Nothing's Going to Change Her World
"RAUUUUUUUUGHHHHHHHHH!.!.!"
Luna took off into a gallop. Nightmare Moon did the same. As her body rested in a thousand year slumber below, her inner spirits clashed on an airless, forgotten surface, thousands of miles of void sitting between her and happiness.
SLAMMMMMMM!.!.!
Two horns cracked together. Teeth were gritted. Ghostly sweat dripped onto and through the lunar soil.
"HOOOOOHAHAHAHAHAHA!.!.!"
Nightmare Moon laughed maniacally. She gave a toothy, evil grin.
Her horn began glowing brightly.
Luna's eyes widened in horror.
A beam of light hit her. She was sent sailing above, and then skidding across the gray soil. She screeched to a halt. Her wings flapped. She found her way to her hooves. She glared at her opponent.
"My oh my, I have never seen so much determination in you!" the demon cackled. "Yet... weakness at the same time! Could it be that deep down inside; you know that this isn't the end?"
Tears dripped from Luna's narrowing eyes.
"SHUT UP!"
"Excellent retort," the nightmare chuckled, rolling her eyes. "I'd like to hear what you have to say to your sister when you return!"
Luna let loose a war cry. Her eyes flashed black. A beam of lightning cascaded from her horn. Nightmare easily sidestepped it, smirking.
"You always have been ruled by your emotions," she taunted. "And that- that is your weakness. You are NOTHING without me! Just another waste of space! Another star in the sky! Pointless! Meaningless! We were going to make one of the few choices that mattered!"
"I was everything without you!" Luna hissed. "You took it all away! Everything!"
"You act like you didn't bring it upon yourself!"
The two charged against each other once again. Two horns glowed brightly in the darkness, yet nothing much was revealed. They locked again, each trying their best to cancel out each other's magic when the two funnels kissed.
"You say you never 'feel' weak emotion, yet is that fear I sense in your voice, Nightmare!?" Luna growled, her face inches away from the enemy within.
"Fear? Of what?!" she laughed. "Of being freed of you?!"
Nightmare suddenly lifted herself onto her hind hooves. She sent a powerful frontal kick Luna's way, sending her once again skidding into the placid ground.
"I am well aware that the hour of being off this rock is arriving!" Nightmare spat. "But you... you grow weaker by the second! You do realize that your only chance to be freed of me is to fight like you MEAN IT?! AND YOU DON'T MEAN IT! HAHAHAHAHA!.!.!"
Nightmare's horn activated. Potshots of blue, twisting energy sailed at Luna.
ZAAAAAAAAAP!.!.!
She gasped. She ducked and rolled. And Nightmare once again broke out into hysterical fits of evil laughter.
"DANCE FOR ME, LITTLE LUNA! DANCE! LIKE A MARIONETTE! DANCE LIKE THIS WORLD- THIS ENTIRE UNIVERSE DOES TO FATE! TO OBLIVION! HOOOOHAHAHAHA!.!.!"
ZAAAAAAAAAP!.!.!
ZIINNNGGGGGG!.!.!
Luna lept to her hooves and performed a counter-spell. A beam of light of her own met the other. The two were locked in magical parry. They began to inch closer to each other. The beams crackled and sparked in the dark.
"COME ON LUNA!” Nightmare growled. “You can't kid me! I am part of your mind!"
She took another menacing step forward, her eyes narrowing.
"I am the thing that kept you from slumber. The evil that haunted every dark corner of your soul! And deep down... deep down you know you don't want to be freed!"
"LIAR!" Luna spat, inching closer and closer to her, her eyes locked in determination.
"OH MY! KEEP TALKING! YOU'RE BRINGING TEARS TO MY EYES!" Nightmare roared, actually wiping away one as she continued her spell. "You know as well as I do that what you tried to do lingers on in memory. And you know that THEY KNOW you had a part in my creation! I am a manifestation of your inner darkness! You know that the night will never be anything but considered evil! And have you ever once considered that it might actually be true?! And that you, as a representation of it, are nothing but a crying little ball of sin?!"
"M-My sister said... m-my sister said everypony has a dark side," Luna whimpered, her beam of war growing thinner. "And t-that we shouldn't be a-ashamed of it."
"Whispers in the wind," Nightmare scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Meaningless words of comfort."
Luna's beam broke. She let loose a shriek. Every inch of her spirit cried out in pain as the demon's energy washed across her.
The demon was torturing her, and she was enjoying every moment of it.
"They'll never accept you, Luna," Nightmare growled. "They never have and never will. You are the very thing their instincts tell them to be afraid of: the darkness. The night. The shadows that dance and twist in the moon's light!"
"Y-You're just trying to save yourself!" Luna shrieked, her spirit writhing in agony, twitching and convulsing in the shadow of the world she once loved.
"Maybe... but a part of you doesn't believe that, does it?!" Nightmare cackled. "How can you hope to make them love you when you can't even love yourself?! You are your own worst enemy. And because of that, you and I... we will be two peas in a little pod until the end of this universe... and perhaps, beyond!"
"I-It's been a thousand years!" Luna cried. "A THOUSAND YEARS! Hundreds of generations... they can't... they can't still hate me!"
"And it might as well be a chime of the clock to the one person you care most about," Nightmare grinned.
"S-She'll still love me... I k-know it!" Luna whimpered.
"Oh you just know it?! Logical as always, Princess!" she chuckled. She then took a deep breath. "But it's alright. She doesn't matter! Nothing matters!"
"S-Stop it!""
Nightmare gave a glare. "Listen to me, damnit! Remember what I once told you? That one day, everything you see will come to an end!? That the universe will contract into a little ball of nothing!? And there's nothing you can do to stop it! It's all pointless! Just let me end it now! Bring forth eternal night so everything will freeze and fester and DIE! Save your sister the trouble of one day seeing everything she's ever done is MEANINGLESS!"
Luna took a deep breath. She put the pain to the back of her mind. She rose to her feet. Her eyes narrowed in determination.
"T-They may not love me, anymore-" Luna started.
Nightmare Moon's eyes widened. A bubble of blue formed around the princess. The demon's spell danced off it.
"B-But I... I still love them!" Luna thundered. "And for that, I will dig your grave, oh challenger of fate! You say I am my own worst enemy?! Well, right back at you!"
“Oh will you just quit LYING TO YOURSELF, DAMNIT?!” Nightmare shouted.
Luna shivered. She growled. She channeled her spiritual energy into one coherent beam of love and righteousness.
"WAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUGHHHHHHHHH!.!.!"
Nightmare Moon was evaporated. She was dust in the solar wind... for now. But now... now came something much worse than her…
The silence. That damned, unbearable silence.
Luna plopped down onto her flank. Tears once again formed in her eyes. She glanced at the shimmering blue world that long since teased her.
"S-She was right though," Luna whispered. "I-It's all pointless. What's the point of eternal life... w-when you live it in eternal sorrow? P-Please forgive me, sister... please... f-forgive me..."
She grew tired. She shut her eyes. Her spirit dissipated. Her real form slept in a metal cell below the lunar surface. One cycle... one day and the stars would aid her escape. She would be ready to destroy the nightmare. But as for what waited for her in wake, she did not know. It would be hard. It would be a hard mountain to climb. All the souls she had destroyed, all the havoc she had wrought would be on her back as she tried to do so...
It would be heavy... it would be so... heavy.
☼☼☼
And so the stars came.
And the stars dragged her back to the world below.
Her sister was ready for her. She had been planning. She had things arranged.
"Oh, my beloved subjects. It's been so long since I've seen your precious, little sun-loving faces!"
And so was the nightmare. She took control of Luna's true form.
And she fought. She fought for her life. Luna did the same.
Two spirits danced and battled in a lonely castle that had once been her home. In the deep woods of Everfree.
"LET THEM COME!" Nightmare cackled. "The Elements of Harmony?! I've never seen more pathetic wastes of flesh and blood! You should see them, Luna! Struggling to make it here! Bickering and fighting! Are those the kind of subjects you want to rule over until the end of time?!"
Luna ignored her. She was fighting for nopony but them. She danced. She dodged. Her spirit linked with the arcane powers of light and dark and beauty, challenging the challenger of fate.
Nightmare parried her at every turn, though she kept her mind occupied. The only thing Nightmare could do was provide meaningless distractions to the Elements of Harmony.
And to Luna’s joy, after what seemed to be an eternity, Nightmare Moon once again proved herself to be a liar. The Elements arrived, and Twilight Sparkle fought with passion and love Luna wished she still had.
Nightmare was not amused.
”You're kidding! You're kidding, right?!”
Steam puffed from Twilight's snout. She took off into a gallop. Nightmare did the same. Shadows flickered off the walls in the dim light of the moon and glowing battle-ready horns.
However, Nightmare was arrogant. She didn't suspect a lowly mortal to pull any tricks. To even have an ounce of cleverness. She was too used to fighting a weakened opponent.
Twilight teleported. Nightmare skidded to a halt, gasping. She twirled about. Twilight had the Elements in her grasp.
Though it wasn't over yet...
A minute later, hooves thundered to the hardened floor. Six stones broke and shattered into fragments.
"You little foal! Thinking you could defeat me? Now you will never see your princess, or your sun! The night will last forever!"
Nightmare scored one last 'blow'. Though she had only crushed pointless rocks. There were many things she did not know. And because of this, she was doomed before the battle even began.
And as her mortal form cackled and scowled at the Elements, Luna continued to fight. She couldn't fight like she meant it, but she did have one thing on her side: love. Her and the demon within fired spell after spell at each other. There was only this moment and this moment only. Neither was winning. Neither was losing. But it would not matter... she would just need to keep her occupied for a second longer...
"You think you can destroy The Elements of Harmony just like that?! Well, you're wrong, because the spirits of The Elements of Harmony are right here!"
Twilight had figured it out.
"NO! NOOOOOOOOOOO!"
And that was it. Nightmare knew it was over. A brief moment later and Luna would be free at last. Though the demon was determined to go down swinging.
"THEY'LL NEVER ACCEPT YOU, LUNA!" Nightmare's spirit screamed at her. "Your sister will try! She'll order her subjects to try! But they'll never love you! And you'll never love yourself! You've got too many god damned skeletons in your closet to clean! HOW STEEP IS THAT MOUNTAIN LOOKING, LUNA?.!.?.! HOW STEEP?! ALL THY SINS WILL BE REMEMBER'D! *WAUUUUUGHHHHHHHHH!.!.!*"
And it was over. With a ghostly puff, the demon's spirit disintegrated before her. And the next thing she remembered was Celestia beaming down at her.
She was no longer a ghost. Her heart beat. Blood flowed through her veins. She was in her true body. And she was no longer locked in a cell oh so far away... And her Tia... who she had caused so much grief: she continued to smile.
"It has been a thousand years since I have seen you like this. Time to put our differences behind us. We were meant to rule together, little sister. Will you accept my friendship?"
Luna's heart pounded in her chest. Her eyes moistened. Her sister... Luna was right! She had forgiven her. It was always in her nature. She was the Princess of the Sun. Of warmth and light and love. And she didn't want to be alone any longer.
Luna didn't want to be alone either.
Her eyes moistened. She galloped towards her. She nuzzled her. She wept. And for the first time in eons, she felt warmth.
"I'm so sorry! I missed you so much, big sister!"
But then she glanced at the Elements. They smiled. But she saw something in their eyes she had often seen before:
Mistrust.
And Luna... once again... felt cold.
☼☼☼
A year went by.
Leaves died. Snow fell into a white oblivion. Flowers bloomed. And the hot summer sun beat down upon her.
She didn't feel warm.
The mountain stood before. She climbed and climbed. She fell and fell. Her past wore her down. Every horrible thing she had done.
She was in the form of Nightmare Moon. She stood in a burning Canterlot. Then she stood before her sister as she spat curses at her. She cut through armies. She cut through the world's defenses like a sword through flesh. Bows and arrows against the lightning. Mortals against a goddess. She would make the globe a torch that would burn in an eternal night.
It wasn't her fault entirely... or was it? It was the demon within had possessed her... but Luna could not be certain it wasn't of her own making. Yet still, Celestia forgave her. Sweet, loving and warm Celestia. Every day she tried to help:
"Luna... I brought you breakfast... or dinner, I suppose. Come on, rise and shine! It's time to raise the moon!" she chirped from behind her chamber's door.
Luna gulped. She didn't bother to open it.
"C-Can you please do it for me again, Tia?"
"Sister..."
Luna sighed. She sank her head into her pillow.
"I-I just want to go back to bed..."
A beat.
"You won't get any better just lying in there all day, Luna..." her sister said. Her tone, like usual, was filled with concern.
"I won't be any better out there..." she whimpered.
Eventually, however, Luna did indeed begin raising the moon once again. From a lonely balcony she sat, actually smiling upon her work.
Though every mountain around Canterlot, however, reminded her of the one she had yet to climb.
They were all… so heavy.
Her sister wasn't helping much, though she continued to try. One day, though Luna felt the time had not yet come, she called upon her to perform her own very special task once again.
"Luna... if you're ready, I want you to once again access the dream world. You may still be... shy about approaching your subjects in person. But perhaps... this will allow you to see that they are more than willing to accept you into their hearts once again."
Luna paused. She considered her sister's words. Perhaps this would be a step in the right direction. Her sister was wise... and strong. Maybe she knew what was best for her.
"Very well, Tia..." she finally said, nodding.
And the mountain still loomed steep over her.
☼☼☼
She floated in a vast oblivion of glowing blue orbs. Each showed a pony's current dream. Each showed a pony's nightmare.
She saw a foal running in a field of flowers. She felt warmth emanating from it. And she couldn't help but smiling. This one would not need her attention.
She floated to another orb. A pink pony was bounding through a stack of cupcakes. She gobbled them up merrily, one after another.
Luna chuckled. Another one that would that would be fine on its own.
She continued to glance about. So many happy dreams… so many happy ponies. She was beginning to wonder if she would even be needed at all anymore…
But then, she heard a cry.
"NO! PLEASE!"
She glanced at the origin, her eyes widened in shock. Twilight Sparkle was being confronted by an angry, evil Celestia in a bubble nearby.
"Another failure of a report, Twilight!" the latter shouted. "Do you want to be my student?! Or do you want to be nothing but a crying foal who expects special treatment from me simply because you're an Element!?"
"P-Please forgive me, Princess. I'm sorry! I'll try harder next time!"
Luna gasped. Obviously, her sister would never act like this. But to Twilight, this dream was all but real at the moment.
"You're worthless, Twilight!" Celestia shouted. "You do not deserve to be my student anymore than you deserve to wear the crown of magic!"
"P-Please... stop," Twilight whimpered, tears falling onto the floor of her library.
The night princess narrowed her eyes in determination. This was it. This was a chance to show her metal! To show one of her subjects there was nothing to fear from her!
She smiled. She flapped her wings, barreling towards the orb...
"OOF!"
And to her horror, she found herself actually rebounding off of it.
"Now, I'll expect two more reports by tomorrow! And they had better by up to my standard if you expect to be under my wing the day after!"
“I-I can’t! It’s too much!”
“TOO MUCH?!” Celestia shouted. “You ARE Worthless! Pathetic!”
"Hang on, Twilight! I'm coming!" Luna cried. "Come on, damnit! Open up for me!"
She barreled once again towards the bubble. But again, she bounced off of it.
"NO!" she hissed.
She actually began to pound on it, as Princess Celestia continued her barrage of torment at Twilight. She couldn’t bear to hear it much longer.
"COME!"
BAM!
"ON!
CRACK!
"OPEN!
BAM!
"UP!"
SMASH!
Eventually, she found herself striking at nothing. The bubble had dissipated. Twilight must have woken up.
Luna found herself panting. She was exhausted. And all of the effort in the world would not allow her into the Element of Magic’s dream.
"W-Why couldn't I enter it?" she whispered in horror.
In desperation, she flew to another bubble. Any would do.
An old pony gathered around a picnic table with her family at a farm called 'Sweet Apple Acres'. They seemed so happy...
Luna barreled to it, her teeth gritted in determination.
"ACK!"
She rebounded off it as well. She flapped her wings to stabilize herself.
"UGH! WHAT THE HELL?!" Luna roared.
She scanned for more bubbles, fear in her eyes.
She spotted one. She scrambled towards it.
"OOF!"
She rebounded off of it.
“DAMNIT!”
So she tried another...
"OUCH!"
And another...
"UGH!"
She flew to nearly twenty more, but found herself unable to enter any. Finally, she found she had had enough. She hovered in the oblivion, her ears sagging, tears lacing her eyes. Deep down, she knew why she couldn't do so.
"W-Why? My sister said you had forgiven me..." she whimpered. "W-Why aren't you letting me in a-anymore?"
"Luna!" a voice cried from the oblivion.
Luna's mood turned a one-eighty. A smile beamed on her face.
"Yes! Does somepony need my help?!" she called.
She soared through the void. She didn't know how, but somepony knew she was here. They were asking for help! She knew it!
"Luna!" the voice cried again. It sounded very familiar, now... and closer.
"Yes! I'm coming! Hang on!" Luna cried, mirth still lacing her features as she looked and looked.
Yet she found none...
And then she heard a banging sound.
"Auntie, please! You must wake up!"
She halted. All the joy was squeezed out of her. This wasn't a voice coming from any dream...
Her eyes fluttered open. She found herself in her bedroom. She gazed up at a ceiling magically enchanted to let her see the night sky. The moon hung high. She seemed to be deep within her night's grasp.
BANG-BANG-BANG!
Somepony was pounding on the door.
"Come in..." Luna groaned.
The door opened. In came a tall stallion, one who wore arrogant dignity on every ounce of his features. Off his head hung a brilliant, golden mane.
"Ah. Good, you're awake!" Prince Blueblood said with a fake smile. "I was worried you forgot about the council meeting."
"The- the what?" Luna said, still groggy. She glanced at a nearby clock. "It's almost midnight..."
Prince Blueblood lowered his eyebrows in annoyance. "Yes, my dear aunt, the council meeting... they scheduled it just for you. It's in ten minutes."
Luna rose to her hooves. She looked into a mirror. The part of her mane that wasn't a starry sheet was messy as all get-out. Her eyelids were sagging.
To put it bluntly: she looked like crap.
Not to mention she was in a terrible mood.
"I- uh... can it go on without me?"
Prince Blueblood seemed to no longer be able to contain his annoyance at this point, with an indignant sigh he said, "No, Luna... they cannot. Like it or not, you're part of the government again. That makes you a gear in the machine. They need you to go over a few potential laws, and Auntie Celestia insists that they have your signature aside from hers. Don't shoot the messenger."
Luna gave a groan. "P-Please... just tell them if Tia signed them, they have my signature as well..."
Prince Blueblood rolled his eyes. "That's not good enough and you know it!" He took a deep breath. "Look, I know you're still depressed. But you need to get over it! The machine cannot run smoothly without its missing gear!"
Luna turned away from him. "I never asked to be a gear..."
"Yet you are, so you need to come on!" Blueblood said with a hint of a growl.
"Just leave me alone, 'nephew'..." Luna moaned, still not bothering to face him. "I am the essence of the night. Therefore, I am the essence of loneliness... I wish for you to leave me be."
"B-But what should I tell the council then?!" Blueblood all but shouted.
"What I just said: if Tia signed it; it has my signature as well."
Blueblood narrowed his eyes. He took a nasty, deeply disgruntled breath, before marching towards the door. "Very, well, 'auntie'."
He then walked out of her quarters.
"But one day you'll come to realize that the world does not revolve around you!"
The door shut fiercely, though he didn't necessarily slam it.
Luna began to shake. She collapsed upon her carpet decorated with little stars and a brilliant moon, right in the center of the latter.
Blueblood was the least of her worries...
"T-They wouldn't let me into any of their dreams," she whimpered, still shuddering. "D-Deep down... perhaps subconsciously... they do not trust me... that is why..."
She took a shattered, shaky breath. She glanced about.
Nearby hung a dark, black cloak... she needed a walk. A long, lonely walk. However, there was some minor business to attend to first.
She walked to her balcony, and with a flick of brilliant magic the moon began to glow brighter. And to her surprise, she noticed her sister was on a balcony across from her, for some reason still awake. She waved to Luna, and Luna forced a smile her way, before turning back.
She then realized her error.
She gave a grunt. Her sister could detect false displays of emotion like nopony else could. It probably wouldn't be long before she tried to give her another encouraging speech...
She didn't want it this time. She would avoid her if she could. She grabbed the cloak, flung it on herself, and then covertly made her way out of the castle. She soon found the door...
...But before she exited, a strange noise came to her ears.
Somepony was singing. It sounded like her sister.
She squinted an eyebrow.
It was quite surreal, to be honest, as her ghostly, ethereal voice echoed through the castle. It caught her immediately. She was stuck in its essence. She was stuck its moment. It was hypnotic to say the least.
"
Hey Jude, don't make it bad,
Take a sad song and make it better...
Remember to let her into your heart,
Then you can start to make it better..."
Luna raised an eyebrow. The song was quite mysterious. She had never heard it before from anyone. Though her sister's singing was always beautiful. It brought back images. She remembered when she used to sing to her when she was very young.
She gave a deep sigh.
Days oh so long ago....
She then winced. Her sister's singing was becoming painful, and not because of its quality.
She needed to get out... and so she did.
☼☼☼
It was certainly passed One AM now as she walked down still crowded streets of Canterlot, magically having shrunken herself to a normal pony's size. She was part of one of its many veins. Part of a much larger beast. The heart and soul of a nation. It was the first time she had been out and about it in a millennium. The first time she had explored this new, political metropolis. Yet politics weren't on the mind of the ponies that walked around her. They had other goals: to enjoy the night the best they could.
It was funny: that's all she had ever wanted really, the appreciation of her night. But now she found even that didn't help her much... the mountain still loomed in the distance.
She continued to trot. She saw happy couples enter night clubs. She saw ponies making merry down the street, discussing the day's activities. All it did was make Luna envious.
She winced at her own stupidity. Being out among her subjects was not helping her. All it was doing was making her miserable. Shaking her head, she turned back to the castle.
But before she could move an inch, however, her ears perked at something:
"Yo! Princess Luna!"
Her eyes widened. She twirled about.
Then she saw her: a pony waving at her from the entrance of a night club. A pulse-pounding beat echoed from it. She had a brilliant, blue mane flowing from her scalp, and on her forehead hung two purple sunglasses above two, almost glowing, red eyes.
She reminded her somewhat of a vampire, to be honest.
"H-How did you-" the princess began.
"Know it was you?" the pony answered for her, grinning. "Cus I saw who you were before you got all tiny. And not many ponies have to the power to shrink-ray themselves. Pretty cool, if I do say so myself!"
"Oh..." Luna said, wincing once again at her stupidity. She should have been more covert. She glanced about. Luckily, this street seemed almost deserted.
The pony began to approach her. "I'm Vinyl Scratch, by the way! Nice to meet ya'!"
"Oh-uh, you as well," Luna said with a forced smile. "But I really should be-"
"Easy there, just hear me out!” Vinyl chuckled. However, she then winced for some reason. “I mean uh… I understand... but uh... heh... wow -" She fanned herself slightly. "Don't usually talk to royalty -"
Luna raised an eyebrow.
Vinyl grinned sheepishly.
"Er, yeah," Vinyl coughed. "Ugh... I'm sorry; it was so stupid to call you out like that... I just get excited and impulsive sometimes and well... sometimes I just can’t-"
"It's fine... nopony seemed to be alerted," Luna said reassuringly. "But did you... want to ask me something?"
Vinyl gave an excited nod. "Well, uh- Yeah! This might sound cheesy, but... well... I really love your night and everything and... it means a lot to me... and well uh..."
Both of Luna's eyebrows rose. Was she actually a vampire? Vampires were accepted into society these days... it was possible.
"And uh... well..." Vinyl continued. Once again, she grinned sheepishly. "What would be cooler than having the Princess of the Night... in my night club!"
She winced slightly at the apparent cheesiness of that statement.
A warm smile crept upon Luna's face. So... maybe not all of her subjects were afraid of her. Her nerves seemed to simply be because she was speaking to royalty. Yet still... there would be others within it... judging her. Watching her... Sure, she could go in her disguised form, but that wouldn't quell what was bothering her.
No. No... She couldn't do it.
"I-I- Thank you," Luna gulped, sighing slightly. "B-But... I don't believe-"
"Pleeeease, come on!" Vinyl smiled warmly, invitingly, as she gestured inside. "I've heard the rumors of you, princess..." She winced again. "I mean uh... I hate to sound uppity... and I know I'm a bit out of place saying this-" Her eyes narrowed in determination. "Ah screw it! I'm saying it!” She took a deep breath. “Your subjects, princess - we don't hate you!"
Luna shuddered. This wasn't the first time she had been told this. She glanced away from the supposed vampire. Her words didn't mean much to her...
"I-I'm sorry... I can't... I just can't!" she cried.
And she took off into a gallop.
"Princess! Wait!" Vinyl called.
But she gave her no heed. She morphed back to her true height, the gate of the palace in her sight...
Two guards' eyes widened at at the look of her, though they soon saluted. Soon, she was making her way inside...
And then, Luna just about had a heart attack.
SLAMMMMMMM!.!.!
Princess Celestia thundered down before her. Her eyes tired. Her face stern.
"Sister!" she growled. "What were you doing out in town-"
Luna gasped. An apologetic, sorrowful glance came upon her. She did not know why.
"Without me," her sister continued, smiling warmly.
"O-Oh," Princess Luna gulped. "Heh. I uh... thought you were angry with me."
"Sorry," her sister smiled. "You know I love a good prank." She then lifted a concerned eyebrow. "But still... Blueblood said you missed another council meeting... I had to hear about it for fifteen minutes…" she added in a mutter.
Luna glanced downward, sorrow coming upon her once again.
"I-I'm sorry, Tia... I promise I won't miss the next one,” she said, before looking up at her again. “B-But... what are you still doing up?"
"I'm pulling an all nighter," she shrugged, before her stern glance returned. "And you know very well that you simply missing the meeting is not what bothers me!" she grunted. "Like I care if a few pointless laws about loitering are passed or put back into the bureaucratic loop. What matters to me is you."
Luna’s eyes began to water. She wished she could be happy for her. Her sadness made her sad... and she hated herself for it.
"I-I..." Luna began, gulping hard. She didn't want to tell her what happened. But she knew it was coming, the-
"What is wrong, dear sister?” she asked. And Luna winced. “Were you confronted with more horrible nightmares than usual?"
Luna paused. She shook. A painful look came upon her face. The guards nearby nodded, knowing this was a private moment, and moved back inside the castle.
And then, something unexpected happened.
"I-Is it me, sister?" Celestia said softly. "H-Have I seemed... cold to you? Because I want you to know..." She took a step towards her. "I love you... I love you more now than I have thousands of years ago. I know... I know it must have been hard, sitting on that damned rock..."
And she actually began to cry. She held no tear back.
"I-I looked up at it every night, you know. And I stared at it. I can't forget it... I can never forget it. And the day I was forced to- forced to-,"
She shut her eyes.
"At dusk, the very woods of Equestria whispered the name: 'Luna.' And it was beautiful."
Luna frantically shook her head. "N-No!" she cried. She immediately gripped her sister in a tearful hug. "No, of course... you've been nothing but kind to me, sister!" She then took a deep breath. "It's just... I never had a chance to face any nightmares tonight..."
"W-Why was that?" Celestia gulped, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"It's b-because... b-because-" And the dam holding back the rest of her tears broke. The hug was released. She fell to the ground. She was shattered. Her soul was being ripped in two. She could barely lift her head to meet her sister's mournful eyes when she said, "T-They wouldn't let me in, sister... I couldn't get into anypony's dreams... they-they don't trust me! T-They don't want me... n-not anymore..."
"Luna..." Celestia said warmly, as Luna glanced away from her. "Luna... look at me... please..."
Luna sniffed. She did just that.
"They do not hate you," Celestia said sternly. "The reason you likely couldn't get in... it's because I think... deep down, you are preventing yourself from doing just that. Like you don't feel yourself worthy of being in their dreams... Because I think... I think you still haven't forgiven yourself. And if you dislike yourself... no matter what anypony else says... you'll always think they see the same faults in you that you do."
Luna paused. She continued to weep. Only after what seemed to be a few minutes did she finally speak.
"The mountain is so steep, sister... so steep..." Luna whispered. "I still have far to climb." She took another deep breath. "I killed... so many... their souls scream at me in the dark... their eyes pierce me in slumber…"
"It wasn't you... it was never you," Celestia said warmly. "It was that... that thing who possessed you... you cannot blame yourself for doing those things..."
"I know... I know..." Luna gasped. "B-But I can't believe it...” She actually gave a laugh. “I-I guess don't know, I suppose..."
A look of resolve came to her sister's tired eyes. "Luna... you... I think it's best we spend more time with each other. I-I'm sorry I-I've not been able to do so lately. I-I thought that trying to integrate you into the government would help you feel like you were... you were accepted back... b-but I'm not sure if it's helping, is it?"
Luna shook her head.
"I-I thought so..."
"It just feels... so pointless, Tia," Luna said solemnly. "Everything. You know it as well as I do... why do we do it? We do we constantly try to improve the world around us when it is doomed in the end? And even so... how do I make myself better? How do I get myself out of this ditch... how do I convince myself my subjects don't hate me?! Hell, how am I supposed to convince myself that I'm even worthy of their affection?!"
Celestia closed her eyes. She took a deep breath.
"Hey Jude, don't make it bad,
Take a sad song and make it better....
Remember to let them into your heart,
Then you can start to make it better...
Hey Jude, don't be afraid,
You were made to go out and get them...
The minute you let them under your skin,
Then you begin to make it better..."
"W-What are you doing?! Do you think singing to me is going to make it all better?!" Luna suddenly snapped.
Celestia gave her a patient glance. She smiled slightly. "There are many ways one can heal themselves. Many things we can do. It's all about climbing the wall... but the hardest part is finally jumping to the other side. And sometimes... it takes a constant reminder that... that there's some good in the world, and good in ourselves, to keep climbing. That is one of the purposes of music, my dear Luna."
Luna paused. She smiled slightly, though solemnly.
"It is a beautiful song... though who wrote it?" she asked. "I have not heard of it before. And Jude... it is such a strange name."
"You wouldn't have," Princess Celestia chuckled. "Do you remember a long time ago when we heard of those who were called humanity? Those who came before?"
Luna narrowed her eyes. "I remember clearly. A war-like race. A race of savages, weren't they? We should be glad they're gone..."
Celestia gave another chuckle.
"And those words whispered to us were wrong; many words whispered to us were wrong..." her sister smiled. "Very... very wrong. It's not all pointless. There are ways to pierce the veil... a way to pass on knowledge that truly matters."
Luna narrowed her eyes in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Something was found while you were gone, Luna," her sister continued. "Buried deep beneath the ice of the north. I believe it crashed to the world many years before. And now... it now rests beneath Canterlot. I have kept it hidden for reasons that are my own. However, I believe it's time you see it..."
Luna's curiosity was becoming untamable.
"What is it?"
"You'll see..." Princess Celestia smiled. "Messages in a bottle from those long gone. Everything they learned. Everything they were. Everything but them themselves... and I think I know why, too."
Luna raised an eyebrow.
"I-I wish to see it," Luna said, nodding sternly. "It sounds... intriguing."
"Then head to the crystal caverns. Follow the blue light," Celestia said. "And then, you will see... a remnant of the past. And it is awe-inspiring..."
Luna paused. She smiled.
"I-I think I will," she said, turning about slowly. "B-But are you sure it will help me?"
"I do not know, sister," Celestia said softly. "The only person who can help you is yourself. But sometimes all that takes is a little… push."
"You’re right… it's worth a shot," Luna nodded, giving her sister one last smile. "Thank you, Tia..."
"You're welcome… Lulu…" Celestia said with a slight smirk.
And Luna began to gallop away.
"Here comes the sun..." Celestia sand sogtly. "I hope."
