This is a tale about Luna... not a tale you normally hear about the dark mare cursing a princess to an eternal death sleep for many centuries. This is the tale of Luna's backstory and who she actually is. The story begins now... Legends said that alicorns are vicious, dark, and dangerous. One alicorn was involved in the tale of Sleeping Pony. Do you think you knew the tale? Well, let's tell the story and see how well you knew it.

Long ago, there were two kingdoms; the magical, mythical kingdom and the non-mythical kingdom.  Alicorns were rare, and they were never seen often, unless encountered in dire circumstances. The wars had raged on between two kingdoms for decades ever since the King of Equestria rose to power. It was said that either a great hero or a terrible villain would bring peace to the two kingdoms... the other kingdom was called the Everfree Forest, a forest thought to be evil and foreboding.

However, the forest wasn't always filled with evil. There were kind creatures that lived in there... and, sitting atop the Great Tree on the cliffs, was a powerful alicorn and her elder sister. Her name was... Luna. She was different from other Breezies and the other Everfree Folk, for she was destined to do something courageous someday. She was unsure of her destiny, because she was only thirteen.

"Luna, I've always wanted to tell you the truth about the non-magical ones," The elder sister spoke. "They can be cruel and vicious, but-"

"They can't be bad! There are good ponies that were non-magical. There were evil ones, just like there were evil Breezies and evil creatures. There were good creatures. There had to be both good and bad traits in all living things!" Luna chirped, unaware that she interrupted her sister. She knew that her sister was protective, but that was because Celestia cared about her.

"They killed our parents. I was three at the time. I had to take care of you ever since... that was why you used to call me 'mom.' The ones who killed our parents were ruthless and hateful! We can't trust Equestrians. Not even the Canterlot nobles, not now, not ever..." Celestia shook her head as she ignored her sister's optimism.

"Don't be so skeptical." Luna narrowed her eyes as she heard the chattering in the distance. "Lately, you've been going to Canterlot despite your hate for the Equestrian residents. Why is it?"

"There was a prince that respected us enough to not hurt us," Celestia smiled. "We have been planning to unite the two lands... if only he could convince the citizens and his unruly father..."

"He sounds nice." Luna's eyes glittered with hope and cheeriness, like usual. It was easy for her to be cheerful, for she never experienced the cruelty of the Equestrians. She was pure and innocent... but, someday, she wouldn't be.

"Aw, come on. Many fillies would love to be swept off their hooves by a stereotypically handsome hero, and you aren't like that. You are independent and strong." Celestia chortled, her musical voice entering her sister's ears as she smiled once more.

When Luna heard the cracking of a branch, she immediately climbed up the tree, and placed her horn onto the small branch. Her horn glowed in the same color as her cerulean eyes for several seconds. As she repaired the branch, she smiled as she looked on. "There you go," She whispered before spreading out her wings and prepared to soar into the headwinds.

"Have fun and be safe," Celestia called out from below.

Luna nodded as she soared into the sky. The setting sun was enough to make her sister gasp with awe, though the night-loving alicorn preferred watching the moonrise. Luna knew that the colors were lovely, but the sun was too unbearable to look at! She flew across a nearby pond, and nodded at the water Breezies. "Beautiful work, girls," She called out.

A group of diamond dogs prepared to throw mud, and Luna noticed as she shook her head. "Oh, no, don't do it!" She sang to them.

As the short diamond dog threw a ball of mud at the filly, the filly ducked the mudball. The mudball rammed into another creature, which caused Luna to look on and laugh with such mischief. "Gotcha," She remarked. As she flew farther away, she heard the commotion below. She normally loathed drama, but she sensed that something was afoot.

Luna landed onto the ground near the chattering creatures and fellow Breezies, and listened to the conversation. "What is it?" She interrogated.

Apple Bloom was the first to speak. "Oh, Luna-"

"Let me talk," Scootaloo interrupted.

"Can't I tell her this time?" Sweetie Belle begged as her eyes saddened. She seemed to plead, but nopony appeared to be convinced.

However, Luna grew tired of their tiresome ways, so she decided to let Sweetie Belle speak. "Tell me," She pressed.

"The border guards found a unicorn thief stealing from the Pool of Jewels, and-" Sweetie Belle blurted out.

Luna gasped. She was both surprised and intrigued. A pony from Equestria! What was the pony like? Was the pony a stallion or a mare? Fully grown or young? Tall or short? Benign or malign? Decked out in iron armor, or unarmored? Luna's mind was crowded with curious thoughts as she approached a clearing with a dark cave. The manticore was prepared to leap at the potential intruder.

"Now, Melvin the Manticore," Luna spoke. "There's no need to be aggressive. I'm not scared, and I'm not some weak little filly. I'm curious about this pony..." She nodded before glancing at the cave.

Melvin bowed in response to the filly's request. Luna almost rolled her eyes. She knew that she wasn't a queen, but she wasn't the type to be so pompous, vain, or self-centered. She focused her mind on coaxing the mystery intruder out of the cave. "Come out," She implored.

"No!" A youthful voice shrieked in response. "They want to murder me! They're so ugly and vicious, anyways!"

"That's not nice of you to say it," Luna scolded as she glanced at Melvin for a moment. She smiled. "You're classically handsome. I don't think this pony saw any of the good in you. Ignore his words."

Melvin gave the young filly a kind smile in return, his heart warmed by Luna's words.

Luna stared at the darkened cave once more. "I know, it's not right to steal! But, we don't kill others for it. Come out... come out this instant!" Frustration began to become evident in her expression as she furrowed her brows and frowned slightly.

A youthful colt, shy of turning fourteen, slinked out of the cave. Upon noticing Luna, he froze and stared in awe. "You're her," He whispered.

Luna gave him a sideways glance as she tilted her head. She wondered how he knew her. "Um, okay... tell me your name," She replied.

"I'm called Prince Sombra. What's your name?" Sombra returned.

"They call me Luna," Luna introduced herself. "You're the prince that my sister told me about!"

"You know Celestia?" Sombra's mouth gaped open as his eyes widened with shock and intrigue.

"Of course I knew her," Luna retorted defensively. "She's raised me ever since my birth."

"Oh, so she's your second mom," Sombra jested.

"Stop it. That's not how you should treat my sister!" Luna almost lost her composure, but reminded herself that there might be somepony watching. She glanced at Melvin, and the manticore spoke something to her immediately.

Luna nodded as she turned her attention to the young prince. "That's right. I'm leading you out of the forest. First, give back the jewels," She said.

"I don't have them," Sombra lied as he looked away.

"I see that you're lying. I know you have them. Bring them to me." Luna attempted to sound firm and authoritative, but she sounded youthful and soft, which wasn't what she wanted to sound like. She wanted to be tough like her powerful father, even though she barely knew him. He was only mentioned in the stories that Celestia would tell each night before bedtime.

"Oh..." Sombra huffed with selfishness as he levitated the jewel out of his pouch. He used an illusion spell to make it seem like a cluster of gems. Perhaps that was because he kept dreaming of the Crystal Heart.

Luna gave him a look as the prince tossed the jewel into the water. "Thank you," Luna spoke. "I may take you out of the forest. Come with me."

Luna led the colt out to the border, and a structure in the distance caught her eye. She wasn't impressed, as she imagined that whoever resided in there must have wanted to shut the world out. And Sombra called himself a prince? Surely, he would reside there someday.

Sombra pointed at the castle. "Someday, I want to be king. But, Shining Armor stood in the way as the official heir to the throne. I can't let him take the throne," He admitted.

"Why would you steal power from him?" Luna wondered, unimpressed once again. She gave him a bored expression as she waited for a reply.

"I want to be king, that's why. I like Cadence, but I think you're cute, so..." Sombra explained.

Luna blushed and giggled as the colt called her cute. She had always been called cute, but when this sweet colt considered her to be adorable, her pure heart of gold melted. She shyly turned her head away as her cheeks warmed even more.

"You're very sweet. Well, I don't think Celestia would welcome you into the Everfree, but, will you come again in secret? Pretty please, with a cherry on top?" She implored. She knew that she started to have a crush on Sombra, but she didn't want anypony to know.

"Yes, yes, I will..." Sombra replied as he held out his hoof. On his hoof was an iron horseshoe.

As Luna touched Sombra's hoof, she shrieked in pain as she pulled her hoof away. She shook her hoof to alleviate the pain. "It's iron. Iron burns those of my kind. It also burns Breezies," She admitted, even though she didn't want to be taken advantage of for her weakness.

She wished that she would take back the truth, but, she knew that once the words were uttered, they stay there forever, possibly in somepony else's memory. The moon rose into the sky, which illuminated her form and enhanced her ethereal beauty. Sombra was in awe, although he was conflicted about his horseshoe. "Sorry," He whispered as he levitated the horseshoe and tossed it away. "It will be worth the risk, coming to you every week. You're just too lovely to be forgotten. Good-bye, my princess..."

Luna blushed as she placed a hoof to her chest. Never had she been complimented like that, and her heart was moved by Sombra's act of kindness. She smiled like an excited little filly, and giggled softly. She knew that someday, she would fall in love and potentially unite the two lands. Then, she would become a great and benevolent queen, beloved by all she met... she would even outshine her older sister! Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard a voice call for her.

"Luna! Luna!" The voice shouted.

"I'm coming, sister! I was just distracted, okay?" Luna called as she flew into the Everfree and reached the Great Tree. Her sister waited impatiently as she lounged on the branch.

"What were you thinking, going off into danger like that? I can't let my precious sister be killed by evil ponies at night! I told you, at night, there be monsters lurking in the darkness! Monsters, monsters everywhere out there!" Celestia lectured, her worries getting the best of her.

"Sombra is not a monster," Luna reminded her.

"I know, but sometimes, he makes me feel..."

"Afraid? Endangered? Such ridiculousness, dear sister! Don't be like that. You were friends with him, correct?"

"Not really. I think he is too ambitious to respect nature."

"He's not." Luna ignored her sister's fretful warnings as she climbed up the tree and lounged on the branch near her sister's sleeping spot.

Celestia looked on, gazing at the vision of her sleeping beauty. She approached her sister, sat next to her, and draped her protective wing over Luna's small body. "Moonlight, starlight... all that, will be yours someday," She hummed. "Lulla-lau, lulla-lau, may this song reach your dreams! Lulla-lau, lulla-lau..." She continued to sing, and her sister fell into a deep sleep as the moon rose higher into the sky.

"Right now, sleep the night away..." Celestia finished as her eyes grew heavy. She lowered her head, and soon, her head rested near Luna's face.

As Luna slumbered, she slipped into a dream where she met with Sombra again. She was in a ballroom. The ballroom was gorgeous; there were countless marble arches and a beautiful marble floor, lined with a magenta carpet that would lead to a pair of throne chairs. She wasn't impressed, still. She wondered why the ponies of Equestria managed to seem much better than the magical folk. The castle must have taken a lot of work to build. Standing on top of the elegant marble steps, stood Prince Sombra of Equestria.

He slowly descended down the steps, and approached Luna. Luna willingly took his hoof into hers...

"I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream..."