Intra In Nocte (The Night Inside: A Luna Story)

Chapter One

 Long Ago

       "Luna," Celestia laughed gleefully. "Luna, c'mon! Let's play outside!"

       Luna followed her older sister outside of the little house on the mountain, racing into the grassy valleys. Her giggles and those of Celestia could be heard from many miles around, but there were no nearby ponies to hear them, as their parents were out and they lived in secret, hundreds and hundreds of miles away from any pony civilizations. 

        Luna smiled as she and Celestia rolled around in the grass together, with no worry or care in their minds. The scent of grass was carried gently around in the breeze of fresh, clean air. The world seemed perfect and happy in that moment, with seemingly nothing to warrant any negativity in the world. All was well.

        "I love you Luna," Celestia whispered to Luna happily. 

         Luna, still learning how to speak, responded with, "Wuv you Tia." It might not have been the easiest statement for ponies to understand, but Celestia understood its meaning plainer than day.

         The day was spent with Luna sleeping in Celestia's arms until nightfall, with the two sisters happier than either had ever been. Celestia felt her sister's light breathing in her arms, and wished that this was how it was all the time, rather than just when Mother and Father were out. It would be nice to get to truly be alone with Luna, rather than be under Father's constant surveillance. His eyes on her always made her feel uncomfortable, though Luna seemed fine with it.

         As night fell, Celestia felt herself growing tired. She knew that she should take Luna inside, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Her tired legs simply wouldn't carry her, so she let her tired mind carry her into dreams of Luna and the life they had always wished for.

          When Luna awoke, she no longer felt the warm arms of Celestia around her, but her blanket. She was in her bed. She could her the faint sound of crying from the living room, so she got up to investigate.

          Staring from behind the door that was slightly ajar, Luna could see Celestia on the floor crying. Her mother and father were sitting on the couch. Father was yelling at Celestia for something as mother sat in silence. Luna tried to listen to what Father was saying.

         "Celestia, you know so much better than that. You have been told many times that you are not allowed to take Luna outside without me, and yet you took her outside anyway. I am very disappointed in you. Luna was your responsibility, and you've failed us." 

        Father kept yelling at Celestia, but Luna could no longer listen. She had never heard Father be so awful, and she didn't see why anyone should yell at Tia so much. In Luna's eyes, Celestia could do no wrong. Luna felt a burning anger in her soul, and she felt something change within her. Her vision changed, becoming clearer, and she drifted into the air without thought, her small wings somehow able to elevate her much higher than they should be able to. Her thoughts became clearer, less muddled by the limitations of a tiny filly's mind. Luna felt like a new pony. She felt more powerful than ever, and as if she could make Father regret the way he treated Tia. Luna felt like she could make Father's life much darker. Like turning a dream into a nightmare.