The Ballad of the Two Sisters

There lives in old Equestria

The Princess fair Celestia

Charged with moving the moon and sun above,

She had no partner, nor a friend

To aid in her task without end

She despaired for she had no-one to love.

The heavens were once all she knew

Her sun, her moon, her skies of blue

And her clouds fattened with both rain and snow,

But glories of the sky above

Paled next to somepony to love

And this was a cruel fact for her know.

Yet Celestia soldiered on

From dawn to dusk, from dusk to dawn

Accepting that this was the way of things,

But this was not to be her lot

She'd soon find the friendship she sought

For something wondrous waited in the wings...

One night she returned to her room

Her only friend midnight's dim gloom

She sighed sadly and shook her pink-maned head,

She opened her room's heavy door

And was shocked to her very core

A filly was asleep upon her bed!

Waking with the lightest of sighs

She opened her lovely green eyes

Each pony's eyes locked upon the other,

The filly was the first to speak

In a lovely voice soft and meek

She asked the Princess "Are you my mother?"

The question caught her by surprise

And tears of pure joy filled her eyes

She leaned down and kissed the dark filly’s head,

“Though that would please me to no end

I am not, my dear little friend

But I can be sister to you instead.”

Her mane and coat both dark as night

They glowed softly with their own light

The filly's eyes were a-glow just the same,

Bereft of name, of title none

Celestia chose for her one

"Luna" would be her friend and equal's name.

Her coming was no chance event

There was a reason she'd been sent

And that special reason came to light soon,

Not merely one, no, there were two

To love her and to be loved too

And to become the Princess of the Moon.

She would show her how it was done

Raising moon after setting sun

And lower it to hasten forth dawn bright,

Luna would be her protégé

Celestia would show the way

And teach her how she would control the night.

That could come on a later day

For now she wished to prance and play

With dear Luna, the apple of her eye,

But then that day came, all to soon

To teach Luna to raise the moon

And she commenced the lessons with a sigh.

The lessons taught were quickly learned

For the young Princess Luna yearned

To help Celestia in any way,

Besides, it looked like it was fun

Raising moon after setting sun

To bring a close to each and every day.

And soon the lessons were complete

And Luna promised she would meet

All that was expected of her station,

Seeing the truth in what she said

Celestia nodded her head

And to Luna made a proclamation:

"Now that you have learned what to do

Dear sister Luna, I trust you

To take on this duty and do it right,

"To you this duty I now give

And for as long as we both live

I shall be morning and you will be night."

Both Celestia's love and pride

Flooded out from her soul inside

And her mane and tail filled with a dim light,

Her sister saw the dim light grow

Soon becoming a spectral glow

And Luna stepped away from her in fright.

Luna's green eyes went round and wide

She pointed a hoof and she cried

"Oh sister mine, your mane is all aglow!"

The strange glow soon faded away

Celestia's mane changed that day

And was now the colors of a rainbow.

And thus the sisters joined as one

One rules the moon and one the sun

The two together danced in harmony,

But all good things come to an end

A fate on which you can depend

And this friendship would end in tragedy...

The years uncounted floated by

The sisters two both shared the sky

But soon envy stole into Luna's soul,

The envy seethed, bubbled and stirred

To Luna wicked whispers purred

And they slowly began to take their toll.

It spoke to her one summer night

As she enjoyed the full moon’s light

In a silken voice designed to beguile,

The source of the voice heard within

Was one of corruption and sin

A demon’s voice both devious and vile.

"Greetings to you, O’Princess fair

I am known by the name ‘Nightmare’

But fear not, for I mean no ill intent,

“I've come to be your special friend

Upon whose words you can depend

In fact that is the reason I was sent.

“The ponyfolk all rise from bed

To greet the sunlight overhead

And they bask in the sun’s bright warming gift,

“Soon enough comes the pitch black night

Lit by your moon and stars so bright

But unlike the day’s sun you get short shrift.

"They all ignore your nightly toil

Does it not cause your blood to boil?

Why bother to continue anyway?

“You raise the moon after sun's fall

Nopony cares, not one at all

They wait for your sister to bring the day!

T’is true that under moon above

Some ponies confess their deep love

But these events are few and far between,

You think your sister gave a prize

When she offered the evening skies?

My dear Luna how naïve you have been!

“She only gave this task to you

So she would have less work to do

A gift born from both laziness and spite,

“And in truth I have heard it said

You are merely a figurehead

Nopony stays awake to watch the night…”

She paid no heed, or so she tried

To these dark words from deep inside

For sister princess she truly adored,

She pushed Nightmare’s smooth voice away

But it was strengthened day by day

Stabbing at her heart like a sharpened sword.

Nightmare went on, wheedled and lied

Stoked her ego, prodded her pride

And she began believing what it said,

And yet her soul fought back in vain

For its strength soon began to wane

And Nightmare’s voice grew louder in her head.

It tore at her, it slashed and screamed

Both while awake and while she dreamed

The walls within her mind fell one by one,

It breached the light within her soul

The darkness took complete control

And she confronted her sister, the Sun.

"You are the only one they see

No love is given unto me

Next to you, I am merely second rate,

"I soon felt envy towards you

But that feeling, it swelled and grew

And now for you I feel nothing but hate.

"I hate you, Princess of the Sun

I hate you for what you have done

I hate you and I will forevermore,

"My eyes are opened - now I see

This 'duty' as a mockery

And I refuse to take this any more.

"You laugh at me when I'm not there

And you believe me unaware

Your sunlit days are numbered, sister dear,

"Ponies will not show me respect

Hold in esteem nor genuflect

So I will just have to accept their fear.

"I will force them to honor me

I will be all that they will see

I will banish your sunlight infernal,

"When ponies look up to the sky

They will not see you, only I

For I shall bring forth Midnight Eternal!"

To aid her in this wicked deed

The demon Nightmare Moon was freed

She set about to see this dark work done,

And so the day confronted night

And so the dark confronted light

And so that day were seen both Moon and Sun.

The two took to the skies above

Envy and hate fought grace and love

A battle terrible and glorious,

Moon's chill frost mirrored sun's warm fire

But soon Nightmare began to tire

And her sister emerged victorious.

Nightmare, defeated come duel's end

Was begged stop by her sister-friend

But Nightmare laughed and spat into her eye,

With both a foul curse and a leer

She swore revenge on "sister dear"

And would return to make the sunlight die.

With Luna lost to hatred's voice

The princess made a fateful choice

Only one punishment could fit this crime:

Using her most powerful spell

She made the pale moon Nightmare's cell

Her prison forever and for all time.

Sun Princess took back night's power

And from her castle's high tower

She once again controls both night and day,

Now when she makes evening's moon rise

Grief-stricken tears flow from her eyes

For she believes she failed Luna some way.

And so she lives alone once more

Within stone walls, behind locked door

In penance to the soul of sister lost,

And on the moon hanging in space

Lay a profile of Luna’s face

Memorial to that day and its cost.

So should you hear dark envy speak

No matter how strong nor how weak

I pray you take this tragic tale to heart:

Fight it with all your soul within

For if you let that demon win

It can tear friendships and families apart.