“The unique magic of Alicorns has long been a mystery to Ponykind. They are creatures of immense strength, capable of guiding celestial bodies with little more than a thought. Their power is unrivaled, even by the greatest Unicorn mages.

Where did all this power come from? Our two Princesses, Celestia of the Sun and Luna of the Night, refuse to speak of their youth, of the most developmental years of their existence. And as far as we know, there are no other Alicorns, or least there have not been any for the past millennia.

With no answers in sight, the studies of Alicorn magic have long been discarded…”

Luna sighed as the book thumped back onto her bed, her telekinetic grasp on it released. The tome’s binding snapped shut, revealing a beautifully engraved cover. Large, flowery script proudly proclaimed the title, Magical Mysteries and Arcane Ambiguities. The Princess had thought the book might make for an interesting read, but found that she simply could not continue.

“Ignorance is bliss,” she softly muttered to herself. Rising to her feet, she grimaced slightly as the muscles in her legs protested the movement, numb after resting under her body for the past few hours. Luna, however, welcomed the discomforting feeling. It was proof that she was back, that she was in control of her body. The Princess was back, the Nightmare was gone.

A few seconds later, the mattress adjusted itself as the Princess leapt off it, landing on the marble floor of her bedroom. Her hooves clacked lightly against the ground, the coolness exhilarating after lying on her warm bed for so long. Luna’s horn began to glow, and a glimmering shroud enveloped the book still resting on her bed. Lifting such a small object was nothing for the mistress of the moon; the volume soon rested on a bedside table, next to several other large manuscripts which Luna had selected for her nightly reading session. But, Luna knew that she wouldn’t find herself able to read for the rest of the night.

A short walk brought the Alicorn to a glass door. A light shove, and Luna was able to step out onto her balcony. Glancing down, the Princess was able to observe all of Canterlot, the illustrious capital of the nation she and her sister had helped create. A smile slowly spread across her face, as she examined her many subjects. Although most chose to rest during her night, there were a few ponies still wandering the streets. A group of adolescent stallions were raising a light ruckus a few miles away, their antics illuminated by the full moon. A pair of sweethearts nuzzled each other on a park bench, bathing in the starlight. Some Pegasus ponies on the night shift flew about, kicking or moving clouds, preparing for the next day’s weather forecast, sunny with a slight chance of rain. Luna’s night may have not held the crowds that gathered during her sister’s day, but the dark-blue Alicorn had decided that she preferred it this way.

Turning her gaze upward, Luna’s eyes searched the vast expanse of sky that was her canvas, her ever-shifting masterpiece. Stars twinkled brightly, far away planets slowly danced along their orbit, and the occasional comet flashed across the expanse of space. Most prominent by far, however, was the moon. Tonight, it was at its fullest and its brightest, shining its light all across Equestria. Smiling at the orb, Luna again wondered how she could ever have been jealous of her sister and her sun. Celestia may have the brighter sphere, but Luna’s was the more beautiful by far. Although the Princess knew its surface was ridden with craters and mountains, at this distance the celestial body seemed to be perfect, with nary a flaw to speak of.

Luna sighed, and slowly walked back into her bedroom. A slight flicker in the corner of her eye caused her to turn around with a start, head raised and wings outstretched. Another Alicorn looked back at her, equally startled, a navy coat and sky-blue mane perfectly accenting a cutie-mark of a crescent moon. Sighing with relief, Luna approached the mirror, examining her reflection. Although she’d never admit it, Luna knew that like her elder sister, she was quite beautiful. There were many stallions who would find themselves enchanted by her unearthly splendor, who would gladly fall in love with the newest Princess of Equestria. But, what did they know of beauty? What did they know of looking beyond the skin, of searching a pony’s heart?

All too well, Luna knew of the darkness that lurked inside her, the hatred and jealously that seethed and boiled beneath a layer of reason and love. Luna knew that she would never be free of these feelings, that the evil locked deep within her soul was just as timeless as she was. Even now, she could feel it gnawing at her, whispering in her ear…

“No!” Luna exclaimed forcefully, stamping her hoof against the cold floor. This was not going to happen again. Not now, not ever. She had walked down that path once, and found nothing but loneliness and despair. Shaking her head, Luna forced herself to turn away from the mirror, to ignore the whispers in her ears. She was stronger now, she had found something, no, somepony to stand by. Six ponies, to be precise.

A light smile again returned to Luna’s lips, as thoughts of her friends enveloped her mind. Twilight Sparkle, one of the brightest and most powerful unicorns in recorded history. Rainbow Dash, the fastest flyer to come out Cloudsdale for centuries, and the only pony in recorded history to perform a Sonic Rainboom. Applejack, the hardworking farm horse, known for her boundless strength and eternal loyalty. Fluttershy, the kindest mare a pony could ever hope to meet, but strong as a dragon when called upon. Rarity, the most elegant unicorn in all of Ponyville, possibly all of Equestria. And Pinkie Pie, the… who… and Pinkie Pie.

A dark glow lit the Alicorn’s horn, as Luna summoned a quill and book from a nearby desk. Maybe tonight would finally be the night she wrote the letter.

Taking a deep breath, Luna began speaking aloud as she wrote. “Dearest Twilight Sparkle, I cannot thank you and your friends enough… No, too personal.

Celestia’s prized pupil, Twilight Sparkle. The Princess Luna, of the Night and all its Beauties, would like to extend her immense gratitude… No, no, far too formal.

Dear Twilight, I believe that my thanks are long overdue to you and your friends. Without your brave actions a year ago, I shudder to think… No, no, no!”

Luna ground her teeth in frustration, dropping the quill and book to the floor. How could she possibly be suffering from writers block! She had written dozens of scientific journals, hundreds of political treaties, and two biographies! Why was she unable to finish a simple letter?

Sighing, the Princess lifted the book again, her horn alight with magic. A few moments later, and a page was ripped from the binding, before being crumpled up and tossed into a corner, where it joined several hundred others. Staring at the pile of papers dejectedly, Luna decided that she really should get that cleaned up. Eventually.

Turning her attention back to the book floating before her, Luna flipped back a few hundred pages all of them blank, except for a small crescent moon in the upper right-hoof corner of each page. Finally, she reached the title page, upon which were written three words, in a simple, but elegant script. Despite being written several thousand years ago, the words were still perfectly legible. Scrawled across the middle of the page, two large words proclaimed, “My Diary.” Slightly below, and a bit smaller in size, “Password?”

The quill floated into the air again, once more under the influence of Luna’s spell. Directly below the prompt, Luna wrote, “Moon.” After a few moments, the new addition to the page faded away, the ink seemingly drawn into the page.

Scratching emitted from the quill, as more and more entries were written and rejected. “Night. Star. Friends. Celestia. Alicorn. Equestria. Sun. Cloud. Twilight.” Nothing remained upon the page besides its original content. Bowing her head, Luna returned the book and quill to their places on the desk. That was enough for tonight.

Slinking back to her bed, Luna ungraciously flopped across the mattress, slowly sinking into its feathery embrace. It wouldn’t be time to lower the moon for a few hours, and some rest would surely do her good. Allowing her eyes to slowly close, Luna felt herself drift off to sleep. As her last bits of consciousness slipped away, she found herself praying for an empty, restful sleep. She didn’t want to dream again…

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A couple hours later, Luna’s slumbering form kicked sheets and pillows off the bed, as the Princess twisted and turned. Suddenly, her erratic movement stopped. Luna lay perfectly still for a couple minutes, before slowly opening her eyes. If anypony had been there to watch the Alicorn, they would have noticed an unfamiliar emotion in her eyes. Fear.

Slowly rising to her feet, Luna walked towards her balcony. Feelings of exhaustion and muscles protesting were ignored. Nudging the glass door open yet again, Luna searched the sky, looking for the source of her unease. Her eyes suddenly stopped moving, and she rushed to the edge of the balcony, gaze locked onto a single spot, upon a lone star. A star that soon faded from existence. Luna backed away slowly, her mouth forming words that she barely registered.

“No… that’s not possible… Celly! Celly!”

Turning around, Luna raced across her room, slamming her door open with a burst of magic, one that almost tore it off its hinges. The Princess ran on, shouting for her sister, as far above her, in the reaches of the night sky, another star slowly disappeared. And then another. And another.

Next Chapter: Setting the Stage Estimated time remaining: 37 Minutes