Immortality of Exma

Chapters

Exma Meets Celestia And Luna
Six thousand years ago: the execution of Exma
The Next Day: Exma Meets The Mane Six
One Thousand Years Ago: Luna's Banishment, Celestia's Sorrow, and Exma's Motherly Instincts

Exma Meets Celestia And Luna

Her restraints dug into her wrist and the rain poured onto Exma as she was forced to the gallows, to a fate she has faced many times. The roars of anger from the onlookers radiated from the crowd, all directed to her as she looked at the guillotine and it's scarlet splattered blade from it's previous victim. The wind blew in her face as she came upon the blood splattered executer and stood before it. She looked over the crowd, all demanding her death. She just sighed and kneeled over the guillotine, placing her head below the blade. The excecutioner held the blade above her neck and looked at Exma through the dark cowl. Upon the orders of the warden he let go of the rope and let loose the blade. The female sighed and closed her eyes as the blade dropped at an alarming speed towards her neck craving her blood. The last thing she heard was the constant chant for her blood, for the head of Charlotte Corday to roll before the blade struck her neck.

Exma sat up with a start and panted heavily at the nightmare of a memory she just had. She patted her neck and felt the scar of the blades used on it among her scalie hide. She sighed in releif and layed back on her make shift bed, looking up at the dense foliage of the Everfree Forest. It has been four days since she left Apploosa and she growls in frustration. They've seen a buffalo and pony couple, gryphons, and Celestia knows what else but when they see Exma's true form they freak out calling her a changeling. She can't help being what she is, she's been like that for as long as she can remember, which happens to be 12.5 billion years or as alot of philosophers call it the beginning of all existence. She sighs and pulls out a map of Equestria. She summoned a ball of azure flame from her scalie clawed finger and looked over the map. Her ruby eyes looked over the map and tried calculating where she was her lizard face illuminated by the flame. She calculates that she is close to the small town of Ponyville where the current barers of the Elements of Harmony reside. With a nod and a feeling of accomplishment she extinguished the flame and closed the map placing it back in her bag.

She stood up and stretched, her bones popping and her reptilian tail flicked in slight annoyance. She packed up her bedding and put on her tattered sand colored cloak before picking up her travel bag and putting it on under her cloak. She looked to the west and with a shift of her bag she set off in the direction of Ponyville. She knew the Everfree was filled with danger but she had experiance in combat both armed and unarmed. The only thing she didn't want to face was an Ursa Major because she's seen what those things can do to a pony and it was not pretty. She shivered at the thought, the barbs decorating her head twitching at the thought as she walked through the forest.

Her nightmare, her memory of the final days as Charolette, played through her mind and she cursed her memory of that day and for the french for executing her. After what seemed like forever, which was impossible since she's experienced forever, she found herself at the edge of Everfree with Ponyville in the distance. She sighed in relief and started heading to it but was stopped by two rather large stallions holding knives. She kept a calm demeanor and kept her face hidden under the hood of her cloak.

"What can i do for you two fine gentlecolts today?" She asks with a subtle hint of annoyance.

"Yeah miss we want all you got." The one on the left, a grey stallion with a dark grey mane and a scar running across his snout said with a grin.

"Yeah," the stallion on the right, a pure white pegasus with a sandy blonde mane said holding up his knife said, "We don't want to hurt you."

Exma just sighed and shook her head. "Well boys I have some bad news for you. I don't plan on giving you anything I own and I do not wish to harm either of you." She said irritated.

The two stallions laughed at her. "Well well I like a feisty mare." The pegasus said advancing on Exma. "Maybe we could..."

Before he could say anymore Exma kneed him in the stomach, causing him to collapse on the ground. She kicked the knife from the unconscious pegasus just as the other one charged her. She sighed and let him stab her in the side before bringing a scaled hand over his head knocking him out next to his companion.

"What a pair of idiots." she said as she started to head to Ponyville, leaving the knife in her side.

She was two thirds of the way to Ponyville when the familiar feeling of blood loss hit her and she started to feel light headed. She cursed under her breath as she held her side feeling the warmth of the scarlet liquid stain her hand. She shook her head as she entered the limits to the small town trying hard to stay awake long enough find somepony. With a groan she leaned against the wall of the nearest building her breathing heavy.

"D-Damn," she said as she felt the warmth of her blood on her hand. "I have got to stop doing that and start thinking straight."

"Hey are you okay?" came a voice to Exma's left.

She looked in the direction of the voice and saw four mares walking to her. A pink earth pony with a darker pink shaded almost cotton candy like mane and tail wearing a blue and pink striped dress with what looked like an apron over it saying 'Life's A Party' on the front, a cyan pegasus with a rainbow colored mane wearing a jogging suit, a white unicorn with a curled and styled mane wearing purple eyeliner and a designer white dress, and a lavender unicor with a dark purple mane streaked with pink wearing a sweater vest the same color as her mane and a black skirt. They approached her with worried looks decorating their faces and Exma kept her face hidden under her hood.

"Are you okay?" asked the lavender unicorn as they got close enough to the wounded woman.

"Y-Yeah," she said a little shakily, panting at the blood loss, "I-I'm just f-fine."

"Doesn't look like it." said the pegasus putting her hands on her hips. "Looks to me like your hurt."

"I-I am hurt, badly." Exma said as she pulled dagger from her side and tossed it on the ground causing the four mares to gasp.

"Oh my gosh how bad are you hurt?" the white unicorn asked worry clear in her voice.

"It's bad," she said panting "I'm bleeding out and about to black out."

"Oh sweet Celestia we need to get you to the hospital." said the pink pony who was freaking out.

Exma was about to say more but before she could her vision faded to black and she lost conciousness. She awoke five hours later to the startled faces of the hospital staff around her. Guessing by the look on their faces Exma figured they were freaked by her looks and that she may have died, again. She looked at the nearest staff member, a nurse with a light pink mane done up in a bun, and she jumped a bit.

"Do not fear me I am not what you are thinking I am." she says to the nurse, who looked at the scaled lizard woman with confusion. "May I ask where I am and why you all look scared, besides the obvious reason."

The nurse slowly approached Exma. "W-Well y-your in Ponyville General Hospital because you were severally injured by a cut to your abdomen and were bleeding horribly." she said nervously like she was talking to a ghost, which she technically was. "Y-you died thirty minutes ago from blood loss, y-yet y-your alive and well."

Exma just chuckled at her response. The staff members looked confused and one of the doctors was about to say something when he heard somepony clear their throat behind him. He turned and gasped before bowing to two tall alicorns in royal attire. The one on the left was indigo in fur color with an ethreal flowing mane colored like the night sky decorated with a couple of stars, black dress, crown and necklace with a crescent moon decorating the front of it. The one on the right was pure white in color with the same ethreal flowing mane as her sister only it looked like an oddly colored rainbow, dressed in a pure white gown with a golden crown and necklace embedded with what seemed like amethyst and emerald. Exma recognised both princesses and smiled at them, seeing them like since the last time she met them.

"Sister what do you make of this creature?" the indigo one says looking at Exma with curiousity.

"I do not know Luna but she looks oddly familiar," the white one said scratching her head. "From where I do not know."

Exma started to giggle confusing the princesses.

"What is so funny, scaled creature?" Luna asked with slight frustration.

"It's just been so long since I last saw you two," Exma said wiping a tear from her eye. "How have you been, Luna? Celestia?"

They gasped when she said their names.

"How do you know who we are?" Celestia asked, approaching the lizard woman.

"Because Celestia," Exma said sitting up in her bed, "I met you two when you were just little fillies when your parents had me executed."

Celestia gasped as a memory of the day she was talking about flashed into her head. She stepped back and stammered at the immortal lizard.

"S-So y-your?"

Exma chuckled. "Yes it is I, the true immortal, Exma Immortalius"

To be continued...

Author's Note

If you haven't figured it out yet Exma is a anthro lizard woman much like the one on the cover image but with a little more meat on her. Just an FYI chapter two and chapter five are going to be set into Exma's past and i will mention in the beggining of both chapters the time period.

Six thousand years ago: the execution of Exma

Canterlot, six thousand five hundred years ago

Exma walked down the streets of Canterlot as her persona, a silver colored mare known as Silver Scroll. She brushed a lock of her sandy blonde mane out of her face and adjusts the glasses on her snout as she walked to her place of work, the Canterlot library. She was one of the most beloved librarians in Canterlot and a lot of the ponies that pass her are at the library. She was greeted by ponies young and old, noble and not. She smiled as she arrived at her work and entered it being greeted by her boss as she walked in through the front door.

"Good morning Silver Scroll," a dark brown unicorn stallion said with a smile. "How are you this fine day?"

"I am doing fine sir," she replied to her boss, Dusty Book, as she sat at the front desk. "There was a fight on my way here so there was a crowd but some of the guards came and stopped it." She sighed happily. "Oh those guards, if only I can spend one day with one of them."

Dusty shook his head, completely aware of Silver's attraction to the guards. He sighed and walked off just as the first knowledge seeker of the day entered the building. Silver's ears perked up as a teenage unicorn filly with an orange coat and a tan mane, her little skirt swishing as she skipped in. Silver couldn't help but giggle as the teenage filly skipped to the counter, her lavender eyes sparkling as looked at the receptionist.

"And what can I do for you today young one?" Silver Scroll asked the giddy filly with a caring smile.

"I would like to check out a book ma'am." She said.

"Alright," she said as she took out the check out list and a quill, "May I get your name and which book you would like to...."

Before she could finish the front door of the Library burst open and guards rushed in scaring Silver and the filly. One of the guards saw Silver and ordered his men to arrest her. She was forced to the floor as she was restrained, her hands locked behind her back.

"What is the meaning of this?" Dusty demanded as he trotted from the back of the library.

"This is royal business sir." The captain said as Silver was pulled to her hooves.

"Well that's my employee you are arresting and as her boss I demand that you tell me why you are placing her under arrest." He said stomping his hoof causing the guard to sigh.

"This mare is under arrest for the murder of Count Atlas." the captain said making Dusty and Silver gasp at the same time.

"B-But I-I-I....." Silver stuttered. Not again. She thought as Dusty looked at her in shock.

"I-I never knew." he said, taking the guards words before anypony else's.

Without second thought the captain and his men dragged Silver out of the library. She could feel eyes of the surrounding ponies fall upon her as they passed by, all whispering as she was 'escorted' to the castle. She was shoved forward through the front gate and almost tripped. She cursed silently as she was taken to the one place nopony wanted to go unless they had a good reason for being there, the throne room. She whimpered as the two large doors opened and she was taken down the vast room towards the rulers of Equestria, King Cosmos and Queen Galaxia. King Cosmos sat in his throne wearing a dark coat that matched his own night sky coat, a gray pair of trousers edged in black, and a royal cape decorated with the constellations that decorated the night sky. His dark purple mane flowing to his right and his lavender eyes stared at Silver with a hardened glare as she was brought to him. Queen Galaxia sat next to her husband in a golden dress that brought out her pale white coat and her day-turning-tonight colored mane flowed in the opposite of her husband as her light orange eyes stared at Silver in a sympathetic way. Silver whimpered as she felt the magical aura of the two alicorns wash over her and she knew that whatever they had in store for her would result in dying again.

"Here is the mare you asked for your majesties." The captain said and bowed to the queen and king.

Silver was shoved in front of them and collapsed to the floor. She groaned as she got to her knees and stared up at Cosmos and Galaxia. She had a bad feeling that she was about to die without even pleading her case.

"So you are the mare that murdered Atlas, the count of Cloudsdale?" Cosmos asked.

"I didn't kill anyone my king." Silver said.

"Then how do you explain eyewitness reports that you left the count's Canterlot home last night," He said, his voice rising as he spoke to the silver mare causing her to flinch, "Not to mention that Captain Lance found the murder weapon in your home."

Silver's eyes widened and she stuttered, not believing what she was hearing.

"B-But I-I would never do that to another pony your majesty," she said, pleading her innocence, "I'm just the receptionist at the library, I have no reason to..."

"Silence!" Cosmos said in the Royal Canterlot Voice. "You Are Hereby Sentenced To Death By Beheading, Bring In The Royal Excecutioner."

As he said it, a tall, muscular stallion walked in wearing the stereotypical Excecutioners cowel and holding a large axe no normal Pony could hold. Silver was forced to bend over by two of the guards as the big pony stood next to her. She sighed as he brought the axe over her neck and lifted it high above his head.

"Any last words miss Silver Scroll?" Queen Galaxia asked.

"Immortalis." was all she said before the excecutioner brought the axe onto her neck, severing her head.

Silver's head rolled on the floor leaving a trail of scarlet before settling before the rulers. With a sigh the king ordered the body and head taken away just as two young fillies ran into the room, the two young princesses. They ran up to their parents, avoiding the severed head, and hugged them.

"Hello 'Tia, Lulu." Galaxia said to her daughters as she embraced both princesses.

"Did you excecute another bad pony daddy?" Celestia asked King Cosmos.

"Yes my little sun goddess," he said ruffling her rosey pink mane. "She won't hurt anypony else."

Celestia was going to say something positive to her father when Luna screamed. He looked at his daughter who was pointing in the direction of the severed head. The remaining family members looked in the direction Luna was pointing and looked in horror as the headless body that was motionless moments ago bend over to pick it's head up. The head's ruby eyes looked at the royal family and it smiled before being reunited with it's body. Silver sighed and cracked her neck before stretching.

"And that makes twenty five." she said rubbing her neck before looking at the king and queen.

They stared back in shock at the mare who had been beheaded and yet here she stood.

"H-How...." King Cosmos asked.

"How am I not dead?" Silver asked recieving a nod from the bewildered king.

"And what do you mean that by 'that makes twenty five'?" Galaxia asked, holding her daughters close. "Do you mean to say you've already been excecuted twenty four seperate times."

"Oh no no no," Silver said. "That's the twenty fifth time I've been beheaded."

They stared at her in terror thinking that she was going to try to harm them. Silver sighed.

"Now if you'll listen to me I will explain." she said a little annoyed at the King and Queen's ignorance.

The kings calmed down and so did the queen and children. With a smile Silver shed her persona, gaining gasps from the royal family. She stood before them as her scale self, her yellow green hide decorated in scars from previous battles and experiences in years past. She smiled at them and bowed.

"Allow me to reintroduce myself," She said with grace, "My name is Exma Immortalius and I am a true immortal."

"True Immortal?" Cosmos says in confusion. "That is impossible there is no such thing as a true immortal."

"Oh isn't there?" she says with a giggle before walking up to the king. "Then ask yourself this King Cosmos."

He looks at her curiously.

"How am I still alive after having my head lobbed off if i'm not a true immortal." She says as a smirk crosses her scaled muzzle.

He opens his mouth to say something but closed it.

"B-But that means..." Queen Galaxia said. "That the fairy tale we read to 'Tia and Lulu every night is true."

"Oh that story oh how I love that one." She smiles and wags her tail. "My best week ever."

"Sorry for executing you miss Immortalius." King cosmos says and received a pat from the lizard.

"It is alright but I did not murder anypony." she said sternly.

"I am sorry for that." he says again getting a sigh from Exma.

"I'm used to that actually," she said receiving a confused look from the king. "Too many times that's happened but hey that's in the past. Now if you'll excuse me I have to be going now."

"Why?" came the response from the young sun princess.

She turned and smiled at her. "Because I can't exactly walk around as a mare that's been executed for murder." she said with a smile. "But I promise i'll see you again all grown up Celestia."

Celestia smiled and she and Luna hugged Exma. She giggled and hugged them back before she disappeared in a ball of light. For years Celestia had wondered if she'd see that lizard woman again but as time passed the memory of the true immortal faded to the deepest part of her mind until she was nothing more than a phantom to the princess. That is until the day she was informed of an unusual patient at Ponyville General. A woman that looked like a dragon but without it's wings and smaller. Celestia summoned Luna and both of them teleported to Ponyville General only to be reunited with the true immortal.

"I thought I'd never see you again." She said as she hugged Exma who returned it happily.

"How have ya been kiddo?" Exma asked

"I have been well since i last met you." she said.

Exma smiled and lay back falling asleep. Celestia smiled and pulled the covers over her before she and luna teleported back to the castle.

To be continued.....

Author's Note

Sorry if it seems a bit rushed at the end I wanted to get it done today

The Next Day: Exma Meets The Mane Six

Exma woke up to the sound of voices outside her hospital room and was curious to what the voices were and who they belonged to. She sat up just as the door opened and six mares walked in. The four mares who found her yesterday were among them along with an orange earth pony with a blonde mane and tail with a ribbon tied near the end and a brown stetson on her head wearing a white and blue flannel shirt, and jeans that had 'Apple family, embroided along one pocket and a yellow pegasus with a pink mane that covered one of her cyan eyes while her yellow sundress stretched to her ankles. The cowpony and pegasus looked at Exma in shock making her giggle in silence.

"You weren't kidding when yah said that she was odd lookin Twi'." the orange cowpony said as she looked over Exma who smiled.

"Hello there," Exma said stretching her arms, "I am Exma Immortalius and may I ask who you six may be?"

"Oh where are our manners." the lavender unicorn said. "My name is Twilight Sparkle."

The remaining ponies introduced themselves as AppleJack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy.

"It's nice to meet all of you," Exma said kindly.

"May I ask you a question Exma." Twilight asked and Exma nodded. "What are you?"

"Oh I knew that was going to be asked by the student of Celestia," she said with a giggle, "As you can see I am neither a pony, dragon, griffon, changeling, buffalo, donkey, or zebra. You may not believe this but I have been like this since the beginning of Equestria, since the beginning of all existance. There are even legends and fairy tales about me."

"S-So y-your.....?" Twilight stuttered.

"Yes, barer of the element of magic, I am the fabled 'Eternal Maiden'." Exma said with a toothy grin causing the girls to gasp.

"B-but the Eternal maiden's an old mare's tale," Rarity said shaking a bit.

"So was Nightmare Moon but you six know that she wasn't," Exma said, her ruby eyes sparkling, "So that would mean that since I am laying in this hospital bed before you now clearly not dead from blood loss as a sign that I am not a legend nor am I myth."

They all looked at her in shock and amazement with jaws agape. Exma giggled at the display they put on before looking at Twilight.

"Would you like me to prove it miss Sparkle?" she asked.

"O-Oh h-how?" the lavender unicorn asked.

"Scarlet Mareington's AutoBiography, page thirty two, paragraph three. 'Today I have met a creature unlike any I have seen in my travels of Equestria. It was concealed in a cloak the color of sand tattered along the bottom. The creature spoke to me, which i found out it was female, asking me about what immortality means to me. I spoke truthfully and told her that to me immortality is about being able to live for thousands of years. She just giggled and I asked her the same question. She told me that what it means to be immortal is to exprience the worlds pain from it's first pain to it's final breath as well as feel the pain yourself. I looked at this creature in awe and she laughed before disappearing into the night. It was then I thought that the creature, the maiden, was Eternal. I never saw this eternal maiden again after that.' That was during the final years of Celestia's parents reign." Exma said, reciting the book for every word causing Twilight to look at her horrified yet intrigued.

"I've read that book but there was no description of what the eternal maiden really looked like under the cloak only guesses." she said with intrigue.

"But now we know what's under the cloak." Rainbow said. "A female something older than the princesses."

Exma nodded and smiled at them. She noticed that Fluttershy hadn't said anything the entire time, in fact she didn't seem to be in the room anymore. She voiced her concern and the girls looked for her before finding her under the bed. With some words of ecouragement from the others she was pulled out from under the bed and stood in front of Exma. The eternal lizard woman waved at Fluttershy with a calm and caring smile receiving a nervous wave from her. Exma motioned for her to come closer which she did with slight reluctance.

"Why are you frightened of me Fluttershy?" Exma asked the shy pegasus.

"Y-You l-look like a dragon." she said hiding behind her mane causing Exma to chuckle.

"I can assure you I am nothing like those creatures." she said with a giggle "In fact I died at the claws of a couple of those brutes but you can guess the rest."

She looked at the immortal and gave a small smile to her. Exma was glad that she was starting to warm up to her when the doctor came in.

"It appears you can leave tomorrow morning miss Immortalius" he said.

"That is good to hear doctor." she said and got out of her bed stretching. "Mind if I wander the hospital?"

The doctor didn't mind and Exma started to wander with the barers walking with her. They asked Exma so many questions about Equestria's past and she gave her answers. Twilight asked about the Princesse's past and Exma laughed.

"Sorry Twilight can't say anything cause I don't wish to reveal anything about Celestia. Beleive it or not I was a major part of her life whether she knew it or not." she said with a smile as the walked into the main halls.

"How?" Twilight asked Exma and she looked down at the one thing she had done for Celestia.

"One thousand years ago." was all Exma said as a dark cloud hung above her head, a cloud filled with the pain she felt those thousand years ago.

"Y-you mean...." AppleJack said, trailing off as the lizard woman nodded.

"Three weeks prior to that day I had told Celestia while she slept that Luna was being corrupted by the jealousy of the ponies loving her days and shunning her night." Exma said, the dark cloud rumbling with the memories of that day. "I was even there when Luna became the wicked Nightmare Moon and when she was banished. I comforted Celestia from the shadows for those thousand years, even sent her a Hearth's Warming gift on her first Hearth's Warming without Luna. In a sense I've been like a mother to her without being seen."

The girls looked at Exma in awe as thousands of questions ran through their minds. Before they knew it the time had flown by them and visiting hours were over. They said their goodbyes to the immotal and left for home as Exma returned to her room for the last night. She looked out of the window and saw the setting of the sun and the rising of the moon, the same ritual she's seen for years. Luna's nights have always been beautiful and Exma yearned to tell her that but she could never bring herself to do so. She sighed and got into the hospital bed, pulling the sheets over herself. She felt the cloud over her thunder as she felt sleep overtake her and she felt the memory of that night flow through her mind and dreams.

Author's Note

And we have some foreshadowing for the next chapter. we're going back into the past to the night of Luna's Banishment, stay tuned.

Forever Chasing The Nightmare.

One Thousand Years Ago: Luna's Banishment, Celestia's Sorrow, and Exma's Motherly Instincts

Canterlot, One Thousand Years ago, three weeks before Nightmare Moon's creation.

Exma walked around Canterlot in another disguise, a unicorn noble with an alabaster coat and a orange-red mane. She walked through the streets like any other pony and, much to the distaste of the other nobles, mingling with the commoners like equals. She was never really a fan of the social status BS and so she always talked to the lower class ponies. She was one of the more likable nobles among the commoners and one of the dislikable nobles among the nobles. But Exma really didn't care what those snobs thought because they were all literally beneath her in the evolutionary chain but she didn't want to act all high and mighty about herself.

She was walking right by the castle when Princess Celestia walked through the front gates. She bowed to her and greeted her formally. She returned the greeting and wished her a wonderful day before walking into the direction of the jewel shop. Exma sighed wondering if she should tell Celestia she was still around but decided against it preferring to stay in the shadows and observe both of the princesses.

She noticed Luna walking from the gate and greeted her with the same formal greeting. Luna sighed and walked in the direction of her sister without saying a word, a heavy forebodding cloud hanging above her head. Exma was concerned for the lunar princess fearing that she was jealous of her sisters fame and how much everypony enjoyed the daytime. She feared that Luna would soon let that jealousy grow to the point where it would take her over.

"I need to let Celestia know about this." She thought and was about to head towards Celestia but stopped, "But I don't know how she'd react to it... damnit."

Exma cursed herself before walking to her home planning to visit Celestia in the middle of the night to warn her of Luna's sorrow. Later that night Exma snuck into the castle, barely avoiding guards, and snuck into Princess Celestia's royal bedchamber. She looked upon the sleeping sun princess wondering what to tell her, if anything at all. She looked down at her before sitting on the bed. Exma gently stroked Celestia's cheek, sighing as the memory of her as a child entering her mind. She smiled at her reaction and sighed.

"Oh Celestia," she said as she looked out the window at the serene night sky. "I.... fear that your sister Luna may be growing jealous and bitter of you and your days. Her sorrow and resentment is growing and i fear if it grows too much it may consume her and cause her to do something..... regrettable." Exma looked at Celestia, who was sleeping soundly oblivious to the immortal. "Please help her before she, or you, do something that cannot be undone."

Exma kissed her cheek and disappeared just as Celestia sat up and looked around the room. She shook her head and went back to sleep, feeling the kiss on her cheek.

"Was that voice i heard..." She thought before drifting back to sleep.

The next day Exma wandered Cantorlot with a sigh of content. She hoped that her warning to Celestia embedded itself in her thoughts. A crowd began forming in front of the castle as Celestia and Luna appeared on the balcony, Celestia waving to the crowd with Luna standing behind her enough to still be in view. Exma noticed Luna was depressed and again sighed. Her stomach heaved as she felt an ominous aura coming off Luna, much darker than the cloud she felt yesterday, an aura that loomed over Luna and threatened to overtake her. Exma knew in her heart that whatever she felt was about to happen was going to happen that very night, an event that would change the lives of both sisters. Celestia looked down on the crowd and spotted Exma among the ponies, looking at alabaster mare with a sense of familiarity. She rubbed her cheek as the mare walked away from the crowd towards the marketplace. She tried to shake the familiarity off but was unable to before she walked into the castle. Exma walked through the center of the marketplace, the feeling of dread, despair, and possible rebellion against Celestia. She gripped her stomach, which was dancing a very dangerous tango, before she stopped at a citrus fruit stand.

"Oh good day Gemini." the stallion behind the stand greeted her, "The usual for you?"

Exma nodded and the stallion reached under the stand pulling out a bag of oranges and limes. Exma gave the owner what she owed and said goodbye before she walked off. In her mind she was contemplating if she should go see Luna in an attempt to quell the aura threatening to consume her. She was interrupted from her thoughts by someone clearing their throat behind her. She turned around and was surprised to see two royal guards standing there.

"The princess has requested your presence immediately and has asked us to escort you to the castle." The guard on the left said keeping his straight posture.

Exma sighed and gestured them to lead on, slightly glad that it isn't in a rough manner unlike the last time she was there. Exma soon found herself in the very throne room that had once been the site of her beheading and revealing as the immortal maiden. Upon the twin thrones sat the princess of the sun and moon, all grown up making Exma's heart flutter in joy. She bowed as she approached the princesses.

"Please stand." Celestia asked and Exma stood up.

"What do I owe the honor of being summoned by Princess Celestia to the castle?" Exma simply asked, a thought of why entering her head.

Celestia stood from her throne and approached the noblemare making Exma a little uncomfortable. Celestia put her face three inches from Exma's, getting a clear look at her the sense of familiarity very strong now.

"I feel as if I know you," Celestia said as she stood back, "I don't know why but ever since my dream last night I have had this strange sense about you."

Exma knew that this would be a good time to reveal herself but she decided against it because she needed to try quelling the impending situation before anything happened that would change the princesses.

"I'm sorry princess but I don't really understand what you're talking about." Exma said not showing any sign of acknowledgement.

Celestia frowned at the answer and just sighed before she dismissed Exma from the throne room apologizing for the inconvenience. Exma bowed and left the castle letting out a huge sigh of relief. She tried to still her rapidly beating heart as she made a beeline for her home that sat on the border of the 'rich' part of town and the 'common' part of town, her only sanctuary to which she could shed her persona and be her usual scalie self. Within ten minutes she returned to her home, a small manor, and approached the front door. The lock for her front door was a special kind she had made herself that used a single barb from her head to unlock. She looked around before reaching into her mane and pulling out one of her barbs, with a twinge of pain, before using it to unlock her home. With a twist of the ornate doorknob she entered her home that housed a number of her 'mementos', relics that were from the civilization that existed before what Exma liked to call the Equestrian Era, a large portion of which were reminders of some of her past 'lives'. She kicked the door closed and the lock re-engaged as she walked past the foyer. She shed the persona and her clawed toes clacked against the marbled floor as she scratched one of the scars that decorated her muzzle, her heart starting to calm down.

'I need to make sure to try quelling the dark aura surrounding Luna or she'll....' Exma thought to herself, 'But i'll have to risk exposing myself to her in order to do so.'

She scratched her neck before heading upstairs to wash the day away with the plan for the night dancing around in her head like a grand ball. Later she was drying herself off when she saw the sun start to set outside of her bathroom window, the mingling of night and day in that instance was always a wonderful sight to her no matter the era. She let out a sigh before she got herself ready, putting on her tattered cloak as well as a brown suit she got from the human era. Tugging the hood over her head she exited her home and made her way to the castle under the cover of shadow, a means she was all too familiar with. She arrived at the left side of the castle and scaled the wall using her claws on her hands and feet, soon landing on the grass on the other side. Looking around the garden, making sure there aren't any other guards around before she proceeded through the lush green foliage on her way to the castle, keeping to the shadows as best as she could. Soon she found herself underneath the tower that Luna's bedroom resided in (because she's been there multiple times mind you) and looked up.

'Luna please be in your right mind right now...' Exma thought as she started scaling the wall of the tower.

Luna stood on the balcony from her bedroom, the same balcony she used for the raising of the moon for the past four thousand years since she and Celestia inherited the kingdom from their parents as well as the duty of control of the celestial bodies, gazing over the beautiful night that she's created and her thoughts turned dark as she thought about the ponies that slept during this time. She wished that the ponies of Equestria would appreciate the nights she works so hard to make as much as they praise her sister. She glared out onto Equestria before she turned to return inside.

"Why must they be so ungrateful." She said to herself as she entered the room, "Doesn't anypony appreciate my nights?!"

"I do Lulu." came a voice behind Luna, a soft and familiar voice from her childhood.

Luna quickly turned around, ready to face the intruder, and stopped when she saw a figure in a tattered, old robe the color of sand, brown covering legs that ended in two yellow-green scaled feet with four inch black claws extending from the toes, five in total on each foot, and a long scaled tail that had small spines (much like an alligators) running down from under the robe sitting on the railing of the balcony. Luna's body didn't dare move not in fear but in pure curiosity over the figure, a wave of something she couldn't describe rising through her nerves as Exma just sat there looking at Luna through the hood of the robe.

"Only four individuals know that...... nickname," Luna said to Exma, her body posture still tense and seeming to not change until she was sure that Exma wasn't a threat, "My mother, my father, my sister, and....."

As she trailed off she remembered where she'd heard the voice before, five thousand years ago on the day her parents executed the one creature that existed and had an entire story written about her (out of context). Her body relaxed and her eyes started to water as Exma pulled the hood back to show her smiling face.

"Hello again Luna." Exma said, her ruby eyes glowing in the moonlight.

She stepped down from her seat and was met by the embrace of the princess of the night, the dark aura around her lightening a little at the happy reunion. With a smile she returned the hug and softly pet the mane of the younger alicorn, who looked at her with tears of joy and one of the widest smiles ever seen on a pony. Luna stepped back and tried to regain her composure with very little success.

"It has been too long Ms. Immortalis," Luna said in a very formal tone, her voice a little excited, "My sister and I have missed you greatly."

"Well you know me exploring Equestria and the lands beyond," Exma smiled at Luna, "Died a few times to a handful of nasty creatures and the such, got caught on more than one occasion, became a queen for a few years for the gryphons' than left a successor to the throne, that kind of stuff."

Luna's eyes widened at the answer the eternal maiden gave, astounded by what she's done. She never expected Exma to have been busy in the last five thousand years. She noticed a few scars on the exposed parts of Exma's skin that weren't there when she saw her last, most likely from the afore mentioned deaths. Exma noticed her wandering eyes and laughed causing Luna to become confused.

"Yeah I've gained some new trophies from my exploits in the past four thousand years," Exma laughed as she scratched a scar on her left lip closest to her nostrils, "But hey I wear these scars with pride."

Luna giggled before remembering what Exma said before the happy reunion and looked at Exma, who was popping her back and sighing in relief from it.

"What did you mean by you enjoy my nights?" Luna bluntly asked Exma.

"Hmm?" Exma looked at Luna with one eye closed, "Oh right. I absolutely enjoy the nights as much as the day because it feels more serene as well as brings out some of the true meaning of nature, in my opinion."

Luna felt her heart flutter at Exma's words, something she hasn't felt since her parents were living. The dark aura around her lightened even further, much to Exma's joy and she reached into her robe, pulling out a crystal that was auqa in coloring. She hands it to Luna, who takes it with enthusiasm, and looks it over in her hand curiously.

"What's this?" Luna asks curiously.

"A very special type of crystal I got from the Crystal Empire before that jerk Sombra took over." Exma said causing Luna to flinch at the name of the unicorn that caused so much problem for the crystal ponies.

"W-What does it do?" she asked still observing the crystal closely.

"I'll show you." Exma said holding out her hand politely asking for crystal.

Luna handed Exma the colored crystal and she held it in her fingers with the most delicate of care. With a little concentration the crystal starts to glow and an image projects from the end pointing up, an image of a grand ball among the royalty of the Gryphon kingdom. Luna's jaw dropped as she saw a male gryphon dressed in clothes resembling a generals outfit dancing with an all white gryphon female in an elegant dress matching her coloring, the eyes ruby in color.

"Is that...?" she asks pointing to the all white hen and Exma nods.

"That was my disguise when I was in the gryphon kingdom under the guise of the wife of one of their most revered generals." Exma said as she looked at the projection. "This crystal is one that can take any memory chosen by the one holding it and project it so that the user and anyone around the user can see the memory."

As she explained the crystals use the projection showed the general and the hen embracing and kissing each other causing Exma to shed a tear. Luna notices the tear and looks at Exma who shakes her head.

"Did you love him?" Luna asked

"Y-Yes I did but for me this is....." Exma paused wiping a tear from her cheek, "I've had many partners, husbands, and lovers in my existence and have lost all of them in some way."

Luna hesitates for a minute before she decided to ask.

"What happened to him?"

"He was..... assassinated in his sleep by a jealous subordinate." Exma said and the crystal seemed to change the scene to the horror of that night.

The scene showed a grey and brown gryphon sneaking into the bedroom of the couple, a knife held firmly in his hand. He approached the general and brought the knife to his throat, dragging it across as a steady flow of blood trailed behind the knifes path. The generals eyes opened in horror as well as the hen's before he grabbed it, choking on his own blood and staring up at his assassin before turning to his wife. Some scarlet decorates the white gryphons face and feathers as she stared in horror. After a few seconds the generals beak formed a small sentence before he slumped back on the bed, his body limp. The assassin turns towards the wife and moves to her, his intention being to silence her. Instead of a helpless hen who saw her husband die, what the assassin got was an enraged immortal that charged the assassin with her face twisted in anger and her fingers outstretched, aiming for his throat. The projection darkened for a brief moment before an image of Exma in her true form, her nightgown and body covered in blood and cuts as well as the body of the assassin, her eyes different, more feral. The projection fades and Exma hands the crystal back to Luna, who looked at Exma with a combination of horror and sadness.

"At that point I decided to make it seem as though i managed to escape but......,"Exma looked down at the floor her eyes watering. "I didn't want to leave him laying in bed like he was and decided to........ burn our home."

Exma just sighed at the memory before wiping her eyes. She looked at Luna, who was trying her best not to show her sympathy. Exma wiped a tear from Luna's eyes, giving her a warm smile.

"Lulu I'm giving you this crystal," She gestures to the crystal in Luna's hand, "So you can remember the good times that you've had in times you get negative thoughts. Just be positive ok?"

Luna looked at the crystal before looking up at Exma before nodding.

"What about you Exma?" She simply asks.

"Don't worry about me Lulu," Exma smirks before ruffling her mane, "I'll be around to make sure you and your sister are happy."

Luna felt a little embarrassed at having Exma ruffle her mane like she was a little filly again but sucked it up since it was Exma. Exma gave her a hug before she disappeared, the crystal in her hand warming up. Luna went through the encounter in her head and wondered if she should tell Celestia or not. After a small debate to herself she decided against it and went off to do her usual things.

Three weeks later, the day of Nightmare Moon's creation.

Exma was proud of the progress that Luna had since her visit three weeks ago. Every time she saw Luna, even with Celestia, she saw that the aura around her was almost non existent. Exma smiled to herself and took one step when her body shook and a vision played in front of her. The scene in front of her looked like the old throne room of their parents only faded and unkept with crumbling walls and vines decorating the room. Exma saw Celestia standing next to where she was standing, her face one of fear and sadness as tears stained her cheeks. Exma followed the alicon's line of sight and spotted a black figure standing by the throne, an etheral mane that flowed like a river of stars coming out of an azure colored helmet, the same kind of armor decorating the black mare.

"Luna it's me your sister!" Celestia yelled at the figure, Exma's eyes widening.

The figure glared at Celestia her wings spreading as a maniacal laugh escapes her lips. Exma couldn't believe what she heard Celestia say, the sentence still echoing in her head. How was this dark mare Luna? What was going on? So many questions reeled through Exma's head as the dark mare laughed more.

"I am no longer Luna dear 'sister'," the dark mare sneered at the word sister, narrowing her eyes, "I have become the very thing you and all of Equestria have shunned, I am Nightmare Moon!!!"

The vision soon fades and Exma found herself on the ground surrounded by a crowd. She quickly gets up and rushes to her home in a huff, leaving the crowd behind in confusion. Exma ran like the wind as the image of this 'Nightmare Moon' continued to dance in her head, the laugh echoing in the back of her head. As she rushed to the front door tears had already started to flow from her eyes as she plucked a barb and unlocked the door.

"Nonononononononono," She kept repeating to herself as she rushed up to her bedroom, to the very back of it where she kept her old gear. "Luna couldn't become that she..."

Exma stopped herself and stood in the middle of her back room as something occurred to her. From the time she's been alive there have been individuals that have been able to hide their pain, anger, and sorrow behind a smile until they were ready to make their plans know. Maybe on that night she visited Luna she had already been taken over by the darkness in her heart and the aura she saw lightening was that of Luna's old self.

"I'm such a fool," Exma chastised herself, holding her head in her hands, "Why didn't I notice that sooner?!"

Exma felt as if the event was about to happen and she grabbed her leather armor and her robe, putting them both on with lightning fast speed. She opens the window and launches herself into the final rays of the quickly setting sun, landing with a soft thud onto the ground before rushing off in the direction of the Everfree forest, the feeling of dread coming from that direction the strongest. She ran as fast as her legs could take her as she rushed through the one part of Equestria that did not rely on earth ponies, pegasi or unicorns to grow.

'Damnit why didn't I do anything about this,' she screamed at herself in her head, 'Why didn't I see the signs!'

Soon Exma found herself standing before the decaying ruins that once made up the capital of Equestria five thousand years ago, the old castle of the royal family. She just stood there staring when she suddenly saw a brilliant flash of light causing her to rush into the ruins only one thought in her head.

'Please Celestia, Please don't let what I think happened have happened.'

She soon found herself in the throne room from her vision with one significant difference, Celestia is on her side near the thrones with six stone spheres around her, sobs escaping her form. Exma looked around the room for any sign of Luna or Nightmare Moon until she looked up and saw a sight that made her collapse to her knees. She saw the image that would be seen in the moon for the next one thousand years, the image of nightmare moon staring down at the world she was banished from.

"Celestia..." Exma quietly said to herself, "What have you done?"

Exma looked at the sobbing alicorn and couldn't help but cry. Celestia had done what Exma had tried to prevent, she had to banish her own sister, her own flesh and blood, to the moon to prevent her from making the night eternal. Exma stood up and walked to the princess who had passed out from the severity of what she had done, kneeling down and picking her up holding her head to hers.

"I'm sorry Luna," Exma said with her voice catching between sobs, "I wanted to stop this from happening. I wanted you to see that ponies still loved you, that I loved you like a daughter, that your sister loved you. I..."

Exma's train of thought was interrupted as she spotted something glistening in Celestia's hand, something that was the color of auqa. Exma saw the crystal she had given Luna gripped tightly in Celestia's hand, the gift she'd given the night princess in the hopes that she wouldn't be bitter towards the ponies of Equestria or her sister, the hope that she'd be happy.

"Luna...." Exma started but couldn't finish her thought, looking down at Celestia.

Exma turned and started to walk through the ruins of the old castle towards its entrance, holding Celestia in her arms. She looked at the old castle once more before she found herself in Celestia's bedroom with nothing but a thought. She set the sleeping princess in her bed, tucking her in much like a mother to their young filly. After making sure she was safely tucked in Exma sits at the side of the bed, her hands together as she can't help but sigh. She looks to Celestia one last time before leaning down to kiss her cheek, whispering for her to think happy memories before she disappeared.

Over the past thousand years Exma had been keeping an eye on Celestia from the shadows, at every opportunity she had she'd send her reminders of the happier times she's had. On her first Hearth's Warming she sent Celestia the same kind of crystal she'd given Luna as well as a note explaining the use of the crystal signed under the single initial, E.

When Celestia looked as if she could do without Exma's help she once again started to wander the land of Equestria and beyond making sure to occasionally check in on Celestia until one day when she checked in she saw a sight she didn't think she'd ever see again, the sight of Luna in her form before she was banished. Exma almost wanted to go to Luna and express her own welcoming but refrained from doing so. With that final check in Exma once again wandered the world.

Author's Note

To those who thought this story died it has not its much like my other story ive just been busy is all.

Also when I use ' ' in any sentence it means that the character is in thought the more you know :twilightsmile:

Ok Ok i know what your thinking, "why was luna reacting the same way as celestia when they met Exma in the hospital in the present?" to which i say it's because Luna's transformation into nightmare moon changed some of her mind and lost some of the happy memories except the one of Exma but her time on the moon made the memory fade much like Celestia's memory of Exma.