Moondust and Desert Sands

by Shadow Quill

Rating: teen
Tags: Gore, Violence, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Death, Alternate Universe, Romance, Princess Luna, Drama, Original Character, Adventure, Princess Celestia, Sex
Length: 5661

A story of loss, fear and love, as Luna finds her way in a land so far away and so very different from the one she once called home. Follow a mare in a stallion's kingdom, as she discovers there is more to life than wearing a crown.

Lost, sorrow, spite, fear and betrayal.

These were the emotions of Princess Luna prior to her transformation into Nightmare Moon. Many know the tale, and even more know how she returned to the light after being sealed for so very long. But that is not the story we tell this night. No, this is another tale, very different from the one we know so well. That fateful night, oh so long ago, when a choice was given and emotions reached a fever pitch, Luna turned away from the darkness.

She ran.

Now alone, a princess without a crown and no subjects to rule, we find our lost and lonely royal travelling far and wide to lands unknown to pony kind. A mare hopeful of finding a new start, and maybe a place to call her own, somewhere within these foreign lands.

Perhaps things will be different in Saddle Arabia, perhaps here, she can finally find peace.

Published 2024-11-05 00:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2025-01-26 21:40:05 UTC

2 - A New Perspective

A bead of sweat ran down Luna’s temple as she did her best not to fidget from nerves. Her magic held the small bag of gold bits up before her, even while the Saddle Arabian sailor looked down at her with a single arched brow; the selfsame exiled princess did try to keep appearances with a smile, although with how nervous she was feeling it probably came off more as a grimace. Partly her nerves came from her lack of social interaction the last several years, her duties at court and the few ponies willing to stay up to talk leaving her few options with whom to practice conversation. The other part was the sheer fact that she had never tried to barter for anything in recent memory, the influence of her royal status causing more than a few ponies to grovel and beg for forgiveness rather than question her choices. To say nothing of the not-so-inconsequential detail that she wasn’t in her true form either.

Instead of her alicorn body which would have stood eye to eye with the Arabian sailor with ease, Luna had transformed into a unicorn mare with a powerful transmutation spell, changing her actual body rather than relying on illusions to shift others’ perceptions. It had been a question poised when she thought about how she was going to avoid being discovered by her sister’s inevitable search parties, the fact that powerful illusion magic was easily detected by any mage worth their salt, quickly shifting her focus to more direct methods of disguise. It also helped that once the spell was completed, there would be no trace of who she previously was except for a magical trigger hidden deep within her new body. A trigger that only she could activate and would be undetectable unless another mage got extremely invasive with a scanning spell, one she would be able to detect the moment it was being cast.

The unfortunate side effect of no longer being an alicorn meant she had to look up to the sailor from her new perspective, a position that was nostalgic and uncomfortable in equal measures, given she hadn’t been this small since before her ascension.

The sailor, evidently more interested in getting a bonus than interrogating the strange unicorn before him, sighed heavily before reaching out to grab the small bag of Bits with a hoof, “The captain isn’t going to like this, but payment is payment.” He jerked his head towards the gangplank, where a few of his fellow sailors were loading crates of supplies onto the ship, “We don’t have any spare bunks for passengers, so find a space anywhere not filled with cargo for yourself. I’ll let the captain know and we’ll see about finding a blanket or something.”

Luna sighed in relief as she bowed her head, “Thank you so much, I promise not to be a burden.”

A roll of his eyes was her only reply as the lanky stallion shooed her away with a hoof, Luna’s hasty retreat from the interaction mirrored by her rapidly beating heart.

‘By Faust I never expected that to be so scary!’ Her thoughts raced in tandem with her chest as she fought to get her breathing under control, ‘I had forgotten how hard being social was back before we became Princesses.’

As she approached the gangplank, something unusual about the crew captured her attention, a welcome distraction from her previous nervous mental scrambling. Every member of the crew, bar none, were dressed in some style of clothing. While it wasn’t unusual to see clothes being worn by the nobility and other ponies of influence, seeing commoners wearing clothes over most of their bodies was slightly jarring, especially given the quality and variety of style being shown by even this limited number of beings. Every stitch was well crafted, the cloth a heavier and plain color, suited to a working stallion’s station but still functional in the ways that counted. While unusual, it was not uncommon for different cultures to have shifts from what she considered normal, although it did give her a sense of self-awareness that was slightly uncomfortable, given her own state of nudity other than the saddlebags over her withers.

Luna’s tail tucked slightly against her hindquarters as she realized what her current level of dress might look like, her cheeks flushing slightly as she lowered her head and marched up the gangplank without meeting the eyes of any of the sailors. She resolved to find a cloak or something similar as soon as possible, if for no other reason than to shield her dignity.

The ship’s main deck was abustle with other sailors as cargo was hauled aboard, large metal grates sitting to either side as the boxes and containers were lowered into the hold through three gaping holes in the planking. Luna stayed well out of their way, watching with wide eyes as a team of Arabian unicorns lowered the various products through the openings with their magic. While levitation was commonplace to the point of being largely ignored in everyday society, the manner of which the Arabians were using said magic was unique and intrigued the disguised princess as she watched from afar.

Rather than the basic glow around a pony’s horn and the paired glow around the object being lifted, the Arabians used something far more complex, yet mesmerizing to behold. The ethereal glow around one’s horn was replaced by the detailed inscription of magic into complex patterns, circles and hexagons filled in with spirals and runes that hovered before the caster before being pushed onto the object being manipulated. Afterwards, there was no indication that the caster was controlling the magic further, as evident by their attention shifting to the next piece of material. Yet, even without the caster’s attention, the magic still held sway over the previous item, floating up and into the hold as small motes of light trailed behind like stardust. It was so simple, yet so far removed from what she was used to that Luna couldn’t help but stare in awe, her analytic side desperate for answers but being held back by her social anxiety.

As the crew finished loading the ship, Luna walked over to one of the unicorns, her head lowered slightly as the stallion turned to her with a questioning glare.

“Yeah, what do you want?” His tone was gruff, straight to the point, putting Luna even further on the back hoof from its directness.

“Um, if it’s n-not too much trouble,” Luna cursed her stutter as it left her lips, holding her head higher as she tried to present herself with dignity, “could you lower me into the hold as well? I was told that there aren’t any bunks available so I would need to make do below.”

A roll of the stallion’s eyes precluded a sigh as his horn lit up, another complex spell being formed before her eyes as he spoke, “Sure, give me a moment.”

Luna watched in wonder as the spell took shape, the detailed magic being directed into narrow and wide pathways within the octagonal perimeter, the power contained in a tightly controlled manner as the spell moved against her chest. A small ‘Eep!’ escaped her mouth as she was suddenly hoisted into the air, the stallion not bothering to look back as he turned and carried on with his duties, leaving Luna by herself as she was carried over the opening and down into the hold.

The darkness of the ship’s interior was nothing for her eyes, the details of the various crates and other containers appearing as greyed-out silhouettes in the gloom. It was surprisingly warm within the ship, her earlier desire for a cloak quickly fading as she was deposited on the decking. The spell’s hold faded instantly, leaving her wondering how such a casting method worked and her desire for answers with nothing to decipher. A sigh escaped her lips as she looked around, resolving to question the crew later once they were away from Equestria.

Crates of all shapes and sizes littered the ship’s hold, leaving scant few areas where she might have room to rest. A cursory inspection of the boxes dissuaded any notion of using them as bedding or seating, given most were covered in splinters or had nails poking out at odd angles. A sigh escaped her lips as Luna wandered between the stacks, managing to find a space of somewhat manageable use near to the ship’s stern against the port side. The curve of the ship’s hull gave her a little more room to work with than in the flat portions elsewhere, her flank impacting the planking beneath her with a bit more force than she would care to admit. The stress of the last few days had taken a toll on her, both mentally and physically, as she had not had to use her own hooves for transport for many years.

Another sigh blew a cloud of dust into the air, the tickling in her muzzle escaping in a series of sneezes that rocked her body backwards from the force. A grumble of less-than-ladylike swears were muttered under her breath as she cleared away the remaining dust with a quick burst of magic, her narrowed eyes softening as she allowed her saddlebags to slide to the floor.

“How the mighty have fallen,” she mused to herself, “defeated by mere dust after slaying foes of unimaginable strength time and time again.”

An idea formed in her mind as she glanced at the wooden planking to her side, her horn igniting as a sheen of ice covered the grains in a thin but highly reflective surface. A poor mage’s mirror, as Starswirl once put it. Luna’s gaze moved over her new features, the melancholy unicorn in the reflection a far cry from the regal alicorn she truly was. Her star-studded mane no longer flowed in a windless breeze, the soft periwinkle locks cascading down the right side of her face almost to her elbows while a single shorter clump curled elegantly under her left ear. Her teal eyes were now a lighter sky blue, nearly icelike in their intensity, and her midnight coat had softened to a rich royal navy. Her Cutie Mark was also different, a full moon partly covered by a trio of clouds in place of the crescent and black splotching that had been there before.

“Hmph,” a snort followed her self-inspection as a hoof gently rose to rest against her cheek, “I look almost like what I imagined I would have been as a unicorn mare, before Celestia and I ascended.”

A smile curled her lips a fraction as her mind flew back to those younger days, “Oh if Fate were so kind as to let me go back to when things were simple. No country to rule, no stuffy nobles to please, just the two of us and the little farm we called home.”

Luna’s gaze travelled back to her double, a spark of inspiration coming to her as a single word floated up from the depths of her subconscious, “Selene.”

The word seemed to have power, as her posture straightened alongside her growing confidence, “I remember now. That was my name, before all of this, before Starswirl and before all the moronic responsibilities that came with our titles.” Her smile grew wider as she gazed upon the mare in the makeshift mirror with greater and greater happiness, “I am Selene, daughter of Cloud Skipper and Azure Blaze. A farming mare who left home to learn the arts of magic when her local library proved insufficient.”

The longer she thought about it, the better the idea sounded. She could finally live the life she was destined to have, before the Elements gave her wings and mucked everything up. A tear ran down her face as she held a hoof up to the frozen surface, her smile lighting up the gloom as she beheld her true self. Maybe the transmutation spell had followed some instinctive desire, or maybe the magic itself had known what she needed better than she herself understood. Either way, she had a fresh start in life, one she didn’t intend to let it go to waste.

A quick flash of her horn dispelled the frozen surface, and she felt as much as heard the ship begin to move under her hooves as the vessel finally left port. Subtle creaks and groans were music to her ears as the ship gently rocked back and forth beneath her, but she paid it no mind as her thoughts ran rampant with excitement and ideas of what she could do now that she was no longer shackled to the throne.

A new frontier awaited her over the horizon, and a world of possibilities were calling out for her to grasp in her newfound freedom. A giddy laugh bubbled up from her chest, her heart racing as she imagined all the wondrous new things and experiences that were in store once they arrived in port.

“Look out Saddle Arabia,” Selene mused, her smile growing wider as she corrected her mental self, “there’s a new mare in town, and she’s got a whole new life to live.”

Author's Note

Hey there everypony! Another chapter up and running and hopefully some more insight into how this little adventure is going to go!

A huge thank you to my ever-helpful editor LeadlessSteed, who has been invaluable with making my chapters presentable for all of you to enjoy.

Drop a like, leave a comment down below, and let me know what you all think about this budding story. The more feedback I get the better it will be for all of you!

See you next time,
Shadow Quill, Messenger of the Moon

1 - The Darkest Night

Chairs shattered against cracking marble walls, splinters and fabric chunks spewing from their crippled forms. The bed, once draped in navy satin curtains and starfield sheets, now lay in ruins, crushed into tiny pieces by tremendous force. The vanity’s mirror, once perfect in its reflection of the room, lay a scattered jagged mess of shards across the floor; the previously beautiful whole displaying a kaleidoscope of carnage as the subject within them thrashed and spun about like a demented ballerina.

Another inequine scream tore itself from Princess Luna’s throat, her magic flaring ever brighter from her horn as her power ripped and tossed indiscriminately. Her aqua eyes were wild with raw emotion, fury, sorrow and a myriad of other feelings swirled within like a tempest as her body vented those emotions in the most destructive way it could fathom.

‘HOW DARE THEY?!’ Her inner voice raged as her magic shattered a priceless vase in its grasp, ‘HOW DARE THEY?!’

Thankfully, the lunar diarch had the presence of mind to put up a soundproofing barrier around her chambers before her emotions ran wild, for it would have drawn unwanted attention should the guards have heard the commotion.

‘Not that they would care about me one wit.’ Luna’s thoughts seethed as she imagined what the guards would think of her display, ‘All that they would care for is the precious furniture and how my actions would reflect on a true princess.’

A gilded hoof-mirror, crafted by the most renowned artisans of the land, worth more than a peasant’s home, reduced to glass dust and crumpled metal as her magic crushed it without remorse.

“As if anything I did could ever matter on its own.” Her voice was raw and scratchy from screaming, but she didn’t care, nopony was able to hear her anyway. “Everything I do, she is given credit for. All we ever dreamed for our citizens, her grand ambitions.”

Finally, there was nothing left for her raging emotions to destroy, her wild eyes roaming over the devastation of her room but not truly seeing. A dark thought came to her mind, a horrifying notion that at any other time would have revolted the alicorn. Now, that insidious idea, the horrific thought, held center stage in her mind as she lifted her head to gaze upon her moon.

“YES.” The word sounded more akin to a snake’s hiss than true Equish, “I shall tear it all down, build it all anew, so that they might see the grandeur of my night, witness the glory of what their Princess is truly capable of.”

A dark chuckle escaped her muzzle as her magic pushed open the balcony doors, her wings flaring wide as she stepped out into the frigid midnight air. She gazed down onto the city below, her baleful eyes growing manic as the horrific thought began to take root in her mind.

“Soon,” she almost purred the word as her lips threatened to pull into a wicked smile, “soon all of them will know the truth. I will make them see it, even if I must tear the entire country to the ground to do it.”

Her eyes glazed over as imaginings of her glory, the worship that she so rightfully deserved was finally bestowed upon her. Her hooves and wings carried her into the night, her body roaming down and into the palace proper as her mind ran amuck with daydreams and fantasies of what would be awaiting her after she was finished. The true glory she was owed, the respect that she deserved, all would be hers after she revealed the lies and betrayals that her so-called sister had been perpetrating for so long.

Time lost meaning as her hooves carried her through the castle and out into the grounds, her mind awash with plans and ideas as her psyche delved further and further into the madness it had spawned. Nothing was too much, no deeds too heinous, because she was right, and she was going to show them all just how wrong they were for casting her aside.

Her wild mental spiral was nearing a breaking point, a line that once crossed could never be undone. Yet, just as the deepest, most horrifying ideas began to form in her head, she was abruptly pulled from her mental machinations as her forehoof caught on something, sending her muzzle-first straight into the grass as her hind end flew up and into the air. Stars not her own flashed in her eyes as her jaw impacted the ground, her wings flaring but unable to correct her motion as her tail flipped over to flop unceremoniously over her face.

For a moment or two, Luna was frozen in shock, her labored breathing wafting her tail back and forth before her eyes, the absurdity of what had happened stunned her for more than a few seconds as her mind tried and failed to process what had occurred. Finally, her mental facilities rebooted, her tail flicking back into position as her hind end carefully lowered back onto her hooves. A glob of dirt and grass was spit onto the nearby bushes as she gingerly pushed herself to a standing position, her eyes taking in her surroundings for the first time as the mental maelstrom slowed to a simmer.

She was in a graveyard, fitting, given what her thoughts had been focused upon mere moments prior. Her hoof had caught on the edge of a monument’s base, causing her undignified pratfall in her distracted state. Her gaze turned to the stone beside her that had been the cause of her discomfort, her horn blazing in preparation of turning the unfortunate stone to rubble, only to snuff out in an instant as her eyes widened in shock at whose grave it was.

This was no mere gravestone, no, this was the resting place of several close companions of hers, lost in their prime in one of the darkest hours in Equestrian history.

Luna slowly turned, her eyes watering as she read the silver plaque that was inset at the base of the monument, their words carved by her own magic not a year ago after the disastrous campaign in the Frozen North.

Here Lies, In Honored Memory

‘The Silver Seven’

Capt. True Shot, 1st Lt. Night Glider, 2nd Lt. Aerial Ace, Master Sgt. Buccaneer “Bucky” Blaze, Staff Sgt. Stonewall, Sgt. Green Horn and PFC Daisy

Friends, Family, Soldiers, Heroes

Luna’s gaze traveled upwards from the plaque, taking in the expertly carved statue of the seven ponies, poised atop the monument like they were amid a heroic battle. Towards the bottom and the back left, Daisy was shown patching up a wounded Green Horn, the worried expression on the earth pony mare’s face countered nicely by the smarmy grin depicted by the unicorn stallion beneath her as she wrapped his injured front left leg. The sarcastic twit never could take anything seriously, but always showed his true devotion when it counted, especially if it got him patched up by the group’s medic time and time again. The two soldiers always got along like cats and dogs, but the love they shared was one of the strongest Luna had ever seen, forged through experience and exasperation in equal measure. It was fitting that Daisy had died defending her husband in the midst of tending his wounds, his longsword held in her mouth as she carried him upon her back to safety.

In front of them and slightly to the right was the hulking form of Stonewall, the massive earth pony mare a horrifying force on the battlefield, but secretly the most amazing pastry chef Luna had ever known and a tender caretaker of wounded animals in her free time. She was depicted holding her shield up before her, the serious expression on her face a reminder of her unwavering stubbornness and her resolve to protect her friends. A chuckle escaped Luna’s lips as she recalled the time the mare had come to her in tears, the massive form of an Ursa Minor somehow dragging behind the insane earth pony on a sleigh that was barely big enough for the creature’s front half. Oh, how she had begged Luna to heal the monster’s wounded leg, much to the amusement and shock of the rest of the Seven when Stonewall had pulled out the dreaded ‘puppy eyes’. How a mare nearly Luna’s size could make herself look so pathetic and adorable was beyond Luna’s ability to comprehend, but she was successful each and every time she really wanted something because of it. She had been killed by Sombra’s soldiers just outside the Crystal Palace, a crossbow bolt to the eye had taken her life with no warning, the unlucky shot somehow finding the only opening in her plate armor that wouldn’t simply irritate the massive mare.

Across from Stonewall, his horn alight as his twin swords hovered on either side of his body, was Buccaneer Blaze, preferably “Bucky” to his friends. The slim stallion was always the stickler for the rules, often trying, and failing, to get his other soldiers to stick more readily to the codex given to every recruit in training, often with little success. His magical might was second to none amidst the group, often giving him the ability to take on several opponents at once and still come out spotless. The bookish stallion was also an intellect on another level in addition to his power, often taking on the role of strategist alongside Luna during briefings when she needed a second opinion. What few knew was that Bucky had been a coltcuddler, preferring the romantic interests of his own gender as opposed to mares. While many would scoff at the idea that a stallion would ever turn down a willing mare, Bucky had done so many times at taverns and parties, although only his unit and Luna herself knew why. While it was frowned upon by society and marriage was forbidden by law, Bucky had secretly bedded and lived with his coltfriend, Aerial Ace, with Luna’s approval and support.

Said stallion was every bit the day to Bucky’s night, the pegasus a right terror when it came to pranks and routinely broke the rules for no other reason than because they existed. He was shown hovering just above and behind his lover in the monument stone, his wing blades ready as he banked up and out for another attack in tandem with his partner, their movements seemingly of one body as memories of their skill flashed in Luna’s mind’s eye. They had been inseparable, right up to the very end, when Sombra himself had killed them both with a powerful magic blast.

Night Glider flew opposite to Aerial Ace, just behind and above Stonewall, offering support to the earth pony as they protected Daisy and Green Horn. The pegasus mare had been a rare beauty in life, often making Luna question her own sexuality when she chose to dress up for formal events. Her long mane was hidden by her helmet, her hoof blades hiding her perfectly cared for hooves beneath deadly steel, her vanity stepping aside for her devotion and bravery in the heat of battle. Night Glider was always the first in battle, her speed and courage sometimes a detriment to any plan they created, but she always found a way to come out ahead anyway. Sometimes, they would complete a battle, and the mare would be soaked in the blood of her enemies, yet somehow still made it sexy at the same time. She was the female counter to Bucky, the envy of mares and the obsession of stallions everywhere. If only she hadn’t allowed her own insecurities to hinder her love life so badly, her outward confidence and appeal a mask to hide her crippling self-doubt. To the best of Luna’s knowledge, Glider had died a maiden, never once having felt the tender touch of a lover before her end, a tragedy that ate away at Luna’s own heart whenever she thought back to those times.

Finally, Luna’s eyes landed on the centerpiece of the monument, Captain True Shot, leader of the Silver Seven, and the only pony she had ever loved. His confident smile was perfectly carved into the stone, his war bow drawn back in his magic and aimed directly over Luna’s head, the intended target assuredly moments away from death. True to his name, the unicorn stallion had never missed an arrow, even when Aerial Ace had done his damned best to mess up his commander’s aim. Luna had planned to give the stallion a Knighthood for his actions in the war against Sombra, his bravery and skill on the battlefield deserving of the highest honors. The fact it would make him a minor noble and thus eligible to wed her was only a side bonus. She had tried several times to bed him, even going so far as to outright present herself to him in the privacy of her own chambers, but the stubborn idiot had denied her again and again, not because he didn’t love her back, but because he wanted to ‘honor her feelings as they should be’ and wait until they were wed before bedding with her intimately.

Sombra had ripped his heart out in front of her, helpless in a crystal prison, before eating the organ as his magic tossed the rest of her lover aside like so much garbage. Luna didn’t remember anything after that, the death of her love and the rest of her personal guard having been too much to bear. All she could recall after waking up was that she had been brought back to Everfree by her sister, the entirety of the Crystal Empire having been banished alongside Sombra upon his death, including the bodies of all the dead who had lost their lives in the conflict. The monument before her had been constructed a week after her awakening, although the lack of the depicted soldier’s bodies to properly lay them to rest grated on her heart like sandpaper. After all they had done, the heroes they became, there was nothing she could do to let them rest in peace.

Realization dawned on her as she gazed up at her most loyal friends, horror filling her being as she realized what she had been about to do. Shame ran through her veins and her head hung low, her voice a whisper in contrast to the fury it had spewed not long before.

“Forgive me, my friends.” Her head remained bowed as she sat down, “I dishonored your memory, and was about to destroy the legacy you left in my care.” Tears ran down her face as she pulled off her crown with one hoof, its onyx surface reflecting her moonlight as she held it against her chest with both hooves. “I do not deserve what you left for me, nor do I deserve the adoration I seek when I was so close to tearing it all down. For what? Pride? Love? It is not a right, nor is it an obligation of my station.” Her gaze lifted to rest on the face of True Shot, her heart ripping in twain as she imagined what he would think of her actions. “I do not deserve you, old friend. I never did.”

Her magic flared bright, sparks and swirls of power spiraling around her body as her regalia was removed, “I am not worthy of the throne, nor can I face my sister after all that has happened.” She gazed up at her friends, her closest confidants, her family, a smile crossing her lips as she closed her eyes, “Goodbye, my friends, I hope you find peace in the Golden Fields. This will be the last time we see each other.”

A blinding flash engulfed the graveyard as the morning dawn broke over the land, yet no one paid any attention as the sun crossed the horizon. It was many hours before a maid was sent to wake the lunar princess, the diarch’s famed temper about being awoken too soon, a strong deterrent to haste. Yet, there was no answer, and a sense of dread began to set in when the door was found to be locked. Guards were called, and then Princess Celestia was informed when they proved no match for the magical locks in place. Panic set in when the destroyed bedroom was finally opened, with guards and servants running to and fro in search of their missing princess. It was nearing nightfall when a discovery was made, and Celestia raced to the scene upon hearing a clue had been found.

What awaited her in the castle graveyard froze her in place, shock setting in as her hooves carried her to the base of the hallowed grave. There, resting in a perfectly neat and orderly fashion, was a set of regalia, topped with a single scroll, sealed with Luna’s mark.

The guards stood by as her magic lifted the scroll, her magical grip faltering and her hooves shaking as they took over holding the missive in her grasp. A gasp escaped her lips, the letter dropping to the ground as she spun to face the gathered ponies.

“My sister has abdicated the throne!” Her voice was stricken with fear as the guards reeled back in shock, “Find her, please, I must know what happened! GO!”

Everyone dashed off in different directions, even as Celestia turned to look up at the monument itself, her voice falling to a whisper as the implications of what her sister had done started to set in, “Oh Luna, why?”

The letter, resting beside the solar diarch, fluttered in the morning breeze as its words glittered in the sunlight, the moonsilver ink proof that they had been written by Luna herself. The words, heavy and stained by tears in many places, read as such…

Dear Princess Celestia,

I have done a heinous thing tonight and almost destroyed what we have worked so hard to build. I do not ask you to understand, nor shall I beg for forgiveness. All I can say is that I find myself lacking, that I am not worthy of the sacrifices others have given in my place, and do not deserve to carry forth when I am unable to carry the burdens of their legacy with the honor it deserves.

Thus, I revoke my title as Princess, for what little it has been worth of late, and will be leaving Everfree to live in exile. I know you will search for me; I know asking you not to will fall on deaf ears. I do not care, as I do not deserve to stand at your side, nor rule our nation when I am not worthy of it. Let it be known here and now that I do not wish you ill, nor shall I act against Equestria in any way. I will not even use my own name, nor shall I look as myself, as I do not wish to drag you down with me in my disgrace.

Farewell, Princess Celestia, I wish you well and hope that you can make our dream of a bright and happy nation a reality without me holding you back.

Your former sister,

Ex-princess Luna Moonshadow

Author's Note

Woohoo!! Let's go!! I hope everypony is excited for this new book! I know I certainly am! No but seriously, my muse has been beating me over the head with this idea for weeks now and I finally sat down and got the first chapter written, along with the amazing assistance of my tireless editor, LeadlessSteed.

Please, leave your thoughts in the towel section below, they are food that feeds an author so they can write more chapters, don't you know. I look forward to seeing how everypony reacts to this new adventure, and I can't wait to get the next chapter out for you all to enjoy.

Until next time,
Shadow Quill, Messenger of the Moon.