“THOU ART-!”

Princess Luna knew that one was too loud as her ‘Midnight Blossom’ perfume bottle wobble of her makeup stand. She cleared her throat thoroughly and tried again.

“Thou art most WELCOME CHAP-....Urgh!”

Luna clenched her fists in anger at her slip up. She had been practicing for over an hour and had made little progress with the volume of her voice. She couldn’t afford to end up shouting at the space marines’ chapter master during his public appearance, the thought of such a thing made her stomach turn. Perhaps it was nerves, or maybe she was just having a bad turn when it came to vocals. Luna decided to take a break and began to give her dress a check over; for the sixth term. And as expected, everything was perfect, her dark blue robes and wraps complimenting her figure beautifully. Luna thought that maybe her volume didn’t matter, after all, the space marines yelled all the time at everything.

Luna couldn’t help but ask herself how she’d gotten into such a situation. Her and her sister had always been the rulers of Equestria, and as much as they treated everypony with respect and kindness, they would always be the authority without peer. Only now she had peers, she had lords, she was the one bowing. Luna couldn’t deny the space marines imposing aura, their very presence inspiring wonder and fear into all who looked at them. Even Luna, who’d always been the more frightening between her and her sister, was utterly terrified of these extra-terrestrial giants. They’d practically swatted an invasion from three separate countries as if it was a childs’ sport. Such violence was not welcomed in Equestria normally, but this exception had to be made.

Yet for all that scared Luna, there was something that gave her great security. The selflessness that the space marines held as a natural quality was legendary, they would fight, bleed and die where all else would have fled. Their words solid with truth and postures so confident and proud it made her night guard look like a rabble of morons. With their guns pointed to the borders of Equestria, Luna had never felt so safe in all her life, the threat of ponyville suffering at the claws and teeth hidden within Everfree was forgotten. Even threats like Queen Chrysalis and even the all but unstoppable Discord where wiped from everyone’s minds altogether, the knowledge that the destructive technology of the Adeptus Astarte would soon be cast upon any and every danger secure in everyone’s minds.

The princess respected the space marines, especially the very sociable chapter master greatly. If it weren’t for their intervention, Celestia, herself and her kingdom would either be dead or kept in slavery. Luna gave another tug of her dress at her hips and looked back into her full length mirror with a smile. She was very glad that the chapter master had chosen to make his appearance after dark, which made Luna skip a few days in her moons’ cycle and had the planetary satellite on full beam. She couldn’t wait to see the sight of three hundred space marines bathed in her silvery moonlight.

They can’t be trusted.

Luna flinched at hearing her own thoughts, which sounded nothing like her thoughts at all, well, not like she’d heard them in a while. She rushed up to her mirror, her nose practically squashed against its surfaces. Luna pulled her bottom eyelid down and examined her eye with all her focus. Normal, her usual blue eyes stared right back at her. Letting out a sigh she pulled back slowly and held her for head in relief. Luna had been kidding herself in think she’d left for good, the last time she’d heard her was over a month ago, such a long time that the princess had dared to think she was all better.

I guess the elements didn’t take it all the way out. Luna thought to herself.

She dared not tell Celestia, firstly, because she didn’t want her to worry, and second, because she didn’t fully trust anyone with the task of picking through her mind. Luna told herself the same thing she always did, that she’d be gone in good time. But how long was that? Days, weeks, months, years? And even if she could get rid of her, would it take so long that she’d get worse before she got better. Again, she reminded herself that she was a princess, and she needed to deal with her own problems now. She’d been accepted by everypony not that long ago, and she couldn’t lose that now.

Besides, she had to be at her best tonight, she had an appointment with royalty.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

“Oh this is amazing Luna. Look at them, if I didn’t know any better I’d say they’re statues. How in Equestria do they stand so still for so long?” Celestia said shaking Luna from her thoughts.

“Oh, uh, yes. And to think, they arrived here an hour before us. Oh my goodness! How did we miss that?! Whateth mighty beast is that behind the town?!” Luna asked giddily as she spotted an enormous metal giant looming over Ponyville.

“I know right! The good Captain Titus says they call them ‘Titans’. This one is something called a ‘Warlord’. Apparently it’s going to keep watch over the plains. I can’t wait to see it walk.” Celestia replied beaming.

The machines metal head was so tall it could peer behind the walls of Canterlot. Its head was held in a hunched position, its back holding two massive gun positions atop it. Its arms were also just enormous guns, with what looked like even more guns attached to them. In fact each gun was so large, Luna bet the barrels could hold the entirety of Ponyvilles population within them. Its legs were taller than the tallest tower in Canterlot, and thicker than the royal throne room. Luna wondered how such a mighty creation was created, and noted that she would very much appreciate a tour through such a machines insides.

The chapter masters’ speech was much like Captain Titus’. He had explained the situation, given instructions and reassured the population. Afterwards, the princesses had given their welcomes to the chapter master and all ten of his captains. Each captain had brought a small selection of marines each, apparently their finest and most aspiring men. Every space marine had been slightly different in some way. In fact, every space marine Luna had seen had been different in some way from his brothers. Luna took another mental note; she must ask one of the captains if one of their smiths could forge her some new battle armour. She really wanted some new and improved armour after seeing the massive suits the astartes wore. She also wanted some of the jewels they wore, and their robes, and their machines, and their strength.

I want everything! I want to get out! Let me out!

Luna not only flinched, but twitched sharply, her head snapping to one side. Lunas eyes went wide in shock, bringing her face up slowly to stare emptily into the distance. The voice had sounded as if someone was screaming into her ear, someone specific as well. She turned to look at Celestia, who’d actually wandered off a little. Her sister was chatting to Twilight Sparkle, Applejack and Captain Mortis of the ninth company. Lunas eyes shifted and fell to her hooves, her posture practically imploding. Twice in one day couldn’t be good news; this definitely had to mean she was getting worse, and fast. But she didn’t understand, the last time this happened it was her envy, her jealousy grew and evolved its own conscious. The new conscious had developed its own ambitions and ideals, and in time had infected her body. In the end Luna herself had been suppressed into just a memory, and all that was left was the worst parts of her former self in the image of Nightmare Moon.

But Luna didn’t feel jealous, angry, sad or paranoid, she was happy again. She had been accepted back into pony society and was a well respected and loved princess of Equestria. Luna loved her sister, her people and her country; she wouldn’t do anything to hurt anyone ever again. Luna jumped as something cold touched the back of her shoulder. She spun faster than she could think and came eye level to a glaring skull forged from the brightest gold she’d ever seen so close. Luna looked up to see the cold face of a space marines’ helmet peering down at her.

“Excuse me.” His voice growled through the grill of his death mask as he strode passed the comparatively tiny princess.

KILL IT!

Suddenly Luna understood. The only thing that had changed, the only thing that could have provoked that part of her was all around, marching and talking amongst the populace. Luna suddenly felt very vulnerable, like someone had stuck a stick of dynamite inside her and lit the fuse. Luna backed up and turned to slip to the edge of the crowds.

“Luna! Luna, over here!” She heard Celestia call behind her.

Cursing silently, Luna turned with a prepared smile and walked over to join her sister.

“Sister, Captain Titus says the Titan is going to start its march soon.” Celestia said while turning to the gargantuan machine.

“Oh, yes...wouldn’t want to miss that, heh.”

“Are you alrigh’ princess?” Applejack asked in concern.

“Of course, we are most fine. It’s just...all the excitement is tiring us out. Perhaps we should head back soon dearest sister.” Luna half pleaded.

“Of course Luna. But let’s just wait until the march begins, it would be a shame to miss such an event.” Celestia said reassuringly, yet her eyes were fixed on the lifeless form of the war titan.

Luna waited a few minutes, shifting uneasily on her hooves as each second felt like a lifetime. Fortunately her thoughts stayed her own until a thunderous roar filled the air. The titan must have been fitted with horns of immense size, as its war call seemed to shake the earth itself. Children’s’ ears were covered, yet none looked away in fear of missing some miraculous event, which they would have.

The titans’ house-sized eyes lit up a menacing orange, like something that had burst from the deepest darkest pit in the worst part of the universe. I series of mechanical groans and growls filled the air as the monstrous creation awoke from its limp stance and slowly stood to attention, raising its massive guns up at the ready. The guns themselves lit up with small lights around them of green and red while large floodlights fixed to its shoulders burst into action. The whole town, and probably Canterlot as well, had their eyes fixed on the creation. Mixed reactions were found, some were excited, some dumbstruck and a good few terrified. With a great whine one of the titans legs lifted, its hip twisting up and hauling its huge foot from the earth. With surprising speed the titan threw its leg forward and stomped it back down again, the earth trembling like a newborn lamb. Lunas’ heart raced in fear, in the presence before such a monster what mad pony would feel anything but dread.

Luna felt her, inside her mind and stomach. She shifted and tensed at the sight of such an enormous threat. This was it, the space marines and everything they brought with them had stirred something hidden inside Luna, something ruined and starved. But this time it wasn’t envy or obsession that fuelled Nightmare Moon, it was fear. It was the fear of her host being damaged or destroyed. Luna couldn’t help but wonder if Nightmare Moon had ever planned on returning to bring eternal night, patiently waiting for her power to build enough to consume Luna again. Luna felt sick just thinking about it, the possibility of turning into that monster again chilled her to the core. Last time she’d willingly forced the transformation upon herself after the promise of becoming unstoppably powerful. Little did she know that it would hurt like nothing she could imagine, and she didn’t want to experience such a thing again.

“Sister, please.” Luna begged.

Celestia turned to Luna, her face frozen in shock and concern. The sun princess nodded quickly and put her arm around Luna, leading her off and to their chariot. Nopony noticed the princesses leave as the warlord titan marched towards the rolling hills.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

“We’re fine sister, please. We just need some rest.” Luna reassured as she marched down the hall to her room.

“Okay, if you say so. Just...just let me know if you need anything.” Celestia replied, trying her best to keep up with her sister.

“I will. Goodnight sister.” Luna said quickly before slipping through her bedroom door and slamming it shut behind her.

“..............Goodnight little sister, I love you.” Celestia said quietly to the door before walking off slowly.

Unknown to Celestia, Luna had heard her through her door. She wanted to return her sisters love, but was far too afraid of herself at the moment. Luna was scared out of her mind. Jealousy was an emotion that took effort to build on, to make it grow into something ugly. But fear was its own food, and without ignorance to starve it fear would double in potency in a heartbeat. And Lunas fear was chewing her apart like a pack of Timberwolves. It felt like somepony was pouring tar over her brain, her functions were becoming slow and clumsy. Luna stumbled towards her bed, wobbling like she’d just had a bottle of wine to herself. Her legs gave out not half way to the comfort of her bed, falling to her hands and knees against the rough fabric of her floor. Her heart was practically crushing itself, pumping like her blood had been replaced with syrup. Lunas breathing wasn’t at its best either, her lungs growing heavy and starved of oxygen.

Luna grew tired, her head sinking further towards her floor, her mane draped over her features. Her room remained unlit, the darkness drowning her out from existence. Lunas’ final thought that night was the question to whether she was dying, her vision of what little she could see growing fainter and fainter with each laboured heartbeat. Or, at least the last thought that was her own.

Sleep tight princess.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Lunas head burnt with a dull ache. The pain didn’t throb or pulse, it simply lingered near the front of her brain and the left of her head. Luna groaned as she rose her torso off the floor, wiping her hands over her face numbly in an attempt to rid her eyes of the messy hair that invaded her sight. Like a drunk she flopped over with a yelp and crawled on her hands and knees to her makeup cabinet. She made what felt like a two hour long climb up onto her stool and flipped her mane back. She lazily peered into the mirror nailed to her wall, and screamed.

Her left eye was utterly bloodshot, veins riddled across the once perfect white. But worse than that, a lot worse, was that the white wasn’t white at all. Instead it was a light shade of turquoise, an unnatural cold. Her iris was no better being a deep, almost glowing turquoise. And finally her pupil was a hideous slit, much like that of a reptiles’, making her look extremely predatory. Luna knew that eye all too well, and it petrified her.

Luna nearly jumped out of her coat as a sharp knock came from her bedroom door.

“Princess, are you ok?! I heard screaming!” A guard asked in a concerned tone.

“Uh...um, oh...uh yes! I-I did...didn’t I. Tripped! Yes, I tripped up on my...robe! All fine in here, not dressed so don’t come in!” Luna thumbled with her words like they were covered in oil.

“Very well your majesty. Call if you need us.” The guard finished before heading off.

As the guard left Luna eyes dribbled hot tears. She seemed to choke on the air itself as she attempted to hold back her deep sobs, sniffling and coughing. She covered her face which she simply couldn’t bear any more, the hideous malformation breaking her heart. After an hour of pained yet silent crying Luna willed herself to get back to her hooves. She scrambled around her large bedroom, drawers flying from their cradles and wardrobes emptied in seconds. Eventually Luna found what she was looking for, a grey/blue scarf she’d received as a hearths warmth eve gift. She shakily wrapped the scarf around her eye and head so that it covered up her disfigurement and wouldn’t shake loose. It was already half five in the afternoon, and Luna thought she’d better make an appearance for the day, then quickly retreat back to her room for as long as she could.

No! This is what happened last time, only last time I was getting ugly on the inside. I didn’t tell Tia I had a problem and it got the better of me. I need to tell her about this today.

That has GOT to be the dumbest idea I’ve heard in a thousand years. I didn’t realise you enjoyed our stay on the moon so much princess!

No! Shut up! Tia isn’t going to send me away again! She will see that I have a problem and she’ll fix me, and there’s nothing you can do about it!

Please dear, calm down. I’m just telling you what you already know.

You don’t know anything about me!

I know you’re scared. I know they make you feel like you’re a sheep in a pack of wolves. And I know you need me. I know I can keep us both safe.

I don’t need you, I need Tia.

Suit yourself dear. I’d be very glad to be proven wrong. I don’t fancy another lengthy vacation as much as you do.

Luna shook her head in an attempt to throw Nightmare moons’ voice from her head. She waited a minute to confirm that she’d retreated to the depths of her mind and marched out the door. She marched strait back through the door as she realised she hadn’t brushed her teeth or combed her mane, and after a session of violent brushing of both kinds, headed back out the door again.

Luna walked at a speedy pace, as if she was racing somepony, but only by walking. She near enough drifted around a few corners and ended up heading outside into teh castle grounds. Sure enough Celestia was outside, sat in a sweetly decorated fold-out chair pulled up to a wooden table from which she drunk her tea and had a small stack of cakes on a plate. Next to her where a couple of Canterlots’ leading spell casters of whom she discussed their latest research and discoveries. Luna tried to approach Celestia with a softer expression to ease her arrival, but it would appear the situation simply couldn’t allow such a thing. Celestia spotted Luna and offered a warm grin, which was extinguished nearly instantly as her sister spotted Lunas makeshift eye patch.

“Luna, what happened to you? Are you ok?” Celestia asked while taking a stand.

“Uhm, i-it’s probably best that we’re alone for a little while sister.” Luna said sheepishly, nodding her head discreetly towards the Unicorn researchers.

“Of course. If you don’t mind gentlecolts.” Celestia said curtly, the unicorns bowing low before heading off.

“What happened to your eye Luna?” Celestia asked, her hand reaching for the scarf.

Luna took a step back, holding her hands out defensively.

“P-please sister. Before I show you...I need you to know that I love you, and I need your help.” Luna said, her lip quivering slightly as she spoke.

Celestia didn’t say a thing, but looked as though she’d just witnessed a baby filly falling from a rooftop. Luna slowly went to untie her scarf, shaking wildly as she did. She slowly undid the cloth and unwrapped it, her eyes streaming with tears before she’d even finished. Shaking from horn to hoof Luna dropped the scarf and looked up at her sister who gasped and riled back in fright.

“P-p-p-please.....” Was all Luna could blubber before her legs collapsed and she fell to the grass.

She’d fallen partly because of grief and partly due to the enormous pain that had built in her left eye. She gritted her teeth and cried out as the pain spread from her eye into the socket, and then seeping through her eyebrow and cheek. The pain was like being hit in the face with a red hot iron club, reaching a sharp, agonising peak as a set of bones in her face and jaw cracked and popped into new shapes, the muscles rearranging into a bizarre shape. Through it all Celestia was holding her sister in a tight hug, even though completely stricken with terror. The pain dulled but hung in her flesh like a bruise. Celestia pulled Lunas face up and obviously took all her willpower and focussed it into not turning away.

“Nyuuurgh! W-what happened? What happened to my face?!” Luna demanded in pure panic.

Celestia opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out, she simply dipped her head as her own eyes started releasing streaks of tears down her muzzle. Luna sharply pulled away from her sisters grasp and bolted for the gardens’ pond not ten metres away, Celestia calling her to ‘stop’ and ‘wait’ as she approached the waters surface.

Luna looked at her reflection in horror, her lungs tightening to scream, but the rest of her in too much shock to follow through. Her eye had lost its bloodshot appearance and was now purely the two shades of haunting turquoise. Around her eye her coat had turned a deep, dark purple, half a shade away from black itself. The colour filled her eye socket and spread down and across the left side of her face like a supernatural infection, spreading in a vein-like pattern near her jawline. Her cheek was slightly jutted outward, exaggerating the feature. Below, the corner of her mouth had transformed hideously, stretching unnaturally far back. She opened her mouth to find the corner of her mouth hadn’t move far at all, but her jaw was now more akin to that of a retiles’, with a peach coloured sheet of flesh stretching as she opened her mouth. Her teeth all along the left had shifted into fangs of a variety of sizes, razor sharp and much longer than her right side. Luna felt like someone had unplugged her as she flopped to one side into unconsciousness, the last thing she heard was her sister cry her name.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

A soft touch stroked her sparkling blue mane; the feeling making her feel more relaxed than she’d been asleep. She shifted slightly in what she assumed was her duvet, feeling its soft texture flow around her as she turned over. Luna let out a groan of discomfort as her semi-functional brain flashed the image of her twisted face through her mind. A soft voice shushed her pained mind, relaxing the princess slightly. Luna wasn’t going to be hushed back to sleep so easily and decided to at least try and sit up.

“No, Luna. Lie back down and get some sleep.” Celestias voice said softly.

“Unnngh...no, I...need to help fix this. I’m so sorry Tia, I should have told you sooner.” Luna replied weakly.

“You have nothing to be sorry about dear sister. I promise I’m going to do everything to help you.”

Luna grunted as she lifted herself up into a sitting position and brought her hand to her ruined face. She felt her cheekbone and mouth, felt its monstrous shape and texture under her gentle touch.

“The elements didn’t work, did they? She’s still inside me, and she’s getting stronger.” Luna said in a hushed tone.

“Luna, you are stronger than her. You have to fight whatever jealousy you’re feeling and know that ponies care about you.”

“I’m not jealous Celestia! I’m scared! The more frightened I get the stronger she becomes!” Luna barked at her sister, who was taken aback by the outburst.

“Scared? Luna what is there that cou-“

“Those things, Celestia! Those things out there who have just occupied our country and no one is doing anything! I’ve tried Celestia, I really have tried to tell myself I’m comfortable with what they do and why they’re doing it, but I can’t seem to look passed that first part. Things die when they’re around sister, they make monsters like children play with building blocks and they are everywhere!”

Celestia couldn’t think of anything to say, and was obviously weighing her options mentally.

“Luna, if I’d known about this...I mean, if we’d found out earlier then I would have sent the Astartes on their way in an instant, without a seconds hesitation. But we’re in way too deep into something we don’t understand, and as much as I am also very much afraid, I know that we need their help.” Celestia explained carefully, unable to look Luna in the eye for longer than a couple of seconds.

“.....................I just don’t want to let her take me away again.” Luna practically mumbled.

“I promise I won’t let that happen.”

“We both know that’s not a promise you can keep while they’re still here. And as long as they’re here, Nightmare Moon will only get stronger.” Luna said before lying back down into her bed and rolling away from her sister, who had nothing else she could say to help Luna.