Nightmare Moon IS Real
Luna smiled a little after she raised the moon on the sky completely. She watched as the jobs of the citizens were just about wrapped up. Most ponies bid themselves goodnight, satisfied with their deeds for the day.
She then heard some of the nocturnal creatures awake and wander around the Everfree Forest, though she made sure that they would not threaten the ponies that now slept for the night. She sighed and walked back into the palace. "Everything seemst to be fine... Perhaps We should review the spells that Master Starswirl assigned for us..."
~~~
After a much needed snack, the Moon Princess sat in the library, accompanied by a pile of books with all sorts of different spells for her to review. She read and worked diligently for a few hours. Only the sound of her magic and the pages of the book were heard, plus the occasional mutter as she read.
However, when the clock nearly struck nine, Luna began to feel tired again. She yawned. "It ist not so late... As soon as We finish this chapter, We wilt get some rest but this... comes first..."
Before she knew it, though, she fell asleep, and no longer remembered any responsibility, any duty, or any spell that needed to be reviewed.
She was startled once she heard a dark female voice echo around her. "Wh-What..." She panted as she looked around. She found that she was no longer in the library. There were no books, or shelves, or desks anywhere. "Oh, no..."
"So, we are finally alone again. At last we have a chance to talk, with nopony watching or eavesdropping this time. Did you miss me? Has it not been a while?"
Luna looked up at Nightmare Moon. She shivered and stepped back as she was approached by the dark entity. "N-Now... Now We definitely know this ist a dream. 'Tis only a mere illusion..."
Nightmare Moon smirked as she looked down at the princess. "You little fool. You still don't believe I'm real?" She trotted around Luna. "Tell me, how is your sister doing? Are you still living in her shadow? Hope you're cozy there." She let out a cruel, mocking laugh.
Luna glared at her and stomped her hoof forward. "We art not living in her shadow! We work together, We have told thee. But that ist something thou failest to understand. We both work for the safety of the land that wilt become our kingdom, each in different ways."
Nightmare Moon gave her a boring look. "That's usually the perfect excuse for the pathetic little wimp that always gets crushed by the other's glory."
"It ist not excuse. It ist the truth. We art different, thus we have different ways of ruling over the different areas of our kingdom. That dost not mean that Celestia overshadows us in any way! Do not try to fool us with such lies and accusations again, they wilt be useless."
"Say what you want and what you will, it changes nothing. The way I see it, you're just a lonely, cowardly filly whose weak stomach impedes her from standing up to her big sister."
"No-" Luna tried to protest, but Nightmare Moon shoved her back to continue with her bitter observations.
"Today countless servants and soldiers recognized your sister and bowed to her with adoration. They thanked her for a number of stupid things that she never even really did. Because all she does is stroll around the palace with her pretty face and kind little voice, while YOU do all the hard work through the night. Through the time when the kingdom could be in the most danger. But do they appreciate it? No!"
Luna tried to turn away from her. "Thou startest to sound like that 'king'... And We no longer care about what he has to say. Thus, We must now take our leave. Thy bitter words no longer-"
"Listen to me, you arrogant little fool! I'm telling you the truth! That you want to stay in your inferior comfort zone won't change the fact that it's real, that it's happening!"
Luna gasped a little as she stopped in her tracks when Nightmare Moon yelled at her. "N-No..."
"Heh. Don't let me lie. Tell me if I'm wrong... All day long, all of last night, none of them even acknowledged your existence now, did they?"
"Th-They..."
Nightmare Moon walked closer to Luna as she continued to look down at her. "Funny thing, actually." She pushed Luna's head up with her tail. "Your sister prefers that strange... thing's, company over your own. How pathetic, isn't it?"
"But, thou dost not understand, We-ungh!" She grunted as Nightmare Moon threw her down on the floor. "Ow!" She groaned, then pushed herself up.
"Do you believe me a liar now?!" Her cat-slit pupil eyes glared into Luna's, making the little princess whimper and shiver again. "Well?!"
Luna looked at her as she gathered her courage to stand tall and proud. She would not let that... monster, get the better of her. She had had enough with the nightmares and the fears. It was about time that Luna conquered them as she was meant to do, for she would never be a rightful princess if she lived in fear of her own shadow. Or, whatever it was that those nightmares and... that mare, were.
"Celestia has always been good, kind, and protective of us. She only spends time with him because he often looks for her himself. She has a friendly nature that would tolerate him much better than We would. Though We would like to have nearly as much friends as our sister does... We understand that We art not good at having close contact with our subjects."
Nightmare Moon narrowed her eyes as Luna stepped forward.
"But for thine information, they actually understand that much better than thou imaginest it... They art not cruel, like thou art... They would never hurt us, our subjects... If they had a problem with our way of being, and believed that We art inferior in a way, We trust that they would let us know! Because they love us just the same!"
"You're such a naive idiot, do you really think it would be that easy?! They have problems, you have problems, none of you talk about it, do you?!"
"Thou dost not make any sense... If thou wast really us..." Her eyes glowed just a bit as she pushed Nightmare Moon away with her own magic. "If thou wast really us, thou would know that We love them as much as Celestia dost, and they love us in return, even if We art not the most social of the princesses!"
She lowered her head just as Nightmare Moon started to charge her own power. Though her head was a bit low, her eyes remained intense as she continued to speak against the apparition. "Unlike our sister, We have always been nervous and prefer to watch over our subject from afar. They understand this and let us be. If they were not as loving, they would demand more of us, but they see that We need our own pace to follow and-"
"Oh, stop it, will you?! You're so pathetic, so pitiful, YOU MAKE ME SICK!" Nightmare Moon shocked Luna with her magic and tossed her back. She pinned the princess on the ground. "Now you will listen to me, stupid foal! I have had enough of your silly dreams and annoying, arrogant accusations, THEY-ARE-NOT-REAL!"
Luna tried to fight her back. "Thou art not, either!"
"WRONG! This is why I hate you. This is why everyone hates you! Always so insecure, never believing in yourself, never seeing yourself for WHAT YOU TRULY WERE!"
"We do accept ourselves! We accept that thou-"
"Hmph. It is for that pathetic reason that no one shall remember you. Always in doubt of everyone, including yourself, except for that sunny cheerful clown you adore so much, that you call 'sister'..."
"Do not dare speak-immph!" Her screams were muffled when Nightmare Moon covered her mouth with her mane. "Mmm! Mmph, nn-"
"Your great effort, tolerance and justice, all wasted in acts that nopony will ever be grateful for." She looked at Luna as the preadolescent filly glared back with angry tears in her eyes. "How does an eternity of solitude sound for you?"
Luna shook her head and tried to speak clearly. Even her horn could not move the misty mane away as the tall, dark alicorn apparition stepped before her, mighty and proud. She could only turn her face up to stare at the bitter form that she would supposedly become. "..."
Why wilt thou not let us go...? Release us! Release us, We want nothing with thee! She shut her eyes closed. Even if thou art us, We do not want to... to become...
"I AM you."
No! Luna shook her head again, faster.
"Yes! I am you... Because I knew and realized how much they all loved the Day and its princess... I am the one who accepted the cold facts and the truth, and moved on accordingly. I am the one who saw everything that you were too foolish to ignore happen. I am the one who saw it coming, embraced my knowledge, and hardened myself."
Luna grunted as the mare took her face in her hoof.
"For many years THIS pathetic side of you remained... Even when you grew suspicious of your sister that hoarded everything to herself... Even when you decided that you, too, were worth the great respect and love that she was given... Even when you realized that, you remained under your sister's hooves... You didn't mind it..."
Stop putting words in our mouth. Thou hast no right to assume things of us! Thou hast no right to accuse us of anything, thou dost not know us! She tried to growl and move again, even when the mare continued to speak. Anything that she could do to ignore those words, to keep herself from listening, she would gladly do so with all her might.
"You grew comfortable in that invisible position. But before you knew it... Your guards, your servants, your friends, and finally your beloved sister were gone... You were all alone."
Luna opened her eyes wider and whimpered. Celestia...?! No. No, she would never-
"Even SHE was gone! Like the friends that you never had, but to whom you gave your faith and love nonetheless, as if they had ever existed in the first place. You know why she was gone? Because SHE was the one who took those friends away, who banished them from your life, and she was such a coward, she didn't have the guts to face you afterwards! She couldn't look you in the eye after she destroyed your life, the happy life that you had finally made-she blew it to bits and never so much as gave an explanation. Instead she shielded herself in her work and her stupid subjects who comforted, congratulated, and treated her like a poor victim..."
What art thou talking about?! Stop. Stop!
"You were all alone, like you were always meant to be. And during that time of sadness and darkness, the realization that changed it all came upon you. What you had been hiding for years."
Stop! She grunted as Nightmare Moon shoved her chest.
"That you were too weak to even handle your own life."
No...
"To even give your damn sister a piece of your mind!"
It cannot be...
"THAT'S when I finally took power! That was when I finally ended the pathetic excuse that you always were... and turned us into the rightful, beautiful Princess of the Night that we were meant to become!"
STOP!
Nightmare Moon growled as Luna unleashed her magic once again to dissolve the mane that covered her mouth. "You're becoming quite annoying with those outbursts of yours..."
Luna glared at them as she tried to move, but grunted when the black mare used her magic to paralyze her body. "Let us go!"
"No! You're going to stay down there, where you belong! Where you've always and will always belong till the end of your days! Alone, deserted, forgotten, abandoned, bitter, sad, frightened, finished! That will be your fate, you better wrap your head around it!"
"No! We wilt not believe that! Even if it is the truth, We can change that! Thou hast no proof! Thou art not real, We wilt not let thee manipulate us!"
"Ohhh... No proof... No PROOF... Let me change that, little filly... How foolish of me..." She brought her hoof over Luna's head, making her scream in pain. "Here's your proof!"
Luna cried as she tried to move away.
"What's the matter, little princess? I thought you loved being under everypony's hooves. Don't you feel so comfy down there?"
"Thou hurt us-"
Nightmare Moon leaned down, closer to Luna as she whispered softly. "If I am an illusion, then I am not here. If I am not here, then my hoof can't be over your little stubborn head. I can't crush it like a porcelain cup if I am not here, can I? If this is all unreal, then why be here in the first place? Never mind, you're the expert throwing accusations!"
Luna winced as the black hoof was pressed against her once again. "L-Let us..."
"But tell me, Miss Know-It-All... Isn't that pain you're feeling? And, correct me if I'm wrong, but this doesn't look like that adorable, silly starry room of yours... Or, right, the dull, insipid library where you were studying. Where is all that?"
Th-That ist right, this... We art at the library... The library...! Where? What library? This, this ist all We can remember... She ist tormenting us, where were We before this...?! Were We here all along...?!
"No..." She started to sob. "No, that cannot be... There ist no way, W-We were awake! We... Somewhere..." There ist no way something as painful as this ist real...!
"Then WHERE?! Tell me where you where-what were you doing?!"
"We-We do not remem-stop!"
"What's the matter, dumb princess? Does the headache not let you think?"
"Please stop it-"
"What happened to your awful pride?! Where's that little courage you had on earlier?!" She stared at Luna with hateful and unfeeling eyes as her tears ran down her face. "Pitiful piece of garbage..."
Luna tried to rub her eyes. She bit her lips to hold her sobs back. "Let us go..."
"Go ahead, do it! Cry like the stupid little filly you are." Her eyes glowed white as she added more pressure on Luna's body. "AM I REAL ENOUGH FOR YOU NOW?!"
Luna burst out in sobs. Her body trembled with pain and fear as she covered her face with her hooves. "Please! Stop! Do not hurt us anymore! What dost thou want from us?! E-Everything wast alright... Why did it have to...?! Sister... Sister! Please, c-come... Please come hel-"
Nightmare Moon stomped her hoof in front of Luna and made her jump as she stared up at her with her tear-filled and streaked face. "Hm. That's right, where is SHE to protect you now, huh? Your beloved, fair sister? Oh, yeah, I know where she is. She's playing with him, isn't she? Paying you no mind at all. Like always."
"N-No... She... She said... She promised...!"
"Guess she forgot about being there for you. Just like she'll forget about how important your life is, just before she destroys it!" She pounded Luna's head again. "She goes out and has fun without a care in the world. Yet here you are, alone and in pain, suffering with me and all the fears you hold inside you. Here you are, coward, without even that sunshine pest to push the truth away for you."
She pulled Luna's face up again, making her cry out. "Listen carefully and pay attention. You'll grow to enjoy this, trust me.This is the first of what the rest of your eternity will be like!" She stepped over her a final time to increase her pain before she began to fade away.
Luna cried out and winced again. "Please stop it... Stop it... Somepony... Somepony please..." She could not move even one feather in her wings. She was beaten and in pain in that dark dream reality that trapped her. She called out, but no one heard her, even when she slightly raised her voice. "S-Somepony..."
~~~
Celestia stopped at the throne room's hall when she sensed something again. No. She had actually heard something that time. She looked over her shoulder with concern. "Wilder... Did you hear that?"
Wilder stood up on his hind legs for a bit. His ears twitched as he heard a slight echo of screams. He was glad Celestia could only hear the last traces of it, for they sounded very frightened and in pain. They were actually-
"Sounds like Luna..." He grimaced slightly before Celestia turned around to face him. "But, you know, doesn't seem like she's very bad-"
Not again... "I'm sorry, but I have to see what's wrong with her."
"Alright, I'm just gonna tag along this time." Wilder followed her as she rushed down the hall. "I don't want my best playmate in a while to be hurt or something. I'll fix whatever has her upset in a second!"
Celestia smiled a little. Thanks, that is very kind of you... My poor sister will probably need some comfort, but... From what?Her smile faded as she tried to think of the reason why Luna was suddenly plagued by nightmares. Have they been this often recently? I have to look into it more, I cannot let her suffer...
~~~
Nightmare Moon laughed, then hissed at Luna. "Bad times approach, filly. You, your sister and that 'thing' better prepare for them."
Luna groaned as she lifted her head. She closed her eyes as the mare's magic surrounded her, threatening to take her over. "Just stop it... Make it stop..."
She winced as she heard dark laughter around her. It hurt nearly as much as the blows and the hooves had. Then came the sensation of drowning when she saw nothing but black. She felt nothing but despair and fear. She remembered nothing that could save her, and her throat was full of words that she could not even think well enough to scream out.
Make it stop... Someone get us out of this... Give us strength...
Before she drifted away and could no longer think straight to plead for herself, Luna thought she felt the odd, vague sensation of... tickling. All through her body, trying to get a forgotten response out of her that were not screams. As she closed her eyes, she thought she saw a feather floating around her body. But then, nothing more.
Wow. This one chapter was quite short. Two pages! Maybe I should find a way to make it longer, what do you suggest? Anyway. In here, Luna and Nightmare Moon confront each other again. Nightmare Moon tries to embitter our sweet little Luna! Poor of her... But, pretty much nothing else. Just reminding her that she's going to be alone. Maybe it wasn't even necessary, but I wanted to feature Nightmare Moon a bit more.