Author's Notes:

This chapter of the story was edited by
http://www.fimfiction.net/user/Rain84 And I thank them for such!

​I spent as much time as I could with Lyra, while staying down there in Ponyville, we chatted with Rarity for a bit more about the herding. More of Do's and Don'ts in a sense. Mostly a lot I knew of, or were just common sense, but still; it was good to know. It was only around, three o'clock when I was about to head on back home, saying goodbye to Lyra, more so getting a kiss from her, as she went on home. I made my way then toward the station as I was about to head on home. However, when I showed my ticket, the day pass more like it, the clerk before the glass looked at me, or more so, behind me before bowing at once; I didn’t have to guess who it was. "Hey, Luna."

​The chuckle behind me, confirmed my guess as I turned and indeed, found the Night Princess standing behind me. "Nova Star told you where I was?"

​"That she did," she answered as she waved her hoof for me to follow, me seeing a Chariot off along the main road, with two Night Guards at the front to pull it. "Come, we must talk, and things must be told, and showed."

​Climbing in, the princess told them to go where she told them to go, I didn’t know, all she said was, 'keep going', and they went off, we taking off in the sky, and I never did know how two ponies could keep this thing going; magic I guess maybe? Either way, leaning back on the comfy seat, Luna on the other side of me, before she asked. "Was what you saw today, the first?"

​"Yeah," I answered with a nod. "It was…strange, I mean when you did the hold melding thing first I remember a few flashes…some more easier to see then others. This one…was when I was talking about Nightmare Moon."

​"That would make sense…" Luna answered as she looked outside. "Nightmare Moon is a past that I can't escape, and it seems you will know more soon enough."

​"Huh?"

​"We are going to my sister's and I old home, there is much I wish to talk to you of, and there seems the safest to do so." I wanted to question why she felt safer talking there, other than in her own room, or my own home, a simple sound proof spell could work, and then it hit me…how long would we be talking for. It could cause some questions from both Chrysalis, and Celestia herself. Seemed like this would be the best idea then, Hrm… Either way, as we grew closer, Luna placed a ward around me, she told me because how the old castle held so many memoires, if exposed to too many at once…it might end rather badly. The spell was to block the Meld effect for a few hours, enough that we could talk in peace without worries of me going down her memories lane.

​The Castle of the Royal Sisters…I've seen pictures of it in its prime, from old paintings. It was said to be large, not as large as Canterlot, seeing how not a lot of ponies lived there at the time, but still large none the least. The ruins were well…ruins. Luna told her guards to stay here, and we would return. They agreed; trusting her. Behind us a old bridge that I'm surprised was still up, and before us, the old entry way. The roof was gone, gone to time, but looked to have exploded, or pushed outward to be ripped off. The echoes of our walk was all that was heard in the old forgotten castle. As it was said beyond here, many old livers of this area of the now taken over Everfree Forest, the city would be behind. The first thing you would've seen was the castle. "The last time I was here," Luna spoke softly. "Was when Twilight and her friends ripped Nightmare Moon out of me, reverting me back to a base form…how I use to be. A thousand years I was Nightmare Moon, a thousand years I plotted against my own sister, thinking of what I would do; to bring on a forever night." We kept walking until we stopped at a area I knew of…the area where I saw the memory. It looked the same…well now much older and lot of the stuff was gone, I was told ether looted by brave adventurers, or reclaimed by soldiers of past decades. "This place, my old home, was the last thing I saw of this world, before being sent to my cold prison of the moon I command. I always wondered what would've happened if I won here, if the elements were not used, how the world would be today. But at the same time…it is a thought I do not wish to know of." She moved her arm off to the side, down a old ruined hallway, the walls, caked in dust, and cracked. The roof above still held strong, but I worried that it would fall the moment I walked under. Luna ensured me, she would not ask me to walk this way, if she thought it would fall about us.

​I took her word for it and followed along beside her, her eyes tracing along the walls, old frames and destroyed paintings seen, rotten from time that it was barely see able. She stopped a few times, to gaze at a spot or two, a room or two as well…no doubt memories coming back to her; to which I won't be seeing; at least, not for now. She stopped me when we came across a set of doors, and looking at it, it was like I was looking at the night sky.

​The doors seemed to match the night sky nearly as if it was really such a thing, stars painted along the heavy metal work, the doors themselves looked to be a work of art. If this room wasn't meant for Luna...I wouldn't know what it would've been meant for. The doors opened slowly, even with Luna's magic, showing just how heavy these doors were.

​Inside was a room, that much would be known to anyone, but it was a bedroom, a blue bed, covers blue, everything seemed to match the color of Luna in a sense...but everything I knew that should've been old...it was still...new looking. "A simple spell, that needs recasting," I heard her speak, the room was as big as my living room as we went inside, a single window, that showed the Everfree Forest more. Outside the walls were breaking down, but here...everything was...new. A mirror stood alongside a wall, a Moon like design. "Sister first casted it after I was banished, in hopes one day I would again use it. After relocating to Canterlot, she came back a few times a years to cast the spell, I do now...mostly to sit and remember."

​"Remember?" I asked softly as I came in as well, the door closing with a hollow boom, a soft one mind you. "Remember...what?"

​"The life I missed, the life I was away from for a thousand years...and where she, Nightmare Moon...was born."

​I gave her a puzzle look, sure, I knew the back-story of what Nightmare Moon was, it was something that took over, that made Luna attack her sister, the very thing, Celestia banished to the moon for a thousand years...the very thing the Elements of Harmony were used on, to pull Luna back. I didn't ask Luna about Nightmare Moon, or what happened on the moon...well I knew, those were some of the strongest, 'recent' memories. At times I got a few small flashes, a castle made on the moon, her magic making food, and what she did to past the time. Spoilers...not a lot to do...from what I saw. "Believe it or not...I made Nightmare Moon as a sort of...mask, I knew I couldn't fight my own sister, and if it came to it...I couldn't.." She didn't have to finish that line...I think I would've known what she was talking about. "The Magic I made, the Magic that would allow me to grow taller, my body, my voice, everything about me, would change, back and forth like someone putting on and off a mask. I'd felt, that if I changed who I was...I wouldn't feel...so bad about betraying my own sister." She shook her head softly. "However, something went wrong."

​"Not only, did I create a new 'body' so to speak, for myself, I created a new mind, a mind, a being, something that was born of my anger toward my sister. At first I thought to despised of the spell, erase what I had made...but, then something came to me; another to enjoy the gentle night I so worked to make.

​"I named her, Moon, at first, a fitting name, for I was Luna, she sooner wanted to be known as Nightmare Moon, for she was something, a mare that could do the things, I couldn't do. A darker side of myself. She knew everything about me, seeing how she was born of me, she knew all my spells, all my past, and I barely knew her. I thought at first, 'why am I having these thoughts of a summon?' but she was more than that...another sister so to speak; one that understood my pain of ponies sleeping during mine..our nights."

​She moved over toward a mirror, a old thing, half the side was the sun, warm colors, the other night, cool colors. "I could see her through the mirror about the castle." She went about again. "She could be seen only by me, ether in reflections, or when she, phased herself into the world beside me. She was the eyes and ears I needed at times, and we could take turn controlling my body, a strange relationship, a sprit and a 'mortal' living in the same body. One would think we would fight for control, but I believed she understood, this was my body...and she was just along for the ride." I kept quiet, listening to the story that she span for me, recalling that of her past that she no doubt, never told her sister. "Time and time again, I asked my sister, begged, pleaded, to allow the night to shine just a hour, half a hour...a quarter, just so the ponies could see the Night. But she refused, unbalanced she would call it. This made Nightmare Moon more and more upset, whispering into my ear that her light would outshine us, blocking us as being true equals...and she was right." She looked back to me. "My sister...loved the spotlight, she...and I hate to admit it, even had to correct at times to our subjects that there were indeed two princesses. She would love to say that she would settle things peacefully in the past...but, she was more inclined to bring battle with her. Gryphons, Dragons, Minotaur's, I've lost count with how many she killed, and the history books that tells of these, 'great deeds'...Heh, Twilight would lose her mind if she found out her dear princess and mentor burned hundreds of books that could be seen for miles away." She was...softly laughing, not one out of joy...but something else. "'History is written by the Victor', that is what you human say, yes?"

​I just stared at her, not sure what to truly say at what she was telling me, seemly just soaking everything in. But she did have a point about the Victor tells the history part...Celestia could've easily told whatever she wanted, and because she was their princess, many of the ponies of old could've just easily taken what she told them as fact...still, a part of me wants to tell Luna, about how and why she acted was wrong...but could one really blame her for what happened? Was this all her fault, or did Celestia help push her over that edge. 'Things, are not always what they seem to be...even one of Light, can have a side of Dark.'

​"Huh?" I asked looking at Luna, myself I had looked away when she said that.

​"What?" she asked.

​"You said something, about Light and Dark?"

​"No...I didn't"

​"Yes you did," I responded as she shook her head.

​"You must be thinking too much on Kingdom Hearts Brandon," she rebutted as I blinked in confusion. "Come, let me take you home, I just thought this would be a good place for us to talk about Nightmare Moon."

​"There only one thing I don't get," I spoke as we went back into her carriage as we went off once more. "If you hated your sister, plotted and thought of ways, even if it was Nightmare Moon controlling your body, why did you...you know, go back to Celestia, and why stay as Nightmare Moon Even on the moon, couldn't you revert back to your old self?" She was silent for a moment as she looked down and then looked out of the window as she spoke once more, her eyes half closed as she responded.

​"I was...scared," she spoke as she looked back to me. "When Nightmare Moon was ripped from my body, the magic that once covered my body like a blanket also left, leaving me to revert to what I looked like before, nearly all my magic gone, my mane lost its magic as well, so it looked normal, like any other pony." She then went on to say. "I...facade that a being, a magical force that took on its form when it came to contact with me, controlled me, or whispered such things to me...only because I was scared what would happen in such a sate if I tried to hatch such a plan again. I don't , not anymore, now I have subjects who enjoy my night, and now understand the world needs both light and day, Dark and the Light. And besides, my sister...did say she was sorry for allowing such a thing to happen."

​"But...a thousand years..."

​"That may seem like a long time to you, to those of short lives, but to us Alicorn, dragons, that is just a short time to how long we can live."

​"Really?" I asked rather shocked at that. "But...don't you age, and die?"

​"If we were to survive everything the world throws at us; a stab to the heart, illness, ect. Truthfully, I'm not sure how long a Alicorn could live to be, few have lived nearly six thousand years, and only died because her heart was stabbed."

​"Christ..." I muttered as I thought about it, to live that long... see friends, loved ones that didn't have that gift, or curse, age and die around you. I couldn't think about how hard that would be, to make friends, to have a relationship with anyone, knowing without a shadow of a doubt that I could outlive them. Would Luna have to go through that again when I go...and even Chrysalis. The rest of the ride home was a silent one, we didn't say anything else to one another, each one of us, deep in our own thoughts.

​She dropped me off at the castle as we said our goodbyes, I smiled and was about to leave the castle grounds before hearing a sound, a male voice I knew all too well. "Wait a moment," Blue Blood. I was nearly out of the castle ground, as I turned around and saw him there, standing before me, a guard on each side of him, ether to keep a eye on him, or on me, I wasn't sure.

​"What?" I demanded, unkindly to him, and to the point.

​"I...have a letter, a package. I ask you give to Silver."

​"Give it to him yourself."

​"I...tried, but when I went to your home, he wouldn't hear me." I was a little ticked he went by my home, but it couldn't be done, I did tell him to try and patch things up with Silver or try to. I guess he truly was trying. "P...please I'm begging you!" he even knelt down on his front legs, bowing in the pony way. "J...just ask him, just ask him if he will read and see what's inside, after that, if he doesn't want anything to do with me I promise I shall leave him alone; I swear on my title as Prince!" even the guards were surprised seeing him bowing as he was, as I looked to them and to him. A package was under his arm, as I sighed a bit and looked away as I said.

​"Give it," was all I said as I held my hand out, there was a letter on the top of the package, a box, brown like polished wood with the symbol of the sun and moon. "I'll...see what I can do." Was all I promised as I turned and headed home.

​When I got home, Chrysalis was asleep, napping, I gave her a quick kiss as she was of course in our bedroom, her in her true form as she made a small hum like noise as I made my way over to Silver's room, knocking a few times as he came to answer. He smiled, but when he saw the box he frowned. "I don't want anything from him!" he hissed under his breath as he glared at it. "I don't care-"

​"Give him a chance," was what I said as I looked down at him, Silver looking up at me with a mixture of shock and surprised. "Just...let's see what he has to say, okay?"

​"Why?" he asked as he turned his back to me.

​"Everyone, no matter how much of a asshole, should have a right, to be giving a chance to make amends."

​"...C...Can you at least read the letter then?" he asked as I raised my eyebrow at him and said. "I just feel like you know, you should read as I listen, and see what's in the box if I feel what he has to say is worth it?"

​I ended up of course agreeing to reading the letter for him, he carried the box over to his bed and sat down on it, I stood by a wall near him bed as I broke the seal from the letter, and saw that it was quite long, a few pages to say the least. Looking to him as he nodded, I looked down and started to read.

​'"To Silver Arrow: At first, I wanted to start this letter in a way of, 'to my son'...but I understand, that right now, I don't have the right, to call you my son. I've missed out on your life, not knowing you, at first until I then remembered, you to be my son...I used my power as Prince to...force your mother to couple with me, and looking back on my life; I've done many horrid things with the power given to me. If you are reading this, then I am at least glad for that, please, if you haven't already, please reframe from opening the box until I say in the letter here before you...it's sort of important."' I took a small break as I gazed at Silver, who was looking at the box and then to me before nodding, allowing me to keep on going as I read on.

​"'It may sound Cliché, but it all started when I was very young, I was no doubt a few years younger than you. I was alone, I didn't know of my father, and my mother died of illness. I lived on the streets, begging, stealing, doing whatever I could to live, it was only when Aunty Celestia found me, did I truly feel safe. What was it that she saw in me, that she wanted to take me in, to make me feel safe and loved. She fed, sheltered, and cared for me, unlike I could remember before that...she reminded me so much of my mother, doing whatever she could to make me happy. And all I did, was throw that back at her, with the way I've acted as I grew older.

​It was only a little while later, that she adopted me into her family, this was of course before Luna returned, so perhaps she was lonely and I was just something she could use to feel less lonely. Whatever the reason, by the end of the year, I was duped Prince Blue Blood of Equestria. It was a...wonderful feeling, having ponies come to me at every beacon of my will, to give me what I wanted when I wanted, candy, food, and when I grew older, wine. It was when I was into my late teenage years, I was given more power, to do what I wanted, more freedom...and something happened. I went back to my old hometown, and I remembered to ponies who talked down to me, who demanded I leave their yards and stop begging them for food or water, ponies who threw rotten fruit at me because I was a stain to them. And now...they were begging to me, asking for help or a 'Royal' mark on their shops and other such places for more work! Or even to date their daughters so that perhaps they would catch my eye and be married into the royal line.

​'That's when I knew, I could easily control their fate with my title, they would have to beg to me, and even then...i didn't have to follow through. I dated the most beautiful mares, and when done, threw them away like a broken toy, I used money given to me, to buy clothing, fine wine, and used them to bed whoever I wanted. If they refused, I reminded them who I was. Of course I was caught by my Aunt many of times, she always scolded me...but I was never punished so it happened over...and over...and over.'" He wasn't getting any points from me or Silver as I could see it in his eyes, but hey...lease he was honest about the whole thing.

​"'To me...your mother was no different, for years I got what I wanted, and if I didn't get it, those who dared defiled me I forced it on them, as what I thought was my right. And when she became heavy with a foal...you...my son, I was worried, I was scared, and I believed she did it just to spite me. I fired her, I didn't care about what happened to her, and at the time...you.

​"The one caring for you now, Brandon, you may think it was because of him that you could say that I saw...the Light. But it wasn't...something happened that made me...see the errors of my ways. It may seem...horrid and gross what I am to say, but you are mature enough, in knowledge for me to write this to you.

​"After the time of you coming out to be my son, and being punished harshly this time by my Aunt, I still had duties, and she gave me more hard ones, one that involved speaking to the common ponies who came asking for help or favors. If I gave a 'wrong' judgement, I would be punished more on it, so I acted like I cared. But one pony, one who came, made my blood boil.

​'To care for me, my mother, your grandmother, had to...sell her body to stallions, and at times I heard it...and saw it. This pony, this Earth Pony was rough to her, she left the room bruised and bloody at times, and nearly at times he didn't pay her, or paid her little...she was scared I would be taken away if found out, so she never said anything! He loved the power, he loved the fear of never being caught, I remembered him being large, prideful, he had the money for the coat he would wear, it was no doubt worth more than the place we called home. But he was before me...broken, weak, and dirty, his body slimed as if he never eaten in a while. I didn't care, no matter what he would ask of me, I would throw him away, I didn't care! He told me how he wanted a job, to pay for his home, to pay for food, he gave me a sob story how he lost everything because of gambling, again I didn't care...but something made me care.

​"A small foal came running up crying, he looked back and hushed her, trying to find out why she was here? She walked up toward me, my eyes a bit widen in shock and fell to her knees begging, pleading, she told me how he was a good father, how he sold everything to fed her, her mother left him when he had no money and she stayed behind to keep him alive, to know someone still loved him even with nothing. Oh how I wanted to at first to tell her everything, to break this pony down even more...but when she looked up at me, I saw myself and it caused me to flinch. I saw myself in her hooves, looking at someone of great power...begging for food...for a life.

​"I gave him a job, working in a place I normal always went to eat, I told the owner to make him start at the bottom, and even then, the pay would get him on his hooves. The little filly ran up to me and hugged me...thanking me for being so nice, and left, her father thanking me and bowing every moment he could. I thought long and hard after that... how long, I couldn't say, and that's when it hit me, everything I did, every horrible thing I did to the lives around me... the lives I no doubt ruined, all because I believed it was my right...but I didn't, shouldn't have done all of this. Now please...open the box.'

​Silver did as the letter said when I said it. And when he did, his little gasp made me come over to see what it was. Inside was what looked to be a red crystal of a pony, a Pegasus but the wings were white, a red ruby heart along the red ruby pony, whoever mix red with red, was strange in my thought, eh. "T...this was moms," he said looking up at me as his eyes started to water. "S...She said this was made for her, when she was a little filly and she kept it safe, it was the only thing she had that was pretty." I went back to the letter as he softly traced the wings with a hoof.

​"I found where Angel Heart lived before she was...taken from this world, the bank foreclosed it of course, but...i was able to put a lot of the things in a storage locker, the key is also there." Indeed there was one there with a number. "Whenever you're ready, go to the Canterlot Bank, they have a large locker that's been paid for fully, it's always there when you're ready to go through it all. This...however, I wanted you to have first. I cannot change the past, but I can change what will happen...you will know in a few days...

​I am sorry...Silver Arrow."