REGRET (Good Ending)

I watched the sun set slowly behind the horizon, the last rays of its light painting the sky in fiery hues of orange and crimson. Something about today felt… different. There was an energy in the air, a weight that seemed to press down on me as I turned my gaze to the moon.

When it rose, it carried an aura of purpose, almost like it was watching me in return. Is this your doing, Luna?

I had spent the last few weeks buried in books, consuming as much knowledge as I could about the world I had returned to. It was unrecognizable, a landscape of unfamiliar names, faces, and events. So much had changed in my absence, but there was one thing that stood out among the pages I read—a story.

My story.

It was called The Manic Alicorn: Nightmare Eclipse.

The title alone sent a pang of bitterness through my chest. The pages detailed my trial, my battle with Celestia and the other alicorns, and the chaos I unleashed before my imprisonment. But there was nothing—*nothing*—of who I was before. No mention of the pony who once cherished friendship, who believed in the magic of harmony. That part of me had been erased, replaced by the caricature of a monster.

I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised, but it still hurt.

To them, I was Nightmare Eclipse—a villain, a murderer, a maniac. That’s all I had become in their stories. Perhaps they were right. Perhaps I really was nothing more than the monster they believed me to be.

And that was why I had chosen isolation.

There was no reason to try and return to the world. No one would accept me. No one would believe I could change. Friendship was beyond my reach now, and I had no intention of subjecting myself to their scorn or pity.

I turned my gaze back to the moon, its pale light illuminating the ruins of the castle around me. "What are you planning, Luna?" I muttered.

Luna stood on the balcony of Canterlot Castle, her horn glowing softly as she guided the moon into the sky. Tonight, she raised it with purpose.

Her thoughts lingered on the small stallion she had met earlier that day—a brilliant, if peculiar, unicorn by the name of Last Page. He was nothing like Twilight Sparkle in terms of raw magical power, but his intelligence and drive were undeniable.

His obsession with rune magic was particularly impressive. He had a unique way of thinking, a perspective that allowed him to create spells and enchantments far beyond what his limited magical reserves should have permitted. Luna had no doubt that his abilities would continue to grow under proper guidance.

She had chosen him as her student, believing that his unique talents could make a difference.

But there was more to her decision than just his potential. She saw in him a flicker of something familiar—something she had once seen in Twilight Sparkle before her descent into Nightmare Eclipse.

Perhaps this time will be different.

Luna’s gaze drifted toward the horizon, where the ruins of the Castle of Friendship lay hidden in the Everfree Forest. She knew Twilight was out there, nursing her wounds and isolating herself from the world. Luna didn’t know when the time would come, but she was certain their paths would cross again.

And when they did, she needed to be ready.

Last Page sat in his small room, hunched over a worn book illuminated by the faint glow of a candle. His golden eyes darted across the text, absorbing every word, every detail.

The story of Nightmare Eclipse was supposed to be a horror tale, a cautionary legend told to foals on Nightmare Night. But to him, it was so much more.

She wasn’t just a villain to him. She was powerful, brilliant, and wise in her own way. Yes, she was unstable—possibly even mad—but there had to be more to her story than what the books said. There had to be a reason for her descent, a truth hidden behind the layers of legend and fear.

His parents had forbidden him from reading about her, but he couldn’t help himself. She was fascinating, a living contradiction of light and shadow, and he wanted to understand her.

The next day, when he arrived at school, a flyer on the board caught his eye.

*Applications now open for Princess Luna’s personal student!*

He stared at the flyer, his heart racing. Princess Luna? The alicorn who raised the moon, the ruler of the night, and the sister of Celestia herself?

This was it. This was his chance.

If he could become her student, he could learn the secrets of alicorn magic. He could follow in the hoofsteps of Twilight Sparkle, ascending from a unicorn to something greater.

Last Page’s mind buzzed with possibilities as he tore down the flyer and rushed home to prepare his application.

This was his moment. His chance to achieve greatness.

To become a god.