Luna sat in her room crying. She and her sister Celestia had just had another huge fight over how Equestria should be ruled and Celestia had basicly told her that her opinion didn't matter because she was younger.
“How could she be so insensitive?” Luna said between sobs. Just then a thought popped into her head and she got up and quickly wrote something down on a piece of paper. “Celestia has gone too far this time and I have no choice.” she then rolled it up and used her magic to send the paper to its recipient before making similar notes and sending them off as well.
Shining Armor was walking to the barracks of the Crystal Guard when a scroll appeared in front of him bearing Luna’s Cutie Mark.
“Huh? What’s this?” he said using his magic to unroll it.
“Captain Armor,
“The time has come. Execute Order 66.
“Princess Luna.”
“It will be done my lady,” Shining said reading the scroll before walking into the barracks to give new orders to the Crystal Guard.
Rainbow Dash and Spitfire were in the mares' locker room of the Wonderbolts Academy when a scroll addressed to both of them bearing Luna’s Cutie Mark appeared in front of them.
“What the?” Rainbow asked as Spitfire unrolled it.
“It will be done my lady,” they both said after reading what was on the scroll before walking over to their lockers, opening them, and donning matching Shadowbolts Uniforms.
Rainbow Dash and Spitfire then walked into the hall where they met up with Soarin, who was also wearing a Shadowbolts Uniform. The three nodded before walking outside.
Iron Will was in a gym lifting weights while saying his different slogans when a scroll bearing the Night Alicorn Cutie Mark appeared in front of him.
“What’s this?” he asked himself reading it. “Iron Will is ready to lead the Minotaurs in service of the Lady of the night!” he then dropped the weights he was lifting and exited the gym.
Applejack walked out of her apple cellar after bringing in that day's harvest, when a scroll appeared in front of her.
“Must be from Twilight,” she said to herself unrolling it. “It will be done, my lady,” Applejack said after reading it.
“What was that?” Big Mac asked walking over to her.
“Nothin', the Princess has requested my presence in Canterlot is all,” She said, which was technically true as she didn’t say which princess wanted to see her. She then said goodbye before making her way towards Ponyville train station.
Twilight was reading the newest Daring Do Book when Spike burped up a letter.
“A Message from Princess Luna?” Spike said, curiously looking at the seal.
“Let me see that,” Twilight said taking it from Spike and reading it. “It will be done mother.” She said quietly before getting up and walking to the door. “Spike, I’m taking a trip to Canterlot to see the Princess. I need you to watch the library while I’m gone.” She said before leaving and flying over to the Train Station.
The train pulled into the station as she paid for her ticket. Spotting Applejack, she walked over to her. The two mares nodded to each other, both knowing what was about to happen.
“Shining, what’s going on?” Cadence asked as she watched a good portion of the Crystal Guard march out of the city.
“The princess has requested that I take our troops to Canterlot.” Shining explained.
“Then I’m coming with you.” She said, stretching her wings.
“No, Caddy. You need to stay here. Everything’s going to be okay, trust me.” He said with a reassuring smile.
“Alright. Be safe.” Cadence said, kissing her husband good bye before walking back into the palace as Shining lead the troops to Canterlot.
“That’s it everypony. Once you’ve received and put on your new uniform report to Princess Luna in Canterlot,” Rainbow Dash said helping Spitfire hand out Shadowbolt Uniforms to all the other Wonderbolts while Soarin lead some of the new Shadowbolts through some basic training.
“Here we are.” Twilight said as the train pulled into Canterlot station.
“Eeyup. I'll regroup with you later at the rally.” Applejack said, before Twilight took off to the Castle after they exited the train.
“Ah Twilight. How are you?” Luna asked as Twilight flew in through her window.
“I’m good, how about yourself mother?” Twilight said.
“Same, but I will be even better once Celestia agrees to step down.” she said nuzzling her daughter.
“And this time, she won't be able to separate us.” The smaller Alicorn said smiling. “So was there much resistance with the guard?”
“Not too much. I have Celestia bogged down in so much paperwork, she doesn’t even know what’s going on.” Luna said with a laugh. “Ah, good, here comes your ‘brother’ with the Crystal Guard.” She said looking out her window to see the crystal ponies entering Canterlot.
“What’s going on here?” Prince Blueblood asked, walking up to Shining Armor as the last of the Crystal Guards walked into the castle grounds.
“There's been a rebellion, sir. Don't worry. The situation is under control,” Shining said before drawing his sword, stopping Blueblood from entering the castle. “I'm sorry, sir. It's time for you to leave."
"And so it is." He said looking at the sword before returning to his villa.
“Sister we need to talk.” Luna said entering the throne room.
“Can it wait? I’m in the middle of something and it’s almost time to lower the sun.” Celestia said not looking up as she put the piece of paper she was looking at on the top of a growing pile and moving onto the next one.
“No, sister, this cannot wait!" she said, stomping her hoof hard enough to crack the floor. Celestia finally looked up from her paperwork.
“What is this? What’s going on here?” The day monarch asked, seeing the throne room filled with Lunar Guards, Bat Ponies, and Shadowbolts.
“Your resignation, sister. You've been in power for too long and it’s time for you to step down.”
“I don’t understand. Is this about our fight?” Celestia asked, still confused.
“It’s about more than that!” Luna said angrily. “When I was freed from Nightmare Moon you said that we were meant to rule together, yet you have still been the one making all the decisions and rarely ask for my input, and on the off chance you do, or I make a suggestion about a certain subject, you don’t even take it into consideration.” The night alicorn ranted.
“That’s not true.” Her sister said trying to calm her down.
“Oh?” She asked glaring at Celestia. “Almost everything you told me since my return has been a lie. You said that you would help the ponies of Equestria no longer see me as Nightmare Moon. Yet, a year later, which gave you plenty of time do so, when I went to Ponyville to see what this ‘Nightmare Night’ was all about I find out that not only did they still fear and see me as Nightmare Moon, but we no longer use the Royal Canterlot Voice!” Luna said beginning to walk towards her sister. “That’s not all. After I was freed and we returned to the Castle the first thing I asked you was about the fate of my daughter and you told me that being part mortal she had died.”
“But she did,” Celestia said, sweat beginning to form on her forehead.
“Liar!” Someone yelled from the crowd behind Luna before jumping into the air and landing beside Luna.
“Twilight!” Celestia said shocked.
Twilight was wearing armour similar to that of the Royal Guards but black with a jewel in the shape of her Cutie Mark.
“That’s right. I know you put a memory spell on me, as well as an age spell, and turned me into a basic unicorn!” Twilight said angrily, glaring at her ex-mentor.
“But how?” she asked taking a step back.
“After the Discord incident I decided to use the memory spell on myself to be on the safe side. That’s when I got my memories back of the life you took from me!” she seethed. “Then when my real mother came to Ponyville on Nightmare Night I told her what had happened and that I was her daughter. She told me to continue to act as your faithful student until we could figure out a way to turn me back into an Alicorn.” The young Alicorn explained, nuzzling her mother before returning her attention to Celestia. “Now, step down.”
“I will not allow you to bring eternal night to this Kingdom!” Celestia said firing up her horn, causing everyone present to laugh. “What’s so funny?” she asked, confused.
“Ha, ha, you think that’s what this is about? Bringing eternal night?” Luna asked with a laugh. “Please, I’m not Nightmare Moon any more. Besides I already have enough ponies who enjoy my night the way it is.”
It was then that Celestia started to hear the sounds of thousands of voices coming from outside. She cautiously walked over to the balcony and looked out over the crowd that formed, which was made up of all the sentient beings of the world, from the ponies of Equestria, to the Buffalo Tribes, to Minotaurs, to the Horses of Saddle Arabia, to Crystal ponies, to Zebras, even a few Diamond Dogs and Changelings. All of which were shouting the same thing: “Queen Luna! Queen Luna! Queen Luna!”
“That’s not your name they're shouting.” Luna said with a smirk as Celestia walked back in.
“I-I don’t understand.” Celestia said shaking as some of the Shadowbolts flew by and she noticed Rainbow Dash among them.
“It’s quite simple, they have had enough of your bullshit just as much as we have, I mean would it have killed you to have just straight up explained everything in full when my mother returned, or Discord, or even the Crystal Empire?!” Twilight almost yelled. “Oh and don't worry about the sun.” She said as she ignited her horn and caused the sun to set as Luna brought out the moon.
“Now, we shall ask one more time: Step down!” Luna and Twilight said in unison.
“I...” Celestia said looking around. “…Abdicate,” she said sitting down and hanging her head, allowing her crown to fall to the ground.
“Good,” Luna said smiling. “Guards, take her to her room and keep her there.”
Two guards, an Earth pony and a Unicorn, then flanked the ex-princess and helped her up.
“This way,” Applejack said before leading her away.
As Applejack and the other guard escorted Celestia to her room Luna picked up Celestia’s crown and used her magic to make it bigger and turn it blackish blue. She then gave her old crown to Twilight and placed her new crown on her head before they walked out onto the balcony.
“My loyal subjects,” Luna said as the cheers died down. “The rule of Celestia is over and with it Equestria!” she said, causing another round of cheering which died down when she raised her hoof. “And now marks the beginning of a new rule were all beings shall be treated fair and equal, and are united under; THE NEW LUNAR REPUBLIC!” Luna shouted as everyone in the crowd began to cheer and stamp their hooves in excitement.
“So this is how it all ends…with thunderous applause,” Cadence said watching everything from the back of the crowd under a cloak before leaving to return to the Crystal Empire.
Author's Note
I wrote this to commemorate the solstice and the longest night of the year.