A dark alicorn burst out of one of the large stained glass windows that spotted the side of the massive palace, shards flying through the air as she hurled herself into the night sky. The stars gleamed all around her as her dark-blue figure shot across the endless dark, her pitch black mane dancing in the wind, her eyes closed shut as the sound of the shattered glass still ringed in her ears.

In the blink of an eye, her wings snapped open, her dark blue feathers spreading in the wind. Anypony still awake at this time could see her spiraling downwards towards the ancient shadowed streets of Canterlot. A loud crumbling noise echoed through the backstreets and alleyways of the ancient city as her hooves hit the cold, stone floor, stirring the hearts of anypony that could hear it.

She looked down at her dirt stained hooves, worn out from the countless trials and tribulations of the last few days. A bolt of lightning pierced the air, causing her to stretch her neck upwards, looking into the looming black clouds that hung above her, the sound of nature’s fury echoing in her head. Not a single star dotted the night sky, they had all been snuffed out. A single beastly iris peered between the dirty black strands of hair that obscured her face.

A lone drop of rain tapped her head, trickling down into her mane. Then another drop fell.. and another.. and another, until the princess found herself standing in a heavy downpour. She could hear the sound of the rain ricocheting against the cobblestone floor below her. She could clearly see the rain hitting her face, yet she could not feel it. Something was.. different, she could not feel the wind against her body nor the rain drenching her coat. All she could feel, all she could think about, was the rage that she had kept hidden for far too long.

Once the sound of the rain had faded into the background, she put her first step forward into the city that she once called her home -- it had become more of a prison now, really. With only the dark of night accompanying her, she slowly trotted into the palace courtyard with only one thing on her mind.

Her feral eyes narrowed in disgust as she looked upon the drenched, cheerfully colored banners and statues that stood in the royal courtyard in honor of the recent crowning of Princess Celestia. “Sister dearest...” she whispered in a spiteful tone. A sly grin grew across her muzzle as she ascended the massive white marble stairs that led to the palace entrance.

The newly crowned Princess Celestia sat atop her lonesome throne, her head bowed in shame and regret with a single tear rolling down her cheek. The last few weeks had been weighing heavily on her shoulders. She was the only pony present in the massive throne room that night, silently walking through its halls, lonesomely staring at the drapes and stained-glass windows, each of which seeming to tell their own tale of a time long since forgotten.

The princess’ sniveling echoed across the room, only accompanied by the sound of the rain, rhythmically chiming against the windows creating a silent symphony for her ears. The tears rolled down her face. “Nopony said it’d be this hard..” she sobbed. Her eyes looked weary, and tearful, she looked as if she hadn’t had a good night’s rest in ages.

She wanted to close her eyes in order to get some relief from the everlasting stress that strained on her mind, but whenever she did all she could see were the little filly’s innocent blue eyes looking up at her with a look of helplessness. Not even sleep could give her soul solace now.
“Why, little sister?” she said, her voice trembling. The alicorn had worked for years to ready herself for her rule, but it could never have prepared her for what happened -- nothing could. She got up from her velvet seat and trotted to the centre of the circular throne room.

Crying, she lowered her head, allowing her mane to flow over the floor in lifeless strings. Suddenly, a muffled voice was heard coming from the other side of the rather large palace door. “Halt! By order of th-” A burst of lightning shook the air, drowning out any noise other than the pony’s screams of pain. Celestia’s sobbing finally got silenced by a sudden loud gasp. Her eyes grew wide as she turned her gaze towards the wooden door towering above her.

The door burst open, allowing a cold gust of wind to surge in that chilled her to the bone. There in the infinite black, stood a nightmare, a twisted vision of everything that she once held dear. The young mare’s dark blue wings hung sluggishly by her side, her damaged feathers gracing the palace’s pristine floor. Her face remained hidden behind her ebony mane. Slowly, the mare started making her way through the ancient halls, her head swaying subtly from side to side as she did.

Celestia stood frozen in fear as the twisted figure of her very own sister slowly trotted towards her. The younger alicorn came to a halt, simply standing there for a few moments not uttering a word. She raised her head to meet her sibling’s gaze. A shiver crept down Celestia’s spine as she peered into her sister’s ferocious eyes. All she saw when she looked into Luna’s eyes was anger, she could not find a trace of the pony she once knew. Luna lifted her gaze upward, staring tentatively at the crown that sat atop her sister’s head, the very starlight that reflected from its surface was a mockery of her being.

After a lengthy silence, Luna finally opened her mouth. "Have you seen my flower, sister?" Celestia could feel her entire body trembling to the sound of Luna's words. Noting could have ever prepared her for hearing her little sister's voice coming from such an apparition, her voice echoed faintly through the ancient expanses of the palace.

"I- I don't understand, Luna. What are you talking about?" the fear in Celestia's voice was more than apparent.

"My flower. I looked for it, but I can't find it. You know, the pretty white one."

"I.." she whimpered. "Don't try to fool me, Luna." she whispered, the sadness in her voice was overwhelming.

The spiteful mare responded with a faint chuckle. "Come sister, I want to show you something." Luna trotted out of the massive wooden door, allowing the rain to welcome her once more. Celestia reluctantly followed her into the storm, bracing herself for the vicious downpour. Once outside, she could see Luna sitting at the edge of the balcony overlooking the city. "Can you see it, sister? Isn't it amazing?" Luna appeared to be looking out over the darkened streets of Canterlot's noble quarter. The entire city was suffering under the mercy of the falling rain. The thing that unsettled the princess the most was the sky's complete lack of stars. The twinkling little lights that Celestia had come to adore over the years were snuffed out, leaving only darkness in the heavens above. "If only you could see it like I do, Celestia. It's so beautiful." Suddenly, Luna's gaze shot upward, looking towards the malevolent moon, looming over Equestria. "Can you hear it, sister? Can you hear her calling?"

"Hear who calling? Why are you here, Luna!?" Celestia exclaimed, her sister didn't even seem to notice her cries. The rain pouring down on her shape had caused Celestia’s normally flowing mane to hang straight down her face, drenched and wet.

"She says such sweet things to me. She holds me close, and whispers in my ear. She tells me everything that I’ve always wanted to hear, but was never told. She feels really cold, but it's the good kind of cold, you know? When she says things to you... you want to believe it." she said softly into the night-sky, the rain still running down their heads. Luna sat with her back towards her sister.

Nature let its thunderous wrath crash across the sky, illuminating the sisters faces and punishing their ears. Celestia’s mind was overran with a mixture of both fear and compassion whenever she looked upon her sister’s form. “Luna..” she tried to get her attention. “please come with me, little sister, I’ll make the hurt go away.” she tried to mask her fear, but her voice was absolutely quivering. “We’ll go up to your room an-” Celestia gasped as Luna’s head turned around in a flash.

The young mare’s prying eye stared angrily into her sister’s from, her back still turned towards the larger alicorn. “So you can lock me up in that horrid chamber again!?” she roared, her wings flaring outward in anger. “So you can keep me hidden like the monster I am? No, I won’t give you the pleasure!” she growled, teeth flashing. “Do not speak to me as if I am an infant!”

“I just want to help you!” she plead to her, looking into Luna’s furious gaze. She slightly raised her voice. “I don’t want to hurt you, little sister. Yield now or I will be forced to stop you.” she said, trying to fight the tears. “I can’t let you go after what you did.”

A crooked smile grew on Luna’s face, her eyes still narrowed in anger. “Yield!?” she laughed menacingly. She raised herself from the wet, marble floor and started to move slowly towards her sister with a wicked grin. “Do you think yourself all powerful, sister dearest?” she chuckled. “But then again, how can I blame you? You are the beloved princess Celestia after all. Surely, the filthy bastard child cannot best you?”

Her sister’s words were like venom seeping violently into her mind. Celestia shook in the dark as the cold rain assaulted her coat and mane, leaving them drenched and unclean. “I never asked for this, Luna! What did they do to deserve this!? They loved you, sister. I loved you.” she pleaded.

Nothing could have been more infuriating to her “Shut up!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. In a flash, Luna’s hooves started to glow with a dark blue aura as she charged horn-first into her siblings frame with all her might, causing Celestia to gasp loudly as she tumbled over the balcony’s railing.

Celestia felt an impressive sense of pain in her back as she opened her eyes only to find herself lying on her back against the wall of one of Canterlot’s darkened stone alleyways. She could barely hold her eyes open as the rain assailed her face. Her collision with the wet cobblestone floor had left her back painful and bruised. Her vision was blurred by the rain. She tried to shield her body with her drenched, crooked wings.

Suddenly, she felt a hoof underneath her chin, pushing her head upwards, forcing her to meet her sister’s cold, devilish smile. Her head soon met the cold, hard floor again as Luna’s hoof hit her face. Celestia stumbled up on her hooves, her horn started to glow with a dim golden light as she pointed it towards her assailant. The younger mare merely laughed as got up on her hind legs, her horn emanating a thick blackness. She slammed her hooves down into the ground, firing a bolt of black energy into Celestia causing the older alicorn to soar through the air before her back met the palace wall, a yelp of pain escaping her muzzle.

She had to get away. One way or another, she had to get away. She just started running anywhere but towards her sister’s looming figure. Desperately, she flared her wings in the rain as she increased her pace, taking flight into the raging thunderstorm. Celestia soared past the walls of Canterlot’s massive palace which towered above her.
Looking back, she saw a faint, dark-blue shade shooting towards her through her blurry vision. Her only thought was flying faster, the only thing she cared about was escaping, but to no avail. The shade caught up with her, tackling her side causing her to collapse with the palace wall. The sound of glass shattering filled her ear.

Celestia soon found herself in an utterly new environment. She could feel the soft blue carpet underneath touching her skin as she looked around the room. It was quite dark, the first thing she noticed were the glass shards covering the floor around her. A large circular bed stood in the middle of the room, the rain trickling down unto the silken sheets from the broken ceiling window that stood above it.

“Do you remember, sister?”

Her eyes opened wide in fear as she heard that voice. She quickly raised herself from the floor, scanning the room for a sign of her sister. There stood Luna, staring blankly at her. The very image sent shivers down her spine.

“Do you remember how you used to come here to put lies into my head? And such sweet lies they were.. That’s all you were!” the anger in her voice became more apparent. “Nothing but lies and crooked wings!” she shouted as she pointed her horn upwards, a black glow enveloping it. Suddenly, the little light that remained in the room vanished, leaving Celestia in utter darkness.

The large alicorn stumbled through the shadows of the room, wincing in pain whenever she stepped on a shard of the broken window. She had never been as terrified as she was at that very moment.

“Why are you so afraid of the dark, sister?”

Panic took control of Celestia, she simply had to find a way out. She needed light. Desperately, she closed her eyes and focused her power into her horn, a tiny light appeared at the end of it. She opened her eyes. She gasped as she saw Luna standing inches away from her with her wings spread wide as she gave her sister a menacing smile.

“Afraid of what’s inside it?”

Celestia instantly smashed her hooves forward in fear, only to see them go right through the shadowy image of her sister which now dissipated into black smoke. Once her rapid heartbeat and frantic breathing had calmed down and the reality of the situation started to sink in, Celestia began looking for a way out of this god awful place. She caught a glimpse of a doorway in the dark and started making her way towards it.

On the other side, Celestia was greeted by the shadowy halls that she once called her home. The dark of night had turned her beloved sanctuary into an endless maze that not even the most clever of Irishmen could escape. What could cause her sister to become like this? What had happened to the shy little mare that never strayed from the path that they had chosen for her?

Her contemplation soon came to an abrupt end. She found herself in the throne room once again, but something was different. The stained-glass windows had shattered, allowing the dark of night to fill the room. Was she even awake? Or had she walked into a nightmare? It was hard to tell the difference lately, her life had turned into a horrific dream.

“What’s wrong, sister? You look ever so distraught.” Luna said provocatively.

Celestia’s heart started raging in her chest. She turned her head to her Father’s throne. Luna sat leaning back into the massive piece of furniture, the ultimate symbol of their family’s monarchy.

“Do you remember how father brought us into this room? Made to kneel before the throne? The foolish old man thought himself a god!” Luna yelled furiously. “It appears I have proven him wrong, doesn’t it?” she grinned.

Celestia was disgusted. Was her little sister actually gloating about the deeds that she had committed? Did she not know remorse? She may not have known her sister as much as she should have, but this certainly wasn’t Luna. This beast, this monster.

The princess of the night ascended from throne. Celestia dared not speak, lest she anger her sister once again. How the little filly had become so powerful, she did not know.

“Isn’t it wonderful, Celestia? Everlasting night. Never again will we be tormented by the burning sun, mocking us at every hour. The only purpose that it will serve is illuminating our beloved moon.” her devilish laughter resonated through the palace halls.

“No!” Celestia pleaded. “I won’t allow it.” With those words Celestia started her attack. She had to stop her, she simply had to. Luna merely sat in her place as the larger alicorn drew closer and closer with determination in her eyes.

Luna smiled.

“You were always the fool.” All it took was a single sway with her horn.

Celestia was rendered blind. Her vision was stolen from her but still she charged on with determination. A fire that would soon be extinguished by utter pain. He body hit the floor and her head soon followed, smashing against the solid marble floor.

Small strands of smoke hissed from her coat. She had never felt such an overwhelming feeling before. It rendered her numb. A sharp yelp of pain escaped her muzzle as a hoof prodded her side. And another. And another. Luna slowly made her way across Celestia’s bleeding body, digging her hooves into her sister’s skin.

“Did you honestly believe that you could defeat us? You’re as arrogant as ever.” she hissed. Taking small steps over the larger alicorn’s form. crooked white feathers danced in the beams of moonlight that shone upon them. “We studied as you shone in the spotlight. We learned while you played the perfect little princess.”

Celestia simply stared her sister fearfully in the eye. Each hoofstep dug deeper into her skin, causing her to gasp in pain as small trickles of blood flowed down her white, pristine coat. It seemed that all hope was lost. Would her sister really..

Luna lowered her head.

Celestia’s eyes opened wide. She stared right at the tip of her sister’s seemingly sharp horn. “What are you doing, Luna!?” Celestia pleaded as a tears rolled down her face.

“Succeeding you, sister.”

Luna gasped. She darted out of her sleeping position. Her coat was wet with sweat. The heat in her body soon seeped away as the cold air gave her a frigid ‘good morning’. She had awakened like this every night. Ever since..

No. She had to keep her mind off of it.

She raised herself from the floor but immediately lost her balance. She was exhausted. Her nightly terrors had kept her from getting a good night´s rest. Every single night they plagued her. Everything she was, everything that she had told herself to be slowly crumbled down around her.

That one night...

That one faithful night in the reaches of the forest when she was reminded of everything. Every touch, every embrace, every happy memory that she had stolen from herself. But there was more. There were other things hidden in her frail mind. Things that she did not want to remember.

And every night after she fell asleep, they came for her. They showed her the things that she had done, the things that others had done to her. What was she if not a slave to this torment? It was driving her insane. Luna was soon shook out of her contemplation as Rainbow Dash turned in her sleep, snoozing ever so softly. Rainbow Dash... the only pony that Luna dared to call her ‘friend’ since...

No. She had to keep her mind off of it.

She thought about waking the slumbering pegasus up. Rainbow had been such a source of comfort for her lately, surely she could help her with these terrors. Luna’s ears drooped down into her neck as she was reminded of the cold reality. Rainbow Dash hated her.

The courageous little pegasus had confessed her feelings for her. But in the midst of the fears and desperation Luna had turned her down. She simply couldn’t get herself to think of Rainbow that way. It brought a torrent of bad memories whenever she did. Denying herself of her own thoughts was the only thing that maintained her sanity.

She kept staring at the sleeping figure below her. She stifled a cry. “Why do you want me?” she whispered. “I’m nothing like you..”

“Pinkie!” Twilight yelled into the cold of night. Sadly, there was no response.

“Pinkie!” she yelled again at the top of her lungs. But once again, she was only met with silence.

Twilight struggled onward through the thick snowy forest with only worry on her mind. She thought of all the bad things that could have happened to her friend. Had she been to harsh? Was all of this her fault? She had to find her.

“I’m sorry, okay! I didn’t mean what I said back there, just come back, Pinkie Pie!” Only when she was met with utter silence once more, did she realize the weight of her crimes. An uneasy feeling started to force itself into her belly as she stared into the empty darkened recesses of the woods.

She started wondering why Celestia had warned her of this place. They had been here for days and all they had encountered was rain and snow. She started wondering why the woods were so empty, so void of life. She had at least expected to see a critter or two by now.

Her thoughts soon came to an end when she noticed the figure of a pony, sitting at the edge of the forest, with her back towards Twilight. “Pinkie Pie!” she immediately called out. The earth pony did not respond. Surely she had heard her.

Twilight charged to the pink pony’s side. Pinkie Pie was sitting with her haunches dug into the cold snow. The wind stopped blowing, leaving the Pony’s wet mane dangling in long, lifeless curls. Twilight shivered in the dark. “Pinkie, come inside. You can’t stay in the cold, this is crazy.” she tried to reason with her.

“Why isn’t anypony laughing anymore, Twilight?” Pinkie Pie asked. She turned her head to Twilight, revealing her discouraged face. Her cheeks were red, her eyes tearing from the chill.

The sound of her friends voice hit Twilight hard. There was no happiness. The joyful spark in her tone was gone. Her question however, was most curious. Twilight carefully drew closer to Pinkie’s tedious form. the icicles practically hung from her muzzle.

“Pinkie, listen to me. You need to get inside. I’m sorry for what I said, I didn’t mean it. We won’t find the others by arguing. Just come with me.” she begged her friend. Twilight put her hoof on Pinkie’s cold shoulder.

A bolt of electricity shot through the poor unsuspecting unicorn as Pinkie took her hoof to Twilight’s and started caressing it softly. “Like you, Twilight.” What was Pinkie Pie doing? “I miss hearing you laugh. It’s been so long.”

Twilight could not move a muscle.