SHADOWS

by Swirl Cupcake

Rating: everyone
Tags: Random
Length: 2813

Luna goes back to her dark past NightmareMoon.

Luna goes back to her dark past NightmareMoon.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2013-02-25 05:17:37 UTC

Chapter 1

Awakening

“W-where am I? Sister!?” Worried blue eyes moved across the room. The pony tried to move but found her hooves were chained to the ground she could barely make out.

“Why do you struggle Luna? You’re home.” A deep voice bounced all around her.

“WHO! GOES! THERE?” Luna shouted using her royal voice. All that came in reply was a low laugh and 2 dragon shaped eyes in the corner.

~

Dear my most faithful student,

I fear Equestria may be in 1 of its most darkest hours. I need you and your friends to come to Canntorlot now.

Your teacher,

Princess Celestia

Celestia sighed as she raised the moon for the 2nd time that week. The clatter of hooves rang throughout the hallway, Celestia turned her head to the 6 ponies. They all quickly bowed, Twilight Sparkle was the 1st to speak. “We came as fast as we could.”

“Thank you Twilight, now I’m terribly sorry to call for your help at such a late hour, but my sister has been reported missing.”

The 6 friends exchanged shocked glances but no pony said a word.

“M-missing? Oh my that’s horrible” Fluttershy mumbled.

“What if she is stranded and she’s all messy! We must save her before such horrible things happen!” Rarity stomped her hoof as she finished, she got a few sideway glances by her friends.

“My little ponies” Celestia said causing the 12 panicked/shocked eyes to look her way. “My sister left 2 days ago, to attend a problem in Manehatten. Yet when Luna didn’t raise the moon, I went there and asked a crowd where she was but she never was there.” Celestia finished.

“So what was the problem?” Twilight asked.

“There was never a problem”

~

“WHO! ARE! THO?” Luna yelled trying to keep her voice level as panic filled her body.

“I am just the pony who will help the re-creation of Equestria’s true queen, Princess Luna”

“What are you planning?”

A soft chuckle echoed off the wall. “Oh princess, I am not the only 1.” The colt with the dragon eyes flicked on the lights. He had a grey coat, his wings covered his cuitimark. Luna blinked several times trying to adjust to the blinding lights. 3 columns with weird symbols loomed over her. “How did I let this happen?” Luna thought to herself and began trying to rember the events that happened earlier.

~

“What a long day sis” Luna sighed as she flopped down next to Celestia.

“I haven’t had a day as boring as that since last Tuesday,” Celestia sighed, “On top of that, the sun didn’t want to set for your beautiful night, I got it to go down of course.”

“I think I’ll go try to complete my quest in my videogame, then I need to rest” Luna rose from her spot where she had been moments ago.

“Ok, goodnight” Celestia stretched her hooves finding a better position to be in. Luna trotted off to her chambers after saying her goodnight to her sister. Luna took her controller off the shelf and flicked on her game conceal and started her quest.

POOF

A scroll hit Luna on her head causing her to lose focus and jumping a foot in the air.

“I thought ponies were suppose to write to Celestia” Luna grumbled as she paused her game then unrolled the scroll.

Dear Princess Luna,

The ponies in Manehatten need your help. Please princess of the night we are in great trouble. Meet me just behind the Apple family’s house, I’ll show you the problem for it cannot be seen from above.

Your humble severent

Luna scanned over it a dozen more times.

“Manehatten in trouble? Why were there no reports? Nerveless my sister and I have protected others for as long as I can rember, and we won’t stop now.” Luna jumped up leaving her game on and galloped to her sis. Celestia was in the same spot, as Luna raced in Celestia knew there was something off.

“What is it little sis?” Celestia attempted to get out of her beanbag for now the 4th time.

“Manehatten, trouble, letter” Luna managed to get out.

“Luna, breath.”

Luna nodded and took out the letter for her sister to see. Celestia gazed over the small scroll now held in her magic, confusion filled her gaze but she as quickly it was there she dismissed it. Lowering the scroll Celestia spoke “Luna, they want your help not mine, you can handle it beside when was the last time you solved a problem by yourself?”

“Over a 1,000 years ago now.” Luna confirmed.

“Then that must be changed, little sis.” Luna’s eyes twinkled as a smile blossomed on her face.

“Now are you going to stand there like a filly who just got their cuitimark or are you going to go solve the problem?” Celestia laughed.

“Right” Luna snapped back to her senses and began galloping.

~

Luna’s shoes crushed the blades of grass that were standing under her.

“You’re here.” A colt stepped out.

“Of course, I am princess of the night and I will protect others.” Luna stated flatly.

“Indeed what you doing is helping Equestria.”

“What’s the problem here?”

“You.”

Before Luna could react her head hit the ground as ropes shot out of the shadows to hold her down. The mare approached Luna could see he was a unicorn with a cuitimark of a foggy crescent moon, his horn glowed and a small bottle was picked up and it floated towards the helpless princess.

“Good night moon princess, our queen will rise.”

Luna fought the urge of sleep that was numbing her senses but no matter how much she struggled her body betrayed her.

~

Where was Luna? Celestia paced in front of the stain glass windows, it was almost time to raise the sun. Celestia breathed deeply, “Maybe Luna hasn’t found the problem yet, haha ya there’s a lot of reasons why she wouldn’t write to me about the problem, like she was attacked by a timber wolf!” Celestia’s wings snapped out and she tensed her muscles to break the glass, she raised her front hooves then flaunted. “She’s an alicorn, she could protect herself. She is not a filly anymore.”  The clock alarm buzzed as a sign of the sun needed to be raised. Celestia closed her eyes and cast out her magic to pull the sun out from its hiding and changing the sky from dark to dusk.

“Come home soon little sister.”

~

“Luna, wake up” Celestia pushed Luna’s doors open but Luna didn’t say any smart remark, instead she got what sounded like a videogame playing. “Luna?” Celestia trotted over to her sister bed, pulling back the sheets she shivered for they were as cold as her sister’s crisp cool nights. Luna hadn’t returned. “I have to go over there! Luna will understand. . . I hope.”

Landed in front of a group of ponies. The ponies jumped at their princess sudden appearance they quickly bowed. White wings unfolded be the white alicorn’s side, with a short gallop and jump she was flying towards where her sister was in of help. It only took about 20mins to get there since the pegasus had cleared the clouds. Celestia

“My little ponies rise.” Celestia smiled as warm smiles greeted her.

“Princess, if I may be so bold to ask why you are here?” A pony with blue hair, eyes, and wings her coat white with a single snowflake as her cuitimark.

“To help my sister, with the problem here.”

The crowd murmured, an earthpony stepped up. “Princess, there hasn’t been a problem here nor have your sister been seen.”

“Oh. Thank you for this information. I am sorry for wasting your time.” Not waiting for an answer Celestia jumped in to the sky and took off to her home.

~

The columns glowed 3 beams sliver, purple, and black hit Luna, she couldn’t hold back her scream as hate filled her mind, she wanted revenge. A dark cloud filled the room, the screams stopped as the ghastly cloud retreated back to the middle of the columns were a black alicorn stood as tall as Celestia if not a few inches taller. She opened her eyes but they weren’t like other ponies they were instead dragon shaped. NightmareMoon had returned.

“My queen.” The stallion bowed.

“SliverBlade, you have not failed me.” NightmareMoon said flatly but it was enough to make SliverBlade’s eyes twinkle. “Now where is CrescentShadow?”

“Over here my queen, I was powering the columns.”

“Did u,” NightmareMoon mused, “very well then, CrescentShadow and SliverBlade you shall be my personal assent.”

The 2 stallions bowed trying to keep the smiles off their face for their queen had never given such a high rank.

“Are you the only 2?” NightmareMoon spat.

“No, no my queen our family is all over”

“Good.”

“We must leave” SliverBlade urgently spoke.

“I am the queen, I can make up my own mind.” NightmareMoon hissed.

“Of course my queen but your user will be looked for especially her sister Cel-”

“I KNOW MY SISTER FOOL!” Her mane crackled and sizzled, both stallions coward but quickly recovered.

“We should go to our hid-out until you take your rightful place as queen.” CrescentShadow replied calmly. NightmareMoon’s mane calmed down and she gave a slight nod. NightmareMoon unfolded her perfect wings and hid her smile, it was good to be back it was a new time for Equestria a time of nightmares and revenge. A few minutes later the 3 were standing in a cave.

“I hope this is fine my queen.”

“I can barley walk.” Annoyance seeped into her voice.

“Its only for a short time, you need to rest.”

“Am I not your queen? Or are you soft like Celestia?!” NightmareMoon’s icy voice bounced off the cave walls.

“No!No,no,no you are Equestria’s rightful queen.”

“Silence I’ve heard enough of your voice.”

The cave reminded her of the 1,000 years she spent on the moon cold and unforgiving, sighing she whispered quietly, “This time will be different.”

~

“It’s time to leave my queen.” SliverBlade ruffled his wings.

“YAAWWWNNN” NightmareMoon lifted her hooves to block the sunlight streaming into the cave. “Of course.” Rising slowly so she didn’t chip her horn on the jagged roof. When she got out she went air-born not caring if anypony saw a black alicorn in board daylight she needed space. Landing on the ground again she noticed SliverBlade and CrescentShadow looking around franticly.

“What is the matter with you 2? A baby bunny would be better as my assistant then both of you combined!”

“I’m sorry my queen but we don’t want Celestia to be prepared for an attack.” CrescentShadow explained to his angry queen.

“DOES! THO! QUESTION! MY! POWER?!”

“Of course not, forgive me for underestimating you.”

“Forgiveness is for the weak.”

“Of course your highness.” SliverBlade cut in from the growing tension. NightmareMoon finally gazed around the forest, she rember it from a 1,000 years ago but it wasn’t a forest back then it was a field.

“should we round up our family?”

“Yes. I have a certain pony to visit.”

They raised an eye but didn’t question. Turning into vapor NightmareMoon disappeared.

~

“I promise princess we won’t let you down.” Twilight’s voice filled with confidence.

“I know you won’t now go.” Celestia commanded. Celestia watched her student leave then looked back at her murals.

“Hiding behind your student again?”

Celestia jumped unfurling her wings.

“Aww, I thought the RULER of Equestria would be prepared for anything.”

“W-who are you?” Celestia stammered.

“Don’t rember? Boo-hoo.” The black/purple cloud zipped around the room. NightmareMoon appeared behind her.

“BOO!”

Celestia turned around but found nothing. Celestia turned to scream for help but was cut off by a whisper in her ear.

“What? Can’t hold your own ground?”

“I can too!” Celestia wined.

“Then prove it, tomorrow at dusk be at Sugarcube corner and no show, I begin picking off your friends and don’t even call for help.”

Celestia nodded weakly.

“Good see you then, of don’t worry about Luna lets just say she’s living better.”

“Luna? What did you do to my sister!?” Celestia got no reply.

~

NightmareMoon sat in the forest wait for the children of the night.

RUSTLE

NightmareMoon stood up to greet her most loyal subjects, 10 ponies came out. SliverBlade and CrescentShadow stepped out from the crowd.

“Here’s our family, everypony has something against Celestia.”

NightmareMoon looked at all her children, they all had dragon-shaped eyes.

“How did they get eyes like mine?”

“They got them from their family they are the only 1s who decided to keep their family pride.” ShadowBlade finished

“This is all who remained loyal to me!?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“Very well, my children we are going to Sugarcube corner tomorrow night!”

“What for?”

“A day to rember.” Noticing the setting sun she realized how tired she was.

“Be in Ponyvile at dusk.”

The crowd nodded and walked away. Laying down NightmareMoon closed her eyes.

~

“Where is she? Does she wish to have other suffer?” NightmareMoon muttered.

“LOOK! Everypony Its Princess Celestia!”

The sound ponies cheering got her attention suddenly Celestia was in front of her.

“Where are you?” Celestia hissed.

“Tsk tsk Celestia always so blind of what’s right in front of you.” NightmareMoon turned into herself, many ponies gasped, even Celestia. Celestia regained herself quickly and took a step forward.

“Luna? Is that you?”

“Don’t call me by my weak user’s name.”

“Luna, what happened?”

“I! TOLD! THO! NOT! TO! CALL! ME! THAT!”

“Luna, you don’t have to do this.”

NightmareMoon’s mane flared into a starry mess, lowering her horn as it lit. Celestia saw the magic surge and stepped backward but she was right where NightmareMoon wanted her, a strawberry from Sugar Cube corner’s was flung at Celestia.

“Luna, stop this! This isn’t you!”

“You are correct for I am NIGHTMAREMOON!”

“No, no you’re my little sis Luna.”

NightmareMoon had enough picking up a filly she flung her at a house, Celestia quickly caught her and turned back to her sister only to see a cart coming towards her before her hooves no longer touched the ground. NightmareMoon walked over to where Celestia laid on the ground covered in watermelons but she was breathing. Glaring at the white flank rises and descend she cast her magic out again which was able to grab hold a knife that was being used to cut some cakes she slashed Celestia’s cheek drawing blood.

“Fight you fool.” NightmareMoon hissed.

“No.”

NightmareMoon raised the knife above her head.

“Defend yourself!”

Celestia only shook her head. Anger lit inside her she began to lower the knife for a slow death but as she brought it down to her eye level she heard a voice more like her own. “No! She’s our sister!” The voice that belonged to Luna. NightmareMoon released the knife letting it fall with a soft thud.

“What are you waiting for? I lost.” Celestia looked up with her pink eyes as if asking for the peace of death.

“You’ve surrender. There’s no point you could be useful. Now rise.”

Celestia nodded trembling as her legs wouldn’t support her socked body.

“I’ll show you to your cell. GUARDS!”

~

CLICK

“There, now you won’t be able to get out.”

“Thank you.” Celestia murmured.

“Don’t take it as a sign of me being weak, I can take care of you for some other time.” NightmareMoon trotted away not letting Celestia reply to never be spoken.

“Q-queen? What should we do?” A night guard asked.

“You will do as you usually would, there was only a change in throne.”

“Wait does this mean you will raise the sun?”

“OF COURSE NOT! ENTERAL NIGHT SHALL LAST FOREVER!!”

NightmareMoon zapped the foolish colt with a lightning bolt. Calming down she headed to her chamber, it was much smaller then she rember but then again she had grown 4x her size. Climbing onto her bed her hooved went straight through the wood as it split under her weight. A red blinking light was noticed out of the corner of her slit eyes. It was her game conceal.

“1 game wouldn’t hurt.”

~

“Dumb controller! I pressed duck not jump!” NightmareMoon threw the controller across the room and onto her destroyed bed.

KNOCK, KNOCK

“Come in.” NightmareMoon replied flatly.

A mare entered the room she had candy as her cuitimark, purple/green hair and a pink coat.

“My Queen, I am SugarCandy and bring grave news.”

“What grave news do you have?”

“Twilight Sparkle and her friends are on a train here, they have the elements of harmony with them.”

“And?”

“That is all.” She bowed and left the room.

CRACK

Shattered glass feel to the floor as her hoof went through her TV screen.