It was a perfectly normal, bright sunny day in Canterlot. Raising the sun wasn’t a problem for Celestia, and the citizens were going about their business.
Inside the castle, Princess Luna was walking through the Castle Gardens, with her guards by her side. She sighed with boredom. She needed something to do. Being the younger Princess meant that everything important was done by her sister. Except raising the moon, that was Luna’s sole responsibility. Apart from that, she couldn’t do anything.
Oh, but that’s exactly what she wants, isn’t it?
Luna silently cursed. She had thought the voice to be gone once and for all after their last bout
You know you could always fight back. Together we could topple Celestia’s corrupt regime!
No, she wouldn’t succumb to that voice. She was past the stage in her life where she was susceptible to the voice in her head. But maybe she could beat Celestia this time, after all she was far more powerful than she had been before…
She shook her head. She needed something to focus on, that would make the voice go away before it incited her to rebel again. She stared out the window and surveyed the beautiful landscape surrounding Canterlot, but even as she tried desperately to distract herself she could feel the voice in her head growing stronger
Don’t try and fight me churl. You know as well as I do that I will escape this mental prison you and that tyrant have built for me. There’s no use resisting. Join me! Fight Celestia and together we can end her tyranny once and for all!
“No.” She said softly. As if vocalizing the words would convince the voice in her head to back down. Part of her knew that it would be of no use, but she didn’t want to give in and accept her fate. Not yet.
She cursed again under her breath. The voice was never this loud, this, convincing.
No! Luna needed to keep her composure.
“I will be heading to my quarters.” Luna said. “You are dismissed.” And with a gesture of her hooves the guards nodded and left her to her thoughts, a dangerous proposition
Once she was inside, the voice of Nightmare Moon only got stronger.
You know I speak the truth. You know you want to cast off the shackles of Celestia’s tyranny.
“No!” she yelled at the voice “I am Luna! I am not Nightmare Moon!”
You help no one by denying yourself, Luna. You may like to think of me as some kind of malicious entity, corrupting you to my own ends. But you and I both know that to be a lie. I am merely an extension of yourself, I am everything you wish you could be. I am confident, strong willed and charismatic. I am what you, deep down inside of you, wish you could have been 1000 years ago, I am what you, deep down inside wish you could be when the nobles ridicule you, I am what you, deep down inside want to do when Celestia humiliates you, when your friends abandon you, when your guards mock you, when everypony runs from you . I am everything you could never be.
“NO!” Luna screamed at the top of her lungs “You are not me! You know nothing about me!”
Luna waited for the voice to respond, but nothing happened. She waited some more. Still nothing. She sighed, at least that little bout with the voice was over. She knew one day she would have to bring up the voice with Celestia one day.
As she trotted up to a mirror, she saw how horrid she looked. Her mane was out of order, and her eyes were red. Had she been crying?
If you won’t join me willingly, then I will just have to make you join me. I am sorry Luna, but this is for your own good.
Luna felt a sharp pain in her head as the voice suddenly re-emerged. She prepared to fight it off but she was far to late. When had the voice become so strong?
Her figure grew, and her hair longer. Her voice grew deeper, and soon, she was Nightmare Moon again. She looked out of her tower to see Celestia looking through a telescope. She would have her revenge and she would do what Luna had stopped her from doing 1000 years ago.
Nightmare Moon immediately began to concoct her plans for the future. She was aware that Luna had a sizable celebration coming up soon, perhaps that would be a good time to announce her plans to all Equestria?
She was broken out of reverie by several sharp knocks at her chamber door.
Damn, I had completely forgotten about Luna’s guards she chided herself for her oversight, how would she depose Celestia if she couldn’t keep track of two lowly palace guards?
“Your Eminence, We heard a noise coming from your chamber and rushed over to see if everything was alright, are you injured?” Nightmare Moon was glad that the noise was coming from the other door, she hadn’t even thought to change from her Nightmare form and back into Luna.
“I am fine guardsmen, return to your post at once” She hoped she had sounded convincing, she was still getting used to actually having Vocal chords again.
She was relieved to hear the guardsman’s retreating hoof steps. That had been far to close a call for her liking. Shifting into her Luna form just in case the guardsman came back.
Returning to her planning she realised that she, by herself would never be able to win on her own. She would need allies. The bearers of the elements of harmony were going to be attending the party, perhaps she could convince some of them to back her and fight for her cause? Or perhaps she could convince some of the regional governors to back her coup? She cursed to herself, there were to many variables and forcefully taking control of Luna’s body had worn her out, she decided to take a quick nap a continue planning later.
