MoonFall

By

Bryan Weber

Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony, in any of its incarnations, or any of the characters associated with it.

"It's over, Discord!" Celestia said, as she watched her former ruler, now a deposed tyrant, slowly turning to stone.

"Is it, Celestia?" He managed a chuckle full of dark mirth, "Is it really? And you, dear, sweet Luna? Do you honestly think this has ended?"

"Celestia is right. You can't hurt anypony anymore," Luna said decisively.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that, my dear," His eyes met hers, and even as the stone spread further up his body, he smirked, "You may not have me around to play with you all for now, but I'll always be with you. A memory of better times."

Celestia looked at her sister, then at Discord, eyes widening in sudden, horrific realization.

"LUNA! Look away!"

"She's so bossy, isn't she, Luna? So quick to take charge. And have you ever noticed how much everypony seems to love her? To gather round her?"

"Wh-why shouldn't they?" Luna reasoned, "She's…"

"Not Equestria's ONLY 'savior'," Discord's voice seemed oddly cheerful, even as the stone spell that was consuming him reached his throat, "No respect for the little sister, I suppose."

"Luna! Luna, look away!"

"Don't want her to hear the truth, Celestia? Heed what I say now, Luna, and don't forget it.

In joyous times ponies shall turn to light

Forgetting past deeds and shunning the night

Under cover of darkness you betrayed me, true

But rejoicing in day and spurning the night

Your friends shall betray you.

For your Sister, her subjects will adoringly stare

But your life will be a true Nightmare"

And then, he was silent, and stone. Celestia shivered as she looked at him, still standing in proud bravado, his mouth open in gleeful recitation of the last syllables of his prophecy.

"Luna? Are you alright?"

Luna shuddered a moment, then nodded, "I think so, Celestia. You did it, didn't you? He's…he's gone forever!"

"We did it, Luna," Celestia smiled and touched her horn to her sister's, "I couldn't have done it without you. I wouldn't have found my own Harmony if it weren't for you."

"So…what now?"

"Now?" Celestia took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly, feeling a strange mixture of relief and trepidation, "Now, little sister, we begin the hard work ahead of us.

"Now we rebuild Equestra. For all the ponies."

Luna gave an approving snort, "I'm right there with you, my sister. Always."

Celestia watched as Luna trotted out and felt a bit of unease.

She shook her head and whinnied, "You're being foalish , Celestia. Nothing Discord could have done could have gotten to Luna. She was protected by the Elements of Harmony. If anything, he was trying to trick me, trying to make me doubt in Luna.

"Well, I'll not fall for it, Discord. I know you can still hear me, stone though you may be. Luna is the most precious pony in the world to me, and nothing you can do will ever make me lose faith in her."

They left the castle in the middle of the Everfree Forest.

"Sister, I think you should do something to show the others that Discord is gone," Luna said, "To let them know that they have hope now."

Celestia nodded, "I know just the thing."

She ascended into the sky, straight up, and began to glow, light emanating first from her horn, and then consuming her whole being. And as she flew skyward, Luna saw the beautiful light of the first day of freedom dawning.

"That was beautiful!" She said as Celestia landed beside her, folding her long, graceful wings.

"And think," Celestia nudged Luna with her nose, "From now on, the nights will no longer be a time for fear and dread, but a time to rest, free from Discord's fear and tricks. We'll be able to rest at ease."

"Yeah," Luna looked aside, "That sounds wonderful. And maybe I can make the nights as beautiful and elegant as Discord made them nightmares."

"Luna, don't pay any attention to what that brute was saying. He just wanted to make us doubt each other. He wanted me to doubt you. He wanted to break our Harmony.

"But he didn't succeed. I held my faith in you, Luna. He didn't trick me."

"And I'll always believe in you, too, Tia," Luna smiled.

Celestia didn't notice, or perhaps didn't want to notice, the dark shadow the flitted across her sister's eyes. Still, when she thought of Discord, now turned to stone, she couldn't help but wonder; why had he been so smug, even in defeat. His mad glee hadn't cracked, even as he'd been encased in stone. Was his insanity and madness so complete that he didn't recognize his defeat, even as he was imprisoned for all eternity? Or was there some secret danger still waiting in Equestria for them?

"Whatever the case," Celestia smiled, "Luna and I will always be there to protect our little ponies."