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

Chapter Nine

Two Weeks Later

        "Tia?" Luna asked, standing outside her sister's bedroom door. She waited patiently for her sister's response. After about two minutes, Luna knocked again.

         Luna heard a sigh from behind the door, and Celestia opened the door. "Yes, Luna?" she asked.

          For some reason, Luna felt shy as she asked, "Will you stay with me tonight? I just felt kind of lonely," Luna trailed off, looking up at her sister hopefully. 

           Celestia looked down at Luna in an expression almost like pity. "I'm sorry," she apologized, "but I have things to do tonight Luna. Goodnight!" she said, then closed her door with that burning fire magic of hers. Luna felt herself bristle with anger. That had been more than a little rude. It wasn't the first time lately that Celestia had shut her out, and Luna was beginning to wonder if Celestia didn't like her as much anymore. 

             Truthfully, it wasn't really Celestia's rudeness that was bothering Luna. Although it seemed irrational, Luna's true fear was that Celestia knew that it hadn't been Sombra who banished the Crystal Empire, and that Celestia was really planning how to kill Luna. Luna stared up at the bright, oppressive sun. She still had about an hour until she could raise the moon, but she begged the sky silently for the moment to come sooner. The sunlight was beginning to really bother Luna, she could no longer stand to roll around in the grass as she and Tia used to. Now, she just spent the day watching the ponies from the castle windows. They would spend all day playing and smiling, but when night fell and she went out to greet them, they were gone. Luna wouldn't hesitate to stay out in the dark anyway, but it hurt Luna to think that the ponies only liked the gifts of her sister, not her. Did she do something wrong?

              Because Luna had time to spare, Luna decided to go to her room and read. She had been reading a book about a famous, powerful unicorn named Veneficia Lulamoon. From what Luna had read, she had not actually possessed any magic outside of the ordinary for unicorns, but she was skilled in the art of using simple magic to create an illusion of much greater magic. The way Lulamoon had used her power had gained her a cult following, before she was burned for witchcraft. Her son, however, somehow escaped the pyre on which he was going to be burnt for the same sorcery. The book made Luna think about how she and Celestia appeared to the ponies of Equestria. The magic that made them seem so powerful was a magic that could likely be wielded by many of the Equestrian ponies, they all seemed very moral to Luna. It was the way in which Celestia presented both she and Luna, like goddesses, that made them appear so. Celestia, in truth, however powerful she may appear, Luna knew her to be much less powerful. She was just a young adult alicorn, and her magic is basic to any alicorn. Luna, on the other hoof, was much more powerful than an average alicorn, and Father had made sure she knew it. 

            Luna sighed. Most things, now that she thought about it, presented themselves as better than they really were. Celestia, and the sun itself were two examples. Both presented themselves as flawless, as gods. And both, in reality, were flawed more than anypony could imagine. Luna felt like there was a hole in her heart where Tia was absent, but her soul had never been more whole. Luna decided that she would do something to show the ponies of Equestria the truth, even if that meant going against her sister. Because, in truth, she knew the Celestia the ponies knew was just another part of the lie.