Author's Note
Hello, this story was suppose to enter the EAW 2023 contest but
beetween playing the game mod and re-writting the final part for over 5 times i miss the deadline. ( still unsure if i am going to re-write it again or scrap it )
English is not my first language, I have to learn it by myself trought playing online until it's just "clicked" on my head, expect further grammar editing.
Now onto Eclipse/Nightmare Star background.
1: Unlike Luna, he come to accept and, later down the line, found a sort of friendship with his alter ego ( that dosn't mean they don't headbutt eachother )
2: Eclipse retain Luna memory, that mean he is a direct counter of Nightmare Moon in case Luna fall to the dark side ( Equestria Civil War ).
3: He's armor set is a more heavy version of Nightmare Moon armor set and, if you think that slow him down, you are for a nasty surprise.
4: During the Great War, captured changellings constaly reported of a "Vengefull blue demon"
5: Before the end of the great war, only one creature knowed his actualy identity.
6: He is paranoid of Celestia, said paranoid will increase the more Celestia get closer and closer to her breaking point.
7: He made a lots of bits from investing in the cakes business...you can guess who was responsable for that.
7: He have a neutral opinion toward the six bearer as a whole and, friendly when meeting one of them.
8: Before being a General he was a pilot under Rainbow Dash.
9 and Final note: Luna was unable to enter Eclipse dreams until an unknow event during the reformation of the Chirropetera.
Legacy
Puerto Caballo, 1021, anniversary of the end of The Great War
It’s a chill night in Puerto Caballo, creature all kind are celebrating the anniversary of The Great War, a five years war against the Changellings army in their quest to avenge the canterlot defeat in 1002.
If you pay attention you can still see the scars of the war, some are more visible like a missing ear or a missing eye, others scars are less visible, like their muscle tensing up if a sound resemble too much of a bomb exploding or their eyes looking in all direction for an escape route.
For them, the war never truly ended but, for today, they could forgetting about it and have fun with the locals, get drunk, wake up with a beautifull mare or stallion in your beds and; apparently it’s a thing; forgetting where did you put your pants.
However, for one particular creature, this anniversary is also a day of choices.
To finaly return to the continent or to stay in it’s self imposed exile.
To finaly accepting his status of a war hero or to remain in the past, fearfully to be rejected because of his birth.
To accepting the fact that he is an Alicorn.
“Sigh...why decision must be so hard” sighed the Alicorn, sitting on a cloud, looking at the horizon with a frown.
The alicorn name was Eclipse, General of the Second Equestria Army, the hero of Las Pegasus who baited Trimmel panzer division into the city, turning his drive toward the south equestria oil field into a bloodystalmate, with the city being the anchor of his line of defense.
Time and time again Trimmel try to break the city stalemate, knowing well that any day lost it’s a day that Equestria grow stronger while his army grow weaker and weaker.
But despite the losses, the changellings could not break the city defense and, when the “type of help you could only dream on” finaly arrived, it was them who now experience how it’s feel to be in the backhoovs for almost two years.
“War was so simple, you see the line, you break that line, until you need to rest for the next line” silenty mutter to himself Eclipse, recalling on how taking decision back then was, in a twisted way, very simple.
But this one ? This one is making him question his entire prejudice that he have.
Did they forget the part on where he came from ? Or did they hope that he would fall for it so that they could “capture nightmare moon creation”
“Thank you very much” Eclipse sarcastily muttered to himself, looking at the moon, annoyed by it’s gaze " even when you are sealed off you somehow manage to screw my life once more”
The moon just sat there in the sky, as if looking at it could give him the finaly answer to his question.
Eclipse unfolded for whot would be the million time the letter he received during his final two year period of reconstruction of Chirropetera in Zebrica.
“Governatore Eclipse, previously General of the Second Equestria Army, you are invited to a private meeting with princess Luna and princess Celestia regarding your actions during the final act of the war”
“Rest assure that, whotever fear you may regarding your “birth”, no harm will be done upon you if you decide to return to Equestria or if instead, you prefer to cut ties”
“Signed: Princess Luna and Celestia”
Eclipse read it words by words, trying to see, yet again,if there was any sign that they were fooling him into a trap but, again, his brain could not find a single reason to refuse the invitation.
Even worse when you add that his own curiosity want to accept the invite, just for the morbid reason of “why not ?”
With an heavy sigh, he folded the letter back and place it under it’s wing then, it’s turn his eyes to the horizon, toward the continent, toward an uncertain future.
Eclipse wont lie and say that he enjoy staying away from Equestria for over a millenium, like his “mother”, without the banishment to the moon.
But the effect was the same, you are here and they are there, both unwilling to accept the other for their past action, even if said action was out of their control.
Afterall, you can’t excatly choose witch family you are going to be with it, only whot you are going to do it after you are born.
Eclipse was so focus in his internal tourmail that he forgot about that, as an Alicorn, a being of incredibile power, share his body with another being.
His other part, who just decide to make his presence know.
“Whot we have here ?” A voice inside his mind start to speak
“My other annoying part self depressing himself over some fancy words by the princess of cake ?”
“Good evening, Nightmare Star, i am so glad that you still live rent free on my head”
“Oh my, i never see you give me so many words to me, it’s usualy end with you telling me to go Tartarus, by the way, i am still waiting for thanks in saving your life, back in Vesalipolis”
“Go to Tartarus”
“Close enought”
Nightmare Star, he’s other part of him, share his body thanks to the fire of emotions that Eclipse have difficult to control and, in multiple occassion, failed to do so, allowing it’s other part to take form in his mind.
“Now, now, you and i know that when i am talking, sorry ( but not realy ), whispering to you, it’s because of your emotions and, right now, your mess of emotions wake me up”
“Been five years since the last time we “talked” and now, of all the time, you decide to make yourself present”
“Yes, especialy after you decide to burn, oh sorry, reform the crap out of the Chirropetera Commonwealth.”
“A nation dedicate to our mother, who created us”
“Oh yeah, the “all loving and benevolent mother, Nightmare Moon”, so loving that she try to kill me because i said no”
“You rejected her, a mother who have been unjustly banished because Celestia could not be SELFISH FOR ONE DAY FOR HER because, and i quote you, “too busy basking into his subject attention and eating cakes”
“Oh realy !? Then why you didn’t take controll of my body and be her son, i am sure you and her would have easy work of the bearers of the element.
“Because i choice YOU, you ungratefully bastard, you think that i liked seeing my mother impaling us ? With our blood on her armor ? Saying that she could “just create a more willing son” ?”
“That day, Celestia got her sister back but, we lost our mother”
“Not only that, you also decide to burn whot’s legacy she had in this world”
“And whot an amazing legacy dare i say”
“A nation doing medical experiment to their subject in preparation for her grand return, slave trade, terrorist attack, drugs deal in south equestria and, my favorite part, the attemping murder of princess Luna...the one that, no matter how you deny it, made us, even if she probably don’t know that”
“And before you said anything, i know you were watching, silenty judging me, silenty raging at me, yet not once you try to overpowering me, meaning that, deep down, you know they got too far...and we have see whot “too far” mean or did you forget the love extraction camps ?! That were very similary to the slave camps down in Chirropetera ?!”
“And let me tell you this for whot’s probably the million times: I burn her legacy down so that she could no longer cast down a shadow over our head”
“And whot legacy, dare i ask, you want to leave behind ? Because, from where we stand, it’s look like most of your decision could be simplified into “Do whot Nightmare moon does but the opposite”...amazing legacy.”
“I don’t want my and your name be associate with her, as if we were nothing more then her extension and nothing more when, in reality, we are our own very person”
“We earn that right evrytime we fight alongside our ponys, evrytime we took a bullet for them so that a few of them could return to their family”
“And when we could not save them, witch was very often, we make sure that their death was avenged”
“Hell, i remember when we were fighting in Las Pegasus and we had to send letters back home to tell them that their sons and daughter “died so that Equestria could live on”
“You also writted them when i could not continue, cause it was too much for me and not once you complain about it”
“And mine action in Zebrica ? I can say they deserve it. They try to murder princess Luna, not caring that if she actualy died there, Nightmare Moon will also die with her”
“And there is no worse wrath then a vengefull son”
“And do you think...that accepting their invitation will cement that ?
“Yes, this talk help me convincing that i should accept it, it will help cement our legacy for good, plus something tell me that Celestia don’t expect us to accept it and i can’t wait to see the look on her face when we will show up”
“And if it’s a trap ? We are talking of someone that banish her own sister for a thousand year”
“Now look who his self depressing over a letter but, i get your point of view; we could just walking into a trap but, whot we do when there is a trap ?
“Spring the trap ?”
“Yes”
A couple of days later, at the Canterlot Castle Throne Sala.
It was another day of daily routine in the canterlot castle,
“Do you think he will come this time sister”
“I don’t know Luna, it wouldn’t be the first time we send him a letter and not receive any response”
“Maybe the letter got intercepted”
“Or he could just be happy down in Zebrica. For whot little we know, he isn’t in his caracter to interact with who banish his...”
“Don’t say that, i lost that right after i sook my blade with his own blood”
“Do not say that, you deserve a second chance, if all i should be the be sorry, in his eyes i didn’t do anything to help you”
“Only took you over one thousand year to said that” a new voice echo in the throne sala, interupting the sister talk.
He sound angry but, at the same time, very tired.
An all too familiar blue cloud start to forming in the middle of sala and start taking shape of a more solid form before revealing an heavly armor stallion with an half missing helmet and the cheastplate missing part of his armor
“But i suppose you could say the same to me and i am tired, very tired to orbit around you, Celestia”
“So, out of pure curiosity, here i am answering the princess call” Eclipse finish his speech with an heavy sigh, folding his armored wing back to his side.
This is going a long night....for all of them, nay, for all Equestria.
"Tribes of Equestria, are you going to let them devour your home ?
Officer Eclipse words after taking command from a noble general during the Tell Tale battle.
The aftermath of the first Tell Tall battle was a bloody first equestria victory that the nation so desperate need it, like oxygen.
Unfortuanly, even if the battle was in a secondary theather front, it came at an high cost and rumors are spreading that on the home front, a certain air of defeatism is on the air.
"Officer Eclipse, this are the report of the casualty report, alongside ammunition, food and general readiness of the troops" a soldier come into Eclipse tent, schoking Eclipse out of his thought on the Equestria future.
"Thanks, any news from Canterlot ?" Eclipse asked, taking the reports from the soldier hoove and putting on the desk.
"Reports have been sent but no response so far"
There was a long silence before the next question was asked
"I see....and how is the patience ?"
That question seem to have suck out all the life in his body for a few seconds, before taking a sharp breath and answering the question.
"A-alive" the pony courier said, emotion barerly in check.
Eclipse/Nightmare Star posture, since the start of war, finaly relaxed and he semi crashed on his chair, massaging his front with one of his front hoove.
For a split second both eyes turn into snake blue color, his true eyes form.
Unfortuanly the relief didn't last very long and now another burden was soon on his back.
Writting and sending letters to relative that lost their son and daughter, husband and wife.
"Spread the news" Eclipse ordered " get drunk if you so decide it just...don't make too much weird noises, i have to write thousand letters back to moon knows how many family back home" he turn his attention back to writting, wawing off the soldier.
With being alone again, Eclipse mind drift again back to the event of yesterday, mumbling and massaging his forehead
The bombardment, changellings relentess attack, planes dueling in the sky, danger close air support, Tell Tale burning, ponies screaming
And then the climax
Princess Luna wounded in the middle of the city battle, cut off from the rest of the troops and that frikking noble general...less we talk about him the better.
Althought breaking his nose was very cathartic.
"That wasn't subtle of you"
"Said the one who would have cut off his wings and strangle with it"
"You can still do that"
"As much i wanted to do it, i can't"
"You could enter his mind"
"This letter aren't going to write themself and there are a lot of them"
"You did whot you have to do"
"I know but we lose so much for just holding back, i got lucky that evryponies that i pull togheter was single minded toward saving the princess"
"Don't sell yourself short there, you galvanize the troops at a critical moment, charging with them to drive back the horde of parassite out of the city"
"And don't forget how they call you after the battle, it was a long time since i see you have that big, stupid smile of yours"
At that Eclipse blushed a little, it's been centurys since he been call like that...
"You are The Little Alicorn of this ponies Eclipse, they trust you with their life, just like she trusted you with her heart"
A single tear roll out of his eyes, marking the letter below him.
"I can't loss her again".
This time the sobbing didn't stop.
Lucky, the few undrunked ponies passing close to the tent, they would hear a whimpering soab, not wanting to disturb their hero in his private moment.
Otherwise they would see a nightmare cry.
Author's Note
There is alwasy a price to be for be in the shadow
