How could any of this had happened?
Celestia looked over the once beautiful kingdom, her pale magenta eyes wide with sorrow. Tears stroked her cheek with a gentle caress, creating a streak of wet fur on the pale pink-gray unicorn. Snuggled up against her side was a smaller Pegasus, her eyes closed with quiet sleep. Celestia didn't dare to wake up her sister. She let her dream, dream of lands far away, filled with hope and laughter, which was anyplace but where they sat now, for sure.
Wiping the water from her eyes with the hoof Luna wasn't leaning on, Celestia tried to go to sleep. Her slumber, however, was broken by fear. The fear of being caught, the fear of being enslaved by King Hoofton, but, most of all, the fear of being alone. She didn't dare think of leaving her dear sister, not in this mess, not in King Hoofton's power. She nearly spat at his name. The name of a "great" hero, as if! All Celestia saw now was grief and sorrow.
It hadn't always been like this: according the Tia's mother, the whole kingdom was beautiful. Everything was happy. Everypony was happy. Were did it go so wrong? How could they have been easily destroyed? They should have never trusted him in the first place!
"Tia?" Whispered Luna, her moderate cyan eyes gleaming with innocence. She was still so young. Celestia didn't want any harm to come to such an adorable face. "Tia, please tell me. What would happen to us if we get caught?"
Celestia met her sister's glare, trying her best to stop from breaking out into tears. "Don't worry, Luna. Everything would be all right." She knew she was dodging Luna's question, but the light azure blue maned Pegasus filly pressed against her side was still too young to understand. She would know, in time.
"Are you sure? What if-"
"We won't, Luna. Now go back to sleep," Celestia demanded, sounding a bit too rough for her likings, but the younger filly didn't complain. Instead, she burrowed her head into Tia's bony back, her muzzle wet with her own tears.
Her heart sinking, Celestia looked up to the sky. The sky was split in two, one half day, one half night. The unicorns no longer bothered to raise the sun and the moon. They no longer had the time to, with King Hoofton in power. Nopony had any spare time.
Ponies were either working hard for King Hoofton, or trying their best to hide from him. He was everywhere, watching everypony, seeing everything. Celestia was still confused on how he could not find them.
Luna's question came back into Celestia's mind. What would happen if they were caught? Would they harm them, or separate them? Celestia shivered at the thought of it, being careful not to stir Luna from her slumber. The soft snoring told her that she didn't.
Celestia's ears perked up. She could hear, ever-so softly, the faint chatter of voices. Quick and as quietly as she could, Celestia shook Luna awake. She pointed her in the opposite direction of where the voices came from, telling her, in a soft whisper, to run. Please, don't ask why.
Luna looked ready to object, but, after seeing the stern look on Celestia's face, she took off. Tia watched after her for a moment before turning around, her horn glowing faintly as she readied a stunning spell. She had to give her and Luna time to get away, even if it costed the pale unicorn her life. Shaking off her thoughts, for they were too dark for her to handle, she focused on the entrance into the empty room. Celestia was ready for any guard to break in, her horn growing brighter and her eyes narrowing. I won't let them hurt Luna!
"There's a light!" A voice called loudly, and Celestia got ready to fire, the gold magic around her horn growing even more brighter as she strained all the magic she could into the one spell. It may have dangerous effects, like actually killing the ponies after her, or even herself, but Celestia was ready to take the chance.
"Do you think it's them?" Another pony asked, excitement surging in their voice. The pink-maned, horned pony could hear their hoofsteps getting closer and closer to her. They're almost here.
A mare galloped into the room, a stallion right after them. As soon as she saw them, Celestia launched the spell. Two streams of gold hit them both, letting them fall to the floor, their mouths contorted with screams. It was music to Celestia's ears.
"T-Tia!" Luna yelped, rushing over to her sister's side. Celestia ignored her, panting hard at the two ponies wriggling on the floor in front of her. They wouldn't harm neither her nor Luna. "Tia! What did you do?!"
"It's okay, Luna. They had to suffer. They could have killed either of us. I made sure they wouldn't," Celestia told Luna, her voice breaking with chuckles. Try coming at us, Hoofton! I'll love to kill you with my own hooves.
Luna stared at the two ponies, her eyes wide with fear. "But, Tia! They're ponies, just like us!"
Celestia snickered at her sister. "They don't deserve to be called ponies. Now, let's get out of here before they get up."
"Don't you see, Celestia?" Luna looked her sister straight in the eye, her voice cracking as she cried. "They can't get back up. Celestia, they're dead!"
"Nonsense!" Celestia demanded, stomping her hoof against the ground. The action made Luna jump, but Celestia pushed her attention off of Luna. "It was only a stun spell. It wouldn't have killed them. Now, let's go before there's more."
Luna only shook her head, too terrified to speak. Celestia growled at her sister, levitating her up with a golden light. In a heartbeat, she started running, dragging her sister behind her. They had to get away, far away. Celestia couldn't risk nearly getting found again.
"Celestia! Put me down!" Luna yelled, trying to break free from Tia's magic force, but it was too strong. Celestia couldn't risk letting her sister go, or she'll be caught, and she didn't want to think what would happen if she were to be caught. She'll be grateful when we survive.
Slowing to a trot, Celestia let her aura drop, along with Luna. "Stay quiet. If we were to be caught, we'll end up like those two out there, maybe even worse. In this place, it's either fight or die," Celestia spoke to Luna in a quiet whisper, her voice sincere but kind. "If you want to survive, listen to me. You have to stay with me. There are others out there who want to kill you and I. We have to kill before we get killed."
"But I don't want to hurt anyone! Why can't we treat others with kindness?" Luna asked in a sweet tone. Celestia shrugged, trying to find the answer, but there was none. Celestia had grown up with fighting for her life, since after Luna was born. She fought without knowing the reason why, survived without trusting anyone.
Celestia looked around the room. It was mostly empty, minus a few crates stacked up against the wall. The walls were, it seemed, painted white at one point in time, but were instead stained with dust, dirt, and what seemed to be urine. Somepony's here. Or, at least, was here. Now, it seems abandoned.
"Open up one of the crates. We'll rest in there," Celestia ordered Luna as the white pony began scouting the area in search of materials. Her stomach grumbled, but she put it aside. All she needed right now was some weapons, in case they both needed to defend each other. This was a warehouse. There should be something here.
"Tia! I'm done!" Luna squeaked, her head poking over the top of a rather high crate. Celestia looked up at her sister, her pale magenta eyes wide with worry. What if Luna fell down.
"Go to sleep. I'll come up as soon as I find something of use," Celestia called to up to the dark blue Pegasus, being careful not to be too loud as she continued looking around. In the few minutes she searched, she managed to find a plank of wood, which she used to block the ragged wooden door resting by the large stack of crates. Just in case somepony decides to come this far.
Once she was sure the room was secure, Celestia teleported herself up to Luna before settling down beside her. It was a huge effort, but Celestia managed to close her eyes and get some rest.
