The Shy Shadow of the Moon

Echoes

"Though the past defines all, it should never be allowed to consume all... Lest the past becomes your future."

Celestia Recalled so very long ago, as the land she was meant to rule with her other, raced past far below. Despite the whistling winds, the powerful swoosh of wings, and the chuffing of her chariot teamsters, her mind sank into memories she has tried to bury, into a pain both ancient and yet still sharp. Oh how naive she was back then...

⬅⏺➡

"But sister, thou must understand, our nobility doth try to dethrone us!", Luna cried in the memory turned daydream, very much looking as if she was losing sleep.

"Lulu, we are sure thou thinkith this the case, but toward what end? Sister, thine state is a clear display of exhaustion, we hope thou try to sleep, at least thine must make an attempt...", Celestia sighed, her mind thinking of the mountain of paperwork awaiting at her desk, "Thou, out of any pony, surely understand how the mind tricks thine senses when tired, yes?"

"Tia, surely thou dost not think we are so careless as to ignore sleep!?", Luna shouted in annoyance, not the royal voice but a close second, "Our subjects reject us sister, think us no better then... THAT THING!!!", she hissed the words venomously, her eyes slitting slightly in her fury.

"Luna, dost though truly think our subjects compare thee to such a lowly excuse for royalty? Why, we-", Luna cut Celestia off, seething in anger.

"Thou think we doth not know this!? Doth though forget our domain includes the realm of dreams!? They fear mine power Celestia, think me a tyrant plotting my claim to a lonely throne!!!", Luna was crying by the end, I really should have known then, but at the time we were both more emotionally sensitive after suppressing a large portion of our minds.

"Sister, fear after a war as traumatic and inequine as this. Simply try to show them that you are not this tyrant... Remind them of the dream weaver, the lunar warden...", I coaxed softly, unaware of how much this would worsen the situation...

If only she had known then, what she knew now...

⬅⏺➡

Of course, after the incident Celestia had investigated what drove her sister to the point of becoming Nightmare Moon, her title during the shadow war... It was only then when she realized just what they had done to her... It is little wonder that it left her suppression weak, allowing for the memories of the war to return... and the War Mind to manifest once more...

Just recalling every report, every smiling face that expected praise for driving away her sister... The mere memory made Celestias own war mind stir with the suns fury as it roiled for release.

The greatest mercy those... Dalcops received was at best a demotion from noble to commoner... at worst... let us just say they were different times... and she was a very different mare...

She and Lunas war minds were not separate individuals, not some self aware alternate selves... they were one and the same, what Celestia and Luna would be like if they didn't suppress the memories they had of war... especially the shadow war... The broken mares that remade themselves into warriors... they are what happens, when the sisters stop caring about holding back... Dawn Breaker, and Nightmare Moon were names earned, not chosen...

Celestia shivered as she recalled the look in Nightmare Moons eyes. Madness, a psychopath pursuing a singular goal... Those were not the eyes of the sister she loved.

A sudden voice dragged Celestia out of her thoughts, one of her teamsters, "My Lady, we are about to make a landing approach", She nodded elegantly in acknowledgement, straightening her posture, putting her mask of regality back on.

Ponyville, a small town that has changed little in the hundreds of years since its founding... though the ancient mares mind overlapped previous settlements that once sat in this same region... all called some variation of Ponyville...

The meeting with Mayor Mare was pretty cookie cutter, introductions, paperwork, debating about specifics, paperwork, discussing the events set after the sun rising ceremony, and, you guessed it... more paperwork...

As the night began to wane with the coming dawn, Celestia sat in her powder room in the town hall. She was debating if Nightmare moon would try to fight her again, or attempt to contain her in some way... Luna was always the more clever tactician, even if she herself was the better general. Probably going to contain her, possibly on Sol if Nightmare Moon could manage it...

Then, she felt the air in the room shift. Someone was there, and after the Lunar Legion was disbanded, Celestia knew only one pony who could hide literally inside of a shadow...

"Hello Nightmare... Come to talk, or were you planning an ambush?"

Shadows

The dark mare sneered as she strode imperiously out of the shadows, her gaze locked to her sister, her alabaster form practically glowing in the moonlight, as her aurora mane and tail light up the room. Such a vulnerable posture, yet she knew this mare well enough to see the slightest lean to her posture, the preparation to turn and duck, enabling her to turn around and dodge any attack at once.

"Celestia~", the dark mare purred maliciously, "how disappointing, not even a weapon.", she tisked.

"If we truly fought, as we did back then, any weapon would be shattered from the force.", Celestia said calmly, before turning to face the dark mare, "I suppose we cannot simply let things be?"

"No, we cannot.", the dark mare sneered again, seeing the false care Celestia had for her subjects.

Before Celestia could continue to speak, Nightmare Moon lit her horn, a complex spell matrix spinning to life in front of her, a thousand years developing this singular spell. It would burn what she had regained of her magic while on the moon, the barren surface very thin of magic, but it would contain the solar monarch inside a pocket dimension as long as she kept feeding it magic. Equestria was rich in magic, she could afford this much at least!

Without even a cry, or whispered whimper, the spell engulfed Celestia, stuffing her inside a pocket space before she can make a sound. Nightmare Moon knew Celestia would expect either an ambush, or direct assault, so instead took advantage of her favoritism for diplomacy, only attacking after Tia tried to speak. Indeed, She was the better strategist.

Nightmare Moon forcibly suppressed her evil cackle, with Tia contained, she could now have her fun, for victory is already hers! She was really going to put the terror into their hearts!... Terror? No, no, admiration, forcing admiration... must not forget!

Now... how to make an entrance... Perhaps they should arrive in a burst of smoke and lightning? no, no, too intimidating... Yes, something not so bombastic-

Suddenly the curtains opened, and Nightmare Moon sunk into the shadows on reflex, expecting an ambush. But nothing happened, before a white unicorn mare walked in, her purple styled mane displaying her likely noble born heritage.

"She's gone!", Rarity cried out as she came back out of the darkened room, having found only an open window.

Pony feathers! it's too late to plan, just go with the smoke!

▪

Well, that could have gone better... then again it also could have gone worse. Nopony died after all. She raced towards the castle she had shared with her sister back then, its crumbling towers coming rapidly into view as she exited her shadow mist.

Gazing at the crumbling walls, memories from the shared years came flooding back, threatening to swallow her attention. They cannot allow this, they must secure the elements. Yet even as she strode forth with purpose, ponies long dead passed her peripheral, intricate designs set in plaster lined the walls whenever her focus slipped, and voices long silenced echo in her ears. Something many ponies never understand until their twilight years, the past has a weight... regret more so.

But for the ageless... there will never be a twilight, only the ever mounting burden of the past... The moments missed, the friends one never got to send off into the eternal night, loved ones you were not there for... such moments may leave the mind, but never the heart... Only to be relieved when they are inevitably severed by a blade... the only end an alicorn can ever know...

The Nightmare stopped, unable to bring herself to go further into the castle, her gaze locked where two thrones stood, one toppled from a conflict long past... She couldn't stay here alone, her mind was too emotional in these halls...

Turning around, she trotted away.

A Hearts Shine

Fluttershy walked into the library after the new mare, Twilight Sparkle if she recalled correctly, rushed here and began throwing the books the owl and mice have been so carefully tending... Rainbow Dash of course was quick to accuse, hiding her fear with bravado and aggression, but her refusal to land showing her nervousness, just like herself.

Apparently the mare that suddenly appeared in the town hall is this ancient enemy from Equestrias past... If Celestia couldn't defeat her, what chance did they have? If it were not for Rainbow Dash being so reckless, Fluttershy would rather drag her friend back to her cottage to hide amongst her animal friend... friends... But... but that mare said she would make the night eternal... if the sun never comes out, plants wont grow... if plants wont grow her friends will starve...

Summoning the flickering flames of courage that dimly persisted within her, Fluttershy decided to trust Ms Sparkle... At least she didn't seem like a mare that enjoyed acting on impulse or hope... Hopefully she knows what needs to be done... For her friends sakes...

They began their travel into the everfree, towards a castle Ms Sparkle said is supposed to be there, the castle of the two sisters. Ms Sparkle tried to tell us to leave, but we need to go with her to ensure she has the best odds to succeed.

Sure enough, not even a half mile into the everfree, four of us slide down the cliff, Ms Sparkle included. She and Rainbow rushed down to save them, barely succeeding in Twilights case, thankfully Rainbow is far stronger then Fluttershy. If it was just her, they both likely would have plummeted.

While trying to find the path again, we came across a manticore, riled up into a frenzy.

"Get away!", it roared, as the mare in question recognized the cub from a few winters back, all grown up. "Back off!"

He lunged for Rarity with a warning swipe, missing her by inches, and getting kicked on the snout.

Now he is angry!

"Wait...", Fluttershy tried to interject.

He tried to chase the mare to retaliate, but then something landed on its neck. Looking up, the orange one was pulling on his mane, "what the-!? GET OFF!!!"

He threw himself into thrashing, trying to dislodge the pony.

"Wait...", Fluttershy tried again to interject.

Before he could turn to leave, fed up with these ponies, a blue blur rushed at him, and around him, blowing his mane irritatingly into his eyes. Sweeping his tail out, he knocked the blur... or rather, the pony, away.

As the ponies prepared to charge, he has had just about enough of this! He must show these ponies the price for disregarding his power! The Ponies raced towards him, a typical herd animal strategy, likely meant to trample him, but he would not-!!

"Wait!!!", Fluttershy shouted, surprising both parties.

Approaching the Manticore, Fluttershy smiled with a closed mouth, making sure not to show teeth, and at a steady and slow pace. As the young adult brought back his paw to swing, she looked up kindly"

"I said back up, dont you-", it tried to demand.

"shhh... it's okay..", Fluttershy soothed, gently nuzzling its other fore paw, once more surprising the Manticore.

He watched this pony, her gently demeanor quickly causing him to relax, clearly she was no threat. Perhaps she would even help where his large teeth failed him.

Fluttershy watched as the manticore presented one paw, a thorn embedded inside the sole. "Oh you poor, poor little baby... Now, this might hurt for just a second..." She soothed again, before gently, but quickly removed the thorn.

He roared at the pain of its removal, but quickly swept the mare up into a hug, licking her mane in thanks.

Fluttershy giggled, "Oh your just a little ol' baby kitty, aren't you? Yush you are, yush you are...", Smiling, she quickly followed her friends when he finally set her down.