

Luna slowly got up on shaky hooves and tried to clear her face with her hoof. The damp spots under her eyes were still visible, but not as much as they were. She opened the door to her terrace with magic. A cold gust of night air blew in, making the whole room rustle and seemingly move. Luna took a few deep breaths. It cleared her mind a bit and helped her center her thought on one thing. She decided to attempt sleep once again, going back to bed.

She found herself staring at the big hoof-sewn bed canopy above her head again. A pale white moon stared back at her. The princess felt tears well up again, as the memories started to come back to her. Celestia casting two rainbows, each hitting Luna with tremendous power. Luna cast to the moon for a thousand years, in the form of Nightmare Moon. A tear slid down Luna’s face, her eyes closing yet again. She fell into a shallow sleep, mind still troubled.

-«<♦>»-

Black overcast clouds shrouded the sky over the lunar training grounds, and the whole of Canterlot. Rain was pouring of the heads of the ponies of the city, cleansing the countless streets and alleys. An occasional flash of lightning brightened the scenery for a split second, leaving only thunder in its wake. The sunlight occasionally peered through the heavy clouds, only to hide a second later.

The legend goes that the training grounds were built here at the very beginning, when Canterlot was all but a small village, set near the foot of the gigantic mountain. They were built on the other side of that mountain so the ponies living in the village didn't have to see the brutal training. The grounds were a platform of black obsidian, supported by the side of the mountain and a set of pillars that reached down for miles to meet the ground.

Heavy drops of rain hit the dark blue coat of the royal alicorn, soaking it. She pushed a few wet strands of her mane off her face and gritted her teeth. She lowered her head in an attacking stance again, ready to cast spells. She focused on the other side of the lunar training grounds. On the other side a bat guard stood, carrying a full set of armor with proficiency. He also lowered his head, gathering his magical power.

While most of the bat guard was composed of Pegasi ponies, with wings more resembling the wings of a bat than a normal pony, unicorns and earth ponies were accepted too. They were less in numbers but displayed the same amount of strength and will to fight for their princess. Luna made sure to rule them with an iron hoof, keeping them disciplined and trained all of the time. Celestia, on the other side, didn’t pay much attention on keeping her solar guard in shape. The rules were a lot more lenient, duty easier. For this reason, the solar guard was far greater in number than the bat guard. More ponies prefered Celestia’s loose rules over Luna’s strict command. What the bat guard lacked in numbers, they made up in strength and resilience. No matter what the competition was about - endurance, strength, power of will or magic - Luna’s guards was always bound to win.

Luna waited for the bat guard. They stood across the fields, rain continually soaking their bodies. The bat guard launched a dark purple missile from his horn right at Luna. An explosion boomed on the training grounds as the princess intercepted it with her own, even before it reached halfway of the distance between them. Before the smoke managed to dispel, the bat guard shot again, three projectiles in rapid succession. The night princess started running towards the bat guard and the missiles, head low. As she picked up speed, she launched two missiles, which destroyed two of guard’s own, and jumped into the cloud of smoke that formed from the explosion.

Time seemed to slow down when Luna was in midair. Despite the smoke, she knew exactly where the last projectile was; she could sense its magical aura. She extended her wings as the missile zipped by, centimeters under her. Luna called upon her magic, and telekinetically touched her blade.

Every unicorn trained in the art of battle needed to have a weapon. While magical projectiles and shields were a perfect one at a distance, they were hard to rely on when fighting up close. Unicorns and alicorns were capable of wearing weapon harnesses on their left side, with a long metal sword in it. They would draw their weapon at a time of danger, controlling the handle by telekinesis, dealing blows and stabs with stunning speed and precision. The blade was usually thick, heavy and slightly curved. It was sharp on only one side, and with proper handling it was a deadly weapon.

The guard heard a curt metallic sound seemingly coming from the cloud of smoke itself. Luna drew her weapon and now was falling right at the guard. His eyes widened as he saw her emerge from the smoke, her blade cast. He barely had time to draw his own weapon when the princess landed in front of him, nearly cracking the obsidian floor. Mithril flashed as Luna swung her blade down at the guard. He moved his steel sword to block; a rain of sparks unleashed as the metals met above the unicorn’s head. The princess gave her guard no time to catch breath as she swung her blade again, aiming at her opponent’s side. Their swords met again, the guard blocking her attack with a grunt. The unicorn reared up quickly, still blocking Luna’s sword. He bucked with all his might, but his hooves met thin air. Luna managed to dash to the side and now was concentrating her magic again. Satisfaction surged through her as she grabbed the guard with telekinesis. She threw him across the battlegrounds, his sword falling to the ground. He shrieked as he hit the mountain wall and fell to the ground with a splash of a puddle. Luna grabbed his blade and threw it his way.

“Get up,” she said curtly. The bat guard obeyed, and picked up his sword with magic. He spit blood on the ground and looked at his princess, his sword already waiting patiently right next to him. This time he started running. His hooves splashed cascades of water as he lowered his blade, ready to stab. He got closer to Luna, who was unmoving but watchful. The guard cast a round barrier in front of himself, still running right at the princess. Luna closed her eyes as she crafted a spell more complex; it required some time before being casted. Before the unsuspecting guard got to the princess, she unleashed an enormous wave of sheer magical power. It soared through the air, crushing everything that was in the way.

Suddenly, it all came back to her. Luna’s pupils contracted as she envisioned her past. A powerful magical wave, a thin beam, her cruel sister, and pain. Pain so unbearable that Luna couldn’t even stand the memory of it. And who did it was what hurt the most. ‘Celestia’ Was Luna’s only thought as wild fury overtook her mind, taking control of her body. She gritted her teeth as her horn blazed with hot magic. She opened her bloodshot eyes in time to see the guard being hit by the wave. His shield clashed with it with great power, resulting in a small explosion. His shield was lost, but he kept on charging at the princess. She wasn’t able to contain her wrath any more. Her blade rose, cutting the air with a swish, ready to split whatever stood on its way.

The bat guard finally reached the princess, swinging his silver blade. It was stopped by the magical metal of Luna’s sword. Luna’s guard stabbed and swung with remarkable speed, but time has slown down for the princess. His blows were nothing to her, all but challenging to block. They danced around each other, showered by bright sparks of the blades clashing. The princess blocked what seemed to be the thousandth strike and slammed her heavy hoof on the guard’s skull. His helmet went soaring through the air, and soon clattered on the wet marble.

Luna didn’t think to stop, she couldn’t let Celestia use the Elements. She swung, aiming right for the heart. Her blade crossed the air in a flash.

The guard was laying on the cold floor. His chest armor was split in half right at the center, a long red gash marking his body. A growing trail of blood mixed with the rain water, forming a scarlet river on the flat surface. Rain was slowly cleansing his form. Luna’s sword dropped to the ground, clattering. Dead silence fell on the training grounds, disturbed by only the pitter-patter of the rain. She started to run towards the fallen guard, heart beating at light speed. Luna had felt so righteous until her anger fled from her, replaced with stark realization of what had happened

‘What did I just do!?’ She screamed in her own conscience as she made it up to the guard. She skidded to a halt and lowered her head, her ear brushing his chest. Silence became the most terrifying noise of all. Luna felt blood draining from her face. She called upon her magic, gently picking the guard up. She exhaled loudly, mind still petrified, fighting panic with all might. She held her hoof to her head, suddenly feeling dizzy. She quickly decided to teleport to the Canterlot Castle Infirmary. The princess was hardly capable of concentrating any magic. After a few failed tries she and the guard disappeared with a flash of dark magic.

-«<♦>»-

Luna sat on the chair in her chamber. The glowing sun was living its last minutes as it was slowly hiding behind the distant mountain ranges. She was looking in the mirror, studying her own face.

‘What is wrong with me?’ She asked herself again. Ever since the incident on the training grounds, she spent most of the time in her private chamber. Tears started flowing anew as the princess buried her head in her hooves. She wanted to blame herself for the incident, but deep inside she knew who was really responsible. She looked at her reflection again. Her face was gently lit by the soft glow of the torches on the walls. Her eyes were bloodshot, face damp. She seemed miserable to herself; pathetic.

It was time again. Luna stood up and slowly walked up to the terrace door. She looked out in time to see the very last ray of sunlight disappearing. Cold hit her as she exited, her face was freezing from the fresh tears stains. She looked up; the sky was a void, with nothing to disrupt the perfect black. It seemed to absorb all light that Canterlot emitted.

The same routine as always; Luna extended her magic to feel the moon. She braced for it, anticipated it with anxiety. The stab of cold was stronger than ever. Luna recoiled with a shriek, closing her eyes as new tears fell. She didn’t lose her grip. The moon rose, reflecting sunlight right at the face of the planet. Thousands of tiny points of light soon followed, forming countless constellations across the vast night sky. Her work illuminated the whole of Canterlot and Equestria with ashen light. The princess of the night let go of the moon and stars, letting them complete their nightly journey alone. The cold never abandoned her body right away. She quickly returned to her chamber; she couldn’t stand the sight of her own moon no longer.

She got inside and lit the fireplace, tossing a few pieces of wood inside with magic. Merry fire soon started to crackle, radiating heat. Luna sat in front of it, trying to get rid of the cold. It was slow to recede from her body. Warmth soon started to overtake her, but her heart remained frozen. Somewhere behind the wall of sorrow and pain a new emotion was emerging. Formed both by the events from a thousand years ago, as well as the ones from a few last months. Luna bore detailed memory of them; never able to vanquish the pain from her head.

Hate; simple and plain. Luna hated her sister for what she did to her. She hated Celestia for making her loathe her own moon, a part of herself. For making her feel piercing cold every time she rejoined with it. Luna hated Celestia for depriving her of her own life. Stealing an entire millennia. Cast away on her moon, bound to watch her once home planet live on without her, sentenced to the eternal cold and loneliness.

-«<♦>»-

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