The landscape came into focus around her. It was her old village again, just like every night. Tempest smiled to herself as she watched a game of catch between three little ponies. One of them was herself at a much younger age. No older than seven or eight. The three fillies jumped around, laughing at each other. The ball passed between them, each young pony trying different tricks to impress the other two. Of course young Tempest’s- No wait.. Fizzlepop. She was trying to get used to that reality again.

“Fizzlepop. Fizzlepop Berrytwist.”

Her younger self stopped and turned.

“That’s me! What’s your name?”

Tempest- Fizzle- Oh Tartarus! Why was this so difficult? She shook her head to clear up the confusion and settled on her adopted name..for now.
She looked down at the little filly in front of her, still waiting for a response. This had never happened before. None of her dreams had ever taken notice of her before. Then again, she’d never really spoken out loud in her dreams either. She just observed. The filly was still waiting. Smiling. Why was she smiling? When was the last time that she, Tempest, had smiled? Truly smiled? She shook her head again. Focus..

“My name is Tempest.”

“That’s a funny name! Do you want to play with us?”

Tempest looked at the other fillies. They were still playing. Had they not seen her?

“That..that’s okay little one. You go and play with your friends.”

The little Fizzlepop began to turn around, but stopped as her eyes traveled further up the tall unicorn. Tempest froze. She knew what the filly had seen.

“What happened to your horn?”

Tempest took a step back.

“Oh... Nothing you need to be worried about little one.”

Fizzlepop’s smile disappeared, a blank expression taking over.

“Don’t lie to yourself. It’s the only thing I'm ever worried about Tempest.”

Tempest’s eyes grew bigger. This dream was taking a bad turn. She backed up a few more steps. Fizzlepop’s horn began to crack and splinter. As the cracks grew, so did Fizzlepop. She grew up right in front of Tempest. As the filly’s horn fell off, the transformation was complete and a full copy of Tempest stood where Fizzlepop had been before. The copy sneered at the frightened unicorn.

“Poor little Tempest. Whatever will you do now? There’s no pony that can save yo-“

The copy dissolved into mist. Confusion overtook fear as Tempest started looking for her clone. She spun around and nearly hit another body. Her clone was trying to attack! Tempest jumped backwards and lit up her horn, ready to strike.

“Greetings Tempest.”

Tempest’s jaw dropped slightly in shock. She subdued her horn’s erratic sparking, never taking her eyes off of the pony in front of her.

“Princess Luna?”

The princess sat down on the grass and nodded. Tempest stared at her for a few seconds longer. It really was her. The flowing mane of stars, the midnight color of her body, and the tall physique of an alicorn. And those eyes. Both gentle and stern at once. Tempest broke eye contact to calm her anxiety.

Luna smiled after another few seconds of silence.

“You often dream of your fillyhood?”

Tempest looked around at the village again.

“It’s the only thing I ever dream about.”

“Never anything more..recent?”

Tempest shook her head.

“You don’t allow yourself too?”

“Allow myself? I didn’t think I controlled what I dream.”

The princess giggled. It was unexpected. Had Tempest really said something funny? Luna stood up and began pacing around Tempest.

“You conjure the dreamworld every night. It is you that controls what it becomes. And every night, you choose to revisit where you grew up.”

Tempest hadn’t thought of it that way. Luna continued her circle of the unicorn.

“And yet you’ve had..disturbances.”

“The duplicate?”

Luna nodded.

“It seems your present is trying to get through to you. And it’s starting to break down your shield.”

“My shield?”

“This dream-“

Luna motioned around the village.

“-is protecting you from having to face anything else in your memory. But that isn’t how dreams are supposed to work.”

Her horn lit up and the village melted away. Tempest felt a pang of sadness as her old home disappeared. She turned to look at Luna, but the princess was walking away. Tempest began to hurry after her.

“How are dreams supposed to work? I’ve only ever had the one as far as I can remember.”

“You’ve been hiding from yourself for many years Tempest Shadow.”

Luna halted and turned to the unicorn.

“Or do you go by Fizzlepop Berrytwist now?”

Tempest’s anxiety began to bubble up again.

“I..I..I guess it’s..Tem- Fiz- ...I don’t know..”

Luna frowned.

“Strange. One’s name should be easy. Even though you have two, one should stick out more to you than the other. You really can’t decide which one is yours?”

The anxiety was about to boil over. And in the corner of her eye, Tempest saw something move. She turned her head slowly and found the sneering clone again. It was several paces behind them, but there it was. Luna stepped between the two ponies and her horn lit up.

“Begone.”

The copy faded and Tempest felt herself relax.

“What is that?”

Luna turned back to her.

“It’s your anxiety. You get anxious about yourself, and so your anxiety looks like you. You have to try to relax and not overthink so much.”

“Easier said than done.”

“Yes. But definitely possible.”

Luna began walking again. Tempest fell into step beside her.

“Why do I get so anxious over my name?”

Luna shrugged.

“If I had to guess, you feel like you’re living two lives. One as the military commander, and the other as the reformed pony. Each has a different name.”

“How do I figure out which one I am?”

“Why do you have to choose?”

That stumped Tempest. Could she really be both Tempest and Fizzlepop? Luna seemed to read her mind.

“Yes it is possible. By taking the best of both sides, you can become the complete pony you are meant to be.”

Complete...

Tempest felt something cold on her back. Like a winter wind. She turned slowly, ready to see her duplicate again.

It was much worse.

It was him.

“Only I can make you whole Tempest. Make you..complete.”

Tempest closed her eyes.

“No. I’ll never be complete.”

She felt a hoof under her chin. Her eyes opened a crack and she saw those startling sea-green eyes again. More gentle than before.

“Why do you fear your horn little one?”

Tempest’s eyes opened fully. A single tear fell from her right eye.

“Because I’m powerless without it. Powerless to do anything, especially help myself.”

“So you think that you need power to be able to feel better about yourself?”

“I..I don’t know.”

Luna’s eyes sharpened. And then they began to glow. Tempest cowered as Luna’s form changed. Her body twisted, her colors grew darker, and her eyes continued to glare at the frightened unicorn in front of her.

“I SHALL SHOW YOU WHAT POWER DOES TO A PONY WHO DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO WIELD IT.”

She wasn’t shouting, but her voice shook the very ground. Tempest wanted to cry out for help. She remembered this story. She remembered how her mother had scared her into obedience with the tale. But now it was a reality. Standing in front of her, emanating power beyond anything she’d ever felt before, was Nightmare Moon.

“I WAS ONCE LIKE YOU TEMPEST SHADOW. I TOO FELT I NEEDED POWER TO GAIN CONTROL OVER ALL, INCLUDING MYSELF. SO I GATHERED EVERY LAST BIT I COULD FIND. I REIGNED IN THE POWERS OF NIGHT AND SHADOW TO GRANT ME MY GREATEST WISH.”

The dark alicorn stood at her full height, towering over Tempest.

“AND INSTEAD OF THE LOVE I DESIRED, I WAS CONSUMED BY POWER. SO WAS THE BEGINNING OF NIGHTMARE MOON. AND THE END OF LUNA.”

Nightmare’s horn lit up. With a flash of light, she was gone. Luna stood before Tempest once again.

“For a thousand years I was trapped within that creature. And it wasn’t until I returned that I learned that power wasn’t everything. I didn’t need anymore power than what I already had. But in my foolishness, I thought otherwise.”

She reached out a hoof. Tempest took it tentatively and Luna pulled her onto her feet. When she was standing again, Tempest noticed a tear falling from Luna’s eye.

“I know too well what you have been through Tempest. And my heart breaks knowing that there is another pony who has had a similar experience to my own.”

Luna’s tears were coming more frequently. Tempest felt her eyes watering and tried to blink the tears away.

She was unsuccessful.

She began to cry. For the first time in years, she cried. The tears wouldn’t stop. Why wouldn’t they stop? Everything hit her at once; the loss of her horn, her self-imposed exile, her recruitment by the Storm King, the horrible, horrible things she’d done in his name, the pain she’d inflicted on so many... and the depression that had been caused by all of it. The feelings of hatred and self-loathing that had built up over a lifetime had come to the surface for the first time in her life. And the tears came faster.
The crying was interrupted for a split second as Tempest felt a body press against her own. She opened her eyes to find Luna hugging her. And not just a friendly hug. An honest, heartfelt, loving embrace. One from a pony who understood too well the battle going on within her.

“The power you possess is already enough to overcome your past. And it’s enough to shape your future. But most importantly, it is enough to save your present. Forgive yourself and you will begin to feel that power. Forgive yourself every day if you must. I promise one day you’ll realize that you’ve done it. You’ve forgiven yourself. And when that day comes, you will become more powerful for conquering your own darkness.”

Tempest had continued to cry through Luna’s words. The warmth she felt from the princess was overwhelming. For the first time in her life, she felt true hope. Not the hope of regaining her horn, but the hope of regaining herself. She could feel a weight lifting from her, making her entire being feel as light as the air itself. She knew that the feeling couldn’t last forever, but she was grateful for the knowledge that she could feel like this.
Tempest pulled away from the princess. They smiled at each other. No two ponies had ever been closer than in that moment. And Tempest would never forget that closeness.

And that moment was followed by another.

Without warning, Luna leaned forward and kissed Tempest. The unicorn froze. It wasn’t a long kiss. And not a passionate one either. It was...comforting. It was one more thing that only they could share or understand. Not a kiss of desire, but a kiss of love for the one other pony in all of Equestria that could possibly understand what she was going through. And it only lasted for that second moment. Tempest doubted that it would ever be repeated, and she didn’t care. She knew that they had formed a bond that would last the rest of their lives.
As Luna pulled away, Tempest noticed the slightest blush in her cheeks. She wouldn’t be surprised if she was blushing as well. They stared at each other for another moment before Luna stood up.

“Sweet dreams Tempest. I hope that I have been helpful.”

Tempest smiled.

“More than I could have ever asked for.”

Luna smiled again as a portal opened in front of her. She stepped through and the portal began to close. Tempest began to walk away, only pausing as she heard a whisper from behind.

I will always be here for you little one. You have my love. Eternally.

A final tear rolled down Tempest’s cheek as her dream began to fade.

Author's Notes:

Written in the early hours of the morning when I was feeling more down than usual. That seems to be when it hits hardest, when I’m alone with my thoughts after my spouse has gone to sleep. But I know there are many that are alone in their homes when they feel at their lowest. I wish that we could all have someone to be there for us. Someone that fully understands what is going on within our minds. It’s a rare gift if you receive it. Sometimes it’s a loved one. Sometimes it’s a close friend. And their importance in your life is strong. In thinking of that someone, I thought of a pony who must be dealing with similar feelings after a lifetime of hating herself. Then I thought of the only other pony that must feel like that. And thus, in those early morning hours, I had them share a moment where they both realized that they were the somepony that each of them needed in their lives.