The Return of Nightmare Moon
Chapter One
Princess Luna flew through the ever-shifting realm that was her night, her wings blotting out the stars for the few ponies who were still awake at her time of rule, the night. She began to feel some of her old resentment coming back, but she smothered it, shaking her head. She wheeled around and headed towards the dark green mass of trees that was the Everfree Forest. She needed to be alone. Luna flew over the Everfree Forest, not pausing or wavering from her course. She looked down and saw Zecora's house, with the zebra gathering herbs outside it. She paused in mid-air, thinking about speaking to her or not. Luna was about to decide against it, but at that moment Zecora looked up in the air and saw the princess. She smiled up and said:
"Royal princess, what a surprise! You are indeed a sight for my sorry eyes." Luna tilted her head curiously.
"What is your problem, Zecora? Do you not have enough herbs for a remedy?" she said, flying down to land beside her.
"No, no, that is not today my foe. Instead today, my hut is beset by Poes. Evil, evil spirits they are, called by demons from near and far," Zecora said. "If you look here, you will see; my way to keep them away from me." She pointed to what seemed to be a line in the dirt, but as Luna looked closer she saw that the little chasm running around the hut contained a flowing slivery liquid.
"Ha. Quicksilver. Very clever, Zecora," Luna said. "But how did you get hold of this? The only sample I know of is in the Canterlot Archives."
"Ah, yes… well, to Twilight Sparkle my troubles I explained, and she saw that I got this to keep the Poes away," said Zecora sheepishly. Luna laughed.
"You will not be told off for keeping yourself safe, just make sure you ask me or Celestia next time, alright?" she said.
"Of course, your Highness, if this substance you will provide us," sighed Zecora, relieved that she had not got into trouble.
"And also, Zecora… call me Luna," said the princess after a moment of thought.
"Yes your High- I mean, Luna," gasped Zecora, momentarily losing her mysterious atmosphere. Luna laughed again and started to fly away into the starry void of night, over the Everfree Forest. A while later, the princess came to rest in a secluded part of the forest, filled with tall trees and long grass. In the middle of a clearing there lay a temple-like structure fashioned out of the trees with some stone parts thrown in there. The temple had no roof, and it was curved to any occupant of the building would be able to see the Moon on a clear night from wherever they stood. Above the main entrance to the structure there was a stone plaque bearing the Moon, but with one slight change; the Mare in the Moon was still there. Luna looked at the plaque as she walked inside, remembering the thousand years that she had spent on the lunar satellite as that monster, Nightmare Moon. She remembered the day when Celestia had been forced to banish here there, and the day where she first became Nightmare Moon…
Luna stood in the Lunar tower of the first Canterlot, surveying the sun set in the east. She looked over to the Celestial tower and saw her sister lowering the Sun with her magic. Celestia looked over to Luna and smiled, and Luna smiled back, but it was a false smile, for inside she was raging with bitterness and anger. How was it that Celestia got all the adoring subjects, when not a pony in all of Equestria knew of Luna's existence?! She stamped her back hoof angrily, raised the moon and stormed back inside, furiously slamming the door behind her. She ran to her bed and leapt on it, tears of anger and sadness stinging her eyes. Luna heard hoofsteps on the ledge outside as her sister landed. She heard a knock on the door and Celestia softly called from outside.
"Luna, my sister? Are you alright?" she asked.
"No! I am not 'alright', as you put it. You might as well come in, you're the only pony around here who sees anything of me," Luna replied, sadness creeping into her voice. As the door opened, Celestia said:
"Ah, so that's what this is about."
"What else was it going to be about?" Luna replied, both angry and curiously.
"Well, maybe some young stallion caught your eye, but he rebuffed you? That happened to me when I was a teenage pony, you know," Celestia said.
"…Thanks for reminding me about Eclipse!" said Luna, dissolving into a fresh wave of tears.
"Oh, Luna. So, tell me, why were you so angry when you raised the moon tonight?" asked Celestia
"When you raise the sun, big sister, eveerypony in Equestria comes out to rejoice and live! But when I raise the moon, they shun the starry night I bring, and go indoors!" sniffled Luna. "And when I try to make friends in Ponyville, they accuse me of being your enemy and call the royal guard!"
"Maybe you should come into Ponyville with me one day?" suggested her sister
"It will be no use. They have never likes us, and they never shall," said Luna, slightly hysterical.
"I will prove to you that our subjects will love you, one day. But now, tell me about this Eclipse pony."
"Well…" started Luna guiltily. "Remember when I told you I was over at StarShine's house for a sleepover?"
"Yes…?"
"I was with him," said Luna hurriedly. Celestia looked stunned.
"Did you…"
"Yep"
"Are you…"
"Yep"
"So when he found out you had a filly, he dumped you?"
"Mhm"
"Well… Uhm… Congratulations? I think," said Celestia, looking clueless. Luna smiled slightly. "Anyway, get some sleep, my little pony. You will need it," said Celestia.
"Yes, sis. Thanks for not being mad at me," said Luna. Celestia laughed and walked out, closing the door behind her. As soon as she had gone, a dark, slightly manic voice spoke to Luna.
"She doesn't care about you. No one does. No-one will know about you unless you make the night eternal," the voice said. Luna's eyes widened and she shook her head.
"No!" she whispered. But the voice became persuasive, seductive even, and it soon convinced Luna to follow its plan. Far away, in the Canterlot Statue Garden, Discord smiled.
In the morning, Celestia knocked on Luna's door, but found it open. She looked out to the balcony and saw Luna there, staring up to the Moon.
"Sister, it is time for you to lower the Moon, so I can raise the Sun," she said. Luna twisted her neck to get a look at Celestia without her seeing her face.
"No," said Luna. "I will not lower the Moon. Too long have I been shunned in the dark, while you swan about in the day." She whirled around and stood up on her hind legs so Celestia could see that she was taller and was wearing silvery armor.
"For until I am loved like you are, the night will last FOREVER! I am Nightmare Moon!"
Luna shuddered at these recollections as she walked through the archway. She had regretted that day ever since it happened. The two sisters fought over the land, and eventually it had escalated into a full-scale war. When Celestia had won the war, she had banished Luna to the Moon using the Elements of Harmony, but she had somehow escaped. As Nightmare Moon was in control, she hadn't the foggiest idea on how she escaped, but escape she did. Luna had kidnapped her sister and tried to bring about eternal night… again. Luckily for Celestia and Luna alike, the purple unicorn Twilight Sparkle had mastered the Elements of Harmony. She and her friends had destroyed Nightmare Moon, leaving Luna in her most helpless state, a filly younger than Twilight, but Nightmare Moon's armor had been left behind. Over the next year she had grown into the form that she was before Nightmare Moon. This was the first "miracle" depicted on the stained-glass windows that lined the wall. As Luna walked through what was a smaller version of the Canterlot Throne Room, she passed many other murals. The time Spike the Dragon returned the Crystal Heart to the Empire, the time when Twilight Sparkle stood up against Discord, and many others. Luna looked around, smiling slightly as she compared this room with the Throne Room. She missed her bed back at the castle, and her room, and her friends. She had tried to keep Eclipse out of her mind, but Luna knew she had to face the memories again, along with her son, Timekeeper. Luna shook her head, trying to clear it, and walked up to the main podium, where, in Canterlot, the Throne would be. Instead, here there was a stone table, and on it was laid out Nightmare Moon's armor. She had kept it, just incase Nightmare's power was needed again. She hoped it would not, but it paid to be prepared. He had also made arrangements with Celestia, Twilight and her friends to use the Elements on her if Nightmare Moon became dominant. Luna sighed and, using her magic, picked up the helmet of the armor steps, closed her eyes and tilted her head and the helmet, then made the two touch. At least now she could pretend that another pony, maybe Eclipse, was there with her. Luna opened her eyes and looked at the helmet, moving away from her so she could look it in the 'eyes'. As much as she hated being Nightmare Moon, she missed the power, her strong wings, and, above all, the look Celestia had given her when the two had re-united. A single, silver tear dropped from her eye.
Suddenly she whirled around as she heard hoofsteps approaching. Her eyes widened as she saw that the newcomers were the other princesses, Celestia and Cadence.
"Sister! Cadence! Why are you here? How did you even find this place?" she said, accidentally slipping into the Royal Canterlot Voice. Her questions also became more suspicious as she went on, thinking that Twilight Sparkle had told Celestia about this place. Twilight was the only one the Night Princess had told about the temple, which was a monument to all her sins. At her questions, both of the Princesses laughed.
"We were not told about this place, Cadence and I were simply… flying this way as well, and we spotted you here," Celestia said.
"You were following me?!" Luna demanded, outraged.
"We are worried about you, Aunt Luna," Cadence said sadly. "Celestia and I both noticed that you have not been returning to the Lunar Tower after the Moon had been risen, and we worried that Nightmare Moon was coming back. We hope we are wrong, but judging from the helmet floating beside you, we are not," she said. Luna shook her head and set the helmet down.
"You are wrong… and yet right. Is it wrong of me to wish that, in a way, I was to wield the power I once had?" Luna asked, both shamefully and curiously. Celestia tilted her head.
"Cadence, go get Twilight Sparkle. We will need her," she said, and Luna's eyes once again watered up.
"No… please sister, don't send me back to the Moon," she pleaded as Cadence walked off. To Luna's utmost surprise, Celestia laughed.
"I am not going to send you back to the Moon, simply show you something I think that you are now ready to know," she chortled. Luna felt her cheeks going red.
"Oh… whoops," she said, giggling slightly. "Hang on, if I do not know this, then why does Twilight Sparkle?" she asked.
"Oh, dear sister, if you had not become consumed with anger and bitterness, you would have learnt this very soon. Twilight is my personal student, remember, and has been for nearly a decade," said Celestia, bringing her hoofs forward and pulling Luna into a hug. "But now I have my little sister back, so maybe you could teach her some things as well. You spent many days in the Great Archives, teaching yourself things that I never could grasp." Luna didn't say anything. Her surprise at being enveloped by her sister was to great, and she was rendered speechless. Instead of replying with words, Luna just pressed herself closer to Celestia, taking her by surprise this time. Celestia looked down at Luna, using her hooves to tilt Luna's head back. The two looked into each others eyes, Luna seeing a sister who cared about much, but often held back to save the one that she cared about from knowledge that may be harmful. In Luna's eyes, Celestia saw a young filly who has not yet found her place in the world, a filly that cared about everypony and everything, but most of all her sister. But this filly was hurt that the only time Celestia expressed her love for Luna was when she was forgiving. As Celestia saw this, she was shocked by the revelations. "I didn't realize you felt like that, Luna," she said.
"Ever since I came back from the Moon, I have been uncertain about my place, my abilities and my family, but the one thing I have longed for is the compassion you gave me when you forgave me. Without that, I did not feel whole," Luna replied.
"You should have told me, sister," Celestia whispered, small tears dripping down her cheeks. Luna laughed quietly.
"What would have done if I had? I did not know, and I did not want to take the chance."
"Oh, Luna…" Celestia said, and the two embraced with more enthusiasm. "Tell me next time, ok?" Luna smiled.
"Of course, sister," she said, and the two loving sisters split apart. The both looked towards the entrance and two sets of hoofsteps began clattering over the stone floor. Princess Cadence had returned, along with Twilight Sparkle.
"Twilight, my most faithful student," Celestia said. "I have a favor to ask of you. Could you tell my sister what happened to the strength of your magic after you moved to Ponyville?" Twilight looked surprised. She was expecting a test. Like always.
"Of course," she said, looking at Luna. "But why would Princess Luna need to know about that?"
"Please, Twilight."
"Ok," said Twilight, looking at Luna. "When I made friends, I noticed a great increase in my abilities. I could easily perform spells that one I had great difficulty in casting." Luna tilted her head, curious.
"I used to have someone who was more than a friend to me, but I don't think that my magic changed to a large degree," she said. Twilight laughed slightly.
"It's not friendship that does it, it's as simple as confidence," she said, coming forward and placing a hoof on Luna's chest. "Although the magic of friendship does help slightly, if you simply believe, and truly believe that you can do something, then you can often do it. My friends gave me the confidence to believe that I could perform spells that were once beyond me. It was my parents' confidence that allowed me to begin to learn magic. And, Luna, it was you who allowed me to believe that anything is possible," Twilight said. Luna blinked tears out of her eyes.
"You see, sister?" Celestia said, walking up beside Twilight.
"If you truly think you can do it, then you can do it," Cadence completed, standing the other side of the lavender mare.
"So you want the power you once had?" Celestia said, walking forward and placing a hoof on Luna's chest. "You already have it. It is right…" she tapped Luna's chest. "Here." Luna looked down at the gold-gilded hoof on her chest, a small tear coming out of her eye and landing on the hoof.
"Thank you, Twilight, Cadence… Celestia," she said, reaching up ad putting a hoof on Celestia's face. "I missed you."
"And I you, little sister," Celestia replied. "Oh, I have a matter that requires your royal attention."
"Yes?" Luna replied, exasperated and disappointed that they had gone onto princess business.
"It's about Timekeeper." Luna looked up from one of the stained-glass windows abruptly.
"Oh?" she tried to sound casual, but her poise and tenseness betrayed her.
"He weakens. He needs to speak to you soon, although his work on the Hourglass has come forward leaps and bounds, especially with Dr. Whooves helping him," Celestia said.
"He has made many major improvements to the Hourglass, adding not just minutes to it, but seconds, milliseconds, nanoseconds, quarthours, halfhours, and any other kind of time that you can think of," Cadence continued.
"And because he sees his friends a lot more than he used to, he has lasted a lot longer than we thought. Seeing you take such a shine to him really uplifted his spirits, but staying in the stasis crystal for nearly a thousand years really took it's toll," Twilight finished.
"He needs to know who his mother is, or he isn't going to last the month," Celestia said sadly. Luna gasped quietly.
"Oh, no," she said, tears forming in her eyes yet again.
"Uhm, should I go?" Cadence said, stepping forward as she saw Luna's tears.
"Yes, I think that would be for the best," Celestia said, looking at Luna in concern. "Twilight, go with her, but we will need to see you in the morning. It would be best if you took up residence in Canterlot for a night or two, as it would save you the effort of taking the train tomorrow." Twilight nodded and walked out beside Cadence. Luna stood up resolutely, after having fallen to the ground in grief.
"I will speak with him tomorrow, and ensure he knows the truth about his mother," she said determinedly.
"And I will not be the pony to stop you," Celestia replied, nuzzling her sister.