The Lunar Empire

Canterlot Castle

December 15, 1129

General Dark Thunder of the Lunar Guard

12:47 a.m.

"Please, sister! I beg you to calm down!" cried Princess Celestia. "Calm down so we can have a rational discussion!"

"Calm down?! I am calm! And you are the one who cannot have a 'rational discussion'! Time and time again, I have told you my thoughts, but you never listen!" Princess Luna retorted.

"I am listening now! Please tell me your thoughts so that we can resolve this issue!" Celestia replied, growing desperate.

"Every day, the ponies of Equestria bask and play in the warmth of the sun you rise, yet every night, all of the ponies sleep under the moon that I raise for them!" Luna shouted, her eyes glowing white as she became angrier by the second. I looked down at her hooves. Instead of shaky, as what usually comes with this sort of anger, I saw that they were planted firmly on the ground. I looked over to Celestia and her personal guard, a dark-colored unicorn named Rune. They both looked ready to run from the situation.

Rune looked at me, and seeing that I was staring at them, thought that I was preparing to attack and lowered is spear at me. We made brief eye contact, and although he was doing his best to maintain a straight face, he feared me almost as much as the angry Luna standing before him. Such was his right, as I was slightly taller and a far better fighter than he was.

"I understand your plight, sister, but what can I do to help? All ponies need to sleep, and shifting night and day to opposite times would be disastrous!"

"You see?! This is exactly what I mean!"

I looked down again, and I thought I saw black spots appearing on her legs, starting at her hooves and continuing up to her chest. What the... I thought. Suddenly, I saw a shift in her size, as Luna almost instantly reached Celestia's height, and the mysterious black spots spread and got bigger, covering her entire body. Her horn grew, and her cutie mark changed colors, going from a white crescent on a black background to a very light blue moon on a purple-blue background. Her crown and necklace morphed into a light blue helmet and chest armor, and her mane turned into a purple color, doubling in length. Her eyes turned into a slightly lighter blue, and became more cat-like. Her wings resembled a bats', and she now had long teeth, four of them narrowing into fangs.

I tried to communicate with her using a mental link we had established when I became General and her personal guard. Princess Luna! What is happening to you?!

I don't know! came the terrified reply. I am losing control over my body and mind!

Those were the last words I heard before hatred for Celestia took over.

"S-sister? Is that you?" Celestia asked, scared of the Alicorn standing in front of her. She looked small compared to the Alicorn in front of her.

The Alicorn replied, "Thine beloved sister is no more."

She paused, then continued. "We are... Nightmare Moon."