A full moon crested over the dark horizon, slowly rising from behind the trees. Red and orange faded from the sky, making way for darkness. Stars began to pierce the darkening sky, like pin holes in a black cape. The night was beautiful and crisp as all the ponies of the land began to lay their heads down for a night of rest. A figure sat on the tallest tower of the castle, silhouetted by the rising pale orb.
"What a beautiful night Luna," a voice spoke from above the figure. With a gentle landing, the large white alicorn came to rest beside her inky navy sister. The two sat in silence as the moon cast its eerie glow over the forest. Each tree and rock was coated in silver light, as if everything was dusted with a fine powder. Celestia looked at her sister, who seemed lost in thought and concentration. She had grown more quiet and aloof since Discord was turned to stone. The physical wounds were severe, the emotional ones are apparently worse.
Luna leaned against her sister. It was a simple gesture, but one that Celestia cherished. They had always been together and nothing was going to tear them apart. She rested her head against Luna's. They had so little time to spend with one another. Equestria had mostly healed from Discord's torment. However, certain situations need to be resolved by either her or Luna. Perhaps the ponies cannot agree on something, perhaps a powerful beast needs to be tamed, perhaps only their magic is strong enough to solve the issue.
"Princess Luna, you are needed," a voice called out of one of the castle's windows, disrupting their quiet moment. A small knot of frustration formed in Celestia's chest. She suddenly felt very heavy, as if the knot had turned to stone. She tried to keep her posture to let the moment last just a little longer.
Suddenly Luna moved, throwing Celestia off-balanced. She was pinned down on her back from the intense pressure pressing against her. Panic seized her heart as her chest squeezed the air from her lungs. Celestia struggled to breathe and call out to her sister, but she felt like she was being drowned in nothing.
"We are not needed. We are not loved," Luna said calmly as Celestia thrashed and clawed to get her sister's attention. Luna turned to face her sister and a shiver ran down Celestia's spine. Her sister's beautiful cyan eyes have been twisted and corrupted into something foul. The pupils were nothing but reptilian slits, a jagged tear in a malicious eye. Celestia's heart stopped as she stared deep into the horrifying gaze, frozen in their vice-like grip.
"Since we are not loved, we will smother the world in darkness. It shall know the weight of our despair and anger." Celestia tried franticly to reach her sister,wanting to comfort and cover her sister from this evil force. Tears ran from her eyes as she felt herself being ripped apart from her agonizing and muted pleas. "And you, dear sister, shall be the first plunged into our bitter sea."
Celestia fell through the world, bound and silenced by an unholy force. Evil darkness swallowed her, blocking Luna from her sight. She was surrounded and besieged by demons, strangling her in their cold grip. The beautiful moon that Luna had created was waning in the darkness, gradually fading from one side to another. Her sister's glowing bastion of love was now a wide crescent, sharp as an ax poised for the kill. The malicious grin it turned into froze Celestia from the inside out, numb with grief for her lost friends and subjects. Her heart finally shattered like a mirror as she realized she was powerless to rescue her beloved sister Luna.
Icy air rushed into her lungs as Celestia was shocked into consciousness. Cold sweat saturated her coat and sheets as she tried to calm her wild gasps for air. Her entire body was shaking from the trauma she just experienced. Her chest tight with pain.
"A dream. Just a dream," Celestia told herself trying to soothe her nerves. She scanned the dark room, looking for something, anything, to comfort her. She peeled herself from her covers. Sticky with sweat and on weak legs, she slowly made her way to a small chest hidden in a corner of the room. Gently lifting the aging lid, she pulled a doll out from the inside. Resting on a pillow in front of her cold fireplace, she cradled the doll, letting the silence cradle her.
The doll was crudely fashioned and falling apart at the seams. It was one of the only keepsakes from her childhood she still had. Time had worn away at both her memory and the doll, filling them both with holes and patches. She held the little black doll close to her chest, treating it as gently as a delicate flower. Its worn skin was coarse and its cyan button eyes were cold, but it warmed Celestia's heart knowing that there was a matching white doll in Luna's room.
A gentle tingle flowed through Celestia, like a breath of hot wind flowing through her body. A feeling she has felt every day just before dawn for a long time. A feeling of impatient anticipation filled her wings, lifting the hairs on the back of her neck. It was interesting to feel the sensations from the beginning. She was often woken up by a much more intense vibration coursing through her body, pulling her from her slumber and bed. The time to do her royal duty to Equestria was upon her.
Gently placing the doll back in the chest, she stood on the precipice of her window and stared out into the night. The sensation was getting stronger, more violent, threatening to break free from its housing. It made her skin crawl as the tingling began to turn into a vibrating monster.
With a powerful flap of her wings Celestia soared into the moonlit sky. Away from the castle, away from the ground, and away from observing eyes. Their power was far greater than any unicorn, peaguasi, or earth pony in recent memory. Powerful enough to move celestial bodies across the sky. So much power was frightening. So she released it above the highest clouds to hide the intensity of her magic.
All the clouds and land were beneath her now, offering a glorious view of the star filled night. Between two different worlds, she smiled at her sister's work one final time. She let her restraints go and felt her magic building up. Molten heat coursed through her, filling every fiber of her being. Light began pouring out of her body, washing the stars from the sky. She ground her teeth as she felt her body be crushed under the weight of the sun. With an impassioned cry, she released her magic, pulling the sun over the horizon, forcing the night to yield and flee.
Spent and exhausted, Celestia lay on the cloud tops watching the gray sky brighten. The night was over and a new day has dawned. The vibrations stopped but the pain remained, reminding her of her terrible strength that must be shielded at all times. A shield that must be kept up at all times, to protect her ponies from seeing the damage she could cause.
"A beautiful dawn sister. Warm and tender as a mother's love," spoke a voice behind Celestia, startling her heart into panic. She scrambled to sit up and saw her sister staring at her with a slight smile on her lips. A smile of her own slipped onto her face as the pain vanished under the love she felt for her sister.
"You look tired," Celestia finally said, noticing her sister's tired eyes and stooped posture. She looked frayed and worn like the doll in the chest. A chill damped her smile as the nightmare's whispers returned to her.
"It has been a long night. But the rocs have agreed to leave ponies alone. Things should be quiet in the north for now," Luna said off-handedly. Celestia was glad of the news. However, she could tell that something was eating away at her sister. She avoided eye contact and looked anxious, like a child that did something wrong.
"Is everything alright, Luna," Celestia asked finally standing up on the cloud with shaky legs. Her drained strength was slowly returning.
"Yes, of course, sister. I am just tired. Would you do me the honor of flying me back to the castle," Luna asked rather defeated. Celestia was confused why her sister was acting so strangely. It was like she was struggling with different emotions all wanting to escape at the same time. A single line of worry creased Celestia's brow for only a second. Luna was probably just tired and needed rest. And Celestia was not about to pass up time with her sister.
Through the fluffy clouds they glided in silence. The sky had given way to a myriad of reds and purples painting the world. Equestria was just beginning to stir, its ponies and animals yawning and stretching themselves awake. A small ember of satisfaction lit itself in Celestia's chest, warming her with a smile.
They glided through the open window of Luna's room. She had always kept her room sparsely furnished but something seemed odd to Celestia. Every piece of furniture was pushed into corners or onto the walls at peculiar angles. Almost like the furniture was scared of the middle of the room and huddled together for safety. It seemed innocent enough but Celestia could not help shake the feeling that there was something more sinister in the room.
"Thank you for the flight, sister. We need to do it more often," Luna said with a weak smile. Celestia silenced her doubts and loitered with her sister for as long as she could afford to. As she crossed through the doorway a question popped into her mind.
"Luna, when you create the night using your magic, do you feel any sensations? I feel a warm or fiery sensation inside of me when I raise the sun," Celestia asked as she turned to face her sister. She had never asked the question before. She had always assumed it was the same for her sister as it was for her.
Luna paused in the doorway with a hollow look in her eyes. It was like she was suddenly glazed over with ice from the inside. Pins and needles filled Celestia as she saw the emptiness in her sister. She wanted desperately to do something, to alleviate her sister's pain and fears no matter what was causing them.
"The only thing I feel, sister, is cold." Luna said with a soft click of the door closing. Celestia stood frozen and heavy as a statue. Every muscle was tensed and her teeth threatened to crack under the pressure but she refused to ease up. It was the only way she could keep from screaming in frustration and despair. Her little sister was slowly falling and she was doing nothing about it. She was failing as family. And if she could not keep one pony from falling, how could she keep a nation from doing the same?