The Land Before Us

Chapter 32- The fall of an empire

Preston has pulled a chair close to his young friend's side as he listens to the old stallion jabbering to himself as he trots back and forth in the room. The sun sits high in the sky like it has for a few hours, and its rays shine into the room bouncing off the flooring. But the warm light is still not enough to bring Preston's sorrow filled mind out of its funk.

Clover sit across from the bed as she looks over the blond haired man's sad face, "Hey, it'll be alright, all we need is-..."

Her soft voice is cut off as the sound of hooves pounding against the stairs echo into the room, "Luna! Your back!" Star Swirls happy tone is slowly lost as everyone turns to the dark mare's frozen stance.

Luna is silent for a moment as she looks to Matt laying motionless in the bed, her movements slightly pick up as she moves a little closer to the bed.

Swirl again speaks up but in a lower tone as he talks, "Has Celestia come back? I'm afraid we have some bad news about Platinum."

Luna gives no remark as she holds her soft teal eyes to Matt still, the necklace around her neck still glows bright but no chiming is heard from it as Swirl once again speaks up.

"We require yours and your sister's...."

The old stallion's voice is cut off as Celestia's rings from the top of the staircase, "Luna!"

The dark mare's ear flicks as she squints her eyes in anger to Celestia's voice, her motion is quick as she turns to the white mare, "This is your fault." Her voice is loud, but its more emotionally shaky rather than a scream or yell.

Preston turns his head to Celestia as her words quickly come out in her sweet voice, "No, my sister Discord wanted this to happen...I had no idea he..."

Luna takes a stance to her as her voice raises a little more, "We do not wish to hear it! You have caused this..." Her high tone breaks a little as she drops her head to the ground unable to talk through the sadness building in her throat.

Celestia takes hold of the situation as she moves closer to her sister holding her caring eyes to her, "Luna, you know I could not do anything to harm you...in anyway."

Swirl, Clover and Preston are silent as they look to the two large mares.

But the silence is broken as Swirl speaks up, "Celestia, we may be able to help Matt if we use the elements of harmony."

Luna brings her head up a little to the stallion's words as he continues, "It's possible that we can revert the element's spell as long as nothing happens to them."

Celestia nods her head but before she can speak up General Stonehooves appears at the top of the staircase in a rushed fast talking voice, "Celestia! Your back! You're needed, Princess Platinum has escaped and we must have somepony to address the other two tribes." He pauses for only a moment before he continues, "...With Princess Platinum no longer in power the unicorn law dictates the sunkeeper is to become next in line if there are no pony of the same kin."

Celestia nods her head as she talks, "I will be down in a moment Stonehooves..."

The stallion nods as he starts down the stairs.

Luna is silent for a moment as Clover trots over to Star Swirl as he talks, "May I see your elements?"

Celestia turns her gaze to Preston as she talks, "Hopefully you and Matt will be home by the end of this day."

Preston is silent as he gives a simple smile.

But at her sister's words Luna's ear flicks as she starts to think over Discords comments from only a few moments ago.

The white mare moves herself a little closer to the old stallion but before she can take the crown off Luna speaks up.

"Discord was right..."

Celestia is shocked at the words as she trips on her words, "W-what my sister?"

Swirl, Preston and Clover turn there heads to her voice as it starts to pick up in tone.

The dark mare's horn glows a faint blue as the balcony doors behind her fling open, "Discord was right, you have created the elements of harmony for your own gain, not for the benefit of everypony!"

Celestia shakes her head as she talks, "Luna, no I only wanted to unite everypony and work together for a better..."

Luna cuts her off as she takes up a slightly aggressive stance, "No, you only wish to control everypony and you only wish to see Equestria the way you see fit!"

"No Luna, that's not true." Celestia's voice almost pleads to the dark mare as she watches the mare's hoof.

"I will no longer be controlled by you Celestia! Nor will anypony else!" At the end of her words she snaps the element from around her neck and tosses it to the ground.

Celestia watches the gold necklace bounce to the stone floor for a moment but as it comes to a halt it gives a loud chime and disappears from its spot on the floor. Celestia moves her gaze back to the mare walking with her wings out towards the open balcony doors, "Luna...."

Luna's tone has altered to her god like echoing as she calls back to her sister, "Your control over everypony ends today Celestia..." Luna turns back to the room as her horn sparks up in a bright blue.

Swirl and Clover take up a slight defensive stance as Luna's horn begins to crack with her powerful magic.
The dark blue mare holds her eyes to a sharp angry piercing stare to Celestia as she speaks on last time, "...I will turn days into nights, this way everypony is free...because only the night is free!" Her tone is almost sad but the godly echo the bellows from her demands her respect.

Preston sits almost frozen to the loud voice unable to think of anything he can do he just sits quietly as his heart beats in fear in his ears.

The point of her horn's glow becomes clear as the room and the world behind her starts to become darkened.

Celestia is in a sad frozen stare to her sister as she looks at the sky behind her, the moon is moving in front of the sun causing an eclipse...but the cause of her sadness is not her sun fading from the sun...Luna's dark blue coat is taking on a black night like shimmer and her eyes are losing their life loving soft teal and becoming an almost serpent like vertical in the pool of her now fading teal eye color.

"...Luna..." Celestia can't muster herself to say much more than her sisters name as she looks to the pony before her.

The now night black mare raises her head in a sad laugh as she talks still clinging to her echoy power commanding voice, "I am the night and the night is forever!" Her head is brought back down to Celestia as she holds her hoof to her, "...You are banished from this land Celestia!"

Luna's horn begins to lose its color as the moon is moved directly in front of the sun, Celestia still standing with a disheartened stare to her darkened sister as Luna speaks back up, "Does thou not hear us! I say you are banished my sister! Never to return, all ponies deserve freedom and a calm everlasting night!" Her voice booms as her mane that now sways despite the breeze vibrates with her voice.

...But Celestia's voice doesn't come as something different strikes Luna's ear, the city that lays behind her has started up in a panic. Luna turns her head to the darkened outside world behind her as she listens to the commotions beneath her balcony.

Celestia's voice finally comes back to her as she talks, "Luna...A world of nothing but night is not beautiful...its a nightmare."

Luna's wings flap hard as she shakes her head, "Bite thy tongue sister, you do not control us any longer!" Luna now hovers above the balcony as Celestia tries to move closer.

"Please Luna, you must-..." Celestia's voice is cut off as a bolt of magic is fired towards her.

The white mare is able to move from the magic, but the bolt finds a target as it screams into the room.

The blue bolt strikes against Clover sending the purple mare sliding back to the wall next to the stairs in a hard thumping sound.

Preston jumps from his seat next to the bed as he rushes over to the mare, "Clover?!"

Swirl's horn sparks up in a bright gold as he holds his gaze to Luna.

The night black mare loses some of the anger in her eyes as she notices who the bolt hit, but she quickly moves herself from the balcony as she flies into the air looking down to the city below her in silence.

Celestia turns her gaze to the three behind her as she floats the element of harmony to Star Swirl, "Star Swirl...please keep this safe."

The old stallion nods his head as his own magic takes hold of the element.

Her soft pink eyes move to where Preston and Clover are as she looks them over.

Preston has his back to her as he moves his hand over to where the magic struck Clover, Clover's fur around her lower neck and upper right almost looks like its burnt as he moves his hands to the mare's head. He brushes her mane from her eyes as he talks in a rushed voice, "Are you ok?"

Clover gives a slight nod of the head as he helps her to lean against the wall.

Celestia only holds her eyes to them for a moment as she hears Luna's voice calling out from outside.

"Ponies of Equestria, hear me, you shall never have to worry about anything again...for you are all free, free in the world of forever peaceful night!"

The white mare closes her eyes for a moment as she spreads her large white feathered wings, a small tear forms from her left eye as she opens them and begins a gallop towards the balcony.

Her fast pace and flapping wings bring her outside and into the air as she stares to the dark mare hovering in front of her, Celestia's voice is no longer its pleading sweetness as she talks, "Luna, this has to end...Please."

Luna brings her head and body to face Celestia as she talks, "The night listens to nopony Celestia, it is free, and not bound by your rules."

Celestia holds her stern voice as she calls back to her sister, "I can not fight you Luna..."

The dark mare cocks a smile as her horn glows a faint blue, "Your day is over Celestia." Her body begins to become shrouded in a dark shadow, but the shadows start to take on a more solid form as they begin to look like armour.

Celestia's soft pink eyes hold their despair to her sister's angry tone as she tries one last time, "Luna..." But her voice is cut off as the night mare calls out.

"It seems as though one must leave this land my sister...it seems this world can only have one..." Luna's wings flap hard as her horn sparks up.

Celestia holds her sorrow back as she closes her eyes and builds her own magic up.

Luna lowers her head as her voice beckons to her sister one last time, "...Your day is lost Celestia...." At her sentences end Luna flaps her wings back hard as she sends a stream of dark blue magic towards the closed eyed white mare.

Celestia's horn booms out in a gold stream like her sisters as her eyes glow a bright white.

The two streams collide into each other and are unmoved as each sister tries to overpower the other.

Their eyes squint hard as they push themselves further for the spell, but the gold and dark blue lights only bring thundering sounds of ringing magic around the world around them as sparks fly from where they are meeting.

The spell last a few moments until Luna flies herself higher into the air, Celestia's bolt is let loose as it flies out of range.

Luna is quick to fire down on her sister as she screams out to her, "Give up Celestia!"

Celestia is silent as again the bolts clash against each other, neither moving in either direction.

The thundering booms from outside rock the inside of the castle as Preston slowly helps Clover to her feet, she's weak but her blue eyes are fixed to the clash of light in the sky outside, "S-star Swirl, what's going to happen?"

Preston holds his hands around the mare's sides still trying to balance out as her words leave her.

The old stallion's ear flicks at each counting clash of Celestia and luna's magic from out side as he shakes his head, "I...I do not know..." He floats the gold crown next to where he stands on a nearby table as he talks in a wise slow voice, "Their magic is stronger than any others I have ever known...and neither one of them could win."

The booms from outside ring through the room as the white and dark mare continue their fight. Luna's circling of her older sister has brought her in front of the room's opening as she again sends another powerful magic bolt to her sister. But like the others it is stopped by Celestia's own magic spell.

As the spell again loses power and becomes absent from her horn she's left with her building frustration, she pants a little as she looks to her seemingly unfazed sister's white eyed gaze.

Luna screams to her sister as her frustration and anger to her failed spells finally have built up to much, "You can not win my sister!"

Celestia is silent as her face shows no emotion to her sister's words.

Luna slightly snarls at the lack of response as she turns her eyes back to the room, her eyes are brought to the element of harmony only being guarded by Star swirl. Her sly smile comes back to her as her horn's glow is now being turned to the old stallion.

Star Swirl notices Luna's turn of face as he points his hoof to the stairs, "Get out of here you two!"

But at the end of his words Luna's spell has already been sent, only it was not a bolt, the gold crown that once sat on the table has been poofted to Luna's grasp as she quickly flies back higher into the air to dodge Celestia's incoming spell.

Luna holds the crown out to Celestia as she talks, "We may be equal my sister, but you have left this unguarded!" She floats the crown to her head as Celestia's horn glows a bright gold again.

As the crown is placed on her head she reacts quickly to her sister's magic. Once more the two are locked in a tug of war magic stream of light that neither seems to be winning...but this time Luna's bolt begins to creep up Celestia's.

The dark mare's smile grows across her face as the crown gives off a loud chiming sound along with her magic. However her moment of triumph is lost.

The chiming element that sits atop her head only grows louder as her spell begins to fade. The purpley pink star sparks up in a gold light as sparks of magic almost like tiny bits of lightning begin to shock around it. The element of harmony that Celestia has used now rejects the new magic being poured into it as it shocks at Luna. Her spell is cut short as it drops, leaving Celestia's weak bolt to strike against her.

She lets out a gasp as the bolt strikes her, but Celestia capitalizes on it as she sends two quick succession whips of gold magic to the stunned mare.

Luna's ability to hold herself above the ground begins to fade as she drops towards the ground. She pants as her body shakes, she jerks her head from the crown as it rolls to the balconies edge as she calls out, "But I am the night!" Her shout is almost a cry for an answer as she struggles to stop her body from shaking.

Celestia slowly brings herself to land in front of her sister as her eyes begin to come out of there white cocoon, "Luna...the night is only one part of harmony..."

The dark mare grinds her teeth to her sister's words as she stutters out her reply, "I-I will never be your night again Celestia..."

The white mare floats the crown to her own head as she closes her eyes tightly, her voice is shaky as she talks, "Than you may not stay here..." Her pink eyes open as they shift with there buidling emotion as she looks to her shaking sister, Celestia's horn begins to glow along with the crown as she talks through her sadness, "Luna...you are to be casted out of Equestria..."

"You can not cast me out, I am the night...I am the moon!"

Celestia nods her head as she talks, "Yes...you are." Her head lowers as the spell is sent to her sister.

Luna is trapped in a cyclone of gold for a moment as she screams to Celestia, "You can not keep us out forever...I will return Celestia..."

Her words are cut off with a loud resonating chime as she vanishes from where she stands on the balcony.

But the crown's magic chime does not stop as it begins the same gold shocking that it did to Luna. Celestia quickly removes the crown as she feels it. She stares a little in shock to the crown's response to her own magic, but she pushes her thoughts back as she takes her steps into the room.

Her eyes move to Star Swirl as she floats the crown over to him, "Star Swirl...find a place to hide this until it's power is needed again." Her words are low and her voice carries her sad tone as she forces a sweet smile to the old stallion.

Star Swirl nods his head a little reluctantly as he takes the crown into his hoof, "Hide it you say?"

Celestia nods her head as she talks, "Today is a new day...and I do not wish to be reminded of its past."

Star Swirl nods his head as he holds himself silent.
Celestia turns her gaze to Preston as she talks, "I'm sorry Preston...but Luna and myself no longer seem to be connected to the elements of harmony...i'm afraid that helping Matt is now...impossible."

The blonde haired man drops his head as he clutches his jaw shut, Clover moves her hoof to his side as she tries to comfort him.

But Celestia's voice is not done as she tries to show her own compassion to her next comment, "...And i'm afraid with Luna gone the magic in our world will be unbalanced for a few years...the moon and the sun are more than just celestial bodies and an eclipse of the sun causes magic all over the world to be altered in strange ways...doing a spell to send you back like Damien would be too dangerous now."

Preston brings his head up as he quivers his mouth a little, "Y-you mean i'm stuck here?"

Celestia reluctantly nods her head but her voice is cut off as Star Swirl speaks up, "No, no I promise you Preston I will create a spell."

The blond haired man is silent as he's left with nothing but the ability to nod his head, too much has happened today and his ability to understand the strange world and its creatures has left him drained.

"But perhaps Preston this is an opportunity for you..."

He moves his head back to the white mare in front of him as he talks, "How? How is being stuck here an opportunity?" His voice is not angry but the words she used spark a quick response to her.

"Our world is much younger than that of your own, perhaps you can help us." Celestia's voice is held in a positive tone as she tries to hold her own self together.

Preston is silent as he nods.

Celestia straightens her posture as she talks, "Now we will need to find a place for you to stay while your are living here."

Swirl cuts in as he raises his hoof, "Clover can watch after Preston while I work on the spell."

The purple mare blinks to the old stallions words but doesn't say anything as he continues, "This way I can have you helping me with the spell."

Clover nods her head as she smiles, "Of course Master."

Celestia smiled to them as she moves herself more towards the stairs, "I wish you luck Star Swirl...today marks a new day for Equestria, and I must go and take it on with all the problems it brings." Her voice is low but her tone has shifted a little away from her sorrows and regrets as she continues her trot.

The white mare trots into the hallway as she leaves the room behind her.

End of chapter 32