Unforeseen Woes
How could it have come to this?!
What have I done?
How will I ever look at her again?
These were the thoughts that plagued Celestia's mind, forcing her to stay awake, deep into the darkness of night. It was impossible to escape them. No matter what she did, the sorrow remained, hanging over her like a dark thunderhead. The peace of the gardens, the breathtaking views from the castle's loftiest turret, the gratitude and thanks of her subjects; none of these provided a respite from the despair.
Every now and then, the princess would rise from her sorrows and begin to take enjoyment in life again. The songs of the birds and the ever-welcome warmth of the sun would slowly coax a smile back onto her face. Before long, however, something would remind her of what had happened. A smell, a pattern, or even a word could bring back the memories...and the emotions that came with them. Luna's absence was so keenly and constantly felt by Celestia, it was like a blade cutting into her heart. Every time she would turn to ask her sister her opinion, or to share an amusing joke, or to ask what her plans for the day were, she was greeted by empty space. No matter how many times the process occurred, the sight of that void where her sister should have been had grown no less agonizing for Celestia.
Every day was a struggle for the Solar Princess. The simplest of duties were a crushing ordeal, and even while relaxing or socializing, the white alicorn had to constantly fight to conceal her true feelings from those around her. All of Equestria had celebrated Nightmare Moon's defeat and banishment, and Celestia was forced to pretend to share in the relief and joy of her subjects. It was torture, far worse than any physical pain one could be made to endure. What burdened the princess the most, however, was the knowledge that things weren't going to change anytime soon.
If I can barely survive two weeks without Luna, thought Celestia with horror, how will I ever last a thousand years? This is impossible!
And yet, she had to. It was her sworn duty, as the ruler and protector of Equestria. There was no other option. She had done what needed to be done for her ponies, and that was final. Now it was her responsibility to face the consequences.
...Or was it?
One night, while deep in her sorrows, an idea came to Celestia. A horrible, impossible idea, one that could have far-reaching consequences for all of Equestria. An idea so foolish and desperate, even the princess herself questioned the health of her mind.
But none of that mattered. The idea had taken root. And as time went on, and the horrible, agonizing lonlieness and despair threatened to grow even worse, the plan sank its anchors ever deeper into Celestia's mind. Before long, the alicorn had trouble thinking about anything but this idea, this impossible fantasy that could never, should never come to pass. But it offered something that no one else and nothing else had since Luna's banishment.
Hope.
As days wore on, the little voice in Celestia's head became stronger. Soon, she found herself rationalizing away the massive risks, the glaring flaws in the plan. It didn't take long at all for her to accept it as the only course of action that she could take to save herself from a spiral into insanity. She knew that once she started down this path, she wouldn't be able to stop. If she did, she wasn't entirely sure she'd survive it. The idea was one of the last things holding her together and it was the only source of comfort she could draw from. Making up her mind, Celestia set to preparation for her last hope.
She couldn't do it on her own, however. Not just in figuring out how to make her idea a reality, though; she had bottled up her true feelings inside for far too long. She needed to tell someone, to make them understand how without Luna it hurt to even exist. She had to find someone to listen, to tell about the plan. More than anything, though, she just wanted to let it all out. But who could she tell? More importantly, who could she trust? Celestia was not so naive to think that everyone would see her plans from her point of view. There would, of course, be those who would be appalled even to consider what she was attempting. Celestia racked her brains, looking for an answer...and found one in the most unusual of places.
This will be...strange, even for me, Celestia thought. But it could help, even if it will be a rather one-sided conversation...
"That's why I have to do this!" Celestia exclaimed. "I just can't keep on going without her any longer!"
The silence of the courtyard remained unbroken by any kind of response.
Celestia growled and slammed her hoof into the carefully maintained pathway. This wasn't going anywhere, and she didn't feel at all better. With a small chortle, the princess relented. What else, really, could one expect of a chat with Discord?
Celestia had ordered the royal gardens cleared of everyone, leaving her completely alone. Even her guards had been instructed to stand down and remain outside. Other than the petrified draconequues, nothing aside from animals remained present. For whatever reason, Celestia had been struck with the idea of venting to the imprisoned Discord; at the very least, there would be no interruptions. However, as she tried to put into words the depths of her despair, Celestia found that the Spirit of Chaos didn't need to speak to get under her skin. Though he never moved a millimeter, Discord seemed to mock her more with every word she spoke. The laugh frozen onto his face suddenly felt like it was directed at her. Though Celestia was confident that Discord was securely frozen, she wouldn't put it past him if he was doing this on purpose. His lack of replies, while completely involuntary, made it feel as if he was choosing to simply ignore her entirely, as if she was totally below his notice.
It infuriated Celestia to no end.
With a snarl, the princess spun away from the smug statue of her greatest foe. This was pointless. What in the world had motivated her to go for comfort to a being who existed only to sow chaos? In truth, Celestia knew what had brought her here. Out of all the creatures in the entirety of Equestria, and even beyond, Discord was the only one who could possibly comprehend what she was going through. As an immortal, he shared in Celestia's unique perspective on life...with vastly different opinions, of course, but that wasn't important to Celestia right now. Even worse, the only other being besides Discord who could honestly grasp her predicament was also the cause of it.
Slowly walking away from the statue, which even now held a condescending air about it, and tried to think of an alternative. No one came to mind. Celestia refused to give up, however. There must be someone who could help her. A friend, an ally, even an enemy, anyone...and then, Celestia realized she had been looking in the wrong place entirely.
Celestia gently pushed open the door to her friend's study, wincing as it creaked. "Hello? Is anyone in here?"
A wizened pony head protruded from behind a towering stack of thick spelltomes. "Princess Celestia? Is that you?"
Smiling, the alicorn carefully weaved her way towards her friend and most trusted magical advisor. "I thought you might be in here, Star Swirl. If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to talk to you about something."
Bowing low, Star Swirl said, "Of course, your Majesty. I am always at your service." He straightened, and his gaze became more serious. "I assume this is something you would rather discuss in private?" At Celestia's nod, the unicorn's horn glowed for a moment and he used his magic to shut the door.
"Thank you, Star Swirl. I appreciate your caution,: said the princess.
Suddenly, the wise mage hesitated. "Your Majesty...would it be alright if I asked you a rather personal question?"
"Of course."
"How have you been these recent days? I can't imagine things are easy for you after...well, after what happened and I-"
Star Swirl never finished his sentence. Before his eyes, Celestia's composure crumbled. Any illusion of confidence or strength was completely discarded as her legs folded under her and tears flowed freely from her eyes. Shocked, Star Swirl rushed to Celestia's side.
"Your Majesty! Please forgive me! I am so sorry-"
With a sound akin to choking, Celestia tried to say something through her sobs. Failing, she tried again, saying "It-its n-not you, S-Star Swirl. It's j-just me. Just m-me, all my f-f-fault!" Celestia's tears came even faster now, and she was crying so hard she was gasping in breaths.
The powerful magician was completely flabbergasted by what was happening. Had things been this bad all along? He had sensed great sadness emanating from the princess ever since that fateful night, but he would have never guessed that she had been enduring this kind of stress. "Princess Celestia, whatever happens, I'm here for you. Just let it all out. Tell me what you need!"
Over the next few minutes, Star Swirl stayed by Celestia's side as she cried out the emotions she had hidden from everyone all this time. Several times, it seemed as if she would regain her composure, only to fall apart again. This seriously worried Star Swirl; in all the years he had known her, Celestia had never acted like this before.
Finally pulling herself together, Celestia looked at Star Swirl with a shaky, tear stained grin. "Well, I guess t-that answered your question, eh, Star S-Swirl?", she said. She considered getting back to her hooves, but thought better of it. "Star Swirl, would you mind if we continued our talk...well, on the floor? I don't really feel like standing right now."
Star Swirl immediately nodded. He'd do whatever it took to help Celestia.
Celestia began to speak, detailing her state of mind ever since Luna's banishment. As she tried to put what she had felt into words, Star Swirl realized what a fool he'd been. Instead of keeping his distance and doing his best to give Celestia space, he should have come to her and asked her if there was anything he could do. He was her most trusted pony, and he had failed in his duties. He was more determined than ever to make up for his shortsightedness, though, and he would do whatever his princess asked of him.
More than an hour later, as Celestia came to the end of her tale, Star Swirl sensed that she was holding something back. Something important. He felt that he should ask about it, but was very wary of perhaps triggering another breakdown. Star Swirl decided that it was worth the risk, however, and made a snap decision.
"I don't mean to be rude, princess, but I feel as if there's something you aren't telling me. Am I correct?"
Celestia had been looking out the window, staring at the night sky; Star Swirl wondered if she was looking for the moon. For better or for worse, a thick bank of clouds obscured it. As soon as Star Swirl spoke, however, Celestia's head swiveled towards him. Suddenly, a fire blazed in her eyes, something he hadn't seen since Nightmare Moon. The flames spoke of hope and determination, but also of more than just a hint of obsession.
For the first time that night, Star Swirl the Bearded began to feel the first pangs of dread.
"Yes, Star Swirl. I have been keeping a secret from you. I wasn't certain if you should hear it, but you figured it out for yourself. A few days ago, I had an idea. I thought of a way...out." Celestia's smile grew ever so slightly. "And with your help, I think it can become a reality."
Star Swirl quietly asked, "What kind of idea, your Majesty?"
Slowly rising to her full height, Celestia spoke.
"I mean to release my sister from her imprisonment on the moon."
Star Swirl gaped at the princess. What? What had she just said? She wanted to unleash Nightmare Moon once more on Equestria? Surely this was some kind of joke.
Struggling to find words, Star Swirl noticed that Celestia hadn't moved. She was watching him carefully, gauging his reaction.
"Princess...what you speak of...it should not be done. I'm not even sure it can be done! You know the power of the Elements better than anyone. That seal was never meant to be broken prematurely!"
Celestia frowned and sighed deeply, closing her eyes. "I was afraid you'd respond as you just did, Star Swirl...I thought I would find an ally with you. It appears I was wrong."
Star Swirl, frantic, tried to reason with his ruler and friend. "Princess! Do you know what is at stake here? If you release Nightmare Moon, you may not be able to contain her once more! Even with my guidance, my wisdom, the act of returning you sister to Equestria would require a gargantuan amount of power. I wouldn't even know where to begin!"
Celestia, suddenly cold and distant for the first time in Star Swirl's memory, turned to leave. "Then I suppose you are of little use to me. I will just have to take the Elements and do it myself."
Seeing his chance slipping away, Star Swirl did what he would have never done before. "Why are you doing this, Celestia?! How could you possibly think this will change things for the better? The only one you are doing this for is yourself, and-"
Celestia spun.
"YOU CANNOT BEGIN TO COMPREHEND WHAT I HAVE LOST!!" screamed Celestia. Then, before Star Swirl could react, the princess was gone. Slumping down against a stack of tomes, the unicorn cradled his head with his hooves. How could this have happened?
Celestia, alone in her bedchamber, sobbed into a pillow. No one could understand, no one could help. No matter where she turned, there was nothing but darkness and despair. She could take no more of it. Forcing her tears away, Celestia rose. If no one would help her, then she would do it on her own. She had to be strong for herself, her sister and her subjects. Star Swirl's accusation that she was only doing this for herself nagged at the back of her mind but was ignored. It was time to put an end to the sadness.
Putting on a neutral expression, the princess left her chambers and proceeded towards the tower where the Elements were kept. Passing numerous guards along the way, she exchanged the proper pleasantries as she went. Not once did she let her composure slip. Entering the vault where the most precious of Equestria's treasures were stored. Taking hold of the Elements with her magic, Celestia decided to skip the inevitable questions that would be directed at her and instead teleported herself directly to the highest balcony of the castle. She arrived with an audible pop, and as she glanced around she realized that she wasn't the only one there.
Star Swirl was waiting for her, sitting against the balcony's railing. He smiled sadly. He had guessed that Celestia would come here. It offered the best view of the sky and was relatively private. Rising, he approached the princess, who watched him steadily, the Elements of Harmony floating around her.
"Princess...what are you doing?"
With a sad chuckle, Celestia answered him. "Oh Star Swirl. You always could figure me out before I could. I'm here to fix the mistake I made when I banished my sister for a thousand years for a crime she didn't commit. When she returns, I will show her how wounded I've become without her. I will show her how sorry I truly am, and I will forgive her for all she did because of me. I will return things to the way they were before my foolishness and arrogance ruined them. And I will see my sister again." On her last sentence, Celestia actually smiled, and it broke Star Swirl's heart to see how blind she had become in her fixation on getting Luna back.
Star Swirl shook his head. "No, princess. That is never going to happen. Nightmare Moon could still control your sister. Not to mention the risks are far too great for me to approve of this. This act can only be done at night, when you are at your weakest and Nightmare Moon her strongest. The amount of energy that would be needed to break the seal on your sister could be enough to kill you. Even if you do succeed in bringing Luna back, and in the process don't kill yourself, what do you really think will happen? That Nightmare Moon will just go away because you are sorry?" Star Swirl shook his head once more. "Princess, surely you must realize the folly of this plan. Somewhere in your mind, you know I am telling the truth!"
Lowering her head, Celestia sighed. A single tear fell from her eye to land on the floor with what felt like the sound of a thunderclap.
"Then I see I am on my own. I'm sorry, Star Swirl."
Before he could respond, Star Swirl was thrown back by a blindingly bright, golden shield of magic that Celestia had created around herself. With Star Swirl unable to interfere, the princess began her task.
Seeing what was happening, the powerful unicorn attempted to break through Celestia's shield with his own considerable magic. He made little progress, though; the Elements and Celestia's own emotions boosted the shield's power to impossible heights. Even a master of magic like Star Swirl was helpless before such raw power.
Desperate, Star Swirl cast about for another way to stop his friend from going through with this madness. He felt a swell of triumph when he saw that the moon was still screened from view by heavy cloud cover. Without a clear view of her sister's prison, Celestia would be unable to reach out to it. Star Swirl used this opportunity to launch a magical flare from his horn into the night sky; a signal that help was needed immediately. As the bright blast faded, Star Swirl saw the clouds begin to...glow?
Star Swirl was left aghast as Celestia's sheer magical might shoved the clouds violently aside, revealing the pale moon beyond. The incredible power seeping out of Celestia astounded Star Swirl. Backing away, he stumbled and fell as Celestia's magic reached the moon.
The alicorn could feel the strength of the seal; it stood firm before her, unyielding, intended to lock away her sister for a thousand years or more. With the power of the Elements, though, Celestia was confident she could shatter it. She had to. It was the only way out.
The door leading to the balcony's adjoining chamber exploded inwards. Royal guardsponies rushed into the room, only to find a bizarre sight. The princess looked as if she was possessed, her eyes shining pure white as she battled with the seemingly unbreakable seal on the moon. Waves of pure energy radiated from her in random directions, and it seemed as if the entire castle trembled. The Elements of Harmony spun about her at unimaginable speeds.
Seeing the guards arrive, Star Swirl ran to them. "You have to bring every unicorn on the force here, right now!" he screamed. "We have to stop her, no matter what! She'll kill herself!"
The guards, still distracted by the frightening image of their ruler, were slow to respond at first. But when the words "kill herself" registered, they sprang into action. The three unicorns that were already there hurried to help Star Swirl, while the pegasi and earth ponies sprinted back into the castle for reinforcements. Following Star Swirl's instructions, the unicorns arranged themselves around Celestia and began to attack her barrier. As soon as his magic touched Celestia's, however, Star Swirl knew that it was pointless. The princess was on a far higher level than any other being right now. Even Discord would hesitate before challenging this kind of a force. That didn't stop Star Swirl from trying, though.
"Come on!" Star Swirl urged. "We have to break...through!"
Suddenly, in the midst of all this, Celestia realized that the power channeled to her from the Elements was starting to falter. However, the seal still stood strong, apparently unmarred by all of her efforts. The prospect of failure, of never seeing her sister again, of having to go back to the darkness and sadness and pain-
"NO!" screamed Celestia, startling all of the unicorns in the room with her.
Even the mountain that the castle was built on shook.
Desperate, Celestia threw herself at the seal, holding nothing back, bringing every fiber of her being to bear against it...
...and it broke.
From the balcony, it was easy to see the shockwave emanate from the core of the moon as the black image of the Mare in the Moon vanished. The Elements fell from their orbits around Celestia, clattering to the floor like stones. The shield shattered instantly as Celestia collapsed, her eyes returning to normal but her body utterly spent.
Star Swirl was at her side immediately, catching Celestia's head just before it hit the floor. "Princess?!" he shouted. "Are you alright? Can you hear me?" Raising his head, he bellowed at the stunned unicorns, "Don't just stand there, get a doctor, now!" One set off at a hard gallop, while the other two stood watch at the door.
Coughing weakly, Celestia opened her eyes. The first sight that greeted her was that of Star Swirl leaning over her. She smiled. Even after what she had done, he still cared for her. Then her eyes looked past the distressed Star Swirl to the moon above. The absence of the dark pattern on its face confirmed her suspicions: she had done it. Luna was free.
Even as this thought crossed Celestia's woozy mind, something started to happen. In front of the assembled ponies, on the balcony, an outline appeared. As the onlookers watched, it gained form and distinction. After a few seconds, it was obvious as to what the thing was; the rapidly solidifying shape of a sleeping alicorn.
Overcome with pure joy at the sight of her sister, Celestia somehow found the strength to get to her hooves. Stunned, Star Swirl remained motionless as Celestia unsteadily hobbled towards Luna.
Impossible, he thought. This can't be real.
Reaching Luna's side, and seeing her seemingly untouched by the hatred and malevolence of Nightmare Moon, Celestia began to weep tears of unadulterated happiness. The shadow that had loomed over her lifted, and to the other ponies it seemed as if Celestia grew in size. Everyone in the room, even Star Swirl, began to smile. As the reinforcement unicorns arrived, along with the doctor, it seemed as if everything was going to turn out happily after all. The relief in the air was so palpable the ponies could almost taste it.
And then, as Celestia stood next to her sister, feeling happier than she ever had in her entire life, Luna opened her eyes.
And screamed.
"No! NO! NO!!" the lunar princess shrieked. Everyone's grins froze and died on their faces as Luna bolted to her hooves, her eyes flying around the room wildly.
Seeing her sister there, Luna instantly rounded on her. "What have you done, Tia? How could you...do this..." Luna suddenly seemed to spasm in the midst of her sentence, distorting her speech. "You should have...known...BETTER..."
It was as if Luna spat the words out, rather than spoke them.
Confused and severely frightened, Celestia reached out and put her hoof on her sister's shoulder, hoping to comfort her through whatever was happening.
As soon as Celestia touched her, Luna twisted and screamed again. Celestia was crying again now, but it was not joy that fueled her tears.
"Luna! Whatever it is, blame me! It was all my fault from the very beginning! I'm the cause of all this! I didn't see, I didn't think...I'm so sorry! Please-"
Luna cut her off. "Tia...you have TO SEND ME...back...PLEASE..." Luna's body continued to tense and convulse, as if fighting itself. "I can't...KEEP IT OUT..."
And then Celestia knew. She understood. But she still could not bring herself to do what she had to.
"I can't," whispered the white alicorn, tears pouring down her face.
Luna screamed again, this time so loudly it drove the other ponies to their knees. Rising into the air, Luna's body stopped struggling for just a moment. Her voice was clear, strong and filled with the deepest sadness.
"Then goodbye, dear sister."
With an explosion of darkness, Luna vanished. Knocked away by the force of the blast, Celestia fought to find purchase on the floor. She was interrupted by the sound that had haunted her dreams.
An insane, manic laugh. It went on and on and on, and it was like someone had laid a hot iron across Celestia's back, the sound was so painful for her to hear. To Celestia, that laugh was the symbol of her failure, and her darkest fears. Already knowing what she would see, the alicorn raised her head and looked at where Luna had been.
In her place towered Nightmare Moon.
The horrible creature's gruesome smile tore at Celestia's heart. It laughed once more, revealing dozens of unnaturally sharp teeth.
"And so, you bring back your worthless sister, thinking that you would be free of me?" it said, it's voice disturbingly distorted. "Did you really think I would give up that easily?"
"No..." whispered Celestia. "It can't be."
Nightmare Moon cackled, advancing on the prone Celestia. "You are a fool, Celestia. Trying to win back your sister from me with...what? Apologies?" The creature laughed again. "Oh, and for the record, princess, yes, it is your fault. All of this is your fault. If it wasn't for you, I'd have never been able to take Luna away from you. So I guess that's something else you can take credit for."
As if snapping out of a trance, the numerous guards in the room shook off their dread and moved to defend the fallen Celestia. Glancing at them, Nightmare Moon's smile grew. The creature's horn began to glow and each of the guards were flung around the room, slamming into the walls and each other, crying out in pain. Nightmare Moon just laughed and laughed.
Behind the monster, Star Swirl rose. He had seen what this thing could do before and wasn't about to let it happen again. He lashed out with a powerful spell that he himself had created, aiming to knock Nightmare Moon away from Celestia and break her hold on the now mostly unconscious guards. His magic bolt flew true, striking the abomination in the back of the head, just below its armor.
All the guards abruptly froze in midair. Nightmare Moon slowly turned to face Star Swirl.
It was no longer smiling.
"I've grown tired of you, oh bearded one," it said. "Begone."
And with that, Star Swirl was flung with tremendous force from the balcony into empty space, to fall to the ground thousands of feet below.
"NOOOOOOO!" screamed Celestia as she watched her friend plummet, helpless to save him.
With another laugh, Nightmare Moon turned it's attention to the scattered Elements. "The Elements of Harmony. Quite a powerful force for good, don't you think, Celestia?" With a blinding flash and a blast of magic, Nightmare Moon shattered the Elements and watched the fragments drift down to the floor. "Good has no place in your world anymore, Celestia. In fact, without the Elements around, I think we'll be hearing from a certain old friend of yours any second now."
Celestia thought she heard a thunderous CRACK from the direction of the royal gardens, followed by a huge explosion and a laugh she knew all too well.
Celestia's head thudded to the floor. It was over. Breaking the seal had taken far too much out her to resist in any way. She had failed. Everything was over.
The last thing the broken alicorn saw was the laughing face of Nightmare Moon as the creature's horn, pointed at her, lit up once more.
And then all was sent to darkness.
