Confessions of an Immortal Time Lord

One Thousand Years of Solitude (Part 3)

***

"Luna! Explain yourself!" the white regal mare demanded as soon as she entered her sister's bedroom, only to see Luna sitting on her bed, her head lowered strangely.

She didn't reply. She never looked up. She just smiled slyly, facing the covers.

"Luna?.." I said, coming forth, trying to hold Celestia back. My Time Lord sense immediately told me something was wrong.

She smirked and shook her head.

"All this time..." she whispered and let out a maniacal laugh.

I felt Celestia shiver next to me, sweat forming upon her forehead. She could see that something was terribly wrong, too.

"Lulu..." the Princess of the Sun whispered in a trembling voice.

"All this time... You were the one to decide..." Luna whispered back to Celestia, though addressing nopony in particular.

I took a hesitant step forth. Now I could see a book lying on the bed next to the blue alicorn.

"Now I will have power!" Luna exclaimed, her head jerking up, her eyes mad and bloodshot. "More power than you could ever imagine!"

Celestia just stood frozen in place, unable to move, awestruck by her sister's behaviour.

"This is madness..." she mumbled.

"No, it is not," I stated, taking another step towards the bed. "See the book?" I asked the white mare.

She squinted her eyes to get a better vision of the book and nodded.

"Luna, darling," I tried to approach the blue mare, who instantly grabbed the book and glared at me.

"Don't you dare call me that, Doctor! All those years, you saw my affection towards you but never paid me back! Never!" Luna cried, tears streaming from her eyes.

"Now I demand vengeance," she said in a firmer tone and opened the book on the last page.

My eyes opened wide as I saw Luna levitate a needle towards her.

"What... does that mean?" Celestia muttered under her breath.

"Ancient magic..." I whispered. "The magic of blood..."

"No, don't touch it!" I yelled towards Luna as she stung her hoof with the needle and brought the book closer.

"Why shouldn't I?" the Princess of the Night wondered half-mockingly. A drop of blood was ready to fall from her hoof onto the last page of the book.

"Luna, wait! I- I love you!" I shouted, eager to do anything to stop the blue mare. "Just let me take the book- let me burn it, and we'll live happily together! We can work it out! Please, Luna, I beg you!"

My appealing to reason failed.

Luna chuckled and pressed the wounded hoof against the paper.

"NO!" I yelled in despair.

As blood soaked into the blank page, the room lit with unworldly light. Luna screamed, making her elder sister cover her eyes. I stood and watched the whole dance of light and darkness before me, shocked. The blue alicorn rose high into the air, almost hitting the ceiling with her head. Her eyes radiated fury. An evil grin was plastered upon her face. She laughed and looked at me, then at her sister.

"FINALLY I HAVE ACHIEVED WHAT I HAS BEEN LONGING FOR FOR SO LONG!" a voice erupted from Luna's lips; though, it wasn't her voice.

I fell on my knees, for I knew whose that voice was.

At last, Luna looked at me with her blazing eyes.

"Hello, Doctor. It seems we meet again," she hissed.

I gulped and covered my forehead with a hoof. I gathered all of my courage to face what had always been quite a fearful enemy to me.

"Hello, Nightmare," I said.

***

So that's how it happened. I tried to reason the two, sure. I tried to address Luna, knowing very well that I would never reach her beneath the cavernous cover of Nightmare.

Finally, Celestia's anger took over her completely.

"That's enough!" she roared, sending another lightning bolt towards her sister. "Luna or Nightmare - whatever - you will lower the Moon now!" she yelled very royally.

"Oh, can you make me?" Luna wondered mockingly.

"That's it!" Celestia gasped. "Doctor! Bring me the Elements!" she demanded, not paying me a look.

"No, I won't! Are you mad?!" I replied, knowing the possible repercussions of such actions.

"GET THEM!" she roared, now looking at me, her gaze not so different from that of Luna's.

"NO I WON'T!" I yelled back in the same tone.

"Fine," she replied, suddenly calm. Then she vanished. I strained myself. So did the Nightmare.

And then she reappeared. But she was not alone. She had the Elements of Harmony with her.

"Who's in charge now?" she laughed and closed her eyes. So did I. So did Luna.

A bright flash enveloped the room - and she was gone.

Celestia landed onto the floor and the precious magical gems fell next to her. We looked in unison at the place where the blue Princess had just been.

It was an empty space.

We stood in silence for a few minutes, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

Celestia coughed.

"I'll see you at dinner." With that, she left the half-destroyed chamber.

***

I sat at table, silently chewing on my lettuce. Celestia was twice as silent, her head hung low, occasional sobs escaping her muzzle. The silence was thick enough to be cut with a knife.

I could clearly see that she was guilty. Who wouldn't be in her place, I wonder! Yet, something strange placed itself in her eyes, in her manner of behaving. She was determined and defended against the outside world, like a metal hedgehog.

"Don't you think that was too much?" I finally broke the silence. "Banishing our own sister to the Moon for a thousand years?" I wondered, taking a sip of tea. The delicious liquid warmed me up inside.

Celestia shook her head.

"She tried to overthrow me, Doctor!" she reasoned, not touching her plate.

"She was controlled by the Nightmare - a very powerful alien feeding upon ponies' magic," I replied, slicing a fresh apple. "Want some?" I asked, pointing at the fruit.

The white mare shook her head.

"I cannot tolerate treason, Doctor," she said solemnly. "Even if it comes from my own sister."

I chewed on the apple. To my displeasure, it wasn't half as delicious as apples used to be on my home planet.

"Isn't your regime all about love and tolerance?" I enquired, putting the remnants of the apple back on the plate. "Besides, it's your sister, Tia."

"So what?" Celestia's head jerked up. "I am a ruler beforehoof and only then a sister!" She sent me a cold glare.

"You could've let me reason her!" I started to lose my temper again. "I've dealt with aliens quite a lot, you know?"

"Why are you taking her side anyway?!" Celestia stood up suddenly. "She's not dead; the spell's cleansed her of that alien thing. It is for the better that she should think over her actions!"

"For a thousand years?!" I stood up as well. Anger started boiling in me.

"It's nothing for an alicorn!"

"Then why don't you banish yourself for a change, huh?" I shouted at the princess.

She gasped.

"Are you with her or with me?" she demanded sternly, looking at me with expectation in her eyes.

"I'm with justice," I replied, calming down. "And justice is at her side," I added.

Celestia huffed.

"In this case, I suppose, the righteous ones can sleep on the coach tonight," she said and took her seat once more.

An array of thoughts rushed through my head. I stood up at once, not comprehending what I was about to do.

"The righteous ones won't share the castle with you tonight," I replied and trotted towards the exit.

"Wait!" Celestia exclaimed, shocked. "Where are you going?"

I turned round to see her face, her beautiful face. I had a feeling it could be the last time I saw it so I tried to savour and remember the feeling.

Her eyes were gorgeous. There was a smidgeon of royalty in them and a hint of uncertainty. Her eyes begged for me to stay.

I begged to differ.

"To the TARDIS," I replied, opening the door.

"Will you come back tomorrow?" she asked hopelessly.

I smiled.

"It was fun while it lasted," I said bitterly. "Expect me in a thousand years, Tia," I added quietly, but loud enough for her to hear.

"Where will you be, Doctor?"

I smiled again.

"On the Moon," I said and left the castle, walking towards the depths of the forest, vanishing in the yet present night.

***

Next on the Confessions!

~~~

"Why are you here? What do you want?"

"Chess."

"What?"

~~~

"It's bigger than it seems."

"That's totally what she said."