FINALLY, this dog of a chapter is DONE! From scheduling conflicts to a trashed laptop and 9 pages of text lost, it's finally here. But sadly, this marks the end of the 'already existing' chapters. Every chapter up until the last already existed on ponyfictionarchives.net. But I've been shining them up and posting them here just because I think FIMfiction fans are a lot more active in feedback and commentary. So, right after I post this, I'll be starting on the next installment. I'll try to post the next chapter as soon as possible, so keep an eye out for it. but for now, enjoy!

Chapter 11

Princess of Darkness

“Alright, let me get this straight; Midnight, the lost, confused, invalid human-turned-pony guest of the Royal Pony Sisters, fought and defeated Prince Blueblood in a non-sanctioned duel in the Guard barracks, his wings changed color, and he passed out. Is that about right, Tumbler?” The dark beast on the other side of the viewing mirror wrapped it's talons on the arm rest of the broken thrown it sat on. The mare trembled slightly as she told the story of the battle.

“Y-yes, master. I hid under the bleachers while the entire thing was happening, so I saw it all! He's currently back in his guest room upstairs, recovering from exhaustion.” She shied away from the image of her master, afraid of his possible reaction to the report. He raised a paw to his face, picking a piece of unicorn horn out from between his teeth with his talon.

“Well, it seems our little Midnight is growing quite bold as he spends more time in Equestria. Too bad I can't have him running around, playing a hero while I get my plans in order.” He sighed as he flicked the fragment of horn off into the darkness. “That will be all, Tumbler. Keep me posted on all new events as they happen.” With a flick of his wrist, the image of the jester vanished before him, leaving him alone once again in the dark of the chambers.

“This is getting interesting. Perhaps it's time I went down to Canterlot and introduced myself to this Mr. Midnight Blaze.” A wicked thought suddenly played through the beast's mind, giving him a wide, fanged grin. “On second thought, Tumbler... maybe the rest of Equestria should get to know him, first...”

===

“Alright, let me get this straight; Midnight, our lost, confused, visiting human guest, fought and defeated our nephew, Prince Blueblood, in an impromptu joust in the Royal Guard Barracks and won. After which, his wings changed color, and he passed out. Is that about right?” Celestia looked down from her throne at Sky Shield as he tried desperately not to shake in his armor. Slowly, she rose and walked down the stairs from her seat on the platform, gazing over her sister and the Elements as she made her way to the ground.

“I will not tolerate any violence in my country, let alone in my very palace. Sky Shield, what do you have to say for yourself?” Sky froze, unable to answer. He could see his entire career suddenly flash before his eyes, disappearing in the aftermath of this one stupid mistake. He took in a breath to answer, unsure of what to say that could end this well for him.

“It was all my fault, sister. I was the one who started this whole mess.” Luna stepped forward next to Sky Shield, cutting him off before he could answer. With a smile, she turned to him and shooed him away with her wing. “That will be all, Sky. You may return to duty now.” That was all the frightened guard needed to hear. With a quick 'Yes, Princess' and a salute, Sky bolted out of the double doors of the throne room and out of sight. Luna turned back to her sister, a defiant look on her face. “Ladies? Could you please give me and my sister some alone time? We need to discuss some things.” Slowly, the six friend left through the doors, Twilight lingering behind for a moment with Luna.

“P-princess Luna? Are you sure you want me to leave, as well?”

“Yes, Twilight. Don't worry, I won't be long.” She smiled at the lavender unicorn, watching her turn and walk towards the door. As the doors closed behind her, Celestia trotted up and took a seat in front of her little sister. She sighed and took a few deep breaths, regaining composure before she spoke, wanting to make perfectly sure that she would be fully understood.

“Luna, I allowed you to watch over Midnight and guide his stay in Equestria because I believed this to be a good chance for you to come to understand the potential that you have in you for doing good. But it appears that now... this has gone on too far for too long. I think we should keep Midnight sequestered in the guest quarters until we can figure out what to do with him.” Luna's jaw dropped, the shock of her sister's suddenly cold words hitting her like lightening.

“Tia, you... you can't do that! It wasn't his fault! H-h-he couldn't help but fight with Blueblood! He didn't have a choice!” The moon goddess pleaded, seeming only to make her sister more irritated. Slowly, she circled her sister as she vented her frustrations.

“Oh, really, now? Tell me; how much do we know of these 'humans' that Midnight claims to be?  Do you know the most important event in his world's last one hundred years? Or perhaps could you name a few popular works of art from his world? How about something simple, like the average human's diet? No? That's because we know NOTHING of Midnight! We know nothing of what he or his kind are capable of. I simply cannot allow him to roam free about the palace any longer. He has become a threat to our subjects, and now, I'm removing that threat until we can send him home. And that's my final word!” Celestia began walking back up to her throne, only to be stopped by a quick tug, the tip of her tail held in Luna's teeth. She pulled her tail back, giving her little sister an angry scowl.

“Luna, what is the meaning of all this? Midnight has been under your care since he arrived, so how could you allow things to get so far out of hoof?! In our very home, with the Prince, no less? How, Luna? How do you justify this?” Celestia looked down on her younger sister, desperate for an answer.

Blinking a few tears free from her eyes, Luna looked up to her and gave a weak grin.

“He... (sniff)  he was defending me...”

“He... was what?” Celestia leaned back a little, the meaning of the words not fully registering in her mind. Luna sat down, holding a hoof to her chest as she recalled the day's events for her sister.

“Tia... since I came back to the palace, Blueblood has made me the target of countless cruel pranks. I never told you because... well, I  sometimes I...  thought I might have deserved it. I was able to deal with it, but I guess when Midnight saw it, he... he lost his temper.”

“But why would he get angry if it was just a prank?” Celestia asked.

“Well... when I knew I he saw me, I...  started to cry. That's when he started to fight with Blueblood. If the prince had his way, Midnight would be in the dungeon right now. Sky Shield was only trying to help when he suggested the duel. Please, Tia, don't be angry at them! It was me! It was my fault they were fighting at all!” She fell forward, wrapping her forelegs around Celestia's neck in a tight hug, crying into her mane. As the full meaning of Luna's story took effect, Celestia raised her forelegs and returned the embrace.

“Please, Tia... please don't punish him! Nopony has ever defended me like that before... it won't happen again, I promise! Just please...” Luna's voice softened as she nuzzled into her sister's neck, fearful that her pleas might just yet go unanswered. “... please don't be angry with him...” Celestia could feel her own eyes slowly growing wet from coming tears. Silently, she steeled her will and forced them away, pushing her sister forward to meet her eye to eye again.

“Luna... I...” Celestia looked down at her sister, fear in her teal eyes. Not the fear of repercussions against herself, but for another. One off the most powerful being in the world was before Celestia, begging her for the forgiveness of another. “... just one more chance. Do you understand me? I don't want anymore fighting from him. Alright?” Luna quickly shot forward again, hugging her sister tightly once more.

“Tia, do you mean...”

“If he was truly defending your honor... I suppose... I can allow him the benefit of the doubt. But I don't want him using the abilities the Elements are teaching him to hurt a single other pony the entire time he's here. Understand?”  Celestia raised a wing and gently brushed away a few scattered tears from her little sister's face. “Go on, now. It's been a long day, for the both of us. Get some rest, Luna.” Luna sniffled again and gave her one last nuzzle before slowly leaving the room.

“Thank you, sister. I promise you won't regret showing him this kindness.” She stepped back from her sister and slowly trotted out of the throne room, leaving Celestia alone with her conflicting thoughts.

“He... fought for her. He defended her. But, why? What kind of game is this human playing with my little sister?” Celestia climbed the steps to her throne, taking a seat on the cushion as she looked out over the empty room. “Could I actually be... wrong... ?”

===

Midnight awoke to a dark bedroom. His eyes flickered open, adjusting to the pale moonlight as it shown through the balcony doors and across the floor. He shook the last of remnants of sleep from his head and sat up, looking around the room.

“How did I get back here?” he thought, rubbing his aching head with a hoof. Slowly, the last moments of the duel came back to him; being thrown into the crates, fighting against Blueblood's magic, then finally landing the winning blow. After that, Luna ran up to him and... now he was here.

He stood up off the bed, taking a moment to stretch all four legs a bit before he tried to take any steps. A magic lantern on the nightstand popped to life, casting a soft light into the little corner of the room where he stood. On the stand was a small plate of fruit and a mug of what appeared to be apple juice, along with a piece of paper, folded over with his name on it. Groggily, he took the note and unfolded it, reading it out loud.

“Dear Midnight,

After the duel, I had the Guard medics examine you and make sure you were alright. Thankfully, you shouldn't be any more hurt than a few bumps and bruises. You're a very lucky stallion. With the help of Prince Blueblood, we had you brought back to your room, and I had the kitchen fix you a lite snack in case you woke up in the night. If you're reading this, please eat what you want, but then return to bed. You should try to rest until your strength returns. You earned it. I will see you first thing tomorrow, my friend.

Sincerely,

Princess Luna

p.s.

I asked Twilight to examine the discoloring of your wings tomorrow.”

Midnight read that line carefully, putting the note to the side. He walked over to the mirror left in the room from earlier and turned to the side, examining the wings still folded and tight against his side. The charcoal-gray of his wings was gone, replaced by a striking crimson that matched his mane and tale. “What's up with this, now?” he thought, turning from one side to the next. “Are they supposed to be like that? Do a pony's wings usually change color like this?” He thought back to Rainbow Dash for a moment, remembering the multiple colors of her mane and tail. Perhaps this was a normal occurrence in this world.

Leaving the mirror, he walked over to the balcony doors and pushed them open, stepping out to the railing. The sky was a clear and bright, illuminated by the full moon once again. Midnight looked up at the shining satellite, recalling his actions.

“I can believe I started a fight with a prince. Well... glad I won, at least. Getting molly-whopped by a unicorn would just be TOO emasculating. But, hey; he had it coming, anyway. How could he hurt Princess Luna like that? I mean she's so...” He paused, thinking of the look on her face when she saw him after the prank. She was so embarrassed, she was crying... and something in him just snapped. Something told him he had to step forward and do something to help her. Anything, for Luna...

“Oh, get REAL, punk! You're doing it again! STOP crushing on Luna!” He gritted his teeth and banged a hoof against his forehead as he scolded himself. “At best, she probably thinks of you as some kind of charity case or something! Maybe worse than that; she's knows, deep down, your not a real pony like everyone else here. To her, you're probably just a lost pet she's taking care of until she can send it home. Just lose these weird thoughts about her, already. You find her attractive, and she's not even your own species, for God sakes!” He paused his lone rant and thought about that for a moment, looking down at his hooves, the gravity of the words 'not your species' not meaning much to him right now. “It has to be the instincts in this body. There's no other way. I can't really like her this much... right?”

After the self-reprimanding, Midnight hung and crossed his forelegs over the railing. He buried his face in his forelegs, trying to convince himself of the total bull-crap line he just said. “This is crazy... is it just because she save my life? That was an incredible thing, but... does that really explain this?” He turned away from the edge and walked back into the room, stopping in front of the mirror once more. “You're a walking disaster, kid... ya know that?”

Midnight paused for a moment in silence, almost hoping for an answer, but only getting his own  troubled look in return. With a sigh, he resigned himself to just give up and return to bed. He walked to the balcony doors to close them, but stopped as he reached for the door handle. From somewhere above him, he heard the faintest of sounds. It was very quiet, so he was forced to lean his head and raise an ear to hear better. From a room above him, somepony was crying. It was very quiet, but unmistakable. He seemed to know right away who it was.

“... Princess Luna...”

Without another thought, Midnight turned and walked out of his room, heading for the stairs.

===

“... T... Tia...? … wh... why...?”

With those final words, Luna lost the fragile grip she had on the world and shot straight up towards space. The air quickly grew colder as she rose, ice forming between her burnt and mangled feathers as she left the atmosphere. Her screams slowly fading as the air around her grew thinner, and eventually, changed to a vacuum. She floated free, riding along helplessly on a wave of magic as she ached and froze, still trying to gasp for air at times. She spun, looking up and catching sight of a pale white glow. The moon... HER moon. She was headed for the moon...

With a mighty crash, Luna's body fell to the lunar surface, leaving a huge crater from the force of impact. In the center, Luna lay motionless, her body slowly returning to normal beneath the rubble and thin layer of dust that had settled down over her. Shakily, she finally managed to stand and crawl her way out of the crater. She reached level ground again and looked up to the world. She spread her wings and gave them a few guarded beats, rising up from the surface to return home. As she rose back out into space, her body surged with pain. Limply, the fell back to the ground. Luna looked up, her blurry vision slowly returning to normal, and noticed the barrier. Just about fifteen feet off the ground, a magical barrier shimmered like oil on water and spread out in all directions. She gasped in shock as a voice whispered to her from far away.

“... Luna...” Her ears perked and her eyes darted around quickly, trying to locate the source. She crouched and listened carefully for the voice again.

“... It looks like we failed, my dear.... oh, well... maybe we'll have better luck next time.” The sudden realization struck her as she recognized the voice. It was one that spoke to her in fantasies and daydreams. A voice that had recently taken over as her own.

“... Nightmare...?”

“I know. You're surprised to hear from me. Believe me, I'm surprised to have lost. I didn't expect Celestia to actually use the Elements of Harmony on us. She must truly have lost all love for you. Good job.” The defeated moon princess began to breath heavily in panic. Attempting to sound brave against the situation, she demanded the dark mare answer her.

“Nightmare, where are you? What has happened? Why can't I leave the moon?!”

“Oh, sweet Luna... I took you over. THAT is what happened.”

“B-but, why?! How?!”

“Why, to get you what you wanted, of course. To overthrow Celestia and cast Equestria into eternal darkness. Your anger and loneliness bore me life, and I decided to repay you by giving you your dream. But our Dear Sister pulled out all the stops. She used the Elements on us. We are trapped here, now. Alone... forever.” Luna screamed in rage, launching up into the sky once more, only to be jolted and sent back down to the dirt. She steadied herself and tried again, with the same results. Over and over again, she flung herself against the barrier, only to suffer and fail. After countless times, she finally sat defeated, spent and sore.

“Damn you... Nightmare...” she said between pained breaths. She could hear Nightmare sigh at her failure. Luna rose to her hooves, the thought of Nightmare's actions igniting a rage within her. With what little power she had, Luna sent wave after wave of her remaining magic across the moon, causing the silver satellite to tremble and quake in her onslaught. “You're the one that did this! You're the reason why Celestia had to do this! She thought it was ME attacking her all this time!!! You're a MONSTER!!! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!”

“Oh, dear... fine. I'll leave for now. I can't do anything stuck up here, anyway. Good bye, Luna. See you later...” Nightmare's voice slowly faded, accompanied by the clopping of hooves trotting off into the distance before fading as well. “... enjoy your stay.... ”

Luna could feel the presence of Nightmare slowly dispersing in her mind. In a matter of moments, she was gone. Luna sat down in the dust of the moon. The beautiful, bright, cold, lonely moon. Defeated, trapped and now completely alone in the desolate landscape, Luna buried her face in her forelegs, and began to cry.

===

Luna sat straight up, her mind returning to her as her eyes quickly darted around the room. Her room. She was safe in her room, in her own palace again. Her sister was just down the hall, asleep in her bed. Her sister, who forgave her and loved her, and would always be there for her. Luna was safe.

The moon goddess stood up off her bed, stretching her neck and wings out before walking through the balcony doors. She looked up, casting a quick glance over her moon. Ever-present in her life, as much today as it had been for those one thousand years. Ever-present as it would always be. The soft glow shining down on her country through the cloudless sky reveled a hidden beauty to her. It was that very beauty that caused the resentment all those years ago, that set her on the dark path she seemed almost cursed to follow. She rested her head on the edge, looking down into the courtyard.

“Hmm... they left some of the debris from Midnight's training with Applejack down there still. He's getting rather popular amongst the guards. Perhaps they'll have him sign some of the broken equipment as souvenirs.” The thought brought a smile to Luna's face as she imagined the young stallion in battle with Blueblood, matching him blow for blow, all in the name of Luna's honor. Her smile, however, quickly faded as reality set in.

“He wouldn't have done that for you if he knew the truth, now. Chances are, he wouldn't even speak to you again. He's only been here a short while, but he seems to love Equestria as much as any other pony would. He'd hate you for what you've done.” She sighed, sitting on her haunches and leaning against the railing. “He wouldn't be as nice to you as he is now if he knew you tried to destroy all this. Would he still fight for me, then?” The pain of the thought caused Luna to tightly close her eyes as they quickly started filling with tears. She fought the urge to start sobbing again. Ultimately, it was a losing battle. Luna's will was overtaken by her past sins, causing a single tear to escape down her cheek. Only this time, there was no Celestia to comfort her, nopony around to help her make the pain go away. Luna simply sat there on the balcony, bathed in the light of her moon, and resigned herself to her sadness.

“psssst... Princess Luna...?” A whisper from the chamber doors made Luna pause. She quickly stiffed her sobs and fixed herself, addressing the voice.

“Y-yes? Who is there?”

“Princess Luna... it's me, Midnight. M-may I come in?” From behind the cracked door, the young stallion cautiously announced himself. Luna quickly wiped her eyes, blinking the last remnants of her tears away. She trotted down to the doors, activating a pair of magical lanterns as she went. She magicked the one door to the room open and ushered Midnight inside.

“Midnight, what are you doing up so late? You should be in bed recovering right now. What about your injuries, or your wings?” Luna said, making sure not to allow him too close a look at her eyes. She started moving back to the balcony, silently hoping he wouldn't follow her. No such luck, though, as he followed close behind.

“I-I'm fine, really. I thought I... heard you crying. I knew it was you because I recognized it from before, with Blueblood...” Luna tried to pull back another swell of emotion, remember it was her tears that almost got him in trouble in the first place. She turned away, overlooking the palace grounds and surrounding lands, looking anywhere that wasn't Midnight's eyes. “Luna... is everything alright?”

'I need tell him... I need to set this right.' she thought. Midnight took a step closer and sat down. He reached out to place a forehoof on shoulder, but was suddenly taken aback by Luna turning and lunging forward, wrapping her forelegs around him in a tight embrace. For a moment, his foreleg hung in the air, the weight of Luna's action had not yet set in. Slowly, he brought his leg around her neck, enticing a sniffle or two from the troubled princess. “No, Midnight (sniff)... everything is not alright... I've been... lying to you, all this time.” She held him tighter, tears falling on Midnight's neck as she cried into his mane.

“Hey, Luna... I'm sure it's OK. Just tell me what's wrong. I-I won't be mad or anything. I'm sure you had your reasons...” He rubbed her back between her wings, calming the princess down a bit. She pulled away, her eyes still wet with tears as she looked up to her moon once again.

“T-there's an old saying in Equestria, Midnight; losing a friend's trust is the fastest way to lose a friend. And I haven't been telling you the truth about me and my sister. We are not what you believe we are. And the worst part of it is... I've asked everypony else to lie for us as well, just to keep the truth from you.” The young stallion took a step closer, leaning against the railing as he listened. He could tell how afraid she was; her voice wavered, new tears rolled down her face with every blink of an eye. She even seemed to tremble a bit as she spoke. “I'm so afraid of losing you because of this...”

===

“Luna, NO!” Celestia sat straight up in bed, the image of her little sister being banished to the moon once again fresh in her mind. Another night of that same disturbing dream. She stood up off the bed, shaking the dark memories from her mind once again. There was only one thing that would help her put her mind at ease, and that was seeing her sister safe and sound in the palace once again. Celestia ruffled out her wings and mane once again before exiting her bedroom and heading for Luna's.

The hall always seemed so quiet as she made her way to her sister's bedroom. The beautiful shadows on the wall brought her comfort, being the ever-present signs that Luna was not far away. But as Celestia approached her little sister's bedroom, something seemed amiss. The large ornate doors of her room were.. .open? 'This is unusual. Luna likes her bedroom doors closed tight when she's in her bed chambers.' Celestia thought. She quietly approached the door and paused. There was a voice inside. 'Wait... oh, no. Oh, no no no no no no...' There wasn't just one voice inside. There were two. One of her sister, and the other of... Celestia gritted her teeth, her entire body feeling scalding hot as she peeked through the crack of the door and saw Midnight with his forelegs wrapped around her little sister.

===

Midnight comforted Luna the best he could, offering her gentle affection, unsure of exactly what this new, horrible problem was. In the dark of the room, he tried to reassure her.

“Luna, I'm sure whatever you've been keeping from me, it can't be that bad. Anyway, I don't think there's ANYthing you can say to make me not want to be your friend anymore. Come on... I promise I won't be mad. Just tell me, please?” A sense of fear steadily grew in Midnight. Since he had arrived in Equestria, Luna had been a source of strength for him. The beautiful young mare was always there to inspire him and encourage him, cheering him on as learned about this world and grew to understand it. But now, here she was, falling apart in front of him. He put on his best brave face and sat there waiting for her to continue. It was clear that she needed him as a source of strength now more than anything else.

“Celestia and I... are not what we have claimed to be. I told her, the Elements and the palace staff to never mention us for what we were because you might feel more alone if you knew, but that was a lie. I just didn't want you to know... we are not pegacorns such as you are, Midnight. My sister and I, are both alicorns.” Luna sniffled again, closing her eyes. Midnight, who had been sitting braced for a stunning revelation, now looked at her confused.

“Princess Luna? I'm sorry, but... I've never heard of an alicorn before. I don't really understand how that could be bad...” Luna didn't look over at him. She simply raised a hoof to the moon and opened her eyes. Slowly, they began to glow a bright white, along with her horn.

“Midnight, my sister and I are not like other ponies. For one, though we have horns like any unicorn in Equestria, our magical abilities are much, much more powerful. Now, watch.” With a wave of her hoof, the moon, in all it's radiant glory, moved across the sky. It rolled down to the horizon, then back up again, turning at a ninety degree angle in the sky. Slowly, it circled around a few scattered stars before returning to it's normal position in the sky. All the while, Midnight sat speechless, his jaw hanging open at the magnificent display. “It is my honor, young Midnight, to control the rising and setting of the moon. Just as it is Celestia's honor to control the sun. There is no other magic-using creature in all of the world that can rival our power. Our knowledge is beyond that of any other creature alive today. For you see, my sister and I are both immortal. We have both lived for thousands of years and ruled this country and our ponies since the world was young.” Midnight struggled to find the correct words. This couldn't be happening. The moon.... i-it moved across the sky to Luna's will!

“Luna... y-y-you're a g-god...?”

“That is a very old term the ponies of Equestria have used to describe us in the past. But, yes; Celestia and I are both gods.” Midnight immediately fell to the floor on all four knees, his head down in a stunned showing of respect. A mixture of respect, honor and fear washed over him. All this time, the gentle, sweet, happy young mare he had come to know was, in fact, a goddess in the flesh.

“P-p-princess Luna... I-I-I-I can't believe it! Y-you're really a-a-a real...” He swallowed hard, remembering how he hugged her and Celestia both to thank them for their kindness. He MUST have violated some kind of sacred law by doing that, he was certain. “T-t-t-that's absolutely amazing!”

“This is why Celestia and I no longer refer to ourselves as gods, Midnight; it brought about too many negative reactions from our subjects. We would rather be referred to as princesses and have their love and respect than to have their fear. You have nothing to worry about, my dear Midnight. Please, rise.” The young stallion rose to his feet once again, looking over the moon goddess. She was still the beautiful young mare he first met in his guest room when he awoke the other day. There's was no reason to start fearing her now. Taking a moment to calm himself, he sat down beside her.

“Luna, that is the most amazing thing I've seen here, yet. To think you and your sister hold so much power... But, why would you think that this would make me hate you? That's shocking, but hardly something I'd consider bad news.” Luna took a breath, wiping her eyes with a hoof before continuing. This was the part that she truly dreaded.

“The problem isn't my godhood, Midnight. It's what I chose to do with it that's horrible.” She turned to face him, looking him in the eyes. He looked back into hers, the gentle amber gaze innocently waiting, ready for anything she had to say.

“More than a thousand years ago, my sister and I ruled Equestria in peace and harmony. The land was guarded by my sister, who raised and lowered the sun, and watched over the ponies by day, and by myself, as I raised and lowered the moon and kept watch over Equestria by night. But after a while... that began to fall apart. The ponies then, as they do now, lived their lives by the light of day. Worked stopped, foals were called home and everypony retreated inside when the sun went down. I spent so much time, painting the stars into the sky, casting auroras and creating meteor showers, trying to make the night beautiful for them... The night sky became a canvas, and I was the artist that nopony ever paid attention to. Eventually, I grew resentful of my sister, having the attention of all the ponies all day, from dawn to dusk. I kept it quiet for so long, eventually... those feelings of hurt became something more...” Midnight leaned forward, waiting for Luna to gather the strength to continue. “Those feelings became... Nightmare Moon.”

“Nightmare Moon? I don't get it... what's Nightmare Moon?” the stallion asked, placing a hoof on Luna's shoulder. She remained still, only acknowledging his gesture with a weak nod.

“Nightmare Moon was the embodiment of all my pain, anger and loneliness, brought to life. All the negative feelings I held inside grew, and eventually took on a life of their own, before finally taking me over. I lost control of my body. I became a prisoner in my own mind, locked away on the inside, looking out, unable to stop her... She raised the moon one evening, and refused to lower it again. She wanted to cast Equestria into eternal night, and force the ponies to love her the way they had loved Celestia. She didn't care who was hurt, or how destructive it was to the world. To this day, I still don't know exactly how that even happened.” Luna expression took on a hint of anger, remembering the events of those days long ago. Being trapped in her own body, unable to stop that monster from destroying everything she knew. She sighed and continued.

“Celestia had to act. Nightmare didn't care who got hurt or who might die. She only wanted that sick, warped version of the world to continue, no matter the cost. And so... Celestia had to use the Elements of Harmony to stop her.”

“The Elements of Harmony...” Midnight spoke to himself, clues coming together like pieces of a grand puzzle.

“The Elements managed to overpower Nightmare, but before they could stop her, she retreated back into my mind. Celestia and the Elements knew she had to be stopped, and thus...” Luna sniffled again, looking up into the sky. “... Celestia and the Elements banished me to the moon.” Midnight leaned back, stunned at the thought. Luna remained silent.

“Luna... you mean... you were trapped up there...?”

“For a thousand years.” Midnight was the one now to lean forward, wrapping his forelegs around Luna, who returned the embrace. The two stayed there for a few minutes, Midnight offering her the only meager comfort he could manage while Luna took it all in.

“... I'm so sorry... I'm so, so sorry you had to go through that, Luna... I feel so...” Midnight struggled to keep himself from crying, trying to remain as strong for her as he could. Luna only nodded as she nuzzled his neck.

===

'What in the buck is she DOING! Luna, get away from him!' Celestia screamed in her own mind, watching her sister hugging this invader, this human usurper who was working his way deeper and deep into their lives. A pulsing pain in her forehead pounded hard with every heart beat, making the very act of just standing there and watching without intervening almost too much to bear. 'I will kill him. Mark my words, by the moon, sun and all the stars, I WILL kill him...'

===

“Don't be angry with Celestia, Midnight. She only did what she had to do to save the world from Nightmare. The world wouldn't have lasted for long if the sun and moon remained trapped in the sky where they were. She feels horrible enough, having to have done that in the first place.”

“Luna... the 'dark and evil foe' Twilight and the other defeated... that was you... wasn't it?” Luna nodded again, the shame of her actions rising up in her heart.

“The banishment obviously didn't last forever. A cosmic alignment of some very specific stars weakened the barrier that held me on the moon. Nightmare took advantage of this, taking me over again as easily as snuffing out a candle. She immediately came back to Equestria, intent on picking up where she left off. This time, however, Celestia was unprepared. She had lost her control of the Elements over time, and could not face Nightmare on her own. Fortunately for us all, Twilight Sparkle saw the signs of her return, and took action to stop her. Together with her friends, they rediscovered the Elements, and defeated her in battle, effectively breaking her grip on my mind, and stopping her once and for all.” As Luna finished her explanation, her hold on her emotions broke, causing her to start a new round of tears. “I tried to destroy the world, Midnight... I almost succeeded in bringing an end to all life as we know it... I almost killed Twilight and her f-friends...”

Luna turned away, no longer feeling worthy to look at Midnight, her sadness and shame once again at the forefront of her mind. She leaned over the railing of the balcony, sobbing into her folded forelegs unhindered, embracing the sadness she could no longer control.

“Celestia tells me that I'm forgiven, now, and that I'm not to blame. That it was all Nightmare's doing, and that none of what happened was my fault, but it WAS! If I wasn't such a damned selfish foal, she would never have existed!” She caught her breath and squeezed him tighter. “You know... you're the first pony outside of the palace staff that I've spoken to since I've been back. I haven't even left the palace since I've returned from the moon. I hide in my room all day long, and sit on the rooftops and wondered the halls all night. I didn't want to face anypony, but then...”

“Then, I dropped in.” Midnight interrupted. Luna nodded against his shoulder.

“Celestia had been running Equestria for a thousand years without me. When I came back, she welcomed me with an open heart. But... I wasn't needed, anymore. I felt like I was only a reminder of the pain I had caused. I felt like I was nothing but a specter, brought back to frighten everypony around me. But then... when you came that night... you needed me. You were the only pony I've met since my return that truly needed me. But I didn't want you to look at me like that, too.”

===

Celestia leaned back from the door, the anger she was feeling retreating back after hearing Luna's words. 'THAT'S the reason she's so drawn to him? She feels... unwanted?' Celestia sat down, dumbfounded. Midnight gave Luna exactly what she needed right now; the feeling of being wanted and needed. That was something that Celestia, or anypony else now, couldn't give her. At least, not the way he could. Celestia leaned closer to the door once again.

===

Midnight just held Luna as she sniffled and hugged him tight. Everything she had told him was almost too much to take. In a matter of moments, she explained how she went from goddess, to monster, to prisoner, back to monster and then to where she was now; the fragile, hurting young mare holding onto him right now. But as unbelievable as everything she had told him really was, what surprised him the most was that he wasn't bothered by any of it. In fact, sitting there with his forelegs wrapped around Luna, he couldn't imagine ever feeling more... proud? Or maybe strong was a better word? 'She's a princess, a ruler of an entire country, for god sakes! And on top of everything, a GOD! She moved the moon RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, GUY! SHE'S OLDER THAN YOU BY THOUSANDS OF YEARS, SHE'S NOT A TEENAGER!' The words rang in his head, trying to register in the logic center of his brain. However, all he could think about was how soft her coat was against him and how pretty her mane smelled. No matter her station in life, or her past or her species, she was still a female in pain.

“Luna... I could never look at you in any way but how I see you right now. I know you're not some monster like Nightmare anymore, and you should see that, too. And you are NOT just some scary reminder to everypony. You're the most amazing, wonderful, sweetest and kindest pony in the world, Luna.” He rubbed her back a little between her wings once more. Luna then pulled away a little to look into his eyes.

“You... you really mean that? I'm... sweet and... kind?”

“Yes! Of course you are! Look what you've done for me already. I wouldn't ever be alive right now if it wasn't for you. I owe you my life, Princess. And whatever you think other ponies think of you, YOU'RE the one that has the most control over that. Twilight and her friends forgave you, cause they already know it. You could show everypony in Equestria just how incredible I already know you are.” Luna gave a weak smile and looked down over the land, watching the shadows of clouds drift across the landscape. The ponies of her land were sleeping so peacefully. Peacefully, without ever thinking about her.

“I wish I could believe that, Midnight. I really do. I'm just so... so afraid, that I've ruined my chance to be loved and respected by my people. Right now, I fear that they either fear me... or have forgotten me, all together.” She leaned forward, hanging her head down over the railing. 'Forgotten. Over the course of a thousand years...' The thought had crossed her mind countless times before, but something about saying it out loud to somepony else seemed to drain all hope from her heart. “We're such a funny pair, you and I.” she said, barely above a whisper. “You can't remember who you are, and all I want to do is forget...”

What happened next, Midnight couldn't quite explain. He sat there, watching Luna as she hurt, agonizing over a millenniums worth of pain. This beautiful mare, a princess of her own country, patron spirit of the moon and god to her world; sitting there before him, all but broken. Calmly, he took a breath, and let his heart do the rest.

'o/`When your alone... do you think of me...

and my diamond rings... thrown out to sea...

and when you love... do you love for me...

like Harmony, a never ending dream.

Oh well, oh well, I still hope for the best,

Say goodbye and send me of with a kiss, farewell

And I promise to be, just as strong as I can be,

Maybe you can get some sleep.... tonight... o/`'

Lune slowly looked up from the railing, eyes wide in amazement. She straightened herself as she struggled to find her words.

“Midnight, that... that was beautiful. Where did that come from?” For a moment, the young stallion was glad it was so dark. Now that he was done, he could feel himself blushing deeply, a little surprised with himself at his own almost subconscious actions.

“Heh. I don't know, Luna. It just kinda... popped into my head. It seemed to fit well with you, and it just kinda, you know, came out on it's own.” He gave a nervous smile, noticing a slight sniffle as she wiped the last of her tears from her eyes.

“A song from your world... Tell me; is there more to it?” Midnight only smiled as he sat up straight, taking in a deep breath before continuing. Luna moved closer and snuggled close, leaning into him as he started once again.

o/` So here's your song... its twisting me...

I'd give anything... to make you scream...

And I'll just smile, and make believe

I don't feel a thing... it doesn't work for me.

Oh well, Oh well, guess I'll see you in hell

As the pretty little picture that in my head

And I'm starting to dream, changing colors while I sleep...

Maybe I'm just wasting time.

Sit still and listen to the soundtrack... I'll tell you how I

Took one straight to the heart, and it's not easy to talk about...

So we all scream loud... o/`

Midnight sung softly and slow, letting the words flow out under their own accord. Luna only sunk into his side deeper as the melody soothed her and calmed the fears she had felt over reveling the truth to him. She closed her eyes and nuzzled into his neck as he took a breath and continued.

o/` And that was it... I had made it clean

Just to cross the street... with my new wings.

So I'll just lie... and hope that I

Remember the good times... when it's done...

Oh well, Oh well, I can't live with myself

So I'm flying in your window to get to your bed.

And I'll be what you need, you can call me anything

Just as long as we're still friends...

Sit still and listen to the soundtrack... I'll tell you how I

Took one straight to the heart, and it's not easy to talk about...

So we all scream loud... o/`

===

From the hallway, Celestia stared, speechless. Her little sister, leaning into this human as he sang to her and comforted her in the night. And Luna was loving it. Midnight was offering her what her big sister could not. She has there, powerless for the first time in her long, immortal life to act.

===

o/` Its like the first time, but mare you've really carved it in

Tell you're new friends, nopony knows you like I do

It's over, I wanna see you again,

I wanna feel it again...

I'll keep you warm, safe in my heart...

Till heaven calls... keep holding on... o/`

Midnight finished, wrapping a foreleg around Luna and pulling her into a tight embrace. She sighed quietly and nuzzled into him, all traces of sadness having faded away into the ether of the night sky. He sat there, feeling her coat against his, noticing for the first time how right the feeling of holding her really was. Slowly, he relaxed his hold and pulled away.

“I... I better return to my room, Princess. I-I'll let you get back to sleep.” he said, turning to slowly walk away. He only made it as far as the middle of the room before she called to him.

“Midnight?” He turned back quickly, seeing her bathed in light of the moon.

“Stay with me... just for tonight. I don't wish to be alone right now.” Midnight held his breath a moment, then finally answered.

“Alright.”

Luna trotted down from the balcony and crawled into bed, magically lifting the covers up to allow Midnight to join her. He climbed in beside her as she turned her back to him, looking out the balcony. The covers dropped on the two of them as Midnight wrapped his forelegs around her, Luna snuggling backwards into his embrace. In a matter of minutes, Luna faded off to sleep. Midnight followed close behind, the last thought on his mind being how her mane smelled like cool, fresh night air.

===

Celestia watched from the hall as Midnight climbed into Luna's bed and cozied up against her. She watched as together, they took comfort in each other, drifting off into a deep, peaceful sleep.

“They're... just sleeping... incredible. He really cares for her... but... He's a human. How can this be...?” Celestia stood up and quietly strolled back down the hall to her own room. She had thought she had this 'Midnight' pegged; another destructive, greedy, violent human. The fight against Blueblood almost solidified this belief, until Luna explained to her roll in the matter. “He defended her... why? Does he actually care for her that much?”

Celestia entered her bed chambers and closed the door, returning to bed for the rest of the night. She covered herself and stared up at the ceiling, finding herself unable to close her eyes as she pondered the new questions running through her mind. Did she really just leave them alone together in her little sister's bed? Does she trust this human now THAT much? Sleep did not come easy for the sun goddess, her mind full of a new round of difficult questions.

===

“Midnight... Midnight, wake up...” The gentle voice woke Midnight from his peaceful sleep. Groggily, he reached over, feeling for Luna beside him, only to find the bed empty. He forced his eyes opened and looked up, the blurry image of Luna looking down on him from above. “Get up, Midnight. You have to go back to your own room, now.”

“W-what... Luna? Already? It's still dark outside... I have to go?” he said, stretching all four legs out before him. Luna moved back and let him slowly slink off the bed, shaking his mane and straightening himself out to wake up.

“I know, I know. But Celestia is going to be waking up in about twenty minutes to raise the sun. She usually comes by my room to make sure I'm up to lower the moon, and I don't want her catching you here.” Midnight's eyes popped open wide at the thought.

“Ooh, boy. Yeah, we probably don't want her knowing I slept with you last night.” He continued stretching and yawning, suddenly noticing Luna looking at him with a raised eyebrow and sly smile. “OH! I mean slept BESIDE you last night, not slept WITH you! Well, technically, I did kinda, sorta, maybe-” Luna burst into laughter, covering her face daintily with a forehoof as she did. Midnight stopped his bumbling over his words, realizing Luna was only playing with him with that look.

“You are quite an interesting pony, Midnight. But as long as you're awake now, I think... I have something to show you.” Luna stood up and took a few steps backwards into the center of the room. Midnight went to follow, but Luna stopped him by raising a hoof.

“Midnight, as you now know, I am a goddess.” the stallion nodded with a grin. “What you may not know is that, after the defeat Nightmare Moon and my return, my powers were almost completely depleted. It is only recently that I feel myself returning to my normal level of power. I believe... it is time to fully embrace my power once more. This will allow me to extend greater control over my powers, but it will also change my physical form. And I want you to be the first to see me in this new form.”

Slowly, the darkness of the room seemed to drift across the floor. A slight breeze flowed through the room, blowing Midnight's mane and ruffling the curtains. Luna closed her eyes as her horn began to glow with a dark aura, the shadows swirling and and covering her, causing her to slowly fade out in the already dark bedroom. As the shadows crept up her body and engulfed her, her glowing eyes were the last of her to fade from sight. The glowing mass of darkness swirled before him as the breeze grew into a strong, howling gust of wind. Pictures on the walls rattled on their nails and items on the shelves and dressers fell and flew in all directions. The shadowy mass that had engulfed Luna seemed to solidify as the vapors of darkness took on an almost liquid-like look, bubbling and churning as it circled her. Midnight lowered himself closer to the ground, trying to keep balanced as the winds now began to slowly drag the furniture of the room closer to the mass. He could feel his hooves scrape against the floor as he, too, was being sucked closer. It pulled him ever nearer to the mass as it again changed it's look. The winds stopped just as he came within a few inches of the darkness, which had now taken on the appearance of a giant, solid sphere. Slowly, a crack started to form, stretching from the top to the bottom. Then, another, parallel the first. Then another, and another. Midnight backed away just as the black sphere surrounding Luna shattered into a million pieces, showering the room in a fine dusting of dark-shining glitter. Midnight slowly opened his eyes, casting his gaze on Luna's form through the glittery miasma. As the dust settled and faded, he was left with a sight that took his breath away.

“Well... how do I look?” The image of Luna that Midnight knew had disappeared, replaced by the new vision of beauty before him. The first thing he noticed was her height. Luna had grown taller after this transformation, now standing as tall as him. Luna's coat color was different, changing from a blue-purple of a dusk sky to a dark blue, reflecting more accurately the color of the late night sky. Her wings changed, becoming longer and sleeker, more suited to carry the new body that she had created for herself. He noticed that her cutie-mark, eye color and horn had remained the same. But the most striking changes were those to her mane and tail. Beautiful before, the gray-blue color was gone, replaced by an ever-flowing blend of dark blue and black, speckled with a shimmer of stars.

“L-luna? Y-you're... absolutely beautiful.” he managed to breath out. “I-I-I didn't think that you could go from perfect to... more perfect. You look amazing...” The moon princess blushed, raising a hoof in a mock show of modesty.

“Heh. Thank you, Midnight. Now... come to me.” Midnight gathered himself and approached her new form. She was striking, somehow now even more becoming of her stature as a goddess. He sat down before her as she cleared her throat and gave him a serious look.

“Midnight, as a Princess, I have a right to choose many things that I feel are in the best interest of Equestria. And, dear Midnight... I choose you.” Midnight's eyes went wide as he tried to understand the true meaning of this. He remained calm, however, sitting still and allowing her to finish her speech. “I choose you as my Champion, dear Midnight. For as long as you may stay in Equestria, you will be my warrior. You will be my companion and defender, my adviser... and my dear friend. Midnight, do you accept this responsibility?” she said with a smile. The young stallion grinned back, bowing his head before her. Slowly, she lowered her horn to him. Once to his left shoulder, then once to his right. “Then, by the power invested in my by the citizens of Equestria, I declare you Sir Midnight Blaze. You may rise.” Midnight stood just in time to have Luna move forward and take him in a tight embrace. He returned it, wrapping his forelegs around her for the first time, enjoying the feeling of her new body against his.

“I will do my very best to live up to the level of Champion that you deserve, milady.” he said, liking this new sense of responsibility that was bestowed upon him. Slowly, they broke the embrace, Midnight moving to the door to leave.

“Wait. There is just one more thing.” Luna called, trotting up quickly behind him as he reached the door. “You won the challenge against Blueblood yesterday. And tradition has it that winner of such a challenge receives a reward.” Midnight quickly raised a hoof, waving it back and forth.

“No, no. Princess, I can't accept any reward. I was only doing what was rig-mmph!” Midnight's words were cut off by Princess Luna taking hold of him and pressing her lips to his in a deep, sweet kiss. His eyes went wide, his heart suddenly beating a thousand miles a minute as he looked down at her, eyes closed as she gently massaged her lips against his. Slowly, he felt his eyes close and forelegs raise, gently wrapping around the princess in a gently embrace. Eventually, they pulled away, allowing Midnight a moment to catch his breath.

“That is you reward, sir Midnight. Now... go. Return to your room and get some rest. You'll need all your strength today for your flying lessons.” She patted him on the shoulder as she opened the doors to her and gently guided him out. “I will see to it you are allowed a few more hours of sleep, so make use of that time. Take care, Midnight. I will see you soon.” she said with a wink, before slowly closing the door behind him.

Midnight sat in the hallway, looking at the bedroom doors, unsure what to do next. He turned to walk back down the hall and return to his room. “Luna just... kissed me. I just...” From somewhere deep inside, Midnight felt a sudden rush building in him. Starting at his chest, it worked it's way up, spreading out through his whole body, bringing to his face the widest, biggest smile he could have managed, until he had no choice. With a single bound, Midnight jumped straight up into the air and shouted in the hallway. “I KISSED PRINCESS LUNA!” He landed and jumped back into the air again and again as he went down the hall. Slowly, he noticed something; he was falling to the ground slower than he should. He turned his head and looked back noticing something new; his wings were open and moving. He stopped his mini-celebration and, for the first time, felt his new limbs. Only now could he truly move them, alive and able to be controlled consciously. Clumsy, but still able to move of his own will.

“Did... Luna do that?” he thought, taking a moment to feel the muscles and feathers as they stretched and shifted. At once, the moment disappeared as he remembered why he had to leave Luna's room. Celestia would be up soon, and he had to get back to bed. Quietly, he tucked his wings back to his body and carefully trotted back to his room. He really did need as much sleep as he could get, after all; Luna needed her Champion to be strong and alert for his morning training.

===

“Ow! Watch it, dweebs! I could have you all fired for this!” the griffon shouted as her cart hit yet another bump in the road to the palace gates. The makeshift bandages the guards fitted her with were barely suitable, and the weak pain-killer spell the unicorn cast on her was wearing off, only adding to her bad mood. She adjusted the torn and burned remnants of her messenger outfit, tossing a strip of fabric off the cart as she ripped it from her shoulder. The guard ponies pulling the cart came to a stop, signaling to the guards at the top of the wall.

“HALT! Identify yourselves and your findings.” the guard at the top of the wall shouted to the two pulling the cart.

“Outer Canterlot area patrol, Everfree Forest sector guards reporting. We found this griffon near the edge of the Everfree, limping her way out of the forest. She claims she was attacked by some sort of fireball.” the one guard said, sounding skeptical.

“It WAS NOT a FIREBALL, you stupid pony! I explained that already!” the griffon shouted, causing the two to cringe. At the top of the wall, the guard motioned to his companions. Slowly, the gate opened and the art rolled inside. Once in the yard, the one guard at the front of the cart turned to their passenger and gave her an annoyed look.

“You know, miss, you're lucky I recognized you from your time in the court earlier. You were really close to getting yourself tossed in a holding cell for the night, the way you were acting.” the one guard commented.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever, pony-boy. You just better make sure that Celestia and Luna know I gotta talk to them, tomorrow.”

“Why's that, Miss Gilda?” The griffon looked over her bandaged hind leg and wing. There was no mistaking the fireball that did this to her. This matter HAD to he resolved as soon as possible.

“Because, guard, if I don't see her, Equestria and my kingdom of Althera might be going to war.”

=================================================================================================

OK, it's probably not gonna be for a while yet, but apparently... we got ourselves a new princess. The fan part of me says "YAAYYY!!!! A NEW PONY PRINCESS! WOOHOO!!!" but the writer part of me that had this story planned out several chapters in advance in his mind says "FUCK!" Anyway... with the scary truth out of the way, Midnight is free to continue his training. Read about how he takes to the skies in "Abridged Trictionary", the next exciting chapter of "STAR CROSSED!"

p.s.

here's the song Midnight sang for Luna. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShfTOIAot3A&ob=av2e Next Chapter: Abridged Trictionary Estimated time remaining: 12 Hours, 7 Minutes