Chapters The Preparations
I have had a thousand years to prepare for this. I have studied forbidden arts and innovate new ways of using my magic. And I plan to use it all to commit capital crimes. The time has come to place the pieces and wait for the game to begin.
I use my magic to fly to Canterlot first, slipping into the castle without getting found out. Outside of Celestia's room, beyond the sight of her guards, I weave my magic into her door as I turn it into a special spell. This spell will activate when Celestia touches it with hoof or magic, sending her into an alternate universe. This will occupy her for a while, stopping her from showing up at the Summer Sun Celebration tomorrow. She would leave the castle so she can teleport, but she can't even leave her room now. I quickly slip out and head to Ponyville, where the Celebration will take place.
There, I watch the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, learning their true weakness. Rainbow Dash has an immense pride in herself, easily used against her. But she is the Element of Loyalty, and won't easily be drawn away. Pinkie Pie is purely crazy, being the Element of Laughter. She would laugh away anything if it meant bringing happiness. Rarity is a stuck-up beauty queen, hating anything that doesn't look stylish to her. But she is the Element of Generosity, giving up beauty for others at times. Fluttershy is, well, shy, shirking from everypony. But she is the Element of Kindness, jumping to help friends or animals. Applejack is a hard work who doesn't like lazy bums and loves a challenge. Being the Element of Honesty, she would never be caught lying. And Twilight Sparkle... she is rejecting Ponyville... I can't get anything off of her. All I know is that she is brilliant and Celestia's most trusted student.
As the sun sets, I turn my back to Ponyville, heading along the path through the Everfree Forest that leads to the castle ruins within. The first trap: the offer to join the Wonderbolts now or never. Along with it is the promise that she can visit her friends between performances. The second is a hurt animal that needs excessive care. The third, a party. One that Pinkie could never refuse. The fourth, a fashion show that would be distasteful, demanding to be refitted. And the fifth, a competitor challenging Applejack to a battle of athleticism. Without enough knowledge on Twilight, I can't make a trap for her. But she can't do anything without the other Bearers.
Finally, I arrive at the Everfree Castle. I quickly go to the throne room, where a giant, ancient pedestal rests, holding the six Elements. I concentrate my magic, carefully wrapping the Elements in a thin but immensely powerful viel, making it so not even the most powerful of magic can pass through to or from the stones. Even if the Bearers make it here, the Elements will be mere stones for them. Not that they will.
I turn back, making it to Ponyville as the time comes for the Celebration. I join the ponies in the town hall, moving to the front. Everything is ready. The time is upon us. Nightmare Moon will return, Celestia and the Bearers are out of the way, and I will bring Princess Luna back. In time, everything will be perfect.
The Return
Around me are ponies eagerly awaiting for Celestia to step out onto the balcony and bring up the sun. Me, I wait for the disappointment, then the sudden return of the long-forgotten Nightmare Moon. A thousand years, and it all comes down to now.
The two guards on the interior balcony pull back the curtain to reveal... nothing. Everypony gasps and starts to murmur to one another while the guards glance back before resuming their usual stance. I wait longer, patience remaining with only minutes away. A starry mist slips into the town hall and forms into the Princess of the Night, her armor glimmering in the moonlight. The crowd gasps again. I leap up onto the balcony, buck the closer guard off while shooting a blue fireball at the other one, which explodes and sends him flying. I spin to face the gaping crowd.
" 'On the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in Nightmare Moon's escape and she will bring nighttime eternal!' The prophecy has come to pass! You have all witnessed! Now, begone!" They flee in terror as they hear the name and my deep, twisted voice.
Once they are cleared out, I spin to face Nightmare Moon. "Are you trying to upstage me?!" she demands in an evil-yet-majestic voice, glaring at me.
"I am running this show," I answer. She raises her eyebrows and I curther off from responding. "I spoke those words with Celestia as my witness, creating the prophecy myself. Since then, I have learned much. Yesterday, I ensured nobody could get in our way."
"You couldn't have cre-"
"I am 1,024-years-old. My meddling have granted unusually long life. Now, come; I have the feeling that Twilight, Element of Magic, will ruin my traps. I must ensure that they don't do anything stupid when they see the Elements are useless to them." With that, I brush past her, now realizing its going to be a lot harder to bring Luna back than I had originally thought.
The Wait
We arrive at the castle and fly through an absent window, all of them having been transferred to the Canterlot Castle about a thousand years ago. I release the magic and drop with a thunk, creating little craters in the floor. Nightmare Moon follows behind me with more grace and the soft clops of her hooves.
I glance around the ancient throne room. At one end is the double rotten doors, the other is a stone throne with a very faded cutie mark just off center; Celestia had taken her throne to Canterlot with her. In the center is the pedestal with the Elements, which I had only paid attention to on my first visit. I stand next to it while Nightmare Moon, of course, goes to her throne.
I flashback to the days I admired the night sky, marveling at each star glittering, wondered about that big, round moon. I loved the night. Then came its Princess' banishment. And the night just wasn't the same; the stars were there, but bland. And the moon, oh, it /couldn't/ shine like it once had, what, with that giant shadow on it. I remember the days as I mourned what had become of the night and its Princess. And then I moved on to prepare for her return.
I snap back to reality as I hear the Bearer's voices. Finally.
The End
I wake to an unusual warmth and light. I open my eyes to a new dawn, remembering how much I missed the sun before my armor. "A thousand years..." whispers a majestic voice. I turn to see Celestia standing over me and Luna. "Welcome back, Sister." Of course. I look to my left, away from Celestia, and notice a dark wingtip-
"Oh, Makers!" I cry before I can stop myself, feeling myself redden. Celestia chuckles while Luna shifts but doesn't wake. I tone down as I struggle to speak. "Er... It's..."
"Shh..." she interrupts with a radiant smile. "I understand, Dage." Makers! "And I approve solemnly." Oh n- wait, really? "You have given her the love she desired. I was unable to do that, or have the time, patience or will to deal with her." I look at her doubtfully, not trusting my voice. "Welcome to your new dawn, Dage." She nods to the slowly-rising sun and I realize that my trap for her failed as well; she had come back shortly after activating it and had watched everything.
"But..." I add, hesitating for a moment. "I have committed capital crimes..."
"And you did your time before doing them." I turn to Luna as she stirs.
"Sister?" she asks, raising her head and looking at me. "Oh." She blinks and blushes, pulling back the wing that is/was covering me. "Right. I never got your name?"
"Dage," I answer, becoming hot again as I look over her at Celestia.
She looks, too. "Sister!" She jumps to her hooves in surprise, turning to her before wrapping her in a hug. "I am so sorry."
"As am I for not being what you needed."
"You did what you could." Luna let's go of her sister and looks at the sun as it continues its slow rise. "A new dawn for a new stage in life." She turns to me. "For both of us." She smiles, making my heart skip another beat. I manage to smile back, which just elicits a mare-ish giggle from her. Things look promising.
BONUS: The Alternate Reality
BONUS: The Alternate Reality
I step to the door, reaching out with my magic only for swirling darkness to enwrap me. It ends with me floating over the Everfree Castle, renewed by a thousand years. I watch as I fly out to the camp, then time speeds through the final battle of the One Month War. It pauses to show Dage's visit to me, then follows him, speeding up again. It slows to show him mastering the three forbidden arts he used in my world, and his creative creations from simple spells.
It pauses as he flies from Canterlot to Ponyville, me flying behind him. I catch up to him and use my Old Canterlot voice to catch his attention: "There is a lot you need to explain, Dage." He jumps, his magic failing as he turns in midair to face me. I catch him as he starts to fall, setting him down gently as I hover to land next to him.
"Er, what do you mean, Princess?" he asks in his deep, twisted voice.
"You know what I'm talking about; I've been watching you ever since that day." I narrow my eyes at him."
He looks unsure, but then straightens up. "I am going to bring Luna back," he answers boldy.
I blink. "I already have my own pieces moving."
"You plan to banish her again! Or worse!"
I shake my head. "No, the Bearers will be able to use the full power of the Elements and actually outcast the Nightmare Moon in her." It takes a bit more to convince him, but he eventually gives in. I move along, and so does time.
I watch as the Bearers go through the traps Nightmare Moon sets up, making it to the Elements but then have her take them away, Twilight Sparkle chasing after her. They face off, Moon breaking the Elements, Twilight having the spark when her friends join her. They gather the Elements and use them on Moon, outcasting her from Sister.
This reality's me flies in to greet the half-size Luna. Luna accepts the offer to return to her rightful place. I watcher her for a while before confronting this reality's me, informing her of Dage and convincing her to let him see Luna.
When Dage comes, he tries to make small talk with her, but she see through it. She demands that he cuts to the chase, as they say, and he does, telling her how he loves her. She blatantly rejects him and asks this reality's me why she let him in. She hasn't acted like her old self since her return.
That's when the spell breaks. I sigh. I'll give Dage a chance. If he can't pull out my sister, then that is what we will get. But, for the sake of him, Luna, me, hay, everypony, I hope he can pull through. Oh, I really hope he can pull through....
Author's Note
I felt it would be cool to fill in the gap about what Celestia saw and decided to let Dage go unlike with Canon Reality, if you include the existance of Dage in your version, which wouldn't change anything notable. I hope you enjoyed getting to see the reasoning behind Celestia's decisions this time; you don't get it often in the show. *wink*
BONUS: The Other Perspective
BONUS: The Other Perspective
The thousandth year. The longest day. I watch as my moon rises, revealing the land of Equestria from my vantage on its shining surface. I wait as my moon follows its destined path along the sky. What a waiting game this is! But it's almost over at long last. I feel the stars tug at me, and I leap off the moon's surface, flying upwards to the planet above. Then falling to the land below.
I continue to fall straight to a quaint little village which happens to be hosting the Summer Sun Celebration this year. It's also exactly where our last battle was, where I was banished to the moon before I could finish off my sister. I save myself by turning into starry mist and fly into the town hall, reforming where the Princess of the Sun should be. The crowd below the balcony gasps. I grin.
The grin disappears as a unicorn in full evil armor leaps up onto the balcony, bucking one guard off and blowing up the other with a blue fireball. He spins to face the crowd, using a deep and twisted voice to speak. “ ‘On the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in Nightmare Moon’s escape and she will bring nighttime eternal!’ The prophecy has come to pass! You have all witnessed! Now, begone!” They flee for any of numerous reasons, and he spins to face me.
“Are you trying to upstage me?!” I demand, glaring daggers into him.
“I am running the show,” he answers. What? I raise my eyebrows but am cut off. “I spoke those words with Celestia as my witness, creating the prophecy itself. Since then, I have learned much. Yesterday, I ensured nopony can get in our way.”
“You couldn’t have cre-”
“I am 1,024-years-old. My meddlings have granted me unusually long life. Now, come; I have the feeling that Twilight, Element of Magic, will ruin my traps. I must ensure that they don’t do anything stupid when they see that the Elements are useless to them.” With that, he brushes past me. I hesitate before following him out onto the exterior balcony, unsure of this stallion.
I watch as his blue eyes glow brighter until they are fireballs trailing up-and-away from the eyeholes. Soon, his horn glows that same blue before his entire form is surrounded by a separate glow. “You seriously aren’t thinking of trying to levitate yourself all the way there, are you?” I ask incredulously. His horn sparks before a second glow wraps around the first; an overglow. He slowly lifts into the air.
“Not even the most powerful of wizards could levitate themselves for long!” I yell at him despite that he hasn’t gone very far at all. He ignores me and I grow impatient, lifting off with “This is taking too long!” I leave him behind quickly and roll my eyes as I continue to fly from the town hall and that stallion.
That’s when I hear a boom and see a blur pass by me. “-at was th-?!” is all I catch as the stallion, enveloped in a blue fireball, flies past. This irks me greatly, but I push it back as I easily catch up and keep pace with him. Silence, other than his fireball, my flapping and the wind rushing by, follows for a while before I ask a question that’s been nagging at me.
“Why are you doing this?” I start. “Why are you helping me?”
“I am helping you because you contain something very important.”
“What do you mean?” I raise an eyebrow.
“You’ll have to figure that out for yourself.” ...What?! There’s nothing important in me! Unless he means my powers. No, Sister can take over- Wait, he’s been committing crimes; he’s no good guy! So, he wants my powers! Why doesn’t he just take them? Why worry about useless things like the Bearers and the Elements? It doesn’t add up...
“You are rather considerate for one doing evil,” I voice accidentally.
“That’s because my purpose is good.” I narrow my eyes as his ears bend backwards.
“The actions define the pony,” I challenge.
“Along with the purpose,” he spits back.”
“That wasn’t true for me,” I spit back-back.
“Except that you are here no.” I open my mouth only to close it when I realize exactly what he said. Wait... he brought me back... because he knew what I felt ...? But... how? How could anypony know that which I have never spoken...? I continue to mull over this mystery to no avail as we continue our flight.
* * *
He leads the way through an absent window of the castle, dropping his magic and landing with a thunk, leaving little craters behind. I follow with more grace and the soft clops of my hooves. He glances around while I turn to my old the throne, still resting off center while Sister’s is long gone. He moves next to the giant pedestal for the Elements, which was originally in another part of the castle, while I sit on my throne.
Memories flow in and out of my mind’s eye, remembering me and Sister’s rule as adolescents, our victories over evil, the mistakes, the lack of love, the jealousy, the anger, the hate, the war, the banishment...
The voices of six mares and... a young dragon? Anyways, their voices snap me back to reality. The stallion casts a cloaking shield to hide us from their view. We watch as they celebrate reaching the Elements before the purple one uses her magic to hand out five of the Elements, explaining each to their Bearers. I note that a baby purple dragon is resting on her back as the Element of Magic appears to her and she explains how it works with the spark. Twilight, the stallion had called her. The Elements transform into jewelry for their Bearers, matching their cutie marks, as the stallion nods and drops the shield.
I stand up and bellow, “Those toys can do no good for you!” The Bearers spin to face me and the Elements light up like they did a thousand years ago. No, not again...
“NO!” the stallion voices my silent cry as he teleports himself in front of me, casting his magic forwards. The two magic collide head-on and are equal for a tense moment before the pressure is too much and they explode. The blast tears off the stallion’s armor, sending the pieces flying past me and leaving him bare.
His meddlings, as he had called them, have changed him: black coat, pale blue medium-length hair, curved and ragged horn, large, blue draconic eyes. He growls, “You won’t take her from me again!” Again?
“What are you?!” squeeks the white mare, Rarity, Bearer of Generosity.
“An old pony bent on saving the Princess of the Night!” Saving? He gulps dryly before continuing. “And nopony will stop me!” he yells as he uses yet more magic to teleport us away, leaving behind a set of stunned Bearers.
* * *
We appear in a newer throne room, this one housing Sister’s throne and the windows that were missing in the Everfree, and this one recently managed. But currently empty. Probably the stallion’s doing. Speaking of the stallion...
I walk within his vision and glance at him. “You are really devoted, aren’t you?” I ask him. He nods. “I see...” I examine the throne before asking, “Canterlot?” He nods again. Sister had talked about moving here. Guess she couldn’t stand the ghosts the Everfree gained.
I explore the rest of the room, which is nothing really, before lying down next to the throne. The stallion lays down where he came in at, spacing out. I stare at the throne as i dive into my own thoughts.
I recall how lonely I felt for a thousand years on the frigid moon. No air, no water, no warmth, no pony. I recall how the stallion leapt in upon my return, those words he spoke then and on the flight to the Everfree. I recall how he lept into harm’s way and what he said about himself. I glance over at him and notice how weak he looks now. And then everything connects! He wanted me to puzzle through it so I could see it is true emotions, true love! He loves me like how I’ve desired all this time! He... loves me...!
I stand up to see he’s still spaced off. I walk to the patio behind the throne and gaze at my night sky, letting the moon return to its course across it as my armor shifts to my normal royal attire. I turn away as I recall my loneliness and then wonder how lonely he was, studying forbidden arts for me for a thousand years. I feel a tear streak out of my eye as he steps out onto the patio. I turn to him, noticing the glimmer in his own eyes.
“L... Luna...?” I nod and his eyes sparkle. “You’ve... returned?” I nod again and he smiles.
“You fought for what you love, and you did it without simply giving out the answers.” He shivers before collapsing to his knees, then shifting to lay down comfortably, visibly exhausted. “Rest, for you have not done so in too long.” I can see it’s true. I shift to stand, then lay, next to him, our sides brushing softly. I feel heat rise as I look at him, giving him a smile that he returns before lying his head down. He’s out instantly. I chuckle, laying my head down and slowly following suit.
* * *
I wake to the voice and warmth of Sister. “Sister?” I ask as I turn to the stallion from the past while. “Oh.” I blink and blush as i realize my wing is over him. I pull it back. “Right. I never got your name?”
“Dage,” he answers as his cheeks redden and he looks over my head. I follow his gaze.
“Sister!” I jump to my hooves in surprise, turning a deeper red as i realize she knows all of it. I wrap her in a hug, crying, “I am so sorry!”
“As am I for not being what you needed,” she replies honestly.
“You did what you could,” I admit, my views in a new a new light. I let go of her and watch the sun on its slow rise from dawn. “A new dawn for a new stage in life.” I turn to Dage. “For both of us.” I smile at him, making him red all over again. He pulls an awkward smile that simply elicits an unprincessly, very mare-ish giggle from me. Things look promising.
Author's Note
I originally decided it'd be fun to show Luna's side. But, after the rewrite/self-edit, it became almost vital since her thoughts aren't so readable by Dage. I believe I didn't twist Luna very much from what she would likely do in such a situation, but I do know my Nightmare Moon isn't exactly much like how the canon was. I might fix that. But I might not since there is a new equation, one that she might not know exactly how to respond with. So, yeah, I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless.
The Lover
My name is Dage. I was the Knightmare Dage during the feudal era. I didn't care for the endless wars between nobles and their knights. Instead, I escorted caravans through the worst routes. My prowess preceded me; everypony, good and bad, knew the Knightmare in his evil armor and blue glows. It made my job mostly uneventful, but I don't like violence itself, so it worked out.
Because of my lack of care for wars, I didn't learn of the war between the Princesses until it was too late. I have had to stay up a lot to ensure my escorts remain safe, leaving me to watch the night sky. I saw it for the beauty and peace it is. Others just see it as the absence of day, a time to sleep, or to abuse the sleep-time of others. No one but I respect the night and it's Princess.
As I guided a caravan to its final destination, I caught the guards talking about the Princess of the Night. I swiveled my ears to listen in. "The final battle between the Princesses is about to take place just northwest of the Everfree Forest." Battle? Between the Princess? I took to the sky and realize the night has lasted for the last month; I barely pay attention when we are on the move.
After getting my pay, I spin around, leave the town and rush to the battlefield. My internal clock tells me the month has ended as the sun starts to rise. I glance around at the wreckage, not able to tell who won from the dead bodies. I wandered over the mess, looking for a sign of life somewhere.
It took the rising of the sun for me to find the camp of its Princess' forces. After asking for the Princess, I am lead to the massive center tent. I am admitted inside to see Celestia in her grand battle armor. She turns to me, a grim look beset on her face.
I demanded for her to tell me what happened. She sighed, telling me first of the Elements of Harmony, then of their role in banishing Luna to the moon. But, she said, Luna was lost in jealous, having become the evil Nightmare Moon. She made the night last a month, bringing the crop-killing chills. Celestia had no choice. I asked how long her banishment is. She said forever.
Cold rage filled me, pulling random thoughts together into words, driving intense magic behind the words I spoke next. "On the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring about nighttime eternal!" Unless someone returns her to the mare she was. The prophecy of myth, the one that still haunts Celestia. I left after that, having plans on how to get my Luna back.
The Journey
I can tell she hesitated before following me out onto the exterior balcony. There, I concentrate on gathering my magic, my sight turning blue as they always did when I call upon my magic. I channel my magic, my horn glowing before the glow also envelops my entire form. "You seriously aren't thinking of trying to levitate yourself all the way there, are you?" she asks incredulously. My horn sparks before a second glow wraps around the first; an overglow. I slowly lift into the air, keeping myself steady.
"Not even the most powerful wizards could levitate themselves for long!" I continue my slow rise while she grows impatient. She lifts off, leaving me behind with "This is taking too long!" I ignore her, soon far enough away from the castle. I drive my magic into a fireball spell and, with a boom, I fly forwards, wrapped by the spell.
"As I pass by Nightmare Moon, I ask, "What was that?!" I can guess that only ticked her off but she catches up quickly, keeping pace with me as she begins to ask questions.
"Why are you doing this?" she starts. "Why are you helping me?"
"I'm helping because you contain something very important."
"What do you mean?" I guess that she's raised an eyebrow at me. I ignore the temptation to look back, lest I mess up my flying.
"You'll have to figure that out yourself." Silence follows for a while before she speaks again.
"You are rather considerate for one doing evil."
"That's because my purpose is good." My ears bend back as I predict what she says next.
"The actions define the pony."
"Along with the purpose," I spit back.
"That wasn't true for me."
"Except that you are here now." She stays silent for the rest of the flight, hopefully thing over things; it will help to make her realize who I want and why I want her.
The Six
I cast a shield in front of me and Nightmare Moon, cloaking us from view. The six mares and baby dragon enter the room and celebrate the end of one long journey. Twilight picks up the five Elements, handing them out one by one. Lastly, she reveals herself as the Element of Magic and how that works before it appears to her. The Elements transform into jewelry for their Bearers, matching their cutie marks.
I nod to Nightmare Moon, dropping her shield. She rises to confront the would-be heroes. "Those toys can do no good for you!" The Bearers spin on her and the Elements light up-
"NO!" I drop my shield as I teleport in front of her, casting my magic out to meet the Elements' head-on. I push as hard as I can, actually holding off the magic force until both explode. The explosion in my face rops my armor off, sending the plates flying. I blink as the explosion clears almost instantly.
That leaves my revealed form to be seen by all. My coat is pitch black, my medium-length mane is pale blue, my horn sprouts from my forehead curved and ragged, and my eyes are large, blue and dragonic. My meddlings have warped me. I growl at the Bearers, showing my sharp teeth. "You won't take her from me again!"
"What are you?!" squeeks Rarity.
"An old pony bent on saving the Princess of the Night!" I growl. I feel tears of weakness as they stare at my now-fragile form. I push them back. "And nopony will stop me!" I yell as I use more magic up to teleport me and Nightmare Moon away, leaving behind a stunned set of Bearers and my armor.
The Moon
We appear in the Canterlot throne room, the ancient stained glass windows warping the moonlight around us and Celestia's empty throne resting at the head. She walks within my vision to my right. "You are really devoted, aren't you?" she asks in a soft voice. Which is odd after her voice had remained the same since her return. I nod. "I see..." she continues on to examine the throne. "Canterlot?" Nod. She explores the rest of the room before laying down next to the throne, staring at it.
I lay down where I'm at, not sure what to do next. I try to think up of something, but, instead, my thoughts wander back to the past thousand years. I remember practicing with my magic, experimenting to use it in new ways, such as flying. I remember studying about the Elements of Harmony, and the shield spell that should have stopped them. I remember studying many kinds of spells for traps, some of which were actually implemented. I remember researching teleport spells until I found the trans-dimensional teleport, which I used on Celestia, whose absence has pulled away the guards. All the work, all the time, and it has lead to this. I sigh.
I look up to see her step out onto the balcony behind the throne. I try to think but don't get anything but to follow her for a while. I eventually give up and do just that to find her turned sideways. Behind her, the full moon shines brightly and a star shoots by. Her armor is gone, replaced by her royal crown and necklace. And a single tear falls from the eye facing me. I feel my own tears return as I see the beautiful-yet-sad sight.
She turns her head to me. "L.. Luna...?" She nods and my heart leaps. The moon begins to rise. "You've... returned?" She nods again and my lips curve into a smile as the moon shines brightly overhead.
"You fought for what you love, and did it without simply giving out the answers out." Her soft, marvelous voice makes me shiver. No, wait, that's exhaustion I realize as I collapse to my knees. I give in and lay down comfortably. "Rest, for you have not done so in too long." It's true, I haven't sleep since that day so long ago. She moves next to me before laying down, too, close enough for our sides to brush softly. My heart leaps as heat rises to my cheeks. I look at her and she smiles. I smile back before laying my head down with a content sigh. I drift off almost instantly.
