***
Luna sobbed and tried to cuddle up even tighter. Is she really needed her sister as Celestia tries to show?… “Why did I chase her away?…” Sobbing again and dashing tears, Luna asked with a shaky voice as if she was trying to drive away gloomy, hostile silence around. The room answered with a spiky uncomfortable chill and a cold draught across the back from the opened window. Oppressing feeling of loneliness choked heart cruelly. Why, why had to ask her to leave? To take it out on her? Tia left, saying warm words before leaving, but it still was clearly painful and disheartening for her there, in the soul. Insulted sister… Just because, on a plain spot! Sister, who never once denied her anything this month, always supported her… It became unbearably disgusting in the Princess’ soul because of herself.…
Crying heart out and calming down a bit, Luna wandered around her chamber’s rooms restlessly. Bedroom — living room — dining room — living room — study — living room — bedroom… She thought to go out into the corridor and walk around the palace, but the memory of the night guards — who, seeing her condition, would begin to comfort her, find out who was to blame and assemble a vengeance squad for their Great Mother — discouraged her. Thestrals… They don’t add inward peace in the Princess’ soul as well. It seemed only a few days ago, that the main part of her new guard had arrived and took an oath, but yesterday she overheard a conversation between a couple of night guards, that made it clear, that they were seriously counting on her, Luna, to seize power from Tia, and then judge her! Preferably with an execution in the end… One guard wondered why Celestia hasn’t been overthrown yet — the army is already here and ready, why does the Great one hesitate? His companion told, that it is Nightmare, who used force, and Luna is going to have power preferably in a peaceful manner, but it will take more time. No one from the thestrals even disputed Tia’s position as an enemy one, and Luna certainly will have her revenge. Now another question boggles the Princess of the Night’s mind: when thestrals will understand, that she’s not going to go against her sister, what she would get instead of blind adoration, that splashes in their eyes if they look at the junior alicorn now? Luna, who had originally hoped to find friends among thestrals, now avoided them, fearing to get close to them. Yes, they have to be over-persuaded, make peace with sister, and no one except her would do that, but… Princess was just scared. Scared, that she herself will gradually accept the truth of thestrals and turn against Tia again… betray her again. With a heavy sigh, Luna sat back where she was standing. There was no thought of what to do about it all. Turn to her sister? The one she’d chased away, what an ungrateful fool… Cadence? Cadence was away on business, and she wouldn’t be back until tomorrow… and there was no one else to go to. She lays in the middle of a castle, full of different ponies, for whom she was technically considered a Princess, with her guards outside the door, ready at her word to go into the fire… And yet, Luna had no one to talk to, no one to get words of support from. She just is not needed anyone here. As it seems from the sister’s words, even Nightmare was needed someone, even she found friends… Princess sniffed and looked up, persuading herself, that she just examines the ceiling lamp…. She never had friends. Except for, maybe, Star Swirl… Star Swirl the Bearded was rude, straightforward, a little cocky, and arrogant… But besides Tia, he was the only person the Princess of the Night could go to, and not because she had to, but just to talk, discuss some theory, argue, make jokes… The mentor, however, could not joke at all. Only a few knew, that the nickname “The Bearded” came to Swirl from his teacher at a time, when he had no beard at all — for his downright talent for telling old, unfunny jokes, genuinely believing them to be new and interesting. Unicorn grew beard after many years to look appropriately… Luna chuckled through tears, but darkened again after a moment. Old mentor just disappeared one day, and no one had ever seen him again. Luna wore her hooves out until sole, trying to find her only friend, but he just vanished into the air… Even since Princess had acquaintances, there were those, who respected and even favored her, but only that. At least Celestia occasionally had someone with whom she could chat, share her problems, who she could hug as a goodbye and say: “I hope to see you soon, dear friend”. She even had her beloved Silver Wind, who would sneak the sunny Princess into a corner before a meeting so that later, surrounded by some ministers, she would glow with a slight blush and try her best to hide her swollen lips from a kiss… And she, Luna, was avoided then and is avoided now… The Princess of the Night cuddled up right onto the carpet where she sat and sobbed, covering with a wing. Wanted for someone to come in, to ask what happened… But there’s no living soul in the whole world who would do that. Because no one needed Luna.…
Luna put back the towel onto the hook and looked in the mirror gloomily. Unpleasantly cringed: cold water didn’t help to fully get rid of the swollen lids and red eyes… Princess, sighing, came out of the bathroom and froze on the doorstep, not understanding what to do next. Convincing herself, that Tia needs her and Cadence does care for her was a scary thing for Luna: these thought could easily bring her on the verge of tears… But what does she have left except thoughts? Apathy came. Wanted to go somewhere under the bed, where it’s dark and chilly, and just lay there, not thinking about anything. Princess shivered, when bells started to ring in the chambers in almost full silence: someone came and, allegedly, wanted to see her… “Not Tia, please.” Alicorn mumbled, coming to the entrance room. Perspective of looking in sister’s eyes, which she just chased away in anger, seemed unbearable for Luna. To her relief, only one of thestral-guard stood in the entrance room, which, as it seems, was on the watch near the doorway today. “Sorry for disturbing your rest, Great mother.” Stallion bowed a little bit awkwardly. “A messenger of… The Queen appeared.” He emphasized unfriendly. “Said, that you must immediately answer whether you’re going to appear on the dinner or not.” Princess shivered from the memories and hastened to get rid of them, shaking head nervously. That Queen is no more, and sister loves her… “Did he really say that?” She narrowed her eyes with suspicion, overcoming her emotions. “Negative, he represented it softly. But the meaning was like that.” Thestral said without any hint of embarrassment. Rage came. “Say it like it was said to Us!” Alicorn pierced the sentinel with a harsh glance. “Don’t you dare to mangle even a word that is for Our hearing from now forth! Immediately convey to your superior Our supreme will, that you be severely punished for this!” “M… My fault!” Thestral swallowed, standing at rigid attention. “Away!” Luna narrowed eyes. He rushed to the exit, but hesitantly froze halfway and turned again to Princess, shivering at her murderous gaze. “Away!” She repeated. “This… Excuse me, Great mother… What to say? To that messenger? About the dinner? “Could talk with Tia at dinner. I so miss her now…” “Say, that We now deign not to eat any food at all, for We have no need of it.” Following the sentinel with a gloomy gaze and locking the door, Luna, sighing heavily, slowly walked into the bedroom. Actually, she was hungry, and quite a lot, but… Come and sit at the table with Celestia as if nothing had happened… Tia had enough problems to spoil her mood and appetite by looking at her useless, unworthy sister, who for all her kindness and love could only repay her by demanding her to get away because she was in a lousy mood. “Why did I chase you away, sister? I am such an idiot… You came to support me, you’ve made so much for me, and I…” Luna, freezing next to a window, cringed painfully and closed the curtains with a sharp jerk and a crack of cloth, when the sky darkened rapidly, stars lit up, and the Moon went over the horizon, plunging the world into the embrace of night. The night, to which Princess, that should have control over it, had no connection with. Princess of nothing. Useless Princess of nothing… “Mom, we will overcome her together, yes?” “I hope so.” Luna, with an uncertain smile, patted the mane of a teenage black alicorn, standing next to her. She smiled, flashing back with turquoise eyes, just like her mother’s, with an unusual vertical pupil……
“Nightmare, no!!!” The glaive slid to the side at the last moment, leaving a long slash on Celestia’s shoulder instead of piercing her ribcage. She fell back on her wounded leg with a piteous cry. Crimson blood looked somewhat unreal on the snowy fur… “Why?” Young mare gazed displeasedly, just almost killing the Queen. Nightmare, despite her age, fought more tactically and furiously, than Luna herself, which was divided with doubts and contrarieties. “She is my sister… You can’t…” Luna’s words were interrupted by a pat of teleportation, noise of broken glass and Nightmare’s furious scream: “Where are you going?!” Luna, slowing a bit, rushed after……
“I beg you, stop! I am guilty before you, yes! Forgive me! Just stop, please…” Luna froze hesitantly: Celestia’s word touched something in heart… “Enough of this vile lies, Queen! You don’t and never cared about Luna! You’re not asking for mother’s forgiveness, you’re just trying to save your life and your crown!” Nightmare, covering the blue alicorn from the white one, scowled unkindly, and the glaive in her grip glowed with a saturation of magic……
“Forgive me, Luna! Forgive me! I!… I…” Luna was irresistibly pulled upward, towards the Moon, which had, so far, concealed the Sun’s light. How? How did it come to this?… “It’s a defeat, but not the end, Queen! When I and mother come back, you’ll pay for everything! FOR EVERYTHING!!!” Nightmare screamed furiously, standing nearby and not being able to dodge the sister’s last attack. It became dark in eyes……
“Come on! Let’s try it again!” Luna is exhausted. Not physically — just tired of this meaningless effort. “Get up!” Black teenage alicorn gave her an eager poke in the side. Fine. Let’s try it again……
“Useless.” Luna, sighing, sat down on a gray stone. “We’ve tried everything we could think of…” “You shouldn’t have stopped me.” Young mare grumbled gloomily, sitting down nearby. “There’s nothing to be done…” Luna stole a glance at her daughter with apprehension. She was right in something, but… … “Count it again and redo it! It must work!” Luna met Nightmare’s predatory eyes. Evil narrowing of eyes, tightly clenched jaws, ears bent forward bellicosely… “Do you understand, that it’s meaningless?” She sighed in answer. “May be.” Younger alicorn cringed. Not a teenager, already caught up to a medium mature mare by the height… And she’s spent all the time here, in banishment, where nothing exists… “But I’m not going to just sit and wait for no one knows what!” “If you’re bored, maybe, you can help me with the castle?” Luna smiled faintly. “What’s so interesting in these useless glasses?” Nightmare rolled eyes. “Fine, let’s go. Or you’ll just continue to mope…” “Oh, come on.” Senior alicorn’s smile became more courageous. “The glass painting is going to be beautiful!” Black mare shook her head wordlessly……
“I’m not going to do this anymore.” Luna stood up heavily, extinguishing horn. “Trying to escape from here is just useless waste of time.” “Not as much as building something on this piece of magical stone. If you give up — the Queen wins.” “Let it be.” Blue alicorn uttered indifferently, moving away. “Stop to sulk!” Nightmare, outrunning her, bumped a hoof into Luna’s breastplate. “Yes, we’ve lost a battle — but not the war! We’ll be back. I will tear the heart out her chest personally, and we’ll reign Equestria together under the cover of the endless night! Queen will regret, that…” “Shut up!” Luna flared. “Don’t even dare to think about harming her! Here, in this well deserved banishment, I’ve understood a lot for myself. But you, as it seems, have nothing! Bloodthirsty monster! Get away from me!” “Mom, why… Why are you speaking in such a manner? We… We…” This is the only thing Nightmare could panted. “Mom to whom? Reflection in the mirror? You’re just a summary of negative emotions, which got something like a psyche by some irony! This beautiful landscape around is your achievement, monster! I would have never fought my own sister if your words hadn’t convinced me to!” Luna spit out with hate. “I don’t want to know you!” Senior alicorn’s horn glowed, filling everything around with white light, and when it’s faded away, only dazed and stunned Nightmare stood on the white sand, and tears were pouring down her cheeks. “W… Why?… What have I done to you, mom?” She panted. Silence was her answer. “Mom?” Looking around, Nightmare stepped back. No one was there. “I… Forgive and… Mom, where are you? Don’t… Don’t leave me here! Please! Just don’t leave!” Alicorn, choking with her own tears, fell onto the sand exhaustedly…***
Luna sat up abruptly on the bed, gasping for air and feeling the tears streaming down her face and her heart pounding somewhere in her temples. Princess was pounding. Dashing away the wet from her face and recovering breath, alicorn leaned back onto the pillows exhaustedly, trying to get thoughts in right order after a heavy dream and cringing from the coming waves of headache. She remembered well what she had seen there. Too well… It seemed like only yesterday she was on the Moon, sharing her body with Nightmare and they were looking for ways to escape together… But this immaterial creature, Nocturnal, twisted everything at a completely impossible angle this time. Nightmare is the daughter? Luna, sighing heavily, got out of her bed slowly. For a few days now, sleep was almost never restful… The nightmares, which had come only occasionally and remained vague images and a sense of brokenness in the morning, now become more frequent and clear in recent days, no matter how hard Princess tried to restrain them with her crumbs of magic and her remaining dream walking abilities. A third bad dream this week… And their plot became similar as well: the clung entity found a weak spot and methodically stoke it, reveling in pain and fear… As far as Luna could judge, Nocturnal was old, experienced and rather strong. And, as she thought now, a similar — if not the same — clung to Nightmare… To… Daughter?… Alicorn sniffed. What a gibberish… No matter how strong and experienced this Nocturnal is, that stands behind this nonsense, was, but it’s a clear miss……
Ending with a constitutional walk, having breakfast and sending out the servants, the Princess of the Night was standing near a window, looking into the distance gloomily: damned dream just can’t get out of the head, always trying to capture her mind. Daughter or not, but wasn’t Nightmare the closest creature during many decades? And she in her fear and misunderstanding for all this time didn’t even try to get to know her… What was she? What drove her? Alicorn used to think of her as… For granted, her own shadow. And who’s interested in aims and fears of their own shadow, even if it’s sentient and has a personality?… Luna turned away from her immediately, thinking, that she’s too dangerous — and until the last moment, when the spell started to turn off her mind, didn’t even think of what can be her departure to her shadow… “If I had understood it right away!… If I had even thought about it!… Egoist…” Luna, drooping, sighed heavily, swallowing another comb in the throat for who knows what time recently. Egoist. Traitor. Princess bid lip, holding tears. It turns out, that she created Nightmare herself?… Gave birth to her into the world. No, it wasn’t a filly’s birth, of course… But… No matter what it was — she had created Nightmare, and then left her for death, as if she forgot her attempts to help, to support… In her harsh and not always pleasure manner, but still… She, Luna, wasn’t a stranger for her — it’s other way around: Nightmare saw kindred soul in her, like… Mother. …Elder sister. “How to fix that mistake?…” Princess whispered with lips only and turned around, stopping her gaze at the working table. A few sheets of crumpled up paper were laying on the tabletop, a few broken quills, half-empty ink-pot… Write a letter and ask for forgiveness — the only thing Luna could think of, but a short letter, writing of which took almost half a day, hasn’t been answered. Twilight’s letter was laying a bit apart. Not getting any reaction at her message, Princess worked out the courage to write sister’s student and find out about this reaction. Twilight in answer, losing her nerve and asking for excuse through a word, wrote disappointing things: Nightmare, being tortured the last two days by endless bad dreams, treated Luna’s message either as an insult or as a mockery. Yes, the Princess of the Night ended her letter in a traditional way — with wishing good dreams, but… Her reaction was logical, if Nightmares thinks, that it’s Luna, who sends bad dreams to her: no one said, that she lost her abilities… “She won’t answer…” Sighing heavily and dashing tears, Luna sat before a table and, taking a quill, hung it above a blank sheet. Nightmare won’t answer — but it’s not a reason to not try again. In the end, what else can she do now?… Alicorn, sighing again, wrote the first words on a pure piece of paper……
Another sheet became a clod with rustling and swishing, and was tossed at the table in fury. Luna, getting up with a jerk, went to the window. Lost cause! It was… A seventh-ish attempt, hard won, carefully picked piece by piece from the rough work, and after rereading — tossed aside mercilessly, like the previous six. Bland, indifferent, illiterate, stupid! Not it! Luna, rubbing forehead with a sigh, looked back at the table. No, enough. What’s the point — there was no more strength, no more ideas… The feelings of the past hours had burned away a little too, leaving behind a tired, wistful indifference and a bitter understanding, that Nightmare will never give her forgiveness for what she had done… A sudden ring of bells in the pressing silence forced Luna to shiver. Someone came and wanted Princess’ audience. Opening the door reluctantly, she, ignoring the etiquette because of the fatigue, looked outward and cringed displeasedly for a moment: thestrals in their own repertory… Tall snowy unicorn, in which one can faultlessly seen Prince Blueblood, looked askew at the guard with apprehension, and she, masking her grin by a welcoming smile, was demonstrating her sharp fangs to the utmost. “Don’t dare to scare Our guests anymore, Sharp!” Luna put the thestral in her place with a cold tone. She immediately closed her jaws with a knock, feigning the most indifferent look. “Greetings, Your Grace. Unfortunately, We have to ask for forgiveness about Our subordinates’ behavior… What has brought you to Us?” Alicorn addressed to Blueblood, looking at the guard as if looks could kill for the last. “Your Highness!” Unicorn caught a fore limb of Princess with a untraceable manipulation and kissed a hoof. “I’m so glad to see you again! Are you ready? Honestly, I’m very thankful: you’ve allowed me to become your guide during this event! I thank you for this vouchsafe, Your Highness! These three days were, I dare to say, the most endless three days in my life! O, stars, this waiting was unbearable!…” What he?.. Discord!!! Luna barely held smile on her face, almost panicking inside. Blueblood! Museum! She heard that there were interesting exhibits in the palace, got interested… Even, in the end, she gave in to almost desperate entreaties of the Prince and allowed him to accompany her… And she forgot all about it! “I beg to differ! Is this the time we agreed on?” Alicorn tried to find a way out of the situation frantically. Wait… What time it is? Discord!!! “Excuse me if I dared to disturb you, Your Highness.” Unicorn bowed. “I think it was beyond my strength to cope with the desire to meet you earlier!” He emphasized a smile. “Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait some time.” Luna panted with a forced smile. Hungry, with hair askew, red eyes… Closing door in a hurry, Princess called for the servants. Promise, even thought absolutely ill-timed now, is to be done anyways……
“…And this is my favorite artifact! Look, Your Highness! Speaking sphere! These artifacts are created in pairs to allow their owners to speak at distance in real time! I’m sure you’re surprised! This is a completely new development, the first pair was created only fifty-seven years ago and allowed to keep a stable connection for one and a half kilometers, and modern models work for almost ten! Alas, Whats Up, the magical doctor and beautiful in every way unicorn, who created this artifact, left this life as recently as five years ago… I must admit that I still admire his work. Such a potential!” Luna sighed gloomily. Blueblood, who was basically singing, was frankly getting on her nerves, and Princess wanted to be alone in silence now. But she cannot get rid of the unicorn, to whom promised to go with few days before: didn’t have heart. Moreover, the Prince sincerely tried to cheer her up and brighten her day at least partially with his excursion for the “best Princess in the world”… But the imposition and, it seems, even a certain patronizing on the stallion’s part was still annoying. Overall, sister’s collection impress. Tia collected many artifacts and mechanisms in the castle museum: ancient relics and the latest developments, simple and complex, useful and not so, and sometimes — curious and amusing, like a lamp in the form of Tia herself, which, when turned on, raises a tiny magical sun-light. Luna smiled for a second and gazed at the exposition. The Princess of the Night’s eyes caught some detail for a moment… “… Just ten ponypowers, but it was the first! You, as I assume, saw these. But look how Equestria stepped forward now! This monster has more than eight hundred ponypowers! The temperature artifacts heat the entire volume of water to boiling in just ten minutes, and the engine begins to produce power! And this… E-e… Your Highness? Your Highness!” Unicorn, noting, that he’s walking alone, looked around perplexedly.…
As she approached the darkened, inconspicuous alcove, Luna froze, not quite believing her eyes. Here, far from the prying eyes of the visitors, a blade gleamed faintly in the light from the hall. Activating an illuminating crystal on the same place, Princess shivered reflexively, when its light put the ancient weapon off the half-darkness completely A very known weapon… Alicorn, hesitating, came closer, examining the glaive throughly, towering at the weapon rack. This splinter on the enchanted wood of the shaft was left by the battle with Sombra… And this pattern closer to the blade she had made herself — the knife had slipped, ruining the straight line. Had been sulking all day after that: worsened such a weapon with her curved horn indeed!… Luna, chuckling, lifted her gaze and recoiled back. For a moment, Princess thought there was blood on the blade… Only when she had calmed her first impression and looked closely, she realized, that it was just blackened metal… blackened, where the alicorn’s blood had touched it. Celestia’s blood. Sister’s blood. Luna barely swallowed the comb in her throat. How low can a pony fall? At first Princess considered the dark wizard, who had cursed an entire village of pegasi for a leering glance, to be the lowest degree of moral decay, dooming them to a terrible and slow death — and whom she had managed to save with incredible effort and ability by changing and redirecting the effect of the curse so, that as a result, those ponies turned into first thestrals, but were not killed. Then he was overshadowed by the mad archmage Sombra, whose desire to prevent the Crystal Empire from turning into a puppet of Equestria and preserve its freedom ended up in enslaving his own people and trying to drive them to war with the hated southern neighbor… And now Luna suddenly realized, that the worst pony, that had and have ever been now can be seen in the polished metal of the blade. Even Sombra hadn’t betrayed his nearest and dearest, but she, Luna, betrayed and almost killed her sister because of jealousy. And then, because of fear and disgust, betrayed and left to death… Daughter. …Nightmare Moon. And all she does now is insulting Tia for nothing, who has forgiven her, and complaining about life!… Can something be more… Disgust and useless?… “Your Highness, excuse me, I’ve lost you!…” Luna shivered, when the voice of the abandoned companion sounded behind her. “O, “Moon sickle”! This is your weapon, isn’t?” Coming closer, Blueblood looked at the glaive with unrevealed delight. Princess shuddered. “No matter what some smarty pants say — it is not a replica, is it?” Prince asked with hope in the voice. Luna shook her head reluctantly. “Ha, I knew!” Turning back, he smiled with pleasure and, with some awe, looked back at the glaive thoughtfully. “You know… Looking at this weapon, I clearly realize, how hard your greatest victory upon this disgustful monster was, if even her poisoned blood left such traces on the metal!…” Disgustful monster… Monster, that was left to die by her own… Mother? Monster, who has never been told what happiness is… She’s not a monster. She’s not the monster! “This is Celestia’s blood.” Prince was interrupted by Luna. “Excuse me?…” Stumbling half-word, he looked at the alicorn perplexedly. “This is Celestia’s blood.” Princess repeated with a flat tone. “And I spilled it.” Shocked unicorn turned his gaze at the weapon slowly, then back, trying to say something, but not finding even a word. “I have betrayed and tried to kill my own sister. And then betrayed and left the Mare in the Moon to die, when she was my loyalest assistant, trusting me endlessly and thinking of me as the only friend. The only disgustful monster in this story is me.” Alicorn’s empty and dead voice echoed through the wide hall and silenced. Luna took one last look at the glaive, resting on the counter, wiped away the tears, streaming down her cheeks with a jerky movement, and walked silently towards the exit droopingly, leaving Blueblood, frozen as a pillar of salt alone with his shattered ideal and the oppressive silence of the hall.…
Princess Luna came to her chambers already calm. She almost flew into the chambers in a decisive pace to, after passing through the living room, come to the table, full of crumpled letters, to almost disgustfully sweep away everything needless and to raise a quill above a blank sheet. Now Luna knew what to do.