#incosmos

It was so cold. So lonely.

How many years had passed? She couldn’t tell. She didn’t even know whether it was day or night back in Equestria. There had been a certain numbness attached to being sent here, to this prison. It was so difficult, being stuck here, but soon she realized there was a pattern. She came as Nightmare Moon, but soon found herself behaving like Luna… Then Nightmare Moon again, then Luna. The pattern continued on for some time, and the dark alicorn was beginning to lose her grasp on who exactly she truly was.

But right now, she was Luna. She had walked along the cold surface of the Moon for days now- or was it weeks? She memorized each crater, rock, crack. Every single one- this was her home now. She debated on naming a few pebbles after ponies she cared for deeply, but shook the thought away. This would just make her miss home more than she already did. Her wings were tattered- perhaps an affect from the blast of Harmony given to her. They were healing, slowly. Her magic was useless here, otherwise she would have just teleported back home. Back where she was happy, where she could apologize over and over and beg to be set free. But no, she was stuck.

Dark circles were evident underneath her eyes, surprisingly so given her naturally dark coat. She couldn’t cry anymore, she had already done that far too much. Her voice was hoarse from all of the shouting. Countless times, she tried to cry out to her sister, begging for help, begging for her sun’s warmth… But to no avail. The Royal Canterlot voice was merely a whisper in this infinite cosmos. The stars mocked her, shunning her for her disloyalty towards her subjects and those she cared for. So now, Luna sat and gazed out towards Equestria, tired gaze fixated upon the bright planet.

“Do you hear me?” She croaked, wings laying flat at her sides, her coat and mane seemingly saturated and dull. Icy blue pools continued to stare out towards her home, ears pricked for any sound of recognition. From time to time, she could have sworn she heard Celestia’s voice… Perhaps it was her imagination, but a lullaby? Unfortunately for her sister, sleep was hard to come by on the moon. She spent her first few years sleeping, and she was no longer tired, but she was exhausted. It took effort to stand and walk, so she spent most of her time sitting, star gazing. She has memorized every sparkle, every constellation. Each tells a story… Sometimes, they spoke to her, telling their tales or omens of the future. She didn’t care.

“Tia,” Luna whispered yet again, grunting as she heaved herself onto all fours. “Please, let me come home…” The mare shut her eyes tightly, shaking as she tried to summon a spell, anything to let her speak to her sister… But nothing. A sigh shook her frail form, legs trembling as she accepted defeat and sat down yet again. “Celestia, I’m sorry.” She murmured, letting her head drop down to rest upon her forelegs. A chill ran down her spine, and the feeling of dread and fear gripped her heart like a winter breeze.

“Poor Luna… She doesn’t care for you anymore, don’t you know?” The tone was that of a purr, a facade of comfort as it etched its way deep into Luna’s heart. She knew the voice all too well.  Squinting, the young mare sighed and furrowed her eyebrows. “…Is it time, already?” A giggle was her reply for a few moments, before an urgent whisper. “Oh, go on… Cry into the darkness, dear Luna. See if your sweet, beloved sister can hear you! She will save you from Nightmare Moon.” The princess snorted indignantly, closing her eyes and nestling her snout deeper into her crossed forelegs. “I’ll let you do that for me, Nightmare Moon.”

The sensation of freezing swept over the small pony yet again, just as it had so many times before. With it, came energy. The Mare of the Moon had rested, and was in spirit to sprint laps around the Moon’s surface, flying to the Sun and back… But no. Nightmare Moon had better plans. Her dark form shook, not with fear or weakness, but with laughter. What sounded to be a quiet chuckle soon erupted into a cackle as she jumped to her fullest height, head raising with a sharped toothed grin. Stomping her hooves into the earth, the Queen of Nightmares channeled this strength, bellowing. “DAMN YOU CELESTIA! WE SHALL RETURN, AND OUR NIGHT WILL RULE!”