Of Pale Dust and Empty Sky

by Snowflake Pone

Rating: teen
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Sad, Nightmare Moon, Princess Luna, Tragedy
Length: 1007

A millennial of Luna's banishment slowly changes her

A millennial of Luna's banishment slowly changes her.
Divided in 10 centuries. Written for A Thousand Words III Contest

Published 2024-06-22 15:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2024-06-22 15:00:00 UTC

Of Pale Dust and Empty Sky

There was pale dust and empty sky.

And the princess of the night.
After being banished to her blank prison for a thousand years, she realised just how unbelievably wrong she was. Attacking her sister that she knew for so long was disgusting and it was a sin that won't ever repeat.

"I let the darkness get the best of me. And it shan't happen again,"

The blue alicorn stated with determination of steel. She took a stroll around the white dunes, but the Moon was colourless and monotone, giving Luna an impression that she wasn't even moving, like she was just standing still in this white void while moving her hooves pointlessly.

She trembled.

A century passed, and there was pale dust and empty sky.

Luna couldn't know what her home will be like after a millennia passes. So she didn't ponder the future, she instead held to the past. The blue pony dwelled in her memories and her surroundings slowly faded away as she was exploring the years she spent in Centerlot, with her sister.

All the joyful memories were now bittersweet, as the day she snapped kept playing in front of her eyes like a movie.

No matter how hard the alicorn tried, she just couldn't stop thinking about it. She hoped that after so many years on the Moon, her mind will finally find peace again.

And another century passed, and there was pale dust and empty sky.

A tiny voice started waking up in the princess of the night, and she made sure to tear it to little shreds. The little shreds that her mind subconsciously kept reforming into a faint whisper, always in the back of her head.

No matter how hard she fought, it kept crawling back from the darkest pits of her brain.

It seemed to be as determined as her, perhaps it even was her.

Luna shook her head.

"I'm Luna, a powerful princess, and I won't listen to you,"

She promised. But more to the inner voice than to herself.

And another century passed, and there was pale dust and empty sky.

Luna thought about her banishment more and more. She collected all the good reasons why Celestia sent her here and she held onto them firmly, with all her heart.

She kept repeating them to herself like a prayer.

"I wasn't thinking like a princess. One shall guide the ponies through the darkness, not cause it! Thank you, sister, for sending me here before I could cause more pain to the innocent ponies around me.

Thank you."

And another century passed, and there was pale dust and empty sky.

The raspy voice in the back of her mind palace eventually grew louder, trying to overthrow her determination. Luna didn't like it one bit. Something about it was awfully familiar and it filled her soul with dread.

It was like a distant memory from a long forgotten dream. A nightmare, even.

The alicorn cloud now make out some words that formed out of the whispers and the growls.

"Betrayal."

It kept repeating.

"Traitor."

Exactly, Luna thought to herself.

I am a traitor and I deserve to be here for another six hundred years.

And another century passed, and there was pale dust and empty sky.

Time stretched far beyond it's meaning. Luna couldn't help herself but to think about how most have already forgotten about her. She was now just a legend to scare little fillies and colts.

In the unbearable boredom, she listened to the tiny voice some more. It seemed too harmless to be a threat. She was a powerful alicorn after all, a goddess of night itself!

But the more she thought about it, the more it felt like the voice wasn't calling her a traitor.

And another century passed, and there was pale dust and empty sky.

A millennia was too long. Luna frowned impatiently. She has already leant her lesson, why must she dwell for so much longer!?

"Celestia! My beloved sister! I have learned the errors of my ways! Thou shall release me from this stellar cage!"

But nopony answered.

And another century passed, and there was pale dust and empty sky.

And there were cries for mercy.

"Why? WHY!?"

This entire banishment was a foul idea from the very begging. She will forget everything if she stays here. How to be a ruler, how to use her powers...

Will she even be able to raise the Moon once more?

She shuffled on her long legs nervously and stretched her long wings. They were much bigger than they used to be, but what good will they do her if she can't even use them!?

"Unjustified cruelty."

Stated the voice in her head.

And another century passed, and there was pale dust and empty sky.

"Why me!? I didn't deserve this!! She should be the one stuck on this plain rock! When we meet again, she shall have a lot of explaining to do..."

Luna now had to use all her concentration to push the screaming voice in her head away. She covered her ears in a desperate attempt to quiet it, but it was pointless.

Injustice! Hatred! Betrayal! Vengeance!

The voice was coming from within. She grinded her long, sharp teeth and blinked the tears out of her exhausted eyes.

And another century passed, and there was pale dust and empty sky.

"This is all your sister's fault! We just wanted attention...

That vain pony was loved by everypony! They cheered for her! Praised her! And completely forgot about us!

Do you really believe she even remembers us as her sister!? She thinks about us like a foe!

Everypony thinks we're corrupted and evil! But who's fault is that?

Who started it all?

Who removed us from Equestria like we're a mistake to be corrected!?"

"Her..."

"It was...

"Her..."

And another century passed, and there was pale dust and empty sky.

Revenge. Blood. Justice. Vengeance.

"Yes. Patience. Just one more century."

"Just one more."