Love and Power: A New Dawn

In Canterlot Queen Luna and everypony else had just finished lunch. Luna looked up with a frustrated look on her face. She raised her voice and said, "Thirty-five days. Thirty-five stinking days. When the hay are they going to get home so we can punish them and get things back to normal."

Colgate added, "I know. I know I have to be here to take part in their punishments but I am losing money every day that I am not open."

Luna replied, "Don't worry Colgate, you will get compensated enough that you can give every customer who missed an appointment a free visit, for any kind of appointment."

Colgate replied, "Thanks your Majesty, I really appreciate it."

Luna said, "What did I tell you guys. Just call me Luna. I may seem rough and rigid, but among us I want things much less formal."

Gray Wings came bolting into the throne room. He said, "Queen Luna, they are approaching Canterlot. Celestia and Twilight are finally returning."

Luna shouted, "Get both royal guards ready. They are to be met with spears!"

Celestia and Twilight landed in the castle's upper courtyard. They were immediately met with both royal guards pointing their spears at them. Celestia and Twilight looked horrified. Celestia asked, "What is all this about? What is up with all the security?"

Twilight added, "Come on guys, it is Celestia and I. We aren't here to attack you. We live here, remember?"

Gray Wings and Flash Sentry grabbed them and put them in chains and led them into the throne room. There they were met by many ponies. Spike, all of Twilight's former friends, Princess Colgate, Princess Lyra, Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor were there all waiting on their sides. In front of them stood Queen Galaxia and King Cosmos. In between them was a bright, glowing light.

Celestia saw all this and asked, "Mom, dad, what is going on here?"

Galaxia glared at her and growled, "Celestia, do you not know how long you have been gone?"

Celestia replied, "Well, um, I have been gone from the castle for thirty-five days."

Cosmos asked, "Exactly, and you know what happens to princesses who neglect their royal duties for over two weeks on unofficial business don't you?"

Celestia replied, "Uh, I get a good talking to?"

Galaxia looked back at Luna and motioned for her to come forward. The light faded and a much larger, much more regally dressed Luna stepped forward. She looked at her sister and shook her head."

Celestia could sense her displeasure and asked, "Princess Luna...."

Luna shouted, "That is QUEEN LUNA to you now Celestia."

Twilight heard this and was angry. She shouted, "Luna, you can't talk to Princess Celestia like that!"

Luna picked Twilight up with her magic and shouted, "IT IS NOT WISE TO SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT TWILIGHT SPARKLE."

Celestia shouted, "You address her as Princess Twilight little sister."

Luna picked up Celestia with her magic as well. She looked back at her mom and said, "Mom, show them the book. They both will realize that neglecting their royal duties has its price."

Galaxia levitated the book in front of her and headed towards Twilight and Celestia. Finally she got over to where Luna had the two levitated. She held the book out in front of them and shouted, "READ THIS!"

They both looked at the book and it read, "Royal rule 1.11.106a: I, Queen Galaxia, mother of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, do command, it shall be the royal duty of Celestia to raise and lower the sun and for Luna to raise and lower the moon. 1.11.106b, while there are times that a princess can not do her royal duties, such as in times of illness, times of banishment or times of being gone on official business, the other princess shall handle both duties. 1.11.106c, however, if a princess is gone on unofficial business and fails to do her royal duties for fourteen (14) consecutive days, on the morning of the fifteenth (15th) day when the other princess does the absent one's duty, she shall declare the absent one has abdicated the throne and she shall declare herself Queen. 1.11.106d, the new Queen is to transform two (2) unicorns into Alicorns and make them princesses. 1.11.106e. She is to take control of both royal guards and if the absent one returns, the royal guards are to greet her with spears and forbid her to return. On to 1.11.106f, the new queen is to banish the one who abdicated to a place of her choosing."

Celestia shouted, "WHAT? DID YOU WRITE THIS LUNA?"

Galaxia got up in her face and replied, "Celestia, read the very beginning. I wrote these laws when you were a tiny filly and Luna was a newborn."

Celestia began to cry and asked, "Why would you write such a law? Did you never think that things such as this would come up."

Galaxia replied, "Celestia, this is about responsibility. Raising and lowering a celestial body is a HUGE responsibility. You however, simply blew it off while you were off galavanting with this purple Alicorn."

Twilight shouted, "Listen Galaxia, you are to address her as Princess Celestia and address me as Princess Twilight Sparkle."

Luna walked over and slapped Twilight for that statement. She shouted, "YOU, TWILIGHT SPARKLE, DO NOT DISRESPECT MY MOTHER LIKE THAT!"

Celestia asked, "Mom, Dad, Little Sister, why are you not addressing us by our titles?"

This was a facehoof moment for the royal family. Galaxia raised her voice and said, "You see 1.11.106c? You were gone for far longer than 14 days and therefore you legally abdicated the throne, and thus Luna has been crowned Queen."

Luna added, "Well it looks like something very good came out of your tryst with Twilight after all! I became Queen and Colgate and Lyra became princesses."

Colgate shouted, "Thank you Celestia and Twilight!"

Lyra added, "Yeah, thank you so much!"

Cosmos walked forward and asked, "Celestia, I want you to explain yourself. Why did you do this and what is so grand about this Twilight Sparkle?"

Celestia cried, "Mom, dad, I love her. I have loved her ever since she became a full grown mare and she has loved me since then too! Am I not allowed to be in love? Am I not allowed to be happy? Do I have to be cold and rigid like my sister?"

Cosmos replied, "Yes you are allowed to be happy." Cosmos paused for a minute and asked, "However, from what I understand shortly before you abandoned your duties you stayed up all night staring at a picture of this Twilight Sparkle and you were too tired to raise the sun the next morning so Queen Luna had to do it for you! Was this the case?"

Celestia sobbed harder, "Yes dad, it is. I know it might not have been the best thing but everyone is treating this like it is the worst thing in the world."

Luna smacked Celestia's horn and said, "It was a very bad thing Celestia. It is not a matter of you being in love with Twilight or even staying up all night staring at a picture of her. What makes this a big issue was the fact that I had to raise the sun FOR YOU. You started letting your love and what seemed to be an obsession with Twilight interfere with YOUR royal duties."

Galaxia asked, "Celestia, why didn't you just bring Twilight up here with you and marry her here. I know Flash Sentry is qualified to marry ponies. He could have done that for you."

Celestia screamed, "Because LUNA was being so mean to me about my love for Twilight. I thought that she would do anything and everything she could to make our lives miserable and I know she would not have allowed it."

Luna got in Celestia's face and replied, "Celestia, the fact that you loved Twilight had NOTHING to do with it. I told you this already, I was upset that you were neglecting your duties and left EVERYTHING up to me. Well that won't be a problem now since Lyra will be able to handle the daytime issues while I continue to handle raising and lowering both moon and sun and do my nightly patrols."

Luna looked over at Gray Wings and continued, "Gray Wings, go get Crescent Sparkle and Twilight Velvet. I believe they need to be here while Twilight is telling us why she abandoned her royal duties."

Twilight snapped, "But I didn't even have any royal duties yet!"

While Gray Wings headed to bring the Sparkle family to the throne room Galaxia fired a bolt of energy at Twilight to shut her up. She said, "Twilight, it isn't your turn yet so keep your trap shut you little home-wrecker."

Ten suspenseful minutes passed before Gray Wings returned with the Sparkle family. Luna looked over their way and said, "Gray Wings, bring them up here so we may better address them."

Queen Galaxia glared at them and said, "So you are the ones who raised the pony who wound up seducing our daughter huh?"

Twilight Velvet had a tear in her eye and replied, "Your Majesty, you don't understand. As soon as Twilight passed her entrance exam to the school, she came here to live at the palace. She was so young at the time she didn't even know what romantic love was, much less how to seduce a pony."

Galaxia glared at Celestia and asked, "Is this true my daughter?"

Celestia started to cry again and replied, "Yes mom, it is true. The Sparkle family had nothing to do with raising her to become what she did."

Twilight Velvet walked over to her daughter and glared at her. She got in her face and asked, "Twily...."

Twilight shouted, "Don't call me Twily! Only my wife can call me Twily!"

Twilight Velvet shouted, "WHAT? Your wife?"

Twilight growled, "Yes mom, my wife. We ran off to Las Pegasus and got married because Luna thought that Celestia was neglecting her royal duties because of me and neither one of us wanted that stress."

Twilight Velvet asked, "So Twilight, what did you do? Once you became a full grown mare and your feelings for Celestia went to almost seeing her as a second mom to seeing her as a lover did you start strutting around for her? Did you start shaking your flank to turn Celestia on? Did you give her bedroom eyes every second you were around her?"

Twilight replied, "Well uh...I did a good job of hiding my sexual attraction to her until she made me an Alicorn princess."

Twilight Velvet walked over to Celestia and asked, "So Celestia, did you do anything to make our daughter so attracted to you? Were you walking around shaking your flank, giving her bedroom eyes?"

Celestia replied, "Yes, I did. Once she fully matured it as all I could do to not take her into my room and have her sleep under my wing every night. I even had so much trouble not kissing her during our lessons."

Twilight looked up and asked, "Really Celly? I wish you would have! I was so attracted to you even back then. I always dreamed of you dominating me the way you did once we got together."

Crescent looked up at Celestia and asked, "How could you Celestia? How could you do everything in your power to seduce our daughter. She had just barely matured and you knew she was vulnerable. You made her sexually attracted to you. I hope you weren't attracted to her when she was still a filly."

Celestia replied, "No, I was not attracted to her as a filly. I viewed her as like a daughter back then."

Luna stepped in and asked, "Big sister, how does one go from having feelings towards a pony that are motherlike at one time to suddenly wanting their body later? That is just sick."

Galaxia noticed it was getting later in the day and knew that Luna would need to banish Celestia soon. She stepped in and said, "Ok, I think we have enough information on everything to move on to the punishments."

Luna replied, "I agree mom. First, do any of you wish to say anything to these two before they are punished?"

Applejack looked at Luna and replied, "Well I don't think Twilight is worth talking to, not after the way she treated us. The rest of y'all might think so but I'm not giving her the satisfaction of being talked to."

Everpony else turned their backs on Twilight and Celestia and shouted, "HERE, HERE!"

Luna paused for a minute and said, "Alright, let's get this done. I'm punishing Twilight first and then I will take care of Celestia. Anything you want to say Twilight?"

Twilight just glared at Luna and growled, "No Queen Luna, I have no words."

Luna replied, "Ok, The time has come." Luna began to glow midnight blue, her eyes were shining a bright white and she pointed her horn at Twilight and recited, "You have committed treason and that is not in season, you are a threat to me and I simply can not let that be, I can no longer be annoyed so you shall be cast into the void."

A black vortex opened up and swallowed Twilight. Celestia was crying, "No, my Twily! My sweet beloved Twily!"

Luna just rolled her eyes and said, "Come on everypony, we need to get onto the back balcony. Hurry, hurry!"

Everypony rushed onto the back balcony while the sun was still above the horizon. Luna asked, "Anything you have to say big sister?"

Celestia shouted, "I hate you for taking my Twily away from me."

Luna rolled her eyes. She began to glow a midnight blue, her eyes began to shine a bright white and she pointed her horn at Celestia as she recited, "The solar queen has been mean, the crimes she has committed must be paid for, which like those before her will lead her into lore, the time has come for her to go to the sun, which definitely will not be fun."

A powerful bolt of white energy struck Celestia and carried her into the solar disk. A silhouette of Celestia appeared. Everypony sighed in amazement of the new beauty of the evening sun. Applejack asked, "Your Majesty, that is absolutely beautiful! Will all the sunrises and sunsets be this beautiful?"

Luna replied, "Yes dear Applejack, they definitely will be."

Rarity asked, "How long will they be like this? Will it be for a thousand years?"

Luna replied, "Well I have a feeling it will be longer than that. When I finished my banishment the stars aided in my escape. With Celestia only a rare eclipse right before sunset will free her, and that is not expected to happen for 3,877 years 9 months and 16 days."

Galaxia said, "That is a long time but she brought it upon herself. I am so proud of you for doing this Luna."

Cadence interrupted, "Uh, your Majesties, what will happen with Celestia and Twilight when they finish their banishments?"

Luna laughed, "Oh Cadence, only one of them will finish her sentence. When Celestia finally does finish her banishment she will return to our world but she will not be a princess nor will she ever have a chance at becoming one."

Cadence asked, "What about Twilight? What will become of her after her banishment?"

Luna glared at Cadence and replied, "Cadence, weren't you listening to me? I just said that only one of them will finish their sentence. When a pony is banished to the void, it is an eternal sentence unless the pony who banished them decides to release them and I have no plans on ever freeing her."

Cadence asked, "Why would you have to be the one to free her. Couldn't I learn the spell to unbanish her and free her?"

Luna shook her head and replied, "No Celestia. Since I banished her I am the only pony who can unbanish her and like I just said, I have no plans on freeing her from her banishment. Now if you will excuse me I have a sun to lower and a moon to rise."

While Luna headed off to lower the sun and raise the moon everypony looked at one another wondering what was next. Colgate said, "Well I don't know about the rest of you but I am hoping that I can get back home and start seeing patients again."

Applejack added, "I hear you there. I'm sure Big Mac is having a hard time doing all that apple bucking on his own."

Galaxia replied, "Well once Luna returns we will discuss things. She will probably want us all to have one final supper together and then will let you guys get on your ways."

Luna returned to the throne room and said, "Alright everypony, I do want us to have one final supper together and after that, you guys shall go and return to your normal lives."

Lyra asked, "What about me Queen Luna? Since I am going to be living here now, what will I do?"

Luna replied, "I want you to get plenty of rest tonight. Yes I will rest some tomorrow but also I will teach you some of what being a princess entails. Some things you will have to learn on your own because I will admit, I don't know everything about what the monarch on the day shift does."

Lyra was happy that Luna had confidence in her. Very soon their supper was gone and everypony was getting ready to head home. Colgate flew back to Ponyville, Spike and his friends took the train back to Ponyville, Cadence and Shining Armor took the train to the Crystal Empire and Luna showed Lyra to her new bedroom.

Lyra said, "Wow your Majesty, this bedroom is spectacular!" Lyra sat down on the bed and looked down and saw something. She levitated it up and saw that it was Celestia's picture of Twilight. Lyra asked, "Your Majesty, why is there a picture of Twilight in here?"

Luna replied, "This used to be Celestia's room and she was beyond obsessed with Twilight."

Lyra asked, "What do you want me to do with it?"

Luna levitated it out of Lyra's hooves and replied, "I will handle it. You get some rest princess. Very soon I have a patrol to start in the Everfree Forest."

Lyra said, "I will and thank you so much for having the confidence in me to make me a princess!"

Luna nodded and headed out to the throne room where she was met by Gray Wings. Gray Wings asked, "Queen Luna, isn't that the picture of Twilight Sparkle Celestia held so dear?"

Luna replied, "Yes, it is."

Gray Wings asked, "Well what do you plan on doing with it? Are you going to burn it, lock it away in the archives or what?"

Luna replied, "You'll see soon enough, let's go."

Luna took the picture of Twilight with her on their patrol of the forest. Luna knew exactly what she wanted done with it. Finally they got to one of the darkest regions of the forest when Luna saw something off in the distance. She saw the parasprites that were the product of Twilight's modification. The parasprites saw them and sped their direction, hoping to eat some armor or a crown, but that is not the meal they would get.

Luna levitated the picture of Twilight in front of the parasprites and said, "Hey parasprites, eat this! It is very tasty!"

Luna tossed the picture on the ground and while the parasprites began to gorge themselves on the picture of their creator Luna and Gray Wings took off with great haste back towards Canterlot. When they finally got back Luna laughed, "Those parasprites were hungry tonight and it is only fitting that they ate a picture of the one who modified them."

Gray Wings asked, "With Twilight being banished will those parasprites eventually return to eating food instead of non-food items?"

Luna replied, "You know, I honestly do not know. I don't think there has ever been a situation like this happen before. Oh well, let's relax a bit. I have to begin teaching Lyra her new duties tomorrow."

Very quickly things in Canterlot regained a sense of normalcy as Luna began to teach Lyra what she needs to know to handle the daytime duties she would have to handle. In Ponyville things seemed odd for a while among Twilight's former friends as they no longer had that strong leader. Eventually they became great friends with Colgate and she became their rock and after a few months, she even adopted Spike to be her assistant. Before too long, it was kind of like old days for Spike. He was coughing up messages from Queen Luna and sending Colgate's replies back to the queen.

The End