In Youth Eternal - Origins

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter 1: Tension
Chapter 2: Memories
Chapter 3: Infiltration Part 1
Chapter 4: Infiltration Part 2
Chapter 5: Infiltration Part 3
Chapter 6: Shocking Revelation Part 1
Chapter 7: Shocking Revelation Part 2
Chapter 8: Betrayal Part 1
Chapter 9: Betrayal Part 2

Prologue

By AAAAAAAB

Prologue

In the distant past, during a time of great turmoil, the spirit of chaos, known as Discord, spread his malevolent disharmony like wildfire throughout the land of Equestria. His powers to alter reality as he saw fit disrupted the lives of everypony in the land. Whether it be in urban towns or rural farmlands, nopony was spared from his madness.

Farm lands ravaged by chocolate rain or some other unnatural disaster, slowly killing off crops if they didn’t already pop like popcorn. The lack of actual food for the ponies of Equestria caused famine to sweep their society if they didn’t settle for the aforementioned chocolate rain and popcorn. However, such constant eating habits were terribly unhealthy. Ponies who did settle for it didn’t live too long.

Urban towns had their streets altered into slippery soap. Carriages often slipped and crashed into what buildings remained on the ground. The rest of the buildings hovered in the air, sometimes even upside down. The only ponies who could access those buildings were pegasi or any unicorn who could levitate themselves high enough. That is, if the interior was even habitable.

The wildlife of Equestria had also not been spared. Warped, twisted versions of various animals stampeded around at random. Such things were never harmless for anypony who was trampled. At least there were relatively harmless things, such as dancing buffalo, who pranced about without a care in the world. Although, given the circumstances, almost nopony could stop to laugh at such a ridiculous thing, as they were too busy trying to survive their new, miserable world.

As a result of so many things gone awry, many ponies were injured or killed. It mattered not to Discord if anypony lived or died. Often times, ponies died due to his chaotic antics, rather than direct murder. All he did was bend the world into whatever bizarre, twisted alternative he thought was amusing, regardless of who it affected and how.

The ruler of Equestria at the time was an alicorn named Princess Eclipse. Her fur was a brilliant snow white, while her mane was a bright orange. It also flowed endlessly, as if caught in a soft breeze. Adorning her head was a golden crown.

Her lover was a simple unicorn stallion named Dusk. He was no king, however. Equestria had only one ruler; Princess Eclipse herself. Dusk was a loyal stallion who worked in the castle as a scribe. Having fallen in love at some point in time, the two had children together. Dusk and Princess Eclipse had two daughters.

The younger daughter was a dark blue unicorn mare, with a short, light blue mane. Her cutie mark was a dark splotch, with a white crescent moon in the middle. This mare’s name was Luna.

The elder daughter was the same white as their mother. Her was a little longer than her sister’s. It was decorated with four colors: lavender, blue, pink, and green. Her cutie mark was an unmistakable depiction of the Sun. Her name was Celestia.

By the time Discord attacked, the two had grown into young adult mares.

It was before Discord arrived, they had lived happily in their castle; the majestic castle which later became known as the Castle of the Royal Sisters. The castle rested near a ravine, with a sturdy stone bridge connected the two sides. It was merely a short walk from the entrance to this ravine. The surrounding landscape had consisted of flat fields with the occasional foothills. Many trees dotted the area; the area which was to be known as the Everfree Forest in future generations.

Beyond the ravine some distance was a river. A dirt road led to this river. There was once another bridge here, allow anypony to cross the river safely. Although, in time, both this bridge, and the ravine bridge would be lost to time. Down the river a short ways however, anypony could follow another road that branched off, leading to a nearby town that was established after the castle initially was built.

The name of this town was Sattle. It was only one of many that ended up ravaged by Discord. Once upon a time, however, the town thrived due to trade routes. Sattle had the water it needed, having been built by a river. Water mills and irrigation for small local farms was a reality for this town.

Day in and day out, the town’s market place used to bustle with merchants and civilians, going about their business. Trading goods for money, moving in and out of shops, or simply taking an afternoon stroll. Although, to future generations, this town was lost to the mists of time.

The story of how the lives of Princess Eclipse and her family were shattered upon the arrival of Discord on that fateful day, is a tragic one. Despite her vast power, Princess Eclipse was no match for the spirit of chaos. His power allowed him to trump everything she threw at him.

The Royal Guards at the time were even more helpless. They threw themselves at Discord, only to be swatted away like flies, or transformed into common household items at Discord’s whim. It was a hopeless struggle against the abomination.

Princess Eclipse felt that she had no choice but to flee. It was the only viable option at that point. With her two daughters and her lover, they fled the castle as the Royal Guards covered their escape. All they could do was run and never look back as Discord took over the throne for himself, laughing maniacally all the while. It was then that tragedy struck. Hard.

The alicorn and her family had almost made it out of the castle when a white flash of light appeared before them. Standing at the main entrance/exit was Discord himself. A look of chaotic malice lingered in his eyes as he looked upon the frightened ponies. The abomination blocking their exit explained how he was going to have one last bit of ‘fun’ before they left. The mad god decided, for once, to try his claw at murder.

A wicked smile crossed his visage as he set his eyes on the young Celestia. The unicorn mare widened her eyes in shock as she backed away. Her family felt just as afraid as she did. Discord summoned an ethereal spear in his eagle talon as a chuckled maliciously. However, Princess Eclipse wasn’t going to have any of it.

Discord reared his talon, tightly gripping the ethereal spear as a malevolent smirk formed on his visage. As the spirit of chaos made his killing throw, Princess Eclipse teleported directly in front of the young Celestia to protect her precious daughter.

Dusk looked on in horror as the ethereal spear left Discord’s talons. His thoughts raced frantically as his heart rate increased substantially. It seemed as if time slowed down. The stallion was too afraid he was going to lose his most beloved Princess Eclipse. But, he felt determined to prevent that harm to his true love and ruler of Equestria.

Dusk yelled out fiercely as he leaped forth to protect Princess Eclipse. The stallion hoped it wasn’t too late to save her. It was as if time slowed down again, as he watched the ethereal spear draw dangerously close as his body moved in front of Princess Eclipse. A bit of relief washed over Dusk. Indeed, he managed to successfully intercept the spear thrown by Discord.

The ethereal spear pierced Dusk's body, causing him to yell in pain. With a thud, he hit the cobblestone floor, having successfully protected his beloved. Princess Eclipse, Celestia, and Luna could only look on in horror at his sudden body hit the ground like a ragdoll. The stallion promptly coughed up blood from deep wound.

Discord looked on, arching a brow. Although he hadn’t managed to hit who he initially targeted, he still hit somepony. The wicked draconequus simply shrugged before cackling like a madpony. Either way, somepony was as good as dead by his direct doing, which was good enough for him. His laughter echoed in the entrance hall as his form vanished in a white flash, having finished with his work there.

Princess Eclipse cried out in pain and horror at the recent turn of events. She caressed her mortally wounded lover; tears flowing freely down her cheeks as she sobbed uncontrollably.

Their daughters could only look on as tears swelled up with their eyes. The two mares had just witnessed their father sacrifice himself with their own eyes. The two sisters promptly gathered around their dying father to embrace him one last time.

Although in pain, Dusk had a smile on his face. He had done it. He successfully protected his family from harm. He spoke up, getting the attention of his the 3 ponies. Although his voice was weak as his life was fading, he instructed his lover and daughters to never lose hope, and to live on without regrets. It was his dying wish. With that, he told them to flee from the castle, and go to safety.

Princess Eclipsed gazed down at her fallen lover, biting her lip as she continuing to caress his body. Dusk passed away in her hooves; a peaceful smile still adorning his visage. She trembled momentarily, before letting out a skyward scream. Celestia and Luna both collapsed onto the floor as their tears flowing unimpeded.

Princess Eclipse spent the next several, minutes in mourning, caressing the corpse of her lover. She felt helpless; afraid. The alicorn solemnly stood up on all fours; her head hung low in despair. She gripped Dusk’s corpse with her magic, levitating him as she slowly walked out of the main entrance/exit and into the courtyard outside. Celestia and Luna gave one another a solemn glance before following behind their mother.

Princess Eclipse had walked a small distance to the side of the entrance. Fortunately, it was still regular soil and grass. With a quick bolt of magic, she created a pony sized hole in the soil. The alicorn delicately levitated Dusk’s corpse into the hold before taking hold of the dispersed dirt with her magic, refilling the hole.

As a follow up, Princess Eclipsed ripped a rectangular shaped chunk out of the nearby castle wall, having encased it in her magic aura. The stone slab placed itself at the head of the grave, sinking a little into the ground to allow itself to stand. The alicorn added the finishing touches by carving a brief inscription on the stone tablet.

HERE LIES DUSK

A WONDERFUL LOVER

A WONDERFUL FATHER

MAY HIS MEMORY FOREVER LIVE ON

As one last tear crept down her cheek, Princess Eclipse whispered her final goodbyes to her beloved Dusk. The two daughters looked on solemnly, as they stood before the grave in a moment of silence. The alicorn felt a stinging emptiness in her heart. One that she didn’t expect could ever be filled.

After taking the moment of silence, Princess Eclipse turned to her two daughters, explaining how she has something she wishes to bestow upon them. Her tears had dried up for now, but there was a lingering sadness in her eyes and her voice. Celestia and Luna could see it and hear it as clear as day.

The alicorn’s horn lit up with a brilliant fiery orange before the three ponies vanished with a flash of light. Once the brightness subsided, Celestia and Luna found themselves in a secret underground chamber, which was located beneath the castle. The room was circular in shape, and was dimly lit by lanterns that hung from various points on the walls. Nopony but Princess Eclipse knew about it. Not even Discord.

In the center of the room were five pedestals, each one housing an orb of some sort. There was a sixth one in the center of all of them. However, that one was empty. Naturally, Celestia and Luna were curious as to what the orbs were, and what was going to happen now.

Letting out a sigh, Princess Eclipse explained to her daughters about the Elements of Harmony. The most powerful magic in known world. It was a well kept secret, with only the Princess knowing of its existence.

A spark of magic suddenly burst from Princess Eclipse’s horn as the elements were surrounded by her magic aura. The alicorn was unsealing the Elements of Harmony, being the sole wielder of the magical artifacts.

Suddenly, a flash of light appeared on top of the regal alicorn’s head. It was a golden tiara, adorned with a brilliant jewel. The rest of the elements, in the form of necklaces, hovered around her body. It was then that she explained that here and now, she was to pass on the torch. Celestia and Luna widened their eyes in confusion, not knowing what she meant by that.

The Elements of Harmony encased Princess Eclipse in a brilliant light and levitated a few hooves into the air, forcing Celestia and Luna to cover their eyes. After a few moments, the radiant light snaked its way into the air, leaving Princess Eclipse. It quickly divided in two before engulfing Celestia and Luna.

At first, the two mares yelped in surprise, not knowing what was going on. The light quickly encased their bodies. It felt like a warm sensation, washing over them, clearing them of all their troubles. The feeling was euphoric.

Princess Eclipse dropped to the stone floor, landing on her stomach. The mare had been stripped of her horn and wings, and had been reduced to the size of an average adult mare. Her brilliant orange, flowing mane was now static and unkempt.

The light which surrounded Celestia and Luna subsided after several moments, revealing both to be alicorns, complete with flowing manes, wings, and noticeably longer horns. As it were, Princess Eclipse had used the Elements of Harmony to transfer her alicorn power and wisdom unto her daughters, dividing the power among them. Although, neither of them have grown to alicorn size yet.

The Elements of Harmony returned to their pedestals on their own.

Celestia received a little more of their mother’s power than Luna, being the older of the two. The new alicorns promptly rushed to their mother’s side to help her up. However, the mare declined any help.

Princess Eclipse explained, with a heavy heart, that she was not long for this world anymore. Her kingdom crushed, her lover murdered before her eyes; it was too much for the former alicorn to bear. Deep down, Princess Eclipse knew it was selfish to leave such a burden on their shoulders. Although, that was why she granted Celestia and Luna her power and wisdom.

The mare just wasn’t strong enough to continue. Her heart was shattered by the misery of her loyal subjects and death of her beloved Dusk. Princess Eclipse felt so... tired. Celestia and Luna embraced their mother as tears rolled down their cheeks.

Whispering her final goodbyes to her daughters, Princess Eclipse slowly closed her eyes. She felt the heavy burden lift off from her shoulders as one last sigh escaped her lungs; her chest contracting, never to rise again. Now, she didn’t feel so tired anymore.

With their mother having passed away, Celestia and Luna held onto one another to find strength. Although, it could not stop either from weeping uncontrollably. With the span of not even half an hour, the sisters had lost both of their parents.

Celestia and Luna felt the seeds of rage sprouting in their hearts, directed towards the malevolent Discord. It was all his fault. He caused this. The sisters knew what they had to do. They knew they to wield the Elements of Harmony, using their strong bond of friendship with one another to rid Equestria of Discord. And afterwards...

Live on. Live for the future of Equestria. Live for their parents, who were taken from them far too early, before it was their time.

With that, the time of reckoning had come for Discord. Celestia and Luna adorned themselves with the magnificent relics that were the Elements of Harmony.

Celestia was ready, having taken up the Elements of Magic, Kindness, and Loyalty. Her sister Luna wielded the Elements of Honesty, Laughter, and Generosity.

Celestia turned to Luna. Luna turned to Celestia. The alicorn sisters gave each other a nod before the elder sister’s horn illuminated, causing the pair to vanish in a flash of golden light.

* * *

“DISCOOOORD!!!”

The draconequus spat out his chocolate milk, startled by the pair of alicorns that suddenly appeared before him, with the white one of screaming his name. The rage in her voice was frightening, even for Discord. He stood up from his throne, staring down at the two familiar mares. Quickly calming down, the spirit of chaos materialized a new glass of chocolate milk.

“Well well. If it isn’t little Celestia and Luna. And to what do I owe this unpleasant visit?” mocked Discord, sarcasm ever so present in his voice. He took a sip from his glass, acting as smug as he could. Naturally, Celestia and Luna were absolutely livid with the abomination before them.

Luna was the first to speak. “WE HAVE COME HITHER TO DESTROY THEE, VILE BEAST!!!” she yelled, using what would later be known as the Royal Canterlot Voice. The dark blue alicorn was just as furious as her sister.

A beat of silence ensued briefly, before Discord broke out into laughter. “You? Destroy me? Ha! Why don’t you just run back to mommy?” he mockingly deadpanned, using his free hand give them a shooing motion.

Gritting her teeth, Celestia stomped on the floor, shattering the spot her hoof connected with.

“OUR MOTHER IS DEAD!!!” the alicorn bellowed at the top of her lungs, her anger only rising from his snarky comment. Discord was taken aback briefly, before his arrogant smirk returned.

However, the sisters wasted no more time before the artifacts that decorated them let off a powerful light as the hovered directly to each other’s side. Discord dropped his glass of chocolate milk, ignoring the small explosion it generated. He was too fixated on what was happening before him.

Both Celestia and Luna released skyward screams as a large and powerful rainbow erupted upwards from their glowing forms, twisting and turning in the air. Discord’s eyes widened. The draconequus could feel the amazing, vast power before him. It was as if an entire ocean was weighing him down.

“AHHH-” he began to yell as the massive rainbow arched downwards, aiming itself straight at him. He was not able to finish that scream however, as his entire body was struck and engulfed by the rainbow. Pain shot through his whole body momentarily before he felt parts of him turning to stone. Discord was powerless to stop what was happening to him.

Several additional seconds passed before the light and the rainbow attack faded. A wave of relief washed over the alicorn sisters upon seeing Discord helplessly imprisoned inside of a statue.

It was over.

The alicorn sisters took a moment of silence to remember their fallen parents; their hearts still heavy. With that, Celestia decided to speak up one more time.

“...And may you never return.”

* * *

A new gravestone was erected right next to Dusk's.

After Discord was defeated, Celestia and Luna retrieved the corpse of their beloved mother. She had looked so peaceful in her eternal slumber. The hole that housed Dusk was expanded, leaving room for Eclipse. Her corpse was gently placed next to her lover, allowing them to be together forever in death.

Once the hole was refilled with soil, Celestia utilized her magic to carve an inscription in their mother's grave stone.

HERE LIES PRINCESS ECLIPSE

A LOVING MOTHER

A WONDERFUL LEADER

MAY SHE REST IN PEACE

Finishing the inscription, Celestia and Luna stood side-by-side in a moment of silence. Tears began to creep down their cheeks.

In their thoughts, the sisters gave their final goodbyes to their loving mother and father.

Chapter 1: Tension

It had been 200 years since that fateful day; the day Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were orphaned by the abomination that was Discord. Truly, a day neither sister could ever forget. While an empty hole remained in their hearts, the royal sisters had to stay strong in order to lead their ponies.

Since then, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had taken up their sun and moon duties, much like their mother had done before them. But with her gone, somepony had to do it, and there was nopony else suited for the task.

The Elements of Harmony had been returned to their dormant state, and moved to the entrance hall of the castle for closer access if needed. To anypony else, it was all just a fancy statue.

It had been shortly after the death Princess Eclipse, and the following defeat of Discord, that a decent chunk of the pony population defected from Equestria to try and form their own nation in a neighboring part of the land.

Their de facto leader at the time of the defection, before it was made official via election, was a unicorn stallion by the name of Crimson. The color of his fur was the same as his namesake, while his mane was a natural light grey. The cutie mark on his flank resembled a book; more specifically, it resembled a tome that that housed the knowledge of magic.

As such, Crimson was a competent in the art of magic, and and dedicated scholar, who sought out the ancient knowledge of magic, as well as simple Equestrian history. In addition to those traits, the stallion was especially notable for his good leadership skills and charisma; something which many ponies followed him for.

Crimson dubbed his new nation ‘Equis’. They had began construction of a town far to the northeast, in the grasslands beyond the mountain ranges, naming it Stalliongrad. After the ponies of Equis officially took a vote to establish Crimson as their leader, they built the capitol building in their new town.

At first, Princess Celestia was reluctant at first to just let them leave like that, but eventually decided to give them a chance; to allow these ponies to live their own way of life, with their own laws that suit them.

Princess Luna had been much more protesting of such a thing, but her elder sister convinced her to at least give them a chance.

Yet, later on, political tensions began rising between the two nations, much to Celestia’s and Luna’s annoyance. Although violence had not yet occurred, the regal sisters were fearful that confrontations weren’t far off. Not fearful of their own lives, but for the lives and safety of their ponies. That was most important to the princesses.

It was only a matter of time.

* * *

Though Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had to say goodbye to their parents, it wasn’t unusual for them to visit their gravesite. The alicorn laid there, in front of the grave of her late parents. Her head hung low in silence, her eyes shut as she took time out of yet another day to remember them. Although, Princess Luna was absent this time. But that didn’t stop the white alicorn from mourning.

Princess Celestia’s thoughts and memories turned to that fateful day. Even after 200 years, the wound was still deep in her heart.

Her ears suddenly perked up upon hearing somepony’s hoof steps. Princess Celestia lifted her head, turning to the source of the sound. Approaching her was a familiar old friend.

“Good morning, my Princess,” spoke the voice of a stallion, happily. There was a certain was wavering in his voice that suggested he was rather elderly; confirmed by his long white beard. This stallion was a unicorn, adorned with a pointed hat, decorated with bells and stars. A dark blue cloak, decorated with the same bells and stars, enshrouded his body.

“Ah. Good morning, Star Swirl,” replied Celestia.

“How are you this morning?” he inquired with a smile on his face.

“I’m feeling wonderful,” replied the alicorn, forming a false smile. Princess Celestia turned her head back to face the grave.

Star Swirl the Bearded arched a brow. “I see... That’s good,” he said, lacking enthusiasm. A beat of silence occurred as a light breeze passed by. Then, the aged unicorn let out a sigh before speaking again.

“I know you miss them, Celestia,” he stated solemnly. Star Swirl the Bearded approached the Princess and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “But, you cannot keep grieving like this. It’s not healthy.” A concerned frown passed his lips.

Princess Celestia turned her head to face the unicorn, visibly distraught. “I know...” she choked, glancing down, unable to look him in the eye. “It has been a hard journey, but I will manage.” Her voice picked up more enthusiasm, as she forced a lite smile. “I have to, for the sake of my ponies.”

“I do hope you’re right,” Star Swirl the Bearded murmured, gesturing with a hoof.

Princess Celestia closed her eyes and smiled more genuinely as she stood up. “I will be just fine,” she answered, reopening her eyes as her body turned to face the aged unicorn. “Thank you for your concern, my friend. You always were an excellent Court Mage,” she said warmly.

“Ho ho! Well, you know me!” Star Swirl chuckled, nudging Celestia with an elbow playfully, attempting to raise her spirits. The regal alicorn could not help but chuckle softly as a genuine smile finally appeared.

“By the way... Where is Princess Luna?” asked Star Swirl the Bearded, out of curiosity. “She is usually here with you.”

“Oh, well, she’s locked herself in her room again,” Celestia responded, in a solemn tone. Star Swirl became visibly concerned.

“Oh my... Did she have another one of her... tantrums?” Star Swirl inquired, wincing at the thought. The old unicorn, like anypony else, became frightened by Princess Luna during her anger.

Princess Celestia slowly nodded, a saddened expression forming upon her visage.

“I see... They seem to be more frequent these days,” the elderly unicorn observed, bringing a hoof to his chin in concern.

“Indeed,” the alicorn murmured, letting out a sigh. “It’s hard to see her like this more often... I love my sister with all my heart.” She glanced down at the ground as a tear rolled down her cheek. “I worry for her...”

“It is understandable that you are, Celestia. I also worry about her,” said Star Swirl the Bearded, just as concerned as Princess Celestia. “Perhaps you should talk to her when she calms down,” he suggested.

“You’re right,” the regal alicorn responded. “I shall, my friend.”

“Excellent!” he exclaimed, raising a hoof with enthusiasm. Princess Celestia managed a lite smile. It was then that something caught her attention.

“Princess Celestia!” a voice cried out. The alicorn perked up upon hearing her name. Turning her head towards the direction of the sound, witnessing a unicorn mare just now exiting the castle main entrance.

“Yes? What is it?” the alicorn inquired.

“I have received word that Ambassador Silver Mane will return this afternoon!” she answered, giving a bow.

“Ah, good. I hope the peace talks with Equis went well,” Celestia commented, smiling. “You are dismissed.”

The mare promptly saluted. “Ma’am!” With that, the mare trotted off, receding back into the castle. With that, Star Swirl the Bearded glanced at Princess Celestia.

“I do hope things went well. Now, I suppose I should return to my studies,” the aged unicorn said. “There are always new things to learn everyday, after all!”

“Alright. I won’t keep you,” she replied. In response, Star Swirl nodded before trotting off to continue his studies in magic; a life long journey, always learning new things, even after so many years.

Left alone before the the grave of her parents, she gave one final moment of silence for the day. After a moment passed, the alicorn spoke. “I’ll continue on, living for the both of you...” she said solemnly.

With that, Princess Celestia turned back towards the entrance of the castle, returning to the interior to await the arrival of her ambassador.

* * *

The large double doors of the main entrance flung open with Ambassador Silver Mane, adorned with his white robe, trotting into the castle, escorted by a part of armored pegasi. The ambassador was rather tired from such a long trip, but wouldn’t rest just yet. He still had to meet with Princess Celestia.

“The Princess is currently in the throne room,” one of the guards informed, greeting the ambassador in the entrance hall.

“Ah, yes. Thank you,” he humbly replied. The unicorn stallion promptly made his way to the throne room with his two guard escort.

Upon arriving at the throne room entrance, his escort darted ahead of him to open the door. He nodded to the guards as he entered, seeing Princess Celestia perched on her throne. Guarding her was a pair of Royal Guards, with a number of others lined against the walls of the throne room. The throne next to Princess Celestia’s was empty.

Upon seeing the stallion enter the throne room, she arched a brow, but quickly returned to her usual, calm demeanor. “Welcome back, Silver Mane,” the princess greeted, her expression changing to a warm smile. “I trust the peace talks went well?” Princess Celestia, waiting for his answer, lifted a glass of wine to her lips, sipping on the red liquid.

“Indeed, your majesty,” he answered as he gave Celestia a respectful bow, bending his forelegs to lower his body.

“That is good news. Come. Walk with me,” asserted Celestia. The alicorn had grown tired of sitting in her throne, wanting to take a short walk back to her quarters instead. She moseyed down from her throne, casually walking past Silver Mane.

“As you wish, your highness,” he replied as he began to trail behind her.

With that, the pair exited the throne room on their short walk to Princess Celestia’s bed chamber.

* * *

The door to Princess Celestia’s bed chamber crept open with a touch of magic. Celestia allowed Silver Mane to enter first, following in after him. The alicorn shut the door behind them, with the golden glow of her magic aura fading before there was a sudden flick of magic from her horn.

Silver Mane turned around to face the Princess. “There seems to be a lack of security at the moment,” he observed, having not seen any guards keeping watch of her quarters. Nor had any guards escorted the pair as they walked to their destination.

Princess Celestia chuckled lightly. “It’s quite alright,” she pointed out, the tone of her voice sounding a bit... off. “I am here. There is no better security.”

“I see,” he spoke softly. A bead of sweat formed from his forehead. The tone of Celestia’s voice unnerved him greatly.

“So, have you come to assassinate me?” Celestia deadpanned, dropping the warm demeanor in an instant. The ambassador’s eyes widened as he grunted with surprise. He had been caught.

“Don’t give me that look. Since when were you under the impression that I wouldn’t be able to see through such a simple magic disguise?” she hissed, narrowing her eyes. The glare she shot him struck him deep, causing his heart rate to increase as he gritted his teeth.

Princess Celestia had him. Silver Mane, or rather, an assassin disguised as Silver Mane backed away, fearful of what she might do. His horn flashed as he dropped the disguise. The robe was still enshrouding his body, however the pony that wore it revealed his true face.

“You won’t capture me alive,” he claimed as his horn lit up. A flash of light engulfed his form, only to dissipate with the unicorn assassin still standing in his spot, much to his surprise. “What!? Why didn’t I-”

“I created an anti-teleportation barrier around the room just after I closed the door,” Princess Celestia interrupted in a cold tone. She could tell that her would-be assassin was afraid. With that, the alicorn began to slowly approach him; her visage giving a disturbingly cold, yet tranquil expression.

‘Damnit! It looks like I have no other choice...’ said the assassin’s inner thoughts. He would rather not use that, but realized that his death was imminent either way. With that in mind, the unicorn had flung his robe off with his magic, revealing two objects strapped to the sides of his body. Princess Celestia’s eyes went wide, recognizing them immediately.

Attached to his body was a pair of magic-based explosives, activated when a unicorn feeds a bit of magic energy to them.

“You wouldn’t...” she snarked, narrowing her eyes. A sinister smirk formed on the assassin’s face. The alicorn knew this did not bode well.

Without speaking a word, his horn lit up as he kicked off the ground, sending himself in a dive towards the regal alicorn. He quickly allowed his magic aura to flow freely into the two bombs attached to his body, causing them to light up within moments.

Reacting as fast as she could manage, Princess Celestia’s horn activated, letting off its radiant golden light. A barrier began to form in front of her. But, it was too late. Before Celestia’s barrier could form completely, the magic-based bombs strapped to the unicorn exploded violently, subjecting the Princess’ bed chamber to a destructive inferno.

The body of the assassin was obliterated to dust. The Princess, on the other hoof, let out a scream of pain as her regal form was engulfed in the fires of the blast.

With that, the entire world went dark around Princess Celestia.

Chapter 2: Memories

Princess Celestia slowly awoke with a pounding headache. The alicorn gritted her teeth and slowly shook her head. Much to her irritation, the headache did not subside.

The regal alicorn found herself at the dead end of a dimly lit hallway. A decrepit red carpet covered the floor, with worn designs. The dirty beige paint of the walls flaked as a sign of disrepair. Lining the aged walls were equally aged wooden doors. The hallway was not too long, with only several doors lining each side before it reached the other end. A final door was present there, waiting to be opened.

“Where... Where am I?” she asked herself, rhetorically. Princess Celestia had every right to be confused, having woken up in a strange environment. “The last thing I remember... of course. That assassin...” muttered the alicorn to herself. The distraught alicorn pondered for the ensuing moments if she had died from the explosion, and had ended up in the afterlife.

“I might as well take a look around...” she said to herself. Fortunately, Celestia’s headache began to wane, allowing for more coherent thoughts that weren’t distracted by the pain in her head. With that, Princess Celestia, with the use of her magic, opened the nearest door and stepped through.

The regal alicorn was rather surprised by what she saw. She found herself standing in the middle of a lush plane. Vast fields of green stretched far and wide, ending at the foothills of surrounding mountain ranges. The most prominent feature was a lone oak tree, almost as ancient as the grass that filled the area. She quickly glanced back to see the door she came through was still there, though it stood by itself, attached to no wall of any sort.

It was then that a certain sound caught her attention.

“Mommy! Daddy!” a young voice called out. Princess Celestia’s ears perked up as her head swung back around to face what was in front of her. “This is gonna be wonderful!” the voice cried in excitement.

Mysteriously, a small number of ponies had conjured before her when she glanced away. The alicorn’s eyes went wide, almost gasping at the sight.

A little white filly playfully rushed towards the lone oak tree. Her mane was all too familiar; the colors matching that of her own. It was then, that she noticed others behind her. Seeing who followed the filly brought tears to Princess Celestia’s eyes.

Princess Eclipse and Dusk; her mother and father, followed behind the happy filly version of Celestia with two baskets. One contained an infant Luna. The other contained food.

Upon reaching the oak tree, a blanket was spread out on the grass, and various items of food were lifted from the basket, spread out on the blanket.

Princess Celestia remembered this scene well. It was a fond memory; a memory of her first family picnic. She looked upon the memory of her younger self. How happy she was. How she enjoyed life so much. And her mother...

Her mother, Princess Eclipse, was simply immaculate. Her form was sleek, graceful, and youthful. Her flowing orange mane was as brilliant as ever. The scene only served to bring more tears to the distraught Princess Celestia. She had to wipe her tears away, lest her vision turn blurry.

The scene continued on for a few more minutes before fading away, leaving the alicorn alone in the memory of the grassy field. With no further business there, Princess Celestia turned to leave, without a single word.

The Princess of the Sun found herself back in the same mysterious hallway. There were still other doors to explore. Given what she just witnessed, she suspected each one led to a significant memory. With that in mind, she continued the exploration of her mind.

As she expected, Princess Celestia came upon various memories from her past. One door led to the instance of her first successful teleportation spell. Another door led to the time when Princess Eclipse broke up the first argument she and her sis Luna had.

Princess Celestia was deep in thought, having gone through the doors one at a time. Eventually, the alicorn came upon the last door; the one at the end of the hallway. ‘Last one...’ she thought.

With a touch of magic, the final door crept open, with the alicorn stepping through. While the rest of her memories were rather fond ones, this memory in particular was different. Different in a way that horrified Princess Celestia.

Discord stood before a group of frightened ponies; clenching an ethereal spear in his talon. A loving mother stood in his way, protecting the targeted filly. It was then that a familiar stallion darted in the way as the malevolent Discord threw his spear. The magic weapon stuck the fatherly unicorn, ending his life in a single blow. Princess Celestia burst into tears, frantically outstretching a hoof.

“Father!” she cried, but yielded no response. It was but a memory after all. The alicorn could do nothing but grit her teeth as tears of sorrow flowed freely from her eyes. “Compose yourself, Celestia. It’s just a memory...” the Princess demanded to herself. It was then that a sudden shift in scenery occurred; the environment fading to black, followed by a new one fading into existence.

She found herself standing over her dying mother in the old chamber that once housed the Elements of Harmony. Caressing the dying alicorn was none other than her younger self and a memory of Luna. Princess Celestia stomped a hoof on the cobblestone floor. She couldn’t take it any longer, being forced to watch her mother die again.

Feeling her strength leave her body, Princess Celestia collapsed on the floor, sobbing all the while. With her eyes closed, she failed to notice the environment fade to black once more. This time however, it remained as a dark void.

“Celestia...” a distant voice called.

Princess Celestia opened her eyes; her tears finally drying. The voice that spoke to her was so... familiar. Just hearing it began to put her at ease, with a surreal, relaxing calmness.

“Celestia...” it called again.

“Who’s there? Please, who are you?” inquired the regal alicorn, quickly standing up on all fours. She couldn’t put her hoof on it, but she knew that voice. It was one she hadn’t heard for 200 years.

With that, a blinding light suddenly appeared before her in the dark void. Princess Celestia brought a hoof up to shield her eyes as she winced back. Once the light faded, she lowered her hoof to see what appeared before her. To this, her eyes widened with shock.

“Mo... Mother?” she choked. The alicorn couldn’t believe her eyes. A single tear appeared, rolling its way down her cheek.

A warm, motherly smile formed upon the visage of Princess Eclipse. “Hello, my little pony,” she spoke softly, with a warm tone to her voice. Princess Celestia felt a wonderful sensation wash over her briefly. She couldn’t help but quickly trot over to the alicorn before her, quickly embracing her in a spur of the moment.

Princess Celestia very quickly took note of how much taller Princess Eclipse was, despite being a fully grown alicorn herself. Then came the realization; this too was but a memory. The Princess of the Sun concluded that her mother seemed to be so much taller than her because in all of her memories, Princess Eclipse towered over her.

“Celestia... live on, my little pony. Go, and do not falter!” she calmly commanded, smiling warmly at Celestia.

Princess Celestia was just about to say something, but was interrupted before the words could escape her lips.

“Now... Wake up.”

* * *

“Wake up!” a voice cried.

Princess Celestia grunted, shifting under her covers.

“Sister! Please, wake up!” the voice reiterated.

The regal alicorns eyes suddenly shot open; her blurred vision sharpening into a crisper image of her surroundings. She was in the castle infirmary.

“Oh thank heavens...” said the voice. Princess Celestia shifted her eyes to see her sister standing by her bed.

“Luna?” she asked, her voice weak.

“I’m here, Celly,” choked Luna, delicately embracing her sister. “You are lucky to be alive!” Princess Luna, upon finishing her last sentence, had let go of Princess Celestia to give her more space.

“Ah yes... The assassin...” she muttered. The injured alicorn let out a sigh as she relaxed her body. She still ached, although she was at least recovering. Princess Luna nodded solemnly. “Where is the doctor?” she inquired.

“Doctor Patches left to pick up extra medical supplies. He should be returning soon,” Luna answered.

“Ah... I see. How long have I been unconscious?” she inquired, curious to how much time had passed. She hoped it hadn’t been too long.

“It has been... 3 days, Celly,” Luna answered. It struck Princess Celestia with complete shock. Luna reassured her, taking note of her shocked expression. “It’s true, sister. I had taken over sun setting and raising duties while you were out,” Celestia was a little relieved to hear that. Holding on the sun and moon cycles was never a good thing.

“Ho ho! Has our Princess of the Sun finally awakened?” a voice called out cheerfully. Star Swirl the Bearded trotted into the room, having overheard the conversation. He was relieved to find that Princess Celestia had finally awakened. “You gave us quite a scare!”

Princess Celestia managed a smile, glad to see the familiar Star Swirl the Bearded. “My apologies, old friend,” she chuckled, despite it hurting to do so.

“Oh, no need to apologize! Just get well soon!” he said, gesturing enthusiastically.

“Star Swirl the Bearded... could you please leave us for a moment? I have something I wish to discuss with my sister,” said Luna, glancing over at the aged unicorn.

“Very well,” he replied, giving a short bow. With that, he exited the room.

Princess Luna looked back towards her injured sister. “Celly... You called out for mother...” she murmured. A look of grave concern overcame her visage. Princess Luna suspected Celestia took the ordeal 200 years ago even harder than she did. She may have been right.

“I see...” her solemn voice replied. The injured alicorn let out a sigh as her horn lit up. “Please don’t worry, Lulu,” she said warmly, using the little nickname she gave Luna as a sign of affection. “I just need a walk is all.”

“But sister... your injuries...?” said Princess Luna, the tone of her voice changing to one of curiosity in mid sentence. She witnessed her elder sister encompass herself in a golden light. A certain warmth emanated from the magic energy that covered her injured body. The Princess of the Night watched as the scorch marks and bruises that littered her body began to fade.

Once the light faded, Princess Celestia smiled up at Luna. “A little something I devised in my spare time,” she said, answering the question she knew her sister had.

“But... One does not simply just do away with severe injuries like that!” asserted the dark blue alicorn, gesturing with a hoof as she spoke. “How did you do it?”

“When you have the raw power of an alicorn, and the right technique, you can,” retorted Celestia as she rose from the infirmary bed. “I will have to share it with Star Swirl some time,” she chuckled.

“Now. To deal with the situation in Equis,” Celestia began, pacing back and forth. “I want to place a spy within the ranks of their government. I want to find out as much as we can about their plans.” Princess Celestia seemed very serious, with good reason at that.

“Of course, sister. I shall arrange for that. Please... take your walk. I think you need it,” said Luna, concern ever so present in her voice.

“Yes... Thank you, Lulu,” the white alicorn replied, a smile creeping its way upon her visage. “I’ll go do that, then.” Princess Celestia felt relieved. Deep down, she felt it important to tend to something else first before dealing with Equis and their government. However, the burden was moved onto Princess Luna, which allowed her to focus on her other issue. With that, she trotted out of the room.

However, Princess Celestia had a specific destination in mind.

* * *

The castle library contained shelves upon shelves of books and tomes, covering a wide variety of interesting subjects. From magic, to agriculture, to history. If somepony wanted information, they went to castle library.

Upon arriving at her book filled destination, Princess Celestia promptly dropped her facade from earlier; the one she used in the infirmary with Princess Luna and Star Swirl the Bearded. In truth, she was far more distressed than she let on. After the assassination attempt, the alicorn’s life had flashed before her very eyes. The Princess of the Sun had been sent into a traumatizing near-death experience. A frightening wake up call for an immortal like Princess Celestia, is to discover...

Her very own mortality.

The alicorn had come face to face with it recently. At this point in her life, after the death of her parents. After her own near-death experience, she feared the prospect of dying, which brought her to the library. Princess Celestia sought information to change all of that.

Her thoughts raced in her head as her regal form trotted around the library, up and down the aisles, reading through book after book on the subject of life and beyond.

‘I don’t want to die... I can’t just yet!’ cried her inner thoughts. She could not help but feel determined to live. To live for her mother. To live for Equestria. To live in order to avoid her greatest fear.

With that, Princess Celestia began her search for knowledge; to discover the secrets to eternal life. It was the only way. Determined, the regal alicorn wouldn’t let her existence falter; to die and fade into mere memory like her mother before her.

‘I... will never be a memory...’

Chapter 3: Infiltration Part 1

Two days had come and gone uneventfully for the Princess of the Sun. Having locked herself in the castle library, Princess Celestia obsessively scanned page after page, breezing through book after book in an attempt to find out whatever she could about obtaining eternal life. Tomes were piled upon one another on the various tables in the library to indicate she had finished reading through them.

So far, her research yielded no results to speak of. Two days of fruitless reading caused a certain strain on Princess Celestia; apprehension and fear of her eventual, imminent death. That apprehension almost felt like it gripped her furiously by the neck.

‘I must keep searching!’ her thoughts screamed in her head. ‘I must keep searching! I must keep searching!’her thoughts continued, acting as a broken record.

The alicorn’s breathing increased in intensity, as did her heart rate. In a fit of frustration, Princess Celestia stomped a hoof into the floor, causing a small tremor.

A number of books in the immediate area tumbled off of the shelves, making a bit of a mess in the library. Princess Celestia let out an irritated sigh. Using her magic, the alicorn gripped the fallen books in a golden aura, levitating them to their proper places on the shelves.

It was then that the sound of the library doors creeping open caught her attention. Her frustrated gaze shifted to the opened doors, spying Princess Luna trotting into the room. Although unintentional, Princess Celestia was virtually glaring at Luna; her brow arched inwards as her eyes narrowed.

“Celly? You’re still in here!?” observed the dark alicorn. Her jaw dropped a small distance in disbelief. “Sister... We are worried about you! Plus, I’ve had to take over your Sun duties again.” she muttered, gesturing with a hoof. Never had Luna seen her sister obsess over something like this. To top it off, Princess Luna was disappointed in not being privy to what Celestia had been obsessing over. The younger sister slowly approached her elder sister.

The glare on Princess Celestia’s features lightened up to a mere solemn expression. “I do not mean to worry you, dear sister,” she spoke softly, avoiding eye contact with the dark alicorn before her.

A beat of silence ensued between the royal sisters before Princess Luna let out a sigh. “Please, Celly... Tell me what’s wrong. I want to help you!” Luna pleaded, placing a hoof on her sister’s shoulder. Princess Celestia glanced away for a moment, thinking about what to say in response. After a moment, the white alicorn spread a wing around Princess Luna, embracing her younger sister.

“Lulu, I appreciate your concern,” she said warmly, forcing a light smile. “But, this is something I must find out for myself. Alone. I will be fine, though,” she continued. Princess Luna bit her bottom lip in apprehension.

Making eye contact with her younger sister, Princess Celestia quickly caught onto to the younger alicorn’s feelings. Princess Celestia truly did not want Luna to worry about her. With that, she lowered her and nuzzled her sister with affection for a moment, reassuring her that everything was alright.

“You’re absolutely sure, big sister?” Princess Luna asked, looking up to her elder sister with great concern. The Princess of Sun smiled warmly and nodded.

“I assure you, little sister,” she responded, her voice warm and calming. The dark blue alicorn cracked a smile of relief. A beat silence ensued once more, with Celestia having put her sister’s worries to rest. With that, the Princess of the Sun decided upon a change of subject.

“So, how is the situation in Stalliongrad?” inquired Princess Celestia, releasing her embrace. Princess Luna perked up, her eyes widening noticeably, having been taken by surprise at the sudden change in subject.

“Ah, yes. Our spy should be arriving in Stalliongrad later this evening,” she answered.

“Who did you have dispatched?” asked Celestia. Now that was the question. Princess Luna formed a sly grin.

“Star Streak,” she answered.

“Ah, excellent choice!” exclaimed Princess Celestia, her visage lightening up with satisfaction. “If anypony could complete a mission like this, it’s him.”

Princess Luna nodded in agreement. “Yes. Now, I suppose I should let you get back to your activity,” she said, forcing a smile. Although Princess Celestia easily picked up on it, she decided against saying anything about it.

“Alright,” the white alicorn replied. “I will see you later, then.” With that, Princess Luna turned to exit the library, shutting the doors behind her with a touch of magic. Princess Celestia turned back to resume her studies.

She was desperate to find an answer.

* * *

Star Swirl the Bearded waited idly in the corridor outside the library. The aged unicorn simply stood there, twiddling his hooves as Princess Luna went in to talk to the strangely acting Princess Celestia.

His ears perked up upon hearing the sound of the doors opening, followed by hoofsteps. Star Swirl’s eyes shifted to see Princess Luna exiting the library with an unhappy expression adorning her features. With such an expression, the elderly stallion knew this did not bode well.

“So... How is she?” he inquired, a frown appearing on his face. He was just as worried about Princess Celestia as Luna.

“She is worse off than we thought...” the alicorn replied softly. Star Swirl the Bearded cringed at the news; his muzzle wrinkling up.

“Oh dear... This does not bode well,” he stated. Princess Luna solemnly nodded in agreement.

“She won’t open up to me. My sister tried to reassure me that every is alright, but I can see through her facade,” complained the dark alicorn, shaking her head in disappointment.

“If she won’t open up her thoughts and feelings even to you, I fear we may not be able to do anything for her right now,” said Star Swirl the Bearded. An unwavering apprehension washed of the both of them, worried more than ever about Princess Celestia. Both ponies recognized that the Princess of the Sun had taken her first steps into the descent of madness. It was too glaringly obvious.

A tear appeared just below Princess Luna’s eye before slowly rolling down the side of her visage. It was all too heart wrenching to see firsthoof what was happening to her sister, and not know why.

“I fear that you are right.” she began,speaking softly. “For now, I suppose all we can do is keep an eye on her,” she finished, bringing a hoof up to wipe her tear away. Star Swirl the Bearded nodded in agreement before speaking up again.

“Now, you look tired, Princess Luna. Perhaps you ought to rest for a little while.” he suggested, placing a hoof on the dark blue alicorn’s shoulder. The apprehension that gripped Luna by the throat had distracted her from even noticing. The Princess of the Night could feel it though, now that Star Swirl the Bearded had pointed it out.

“Yes... I... I think I’ll go do that. Thank you, Star Swirl,” Princess Luna replied, a lite smile crossing her lips. The elderly unicorn returned her smile with one of his own before giving a nod.

“For now, I shall keep an eye on Celestia,” he reassured the alicorn. Princess Luna nodded before vanishing with a burst of dark blue light, teleporting herself to her personal quarters. It was then that a solemn expression crept onto the unicorn’s visage.

“I only hope Celestia won’t delve any further into her obsessive behavior,” Star Swirl the Bearded said to himself.

* * *

A unicorn stallion approached the city limits of Stalliongrad, clad in a simple pair of sunglasses, which were raised above his eyes, and a dirty green robe with a hood. The color of his fur was a brilliant silver, while his unkempt mane appeared dark blue in color. His belongings were stored on a modest sized wooden wagon, which was attached to a saddle on his back. Taking a glance up at the sky, he took note of the low hanging sun, indicating it to be evening.

On a simple dirt road, the unicorn officially entered the city limits, passing by other simple travelers along the way. From his location on the outskirts of the town, he could see the tip of the capitol building; something which he took note of. Upon entering the Stalliongrad city limits, the road had changed to cobblestone, rather than dirt.

After walking straight down the road, passing various homes and buildings, the traveler took a right turn onto another cobblestone road, traveling closer to the city’s capitol building.

The style of the town was quite a change from his hometown of Sattle. The rooftops of the buildings were all shingled roofs, rather than constructed of hay such as the buildings of Sattle, back in Equestria. Sidewalks were present at the edge of the cobblestone roads for ponies of all sorts to walk on. Lantern street lights were dotted along these sidewalks, already lit up for the evening.

Eventually, the stallion found his way to a local street corner Inn. He came to a halt in front of the Inn, and detached himself from his wagon. The unicorn’s horn lit up with a brilliant silver color, encasing the belongings in his wagon with an aura of the same color. Lifting his out of the wagon, he trotted over to the front door of the Inn, pushing it open with a hoof.

It was time for Star Streak to check in.

* * *

Off in the distance, over the horizon, the sun was setting. Slowly but surely, full nighttime was upon the world. The streets of Stalliongrad were illuminated only by the lamp posts which dotted along each side of each road. Despite the hour, a fair number of ponies still wandered the streets, trotting from place to place to do their business, or for a simple evening stroll.

Star Streak decided to go for one such evening stroll. It allowed the unicorn stallion to get a feel for his surroundings a little more. Much to his satisfaction, he found that the capitol building, where the government officials always meet to make plans and discuss important issues, was only a few blocks away from the Inn.

After he had a good feel for the surroundings, Star Streak decided to return to his room at the Inn. The door to his room swung open upon use of his magic, with the unicorn trotting inside. The door closed behind him as he plopped onto his bed, laying on his back. Star Streak’s room was relatively cozy. He felt he could simply fall asleep right there. Although, he knew he had to come up with a plan to set in motion as soon as possible on the off chance anything the Equis government have planned was to begin very soon.

Unfortunately, there was not a lot of intel to work with for his mission. The entire point of the mission was practically due to that lack of intel. An assassin almost succeeded in murdering Princess Celestia, which did not sit well with Star Streak.

“What to do... What to do...” he quietly muttered to himself as he stared blankly at the ceiling. A minute more had passed as he thought about the various ways to infiltrate a government building.

‘Hmmm... Buildings such as that usually have a lot of security.’ he pointed out to himself in thought. It was then that an idea came to him. A confident smirk adorned his visage as his eyes narrowed. Star Streak thought to use a disguise spell that Star Swirl the Bearded had worked with him on. The spell allowed one to mimic the appearance of anypony, and fool any detectors.

‘I suppose I should scope out who works in that building tomorrow.’ said his inner thoughts. With that in mind, he began to formulate how was going to attain that information. As a master of disguise, both magical and non-magical, the stallion was confident in his abilities.

All he’d need was the right disguise at the right time.

* * *

The following morning was uneventful to say the least. Although, it was rather early in the morning. The sun had only just begun to peak over the horizon.

Star Streak sat on the other side of the street from the capitol building, lazily slumped against the wall. His already grey clothing was dirty and tattered. The pants he wore appeared in need of a tailor, while his white T-shirt had splotches of dirt all over it. For warmth, the unicorn was fitted with an equally filthy and tattered overcoat. Atop his head was a fedora hat, slanted forward to partially obsure his visage. At his side were several empty bottles of cider; one of them still (somehow) gripped in a his hoof. The last notable piece was a necklace that hung from around his neck. There was a blue gem of some type attached as the jewel piece.

To any by passers, Star Streak was just a sleeping, harmless homeless pony with nowhere to go and nothing to do. From his current location, he could see anypony who entered and exited the capitol building. And what a view it was.

It was no castle, but it had a majestic feeling to it. The building took up a whole block, with guards posted around all entrances to keep civilians from gaining access. various windows were present along the walls, with several different floors.

The main entrance were large wooden double doors at the top of a flight of stairs. To the sides of the entrance, stood roman style columns, which reached up to the roof. The roof above the entrance was slanted down on both sides, such as on a stereotypical house. The roof above the rest of the complex was flat, save for a majestic dome at the center, adorned with a spire of some sort.

The disguised unicorn stallion smirked a little to himself. 'Not bad architecture. I'm impressed.' he began thinking to himself; his eyes fixated on the complex. 'But, I think prefer the Royal Castle any day. But, I digress.'

'They will never see me coming,' he chuckled to himself in his inner thoughts. His mission had officially begun, and he was ready to tackle the challenge.

As of now, it was merely a matter of waiting and patience; something Star Streak was certainly excellent at.

Chapter 4: Infiltration Part 2

As the hours passed, Star Streak continued to watch, slumped against the building across from the capitol building. He shifted his position every now and then to regain at least a decent level of comfort.

Various ponies passed by on the sidewalks, barely even giving him a second a glance as they went about their business. Fortunately, the population density wasn’t too high. His view of the capitol building entrance was never blocked.

He kept a careful mental note of each individual who entered and exited the building. Important looking stallions and mares had come and gone throughout the day. The stallions were often dressed in nice, well maintained business suits. The mares wore the female version of the aforementioned suits.

One thing in particular that caught his attention was each pony who entered was required to flash their ID at the door, followed by a pat down from the guards to ensure security.

Eventually, one stallion in particular caught his eye approaching the entrance, 10:00 AM sharp, accompanied by a pair of other government officials. He appeared to be giving them orders, suggesting he holds a high position. The government official in question was an earth pony, fitted with a dark blue suit, white undershirt, and black tie. His eyes were covered by round sunglasses, akin in design to old fashioned specs. The mane atop the stallion’s head was jet black, and slicked back with a fair amount of hair grease. The color of his fur was grey.

As usual, the high ranking stallion flashed his ID and was patted down like the rest of the government officials.

‘Hmm. He may be my ticket in,’ Star Streak thought, watching as the stallion disappeared into the building after passing the check. ‘From the looks of things, he’s a pretty high ranking fellow. I should be able to get plenty of information from him.’ The unicorn could not help but grin under his tilted fedora with a subtle confidence.

‘Now to wait for my pray to leave, then I, the predator, shall stalk...’ he thought to himself. For a spy, Star Streak was a bit of ham.

* * *

A clock tower in Stalliongrad struck noon as the bells rang out in a musical jingle, echoing through the bustling streets. Star Streak remained against the building in his homeless disguise. His ever watching eyes continued to scan the entrance in wait for his selected target to emerge.

Mere minutes passed before the government official in question emerged from the doors, accompanied by a fellow official. Star Streak’s eyes moved with his target, watching his every move. ‘If I am going to disguise myself as this schmuck, I need to pick up on every little mannerism,’ the stallion thought to himself.

Getting up onto his hooves for the first time in hours, he stretched his limbs. Star Streak quickly moseyed into the nearest alleyway, ditching all of his homeless disguise in a dumpster, with the exception of his fedora hat, white shirt, and necklace.

The by passers in the area had been too busy in their own idle conversations or minding their own business to notice Star Streak’s activities. ‘This is too easy,’ he thought, emerging from the alleyway. To his satisfaction, the target was still in view, crossing the street over to his side at the nearest intersection.

Upon reaching his side of the street, Star Streak’s target of interest and his companion kept walking straight, disappearing behind the corner. The spy upped his pace to a trot, turning down the same corner in order to keep up. The stallion knew in his mind, however, to not trail too closely, lest his target take notice to a complete stranger following him everywhere he goes.

Star Streak trailed behind at a decent distance, with other ponies traveling in the same direction. For the time being, he appeared as just part of the crowd. ‘Part of the crowd. Seldom is there a better hiding spot when tracking somepony!’ his thoughts shouted in confidence.

His target made it to the end of the block before directly approaching a building at the street corner. Around part of this building was a small fenced area with umbrella-equipped round tables. Star Streak glanced up to the sign on the side of the building.

‘The Hay Cafe? Hmm. Possible daily lunch spot for the target,’ he inferred, taking a careful mental note. Star Streak stopped in his tracks, noticing the target and his friend taking a seat at one of the out side tables. His eyes quickly scanned the area, spotting various other tables had been taken. Fortunately, an empty table sat next to his target’s table.

The spy picked up his pace to a trot once more, nonchalantly grabbing a newspaper in his mouth from a street side dispenser, not slowing his pace even a bit. Star Streak casually entered the fenced area with his news paper, taking a seat at the empty table nearest his target. The stallion specifically chose a spot where his side faced the target’s table. This allowed the spy to conceal his face with his newspaper at any given time, while lining up his ear to pick up on their conversation. Lastly, if needed, he could make a side glance to see which voice fit which pony, allowing him to memorize and identify who spoke when he concealed himself.

With that, Star Streak took his newspaper in hoof, pretending to read it as he focused his ears on any conversation the target and his companion might have. The stallion’s eyes shifted to the side, allowing him to see the two ponies.

“So, how’s the wife, Scotch?” inquired one of them. Star Streak took note of who spoke, recognizing him as the target’s companion.

‘So my target’s name is Scotch... Alrighty then,’ his inner thoughts murmured.

“She could be doing better,” the other replied. It was him; the target who spoke. With that, the spy no longer needed to look directly at the two, now knowing which voice belonged to which stallion. A smirk of satisfaction crossed his visage, only to be concealed by his newspaper.

‘So far, so good!’ he thought, turning the page of this newspaper. ‘Now to pick up on his speech patterns.’

“My wife has recently been afflicted with some sort sickness,” he began explaining to his friend. “The doctor expects to have a diagnosis by tomorrow,” the stallion finished, his voice a little solemn.

“Ah.. I’m sorry to hear that,” replied Finn, somewhat saddened by the news.

As time continued onwards, their idle conversation told volumes on Scotch’s behavior. The stallion was a refined individual, who spoke somewhat formally, even at a casual lunchtime conversation.

The waiters had since come and gone with their orders. Star Streak had taken careful note of what Scotch ordered, on the off chance he needed to return here once disguised as the government official. ‘A simple Hay Sandwich, eh?’ the spy thought to himself. ‘Whatever floats your boat, pal.’ In the meantime, Star Streak simply munched on his meal, having deliberately ordered the same thing.

After several more minutes of listening in, Star Streak caught wind of something juicy. His ears perked up further.

“So, Scotch. Tomorrow is a big day. You ready for that special meeting with President Coltson?” Finn asked his friend, smiling as he arched a brow; his visage beaming with confidence.

Scotch smiled and chuckled lightly. “Of course, Finn. I would not be me if I wasn’t,” he replied with a mildly cheerful tone, gesturing with a hoof.

‘This sounds really juicy... Looks like I’ll have to take him out and impersonate him sooner than I’d like,’ Star Streak thought as he rolled his eyes. He promptly set his newspaper down in order to finish his sandwich. The spy wanted to make sure his meal was finished before Scotch departed from the cafe.

‘Now, I only need a plan...’ he thought to himself, swallowing the last bite of his sandwich. Tapping his chin with a hoof, Star Streak arched a brow, deep in thought. ‘And that plan... needs to be solid.’

* * *

Back in the Royal Castle’s library, Princess Celestia flung aside yet another book that revealed nothing of what she was tirelessly searching for. The book flopped onto a growing pile of books that had been cast aside. The alicorn breezed through the books and tomes one at a time, having gone through most of them in the library.

By this point, Princess Celestia’s once flowing, multi-colored mane was unkempt, dangling from her head; lifeless. Dark bags formed under the alicorn’s eyes from 3 straight days of no sleep. Her brow was arched inwards, indicating frustration and irritation.

‘Why can’t I find the information I need!?’ she yelled in thought as she gritted her teeth together. Princess Celestia frantically glanced at the table near her, seeing only a relatively small pile of books and tomes; the ones which, for now, had gone unread. Grasping to only a strand of hope, the alicorn levitated one off the top of the thinning pile, hoping the unread books contained information on immortality.

As her eyes began to scan the contents of the pages, the alicorn heard a knock at the library doors, causing her head to jerk quickly towards the door, with a nasty glare adorning her visage. “WHAT!!” bellowed Princess Celestia.

Princess Luna emerged from the doors, opening them with her dark blue magic. The dark blue alicorn’s eyes went wide at the sight before her. Books littered the floor, with a particularly large pile sitting idly mere meters away from Princess Celestia. The dark alicorn quickly noticed the physical changes her sister underwent as well from yet another sleepless night. With that, Princess Luna narrowed her eyes in frustration, finally fed up with Princess Celestia's undesirable behavior.

“Sister, I cannot take it any longer!” she yelled to Celestia. “Stop doing what you’re doing, get some sleep, and return to your royal duties!” Her breathing intensified. Princess Luna had hoped deep down that Celestia was right, and there was nothing to worry about, yet Luna felt there was too much evidence to the contrary.

Princess Celestia faked a smile as she spoke up. “Now please, Lulu, I assure you-”

“NO!!” Luna interrupted, yelling louder than before. “Just look at yourself! You’re a mess! When was the last time you had done anything but read like an obsessive madmare!?” Princess Luna stomped a hoof into the floor, causing a small tremor in the room. “Enough is enough! I want to help you, sister, but you aren’t letting me! And I am growing tired of taking over your duties as well!” she huffed.

Princess Celestia dropped her false smile in a heartbeat. The white alicorn trotted over to her sister, her eyes narrowed. She lowered her head a little upon stopping merely inches from her. “Sister, please, just leave me alone,” she demanded firmly.

Princess Luna opened her mouth to reply. “I will do no-”

Princess Celestia quickly stood up to full height. “LEAVE!” she bellowed as she stomped a hoof, gritting her teeth afterwards. Princess Luna winced a little, as a tear rolled down her cheek. The Princess of the Night felt as if a knife had been plunged into her heart by her sister.

“But...” she choked, looking up at her angered sister. Princess Luna promptly let out a sigh as her head dropped. The dark blue alicorn turned around, shambling out the door. Princess Celestia’s horn lit up, causing the door to slam behind Luna.

‘Sorry Luna, but I want to be left alone right now,’ Princess Celestia thought, as she closed her eyes. She sighed softly to herself before resuming her currently fruitless research.

‘Now, I have to find out how to obtain eternal life. I HAVE to!’ yelled her inner thoughts as a serious expression crept its way onto her features.

With that, Princess Celestia proceeded to scan through the remaining books of the castle library.

* * *

Princess Luna plopped onto her bed stomach side first after locking the door to her room, covering her face with her hooves. The Princess of Night began sobbing as tears flowed from her eyes. “Just who does she think she is!?” choked Luna. She promptly wiped the tears away as she sniffled a little; her eyes ripe with sadness.

“I cannot believe she spoke to me, her own sister, like that! I mean, I was only trying to help her, but noooo! Instead, she just has to be a bitch about it!” Luna ranted to herself, slamming a hoof into her bed in frustration with a quick grunt. As a follow up, Luna rolled onto her back, staring up at her nighttime-esque ceiling.

“And, she is being so irresponsible with all of her duties and health! I should teach her a lesson, and not raise the sun for her since she won’t do it herself! And hey, on a positive note, that might even get more ponies to appreciate my art!” the dark blue alicorn shouted as she threw her hooves into the air, continuing her ranting monologue; the last bit being in reference to her stunning night skies.

Thinking about all of it almost made Princess Luna sick to her stomach. The past 3 days had been insufferable, with Princess Celestia neglecting everything, unfairly putting stress and pressure on her, with the addition of her sudden bitterness towards her own younger sister. Princess Luna’s newfound anger and frustration towards her elder sister seethed as she shifted frantically in her bed to find a more comfortable position.

The Princess of the Night’s heart rate began to rise substantially, as her breathing intensified. Her brow arched inwards with her narrowing eyes, resulting in a full on angered expression. Princess Luna felt livid down to the core.

“I’ll show her... Oh, I’ll show her good!” Luna spoke harshly, yet softly, only raising her voice somewhat towards the end. Princess Luna’s eyes suddenly turned almost bloodshot from her anger. The alicorn then lifted herself onto all four hooves. “I will just need to plan something.”

“And she will never see see it coming...”

Chapter 5: Infiltration Part 3

One simple hour passed as the last book in the library slammed shut before being tossed aside by a golden aura. Princess Celestia sat there on the library floor, motionless, staring blankly into space. Not a single word or grunt passed her lips.

‘I went through every last book, and I found fothing...’ she thought. ‘Absolutely nothing...’ She closed her eyes in a solemn expression. ‘After 3 straight days of research... I found absolutely nothing...’The alicorn began tensing up as she felt her blood boil within her veins. Within moments, her tensed up state began to tremble, furious at her wasted effort to avoid the fear of her own eventual death.

Princess Celestia, her breathing pattern intensifying to the point of panting as she staggered onto all four hooves. ‘Is this really how it is?! Is there really no secret to eternal life!?’ The unkempt, sickly looking alicorn gritted her teeth, furious at the revelation that she could not obtain any knowledge on the subject. Her head jerked upwards suddenly, letting out a furious scream.

“AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!” Celestia bellowed skyward, violently stomping the floor with a hoof. The sheer force of her scream alone caused a small tremor, while her hoof stomp shattered the spot on the floor where it landed. Sparks of magic appeared briefly around her body. Suddenly, a flash of light erupted in front of her, revealing Star Swirl the Bearded.

“Good heavens, Princess Celestia! Are you alright!? I could hear you from-... What in the blazes has happened to you!?” questioned the elderly unicorn, taken aback by the mess of the an alicorn before him. The bags under her tired, angry eyes were unsightly. Her mane, static and unkempt, now had its colors noticeably duller than usual. To top it off, if it were even possible, Princess Celestia’s already white fur appeared to become even more pale.

“Leave me alone!!” the unsightly alicorn demanded. The doors to the library burst open, with several guards rushing into the room. “I said GO AWAY!!” Celestia screamed, pointing a hoof towards Star Swirl the Bearded and the Guards. The guards almost wet themselves at her frighteningly uncharacteristic behavior, their jaws dropping in terror. Without breaking their horrified expressions, the guards backed out of the room, closing the double doors behind them.

Equally horrified, was Star Swirl the Bearded. The force from Princess Celestia’s yelling almost blew his pointed hat off his head. “P-Princess?” he choked, adjusting the hat to its proper place with his hoof.

“Don’t make me repeat myself!” growled Princess Celestia, her breathing erratic. Star Swirl the Bearded cringed and backed away from the clearly insane alicorn. Without a word, the elderly unicorn removed himself from Princess Celestia’s presence in a flash of light.

Princess Celestia stood there, once again alone in the messy library. The sickly alicorn was nearly hyperventilating, her chest quickly expanding a contracting, followed by an ear twitch.

‘I need to be alone where nopony will bother me... I just can’t do this right now...’ thought Princess Celestia, feeling hopelessly lost and furious. With that, the alicorn vanished in a flash of golden light with one final thought.

‘I don’t want to die...’

* * *

Star Swirl the Bearded’s form appeared outside the bedroom of Princess Luna in a brilliant flash of light. The elderly unicorn was borderline heartbroken seeing Princess Celestia the way she was. A concerned frown adorned his visage as he knocked on Luna’s door, itching to inform her of Princess Celestia’s current condition.

The aged unicorn stallion opened his mouth to speak. “Princess Luna? Are you in there? We have a very serious-”

“NOT NOW!!! I am... most busy!” shouted a voice from the other side of the door, one that could only belong to the Princess of the Night. A sinister chuckle followed her sentence, one which sent shivers down Star Swirl’s spine.

“But, it’s about your sister! She has completely lost her mind!!” retorted Star Swirl the Bearded, throwing his hooves into the air. A loud thump suddenly sounded from behind Princess Luna’s locked bedroom door, creating a small tremor.

“I already know that! But I am busy! Now GO AWAY!!” shouted Princess Luna in response. Star Swirl the Bearded was once again taken aback, slowly backing away from the door. It was then that his head drooped, a solemn expression crossing his aged visage

Letting out a sigh, Star Swirl the Bearded slowly meandered down the corridor, away from Princess Luna’s bedchamber, one step at a time. Mere moments passed before he decided to stop for a moment. Star Swirl the Bearded slouched against a wall, standing on his hind legs. The elderly unicorn rubbed his forehead with his hooves in frustration, thinking hard about the current situation.

“Have both of the Princess gone insane!? What am I going to do?” he muttered, concern ever so present in his voice. “It’s bad enough that Princess Celestia has gone completely mad, but now Luna too?! The Luna I know would have jumped at the chance to help her sister...” Star Swirl the Bearded began to slump down, his back side sliding down the wall until he was in a sitting position on his flank upon finishing his brief monologue.

“I am getting too old for this...” he grumbled, followed by a solemn sigh. “What am I to do?”

With that, the aged unicorn’s form vanished from its spot with a quick flash of light. Star Swirl the Bearded needed some time alone to himself in his personal study after what he just witnessed.

* * *

The Sun had begun to set, as the blue sky began to darken. Several hours had passed since the lunchtime conversation. Star Streak knew he had to dispose of and impersonate Scotch in order to attend the meeting with President Coltson; the stallion who rules over the land of Equis, voted into office by the ponies who lived there.

Star Streak had discreetly followed Scotch back to his home some hours later, finding out where his target lived. It had been a straight walk down from from the capitol building for several blocks, then a right turn. This new stretch of road was where various homes began lining the streets rather than small businesses and such.

‘Would have thought high ranking government officials lived in nicer and bigger houses.’ the spy thought, viewing the home of Scotch from several houses away, at the street corner. He quickly memorized the location and numbered address on the outside of the house.

Star Streak smirked confidently as he turned to head back to the Inn for the time being. His eyes scanned the buildings he passed, looking for the closest alleyway to Scotch’s home. ‘If I arrive early enough, I can wait for him to pass by, then pull him into the alleyway and replace him...’ the spy plotted, tapping his chin with a hoof as he trotted down the sidewalk. ‘Yeah, that should work!’

With that, Star Streak picked up the pace, rushing back to the Inn for the night in order to receive a good night’s sleep.

Tomorrow was a big day.

* * *

Star Streak had awoken at an early hour, traveling to the first alleyway that Scotch was going to pass. The spy kneeled down behind a small group of tin trash cans to hide from anypony who might decide to glance down the alleyway. Although, something seemed off.

According to the time, the sun should be peaking over the horizon by now. And yet, the moon hung high in the dark void, surrounding by the complex constellations of stars that dotted the sky. Fortunately, it was for that reason that the street lamp posts remained lit. ‘That’s odd. Why is it still nighttime?’the spy thought, tapping his chin with a hoof. ‘I sure hope nothing bad has happened at the castle. The Princesses are always on schedule. But I digress! I still have a mission to do!’ his thoughts on the matter finished, his visage beaming with confidence as he raised a hoof into the air.

With that in mind, it was there in that alleyway where Star Streak concentrated with his hearing in order to hear when the sound of hoof steps approached his general area. The only thing that bothered Star Streak was not knowing how long his wait was going to be.

‘Okay, so when he walks by, I’ll nab him, and then use that spell Star Swirl the Bearded helped me develop!’ he thought, running the plan through his head. ‘This will be great!’ his inner thoughts chimed as he smiled to himself. Then a realization hit him. He raised his brow in surprise, thinking. ‘But then what the hell will I do with the body?’ he pondered.

However, before he could continue his thoughts, his ears perked up at the sound of hoofsteps echoing in the distance. Crouching behind the trash cans, Star Streak peaked around them discreetly to get a view of the sidewalk nearby, waiting for whoever was approaching. A tight apprehension gripped the spy around the neck. It was his target, he was going to have to improvise with that to do with the body.

‘Come on come on come on!’ his thoughts raced. ‘The suspense is killing me!’ He began grinding his teeth, his eyes widening as the hoofsteps drew ever closer. It was then, that the pony finally came into a view.

A common civilian trotted past the alleyway at a casual pace, going about his early morning business. Star Streak scowled somewhat, his forehead wrinkling up as he bit his bottom lip. ‘This is going to be a long wait, isn’t it?’ he asked himself rhetorically. The hoofsteps of the common civilian eventually trailed off into the distance, no longer audible to the ears of Star Sreak.

With that, all the spy could do was sit there and wait until Scotch, his target of choice, would finally stroll by on his way to the capitol building.

* * *

Princess Luna remained locked away in her room, searching through her own personal tomes, a number of which contained the knowledge of various dark arts. Despite her own research, the dark blue alicorn had not forgotten to lower the sun and raise the moon the previous night. However, she deliberately did not bother switch the two celestial bodies the following morning, keeping firmly to her word.

The dark blue alicorn laid on her bed with an aged tome opened up before her. Her vengeful eyes shifted back and forth, scanning the contents of the pages, with her dark blue magic flipping the pages as she finished them. Deep in her heart, she felt a spark of darkness; a spark of anger towards Princess Celestia.

“My sister, you are unfit to rule Equestria,” Princess Luna growled to herself. “I shall have no choice but to remove you!” The Princess of the Night continued her reading of the dark arts, searching for something, anything, to give her an edge against her elder sister should she fight back.

Before long, the dark blue alicorn found it. Her eyes stopped on the page, reading it much more carefully. Princess Luna took a moment to think, her visage unmoving as she stared blankly at the page. It was then that a sinister smirk found its way onto her features.

“Yes... This will do nicely!” she exclaimed, raising her head in excitement. The book promptly slammed shut with a touch of her magic. “Now, I must make all of the preparations for the transformation,” she said aloud, her voice beaming with an ominous joy.

“And then, Equestria will behold only the Princess of the Night!”

* * *

Half an hour had gone by before another set of hoofsteps were audible. Star Streak looked up towards the alley entrance as he ceased the twiddling of his hooves. Popping into view, strolling by at a casual pace, was none other than the target of choice, Scotch.

Star Streak’s eyes beamed with excitement now that his target has arrived. ‘Finally! He’s here!’ his thoughts exclaimed. Star Streak waited just a moment behind the trash cans, waiting until he knew he would be out of Scotch’s peripheral vision. Scotch was almost out of view before Star Streak made his move. ‘Alright! Time to do just what I’ve been planning for!’

Star Streak darted out from behind the tin trash cans, stopping in the middle of the alleyway. His horn was shrouded in a magic aura, giving off a mystical light as he stared down the passing government official. The spy began concentrating on Scotch, who suddenly turned to look into the alley where the sudden movements came from. Before Scotch could properly react, he found himself encased in an aura, followed by being flung off of his hooves and into the alleyway like a rag doll.

“What in the blazes is the meaning of this!?” the government official shouted as he was hovered directly in front of Star Streak. “Who are you!?” he inquired with a demanding tone.

“Heh. Sorry pal. Nothing personal,” he replied, ignoring Scotch’s question. A smirk crossed his lips as his horn began to glow even brighter, casting a sleep spell on the frightened government official. Scotch soon found himself blacking out, his body hanging limp in the air. “Too easy,” Star Streak gloated.

The spy took the next several minutes stealing Scotch’s suit and sunglasses. Star Streak removed all articles of clothing, only to slip each piece of the suit onto himself. Lastly, the spy levitated Scotch’s round eye piece sunglasses onto his own face.

“Heh heh. What this bozo was doing with sunglasses right now, I will never know,” Star Streak chuckled to himself. “Now, for the finishing touches!” With that said, Star Streak lowered his head down to Scotch’s unconscious body, puncturing him with his horn in order to draw blood. His horn now touching a sample of blood, his horn began to glow once more. An eerie, pale light crept down his horn and spread throughout his body, completely engulfing the spy.

Several seconds passed, and the light dissipated, revealing Star Streak in Scotch’s exact likeness, down to the last detail. “Testing, testing, 1 2 3!” he chimed. To his satisfaction, even his own voice perfectly mimicked Scotch’s. His eyes rolled upwards in their sockets to see if his horn was still visible.

“Oh, good,” he muttered calmly. His horn was currently invisible, due to him taking on the appearance of an earth pony. However, he could still utilize his magic as his horn was not actually gone. “And now, to take care of this guy.”

His invisible horn gave off a soft glow as he turned his head to face the nearby trash cans. The lid of the nearest individual trash can suddenly lifted into the air, along with all of the contents inside. He then gave a glance down at the unconscious Scotch, whose body was then encased within his magic aura. The earth pony’s body carelessly hovered over the trash can, only to be stuffed inside like just another trash bag. With that, the former contents were returned to the inside of the trash can, covering up Scotch from head to hoof, followed by the tin lid.

“Probably won’t be seeing him for a while,” Star Streak joked, slowly shaking his head as he chuckled. “And now, I’ll just have to be careful not to use my magic for a little while.” The disguised spy turned around to face the street before trotting away.

With that taken care of, Star Streak made his way to capitol building just down the street a few blocks, ready to face the challenges that lie ahead, his eyes beaming with confidence under his newly acquired sunglasses

“Alright! Let’s Rock n’ Roll!” he exclaimed, one final time.

Chapter 6: Shocking Revelation Part 1

Chapter 6: Shocking Revelation

“Identification please,” the guard at the front door of the capitol building calmly demanded.

Star Streak brought a hoof up to his suit jacket, pulling it out from his body a little. Balancing on his hind legs, his other hoof reached into the pocket on the inside of his suit jacket to (somehow) pull out Scotch’s ID.

The spy presented the ID to the door guard, who squinted his eyes as he looked over the small card. “Alright Scotch, you know the drill. Now we need to pat you down,” his deep, gruff voice said. Star Streak gave a nod of acknowledgement.

The guard proceeded to pat his hooves against Star Streak in places one might keep concealed weapons. The hooves lightly tapped over his pockets, his sides, even his pants. Eventually, the guard felt something upon tapping his chest. “What’s in there?” he inquired.

Star Streak reached down into his undershirt with hoof, pulling out the necklace he had yet to part with, revealing the cerulean pendant gem piece. “It is a gift for the wife when I see her after the meeting. I am simply holding onto it for now,” he calmly explained to the guard.

The guard arched a brow as a beat of silence ensued. At this, Star Streak felt a little nervous from the apprehension pulling at him. ‘C’mon, just forget the necklace!’ his inner thoughts shouted.

“Ah, alright. Carry on,” the guard replied, giving an understanding nod. Star Streak returned his nod before trotting inside.

After the doors closed behind him, another guard stopped him. This one was a unicorn pony. The guard’s horn lit up before passing his horn near Star Streak, as if to scan him. After several seconds of the guard waving his horn around Star Streak, he finally stopped. “You’re good to go,” he said. Star Streak simply nodded.

Star Streak slipped the necklace back under his undershirt, where it was before. ‘As expected, my new disguise spell worked like a charm! It completely fooled the magic scan!’ his inner thoughts chimed, as the spy felt proud of his and Star Swirl the Bearded’s work. ‘Now, to take care of business.’

The interior of the capitol building was similar in a way, yet different from that of the Royal Castle. The largest difference was the architecture. Rather than large decorated chambers, grand staircases, and tall, majestic corridors, everything was on a smaller scale.

The only particularly large room was the entrance lobby. The floor constituted of a well polished marble. The walls of the building’s interior were smooth, and painted white, adorned with various portraits of important ponies. A large, complex chandelier hung from the ceiling in the center of the room. Wooden doors were present in various spots on the walls, leading into various rooms. Straight ahead was a door that led to the stairwell, while hallways branched off from the main lobby to other sections of the floor. A walkway was visible above, apparently part of the second floor. The 3rd floor seemed to be in no way directly connected to the lobby.

“Eeeey! Scotch!” a familiar voice called out.

Star Streak shifted his head to face the source of the voice, to see a familiar government official trotting towards; the one who accompanied the real Scotch to lunch the previous day.

“Ah, good morning, Finn,” the spy, mimicking Scotch’s speech pattern and accent. The accent had a certain sophistication to it. The other earth pony trotted up to him. “How are you this, dark morning?”

“I’m doing alright! Still, I wonder why the sun hasn’t risen,” replied Finn.

“Indeed. It is rather peculiar,” the spy agreed, gesturing with a hoof. ‘I hope nothing has happened to the princesses.’ he thought. Despite his own internal worries, Star Streak had a well trained poker face. His features continued to give off a pleasant and content expression overall, changing only to meet the situation.

“Heh heh, yeah. Anyways, the meeting is about to start. We should head up to the conference room.” explained Finn, gesturing towards the stairwell. Star Streak nodded in agreement before Finn turned and trotted towards the stairwell. He promptly trailed behind him.

Neither of them spoke a word on the stairs. Their hooves clopped against each step, echoing slightly in the stairwell as they made their ascent. ‘The only thing I’m worried about is that I have no idea what the meeting could be about,’ the spy thought as he followed Finn to the conference room.

The pair stepped out into the hallway of the 3rd floor. Star Streak shut the door behind them. Directly across the hall were beautifully carved double doors. A guard was posted at each side of the doorway. “Well, here we are, Scotch,” Finn said as he pushed the doors open with a hoof.

‘Here we are indeed,’ Star Streak’s inner thoughts replied as he stepped through the doorway behind Finn.

A fairly long table sat in the center of the room, surrounded by a number of chairs. All but two were taken by a government official at present. The floor had a very thin, lime green carpet. The walls were smooth and painted white, much like the rest of the building. Filing cabinets were present in various locations around the rectangular room. Truly, the room had a very office-like feel to it.

“Good morning, Gentlecolts,” a calm, moderately pitched voice spoke from the end of the table. Seated in a larger chair than the others was a mysterious unicorn stallion, who was not President Coltson. “I see that we are all here now,” the stallion continued.

‘What? Who’s this clown?’ Star Streak’s inner thoughts deadpanned. It was then that Star Streak noticed a beige colored stallion with an orange mane and mustache to the mysterious pony’s right, who he quickly recognized as President Coltson. ‘Wait a sec, is President Coltson not in charge here or something?’

The spy was left in a state of confusion, although he dared not let it show, lest he blow his cover. As a spy, he knew to play along with things like this, as the ponies he would spy on were familiar with their surroundings and their secrets.

Star Streak took his seat next to Finn without wasting any time to avoid appearing suspicious. His gaze shifted to the mysterious stallion at the end of the table. He observed his every detail. The color of his fur, his mane, his eyes, even the stallion’s posture.

A smirk adorned his facial features, one which was calm, yet highly unsettling. The elbows of his forelegs were perched on the table top, with his hooves pressed against one another at jaw level. Despite having never met this stallion, Star Streak felt this mysterious pony was somehow familiar.

‘Woah, stop the presses and hold the hay, I think I know this guy,’ he thought to himself. ‘It’s on the tip of my hoof...’

“I assume you all know what this meeting is about?” the mysterious stallion inquired, his eyes shifting around to glance at everypony in the room. The government officials, Star Streak included, gave a simple nod in response.

‘This guy gives me the creeps,’ Star Streak deadpanned in his mind, once more.

“Alright. But before we begin, how about some tea?” he said calmly. The stallion clopped his hooves together twice. A door behind his location swung open, with a unicorn service mare wheeling a cart of tea into the room. Upon the cart was the tea kettle, surrounded by pre-poured cups of tea. The dishes rattled ever so slightly while the cart was in motion.

The tea cart came to a stop next to the mysterious pony. The service mare levitated the tea kettle into the center of the table, followed by distributing the cups of tea to everypony at the table. Once her job was finished, the mare wheeled the cart back through the door she came from, closing it behind her. At random intervals, the government officials would sip from their cups.

“Does everypony have a cup of tea now? Good,” the stallion said calmly, not letting anypony actually answer his question. Although, it was rhetorical. Something about the calmness in his voice, mixed with his calmly unsettling smirk, almost sent shivers down Star Streak’s spine.

‘Okay, yeah. This guy seriously gives me the creeps,’ the spy’s thoughts said.

“Now, as you all know, we sent an assassin back to Equestria in place of their ambassador,” he stated, giving a short pause before moving on. “However, he has not returned. I suspect he failed in his mission.”

One of the other officials decided to speak up. “But the sun has not yet risen,” he pointed out. “Are you sure he did not succeed in killing Celestia?”

The mysterious gave a simple nod. “I am confident in that assertion. If Celestia had died at his hooves, the Sun would have stopped days ago,” he retorted. “That is unless her sister has taken over. But I digress. He has not returned, suggesting his death or capture.”

The official who raised the question brought a hoof to his chin, nodding in acknowledgement.

Star Streak couldn’t shake the familiar feeling he was getting from the mysterious stallion. As the spy continued to eye him, his thoughts raced to try and reach conclusions. Eventually, a realization hit him. One from history.

‘That crimson red fur... That light grey mane...’ he observed. ‘He looks just like-... No. That’s not possible. He would be long dead by now.’ At least, that’s what Star Streak told himself. But, the resemblance between this mysterious stallion and, him, was unmistakable. There was only pony he could be.

“What if they make this a public matter, Crimson? What would I tell the public?” President Coltson asked the crimson red unicorn in a frantic manner.

“I shall see you about that after the meeting,” Crimson replied.

‘What!? It really is Crimson? But how is that possible? He founded Equis 200 bucking years ago!’ Star Streak’s inner thoughts shouted in a near flustered confusion. ‘He should not even be alive, let alone not looking a day over 30.’

“Now, I propose an alternate strategy to do away with Celestia,” Crimson began. “Since, obviously, the last ploy failed.” He gave everypony in the room a sweeping glance. “But, on a an unrelated note,” he said offhandedly. “I suspect we may have a spy in our midst.”

Everypony in the room was taken aback by surprise. Star Streak felt a lump form in his throat. It was then that he noticed Crimson’s gaze shift directly to himself. “Isn’t that right, Scotch?”

Star Streak’s heart skipped a beat as he froze. ‘How could he have possibly known?!’ he bellowed in his mind. Fortunately, his visage remained a stoic pokerface, due to years of experience.

“Well?” the crimson red stallion inquired, slowly growing impatient.

“I beg your pardon, sir?” Star Streak retorted calmly, yet with a an undertone of confusion in his voice as he arched a brow. ‘I hope he buys it.’

Crimson’s eyes shut momentarily as he let a chuckle, followed by a sigh. “Meetings such as this are serious business. Top secret and all,” he replied to the spy. “I could not help but notice your tea getting cold, sitting there before you, untouched. The real Scotch would have been the first to finish his tea.” Crimson reopened his eyes, as his grin grew slightly. Droplets of cold sweat began forming from his forehead.

Everypony in the room but Crimson leaned way from Star Streak as they looked at him, beyond surprised that somepony managed to fool security. Crimson merely stared calmly at the spy before levitating his cup of tea to his lips, taking a delicate sip.

‘Damn it... This guy’s got me. Well, might as well have some fun if I’m screwed,’ the spy thought to himself. Star Streak reached up with a hoof, removing his sunglasses as scooted his chair back in order to stand.

“So tell me, who are you really?” Crimson inquired. The stallion’s unsettling demeanor never dropped, even for an instant. Something which still creeped Star Streak out. Once on all four hooves, the spy allowed a smirk to form on his features.

The spy knew it was pointless to maintain the disguise now that Crimson knew he was not Scotch. A brilliant light enveloped his form for a brief moment before fading, revealing Star Streak’s true form.

“Streak,” he spoke, with a small pause. “Star Streak.”

“Well, Star Streak, I did not know there was a way to fool the magic sensors,” Crimson spoke with a praising tone. “But, I’m afraid that since you have been discovered, you cannot leave here alive.” With a hoof, Crimson knocked loudly on the table, signaling the guards just outside the room to enter

Upon trotting through the doorway, they needed no explanation, having immediately seen an unfamiliar pony who was not supposed to be there. The government officials, with the exception of Crimson, all gave one another a glance at one another before bursting out of their seats and darting out of the room. Crimson, however, remained seated nonchalantly, taking another sip of his tea.

The guards widened their stances, ready to pounce the revealed spy. Star Streak turned his attention to them with a smirk on his face. “Catch,” he said as his horn lit up, encompassing all of the empty seats, levitated them off of the floor. They were promptly flung towards the guards, colliding with the pair with sickening snaps and thuds. Star Streak observed as they both fell to the floor unconscious.

“Not bad,” Crimson complimented, casually gesturing with a hoof. The spy turned around to see the stallion still calmly seated, his unsettling demeanor still adorning his features.

‘I’m not sticking around any longer with this creep,’ Star Streak thought as he darted towards the doorway.

The next thing the spy knew, there was a suddenly red flash of light before he slammed face first into the now-closed doors. “I shall reiterate; I cannot allow you to leave here alive,” spoke Crimson as he climbed onto the table, standing on all four hooves.

Star Streak had stumbled backwards, holding his face with a hoof due to the pain. The spy grunted before turning around to face Crimson, who he now noticed was standing atop the conference table. The demeanor of the red stallion beamed with confidence, as if he were in control of the entire situation.

“Okay, seriously man, you are creepy,” Star Streak commented as a glare formed on his face, putting extra emphasis on his last word. Crimson said nothing in response. The crimson red stallion merely continued to stare at his opponent, his calm, yet confident eyes piercing the very foundations of Star Streak’s soul.

The spy managed a smirk of his own at this, however. ‘It looks like he intends for me to make the first move,’ the spy thought. With that in mind, Star Streak readied his magic, his horn shrouded in light. His hooves shifted a little, causing his stance to widen.

“I shall make this quick,” Crimson suddenly stated.

“Hmph. Alright, let’s dance,” Star Streak calmly taunted with a smirk, as he reared his head while his back legs kneeled a little. With that, the spy kicked off the floor, causing his body to lunge forth towards Crimson.

The red stallion did not even flinch, however. Instead, his own horn became shrouded in a crimson light, much like his namesake. He too lunged forth a little to meet Star Streak’s attack with one of his own.

The two clashed their horns together in a similar fashion to swords once Star Streak’s hooves landed on the table top. Sparks of magic erupted from the point of contact. The spy gritted his teeth, trying to overpower Crimson, while the red stallion showed no change in his expression.

After several seconds of struggling, Crimson overpowered Star Streak by whipping his head to the side, causing the spy’s head to do the same. Star Streak was left vulnerable long enough for Crimson to launch a counterattack.

Star Streak’s eyes widened as Crimson thrust his horn forward, aiming for his heart. And yet, Crimson’s horn struck thin air after a sudden radiant light flashed before him. Following that, the red stallion felt a sharp pain in his in his side. At last his expression changed. It was one of shock and as the look crossed his features, Crimson glanced over his shoulder.

It was there that Star Streak had driven his horn into Crimson’s body. The red stallion grunted in pain, even cringing, upon the spy pulling his horn out of the stab wound. Blood spurted out, splashing onto Star Streak’s suit, while the red liquid simultaneously dripped freely from the deep wound.

The spy had a triumphant smirk as he watched Crimson’s reaction. The red stallion stood there motionless, with pain and shock written all over his facial features. Blood continued flowing from the wound and onto the table.

Crimson suddenly grinned as he let out a bone chilling chuckle. Star Streak gasped as he cringed away, his eyes wide with shock. “Im... Impossible...” he choked.

One last chuckle escaped Crimson’s lips before his horn created a flash of red light. Star Streak was too shocked to properly react, suddenly finding that he had deep, sharp pain in his neck. He couldn’t breath. The eyes of the spy only grew wider from feelings of fear and shock.

“Hm. I would have thought that bolt of magic through your neck would have killed you instantly,” Crimson commented, nonchalantly. “It appears I was mistaken, though.”

Star Streak could no longer speak, making only painful guttural sounds before he felt his strength leave his body. The spy’s body tumbled off the table and onto the carpeted floor. His blood flowed freely from the new hole in his neck, heavily staining the carpet in the process.

Star Streak twitched several times as he laid there on his side. ‘It looks like... this is it...’ he solemnly thought to himself. His eyes began to feel heavy as he felt his consciousness begin to fade. ‘I’m sorry, Princess Celestia...’

With that last thought, one final pained grunt escaped his lips as his eyes shut, never to open again.

Crimson loomed over his corpse from atop the table, his features adorned with a sinister grin. “A pity,” he calmly mocked. “The look on his face was priceless, though.”

It was then that Crimson noticed a sudden flash of cerulean light appear from beneath Star Streak’s bloodied undershirt. Arching a brow in curiosity, the red stallion encased the suit with his magic, ripping to shreds to reveal what was underneath the shirt.

There was nothing. Absolutely nothing but the blood stained chest of Star Streak. “Odd, I am most certain I saw light from there,” he said to himself.

“Oh well. It looks like it is time to clean up this bloody mess.”

* * *

Star Swirl the Bearded sat at his desk in his personal study by candlelight. A quil was gripped in his magic, writing inside of a book that lay open before him. The aged unicorn quietly muttered some of his thoughts out loud as the the inked quil scribbled its way across the current page.

For the time being, Star Swirl the Bearded had continued on writing his book on Intermediate Spell Casting to take his mind off of the recent troubling events with the Princess.

A sudden cerulean flash of light appeared in front of the aged unicorn, causing him to lean back with a surprised expression, deactivating his magic. A cerulean gem necklace had dropped onto his desk with a small thud. Upon processing what the object was, Star Swirl the Bearded quickly snapped out of his startled state.

“That pendant...” he muttered. “That means that Star Streak has-... Oh my....” The wizard brought a hoof up to his mouth in shock. “I had hoped it wouldn’t have come to that.” His brow furrowed while his head began to droop. The hoof he raised promptly flopped down to his side, lacking any strength.

A moment of silence ensued as Star Swirl sat there at his desk. ‘Things just keep getting worse and worse,’ his thoughts solemnly observed.

Star Swirl the Bearded let a out a sigh before levitating the pendant with his magic. “I hope Princess Celestia has calmed down by now... She’ll want to hear about this.”

With that, Star Swirl the Bearded’s horn created a burst of light, teleporting himself and the necklace out of the room with one final thought.

‘Rest in peace, Star Streak...’

Chapter 7: Shocking Revelation Part 2

There was darkness.

There was almost nothing but a void of darkness that surrounded the alicorn.

There she sat, alone, slumped lazily on her bed in the darkness. Only the dim moonlight which shined down through the window, piercing the shadows, illuminating only the alicorn.

The alicorn was filthy mess, having not bathed in days. Her mane remained static and unkempt, all color having now faded from its once brilliant form. Her sickly white fur had somewhere along the lines gathered dust and grime. Sleep persistently evaded the distraught alicorn, leaving her. Having obsessed over one thing, and one thing only for the past several days, her descent into madness had taken a nosedive.

The room had long since fallen silent, with her thoughts as her only company, focusing only on what she believed she could never obtain: Eternal Life. An apprehension like no other strangled the alicorn like a tight noose.

Her fits of rage had long since subsided as of now, having been holed up in her room since yesterday. All that remained in her heart was despair and turmoil, like a knife that plunged and twisted itself.

‘Why should the world exist without me?’ her thoughts asked. She felt almost ready to just keel over and die in her dreaded state. Her thoughts trailed back to her near death experience, causing the alicorn to cringe with a furrowed brow, followed by an audible grunt. Never again did she want to experience such a thing.

Eventually, her train of thought was interrupted by the sound of hooves knocking on her bedroom door several times.

“Princess Celestia?” a muffled, male voice called. The alicorn’s eyes shifted towards where her bedroom door would be, darkness blotting out any actual sight of the door. “Princess Celestia, are you in there?” it called again.

Princess Celestia took a moment to think to herself. ‘Do I even care anymore?’ asked her inner thoughts. ‘Should I care anymore?’ A sigh escaped her lips as her eyes snapped shut as more knocking sounded at the door.

“Princess Celestia? It’s about Star Streak and his mission,” the voice pointed out.

Princess Celestia’s ears perked up as her eyelids crept open. ‘Maybe... maybe I should care. Maybe it can take my mind off of things for a while...’ she reasoned as she slowly, but surely climbed off of her bed. Her hooves made an audible clop upon touching the floor.

The sickly alicorn’s horn activated, creating a golden aura around the door. With that, her bedroom door had crept open, with Celestia approaching the entrance, stopping once she reached the doorway.

On the other side of the doorway stood Star Swirl the Bearded with a cerulean pendant levitating next to him. The aged unicorn’s jaw nearly hit the floor upon seeing the physical state of Princess Celestia.

“Good heavens, Princess!” Star Swirl bellowed, throwing his hooves into the air. “You look even worse off than before, if that is even possible!” His brow quickly furrowed with concern. “You look like you’re dying...” he solemnly observed.

Princess Celestia’s eyes widened, taken by surprise. The entire time, the alicorn had been too preoccupied with her troubles to even take notice to her physical state. Her head turn towards the interior of her room as her magic levitated a mirror off of a night stand, positioning it in front of her.

What she saw was a sickly, broken mare with little to no will to continue. Princess Celestia grimaced at the sight. ‘It... It does look that way, doesn’t it...’ said her inner thoughts as her dull eyes stared back at her.

As her eyes snapped shut with a grunt, Princess Celestia tossed the mirror away, hearing the glass shatter against the hard floor. ‘I do not wish to be reminded of my own mortality...’ her thoughts hissed.

Star Swirl the Bearded cringed at her sudden reaction. Although, he felt awful for the broken Princess. He lifted a hoof to place it on her shoulder to try and comfort her. “Please, Princess. If there is anything I can do,-”

“It’s fine, Star Swirl,” she interrupted, brushing his hoof off her shoulder with one of her own. “For now, just tell me about Star Streak and his mission.”

‘There will be no arguing with you, I’m sure...’ thought Star Swirl the Bearded, thinking back to her previous outbursts. “Very well, Princess,” he replied, giving a short bow.

“I am afraid to say, Princess Celestia... Star Streak is dead,” he claimed as his brow furrowed. For a moment, the aged unicorn’s head drooped. Princess Celestia’s eyes widened noticeably at the unfortunate news.

“I see... That it is most unfortunate, but how do you know?” she replied, inquiring how the unicorn knew. Star Swirl the Bearded lifted his head back to its normal position, looking back up at Celestia to explain.

“Well, you see, this pendant here,” he began, hovering the cerulean pendant before Princess Celestia. “It is a magic recording device of sorts. In it, contains everything that happened in his mission. I placed a dormant teleportation spell and linked to his life force,” he continued, gesturing with a hoof as he explained. If his life signs vanish, the spell will activate, returning the pendant to me. It was a countermeasure to prevent anything he may discover from being lost, should he perish. I had hoped it would not have come to that, but it has...”

Princess Celestia slowly nodded, processing what had been explained to her. “I see. Indeed, it is... most unfortunate. He was one of the best,” she said. Her tired eyes drifted to the floor, her expression turning solemn.

Star Swirl the Bearded waited a moment, giving Princess Celestia a moment before speaking up again. “So, I assume you will want to see the contents?” he asked, levitating the pendant closer to Celestia.

“Yes... Thank you, Star Swirl,” said Princess Celestia. Her horn flowed with magic, creating a golden aura around the pendant, forcing Star Swirl the Bearded’s magic away. “You are dismissed,” she ordered calmly.

“Yes, Princess,” replied the aged unicorn. He turned around and began to trot off, feeling as if part of large burden lifted off of his shoulders. ‘At least she isn’t having violent fits of rage anymore...’ he observed.

It was then that Star Swirl the Bearded stopped in his tracks, turning back around to face Princess Celestia. “And, Princess, pease... Get some rest and go see Doctor Patches,” he suggested, the impression of concern heavy in his voice.

Princess Celestia nodded slowly. “Of course. Thank you, my friend,” said Celestia, forcing an unconvincing smile to mask her despair.

The aged unicorn shut his eyes for just a brief moment before giving a small nod. He then turned away to leave Celestia alone while she checks the contents of the magic recording pendant.

Princess Celestia receded back into her room, with the door closing behind. The alircorn slowly trotted over to her bed, the only sound in the room being that of her hooves clopping upon the floor. One at a time, her hooves placed themselves on the mattress, hoisting the Princess onto her bed. Her form knelt down to rest in a comfortable position. The pendant hovered directly in front of her, caught in her holden magic grip.

‘Okay, I suppose I’ll see what happened, then,’ she thought. With that in mind, Princess Celestia’s horn fed a stream of magic energy directly into the cerulean gem piece. The golden light emanating from the pendant suddenly shifted colors into blue, before its glow of cerulean intensified, flooding the room with its light.

Princess Celestia reared her head a little as her eyes widened at the light. Despite their widened state, the alicorn’s eyes conveyed no emotions, as if she were in trance.

Memories contained inside the pendant rushed into her mind. She saw everything Star Streak had seen, and heard everything he had heard since he first carried out the mission. In essence, she was reliving Star Streak’s mission, seeing everything through his eyes.

For Princess Celestia, there was nothing to speak of until Star Streak infiltrated the capitol building of Stalliongrad. Watching through his eyes, she observed Star Streak greet Finn before heading up to meeting with him.

Then the trip up the stairs to the 3rd floor.

Then, before her was the doorway to the conference room, with a guard on each side of the door.

The alicorn watched as the doors opened, and Star Streak stepped through. It was there, at the end of the table that she saw a pony she hadn’t seen for a long time. Following that, the Princess heard him speak, his voice all too familiar.

Good morning, Gentlecolts,’the voice echoed, in Crimson’s exact audible likeness.

The scene continued onwards, with Princess Celestia hearing the discussion as it had unraveled.

It went onto Star Streak’s reveal, then onto his scuffle against the guards and Crimson himself.

Star Streak, as expected, had perished when Crimson sent a bolt of magic tearing through his neck and out the other side. As Star Streak collapsed, the visions went dark.

Princess Celestia snapped out of her trance-like state with a small gasp as her head jerked backwards, with the pendant dropping onto her bed. It was then that her head began drooping forwards. With her head hung low, the alicorn’s eyes remained wide with shock.

‘Crimson... How can he still be alive?!’ her thoughts shrieked. ‘He looks exactly the same as he did 200 years ago. And that wound did nothing to deter him...’ Princess Celestia spent the following moments trying to make sense of what was revealed.‘This doesn’t make any sense. It’s as if he’s...’

“Immortal...” she spoke aloud.

Princess Celestia laid there motionless on her bed, processing what that meant. The realization sparked something in her heart; Hope.

“He is immortal,” she said with an eerie calmness, the shock on her face still present. It was then that her lips suddenly arched into a wide grin, stretching across her visage in a borderline maniacal fashion.

“Heh... Heh heh!” she began, starting with a slow chuckle, which quickly turned into an almost deranged laughter. “Hahaha! AAAHAHAHA! Yes!” For Princess Celestia, the feeling of laughter after her mental breakdown felt euphoric. A relaxing feeling rushed through her limbs and body, washing away her despair away in a river of hope.

The effects on her body were immediate. Already, color began to fade back into her mane, although it remained static and unmoving.

Her eyes narrowed as she stood up on all four hooves, her smile ever so present. “It looks like I will have to pay Crimson a little visit,” she chimed, spreading her wings in the excitement.

“But first, a nap. It may be too soon to go see Crimson,” the alicorn reasoned, levitating a small timer in front of her, twisting a knob on the front with her magic. “In one hour, I shall go pay Crimson a... little visit,” said Celestia as she laid back down on her bed. The small device lowered itself onto a nightstand next to the alicorn’s bed.

Princess Celestia lowered her head onto a pillow as her tired eyes crept shut. With that, the Goddess of the Sun slipped into a peaceful state of slumber for the first time in days.

* * *

The day time had come once again, with the Sun shining brightly in the blue sky above. Its golden light flooded the land with its life giving energies, resuming the natural cycle of things.

Princess Celestia had risen the Sun into the sky to the correct position to make up for lost time after her 1 hour nap ended.

The nap was just what she so desperately needed. It may not have been a full nights sleep, but the alicron felt at least somewhat more refreshed. Princess Celestia also decided it would be a good idea to bathe before departing, as it was something she had not done in days.

Princess Celestia had filled her personal bathtub with clean water from a golden faucet. Pink and white soap suds formed small islands on water’s surface. The alicorn slipped her tiara, neck piece, and hoof shoes all off before climbing into the water.

The Sun Goddess let out a pleasant sigh of relief. The water felt so warm against her fur and skin; oh so relaxing. She leaned her head back on the edge of the bathtub, closing her eyes to savor the wonderful feeling that gushed through her, with her mane dipping freely into the water.

It was then that Princess Celestia began to think to herself about how she would confront Crimson.

‘I suppose I should confront him, and only him without making a scene. But if that is impossible, then so be it,’ she reasoned. ‘I will not have my best chance at immortality denied. Even if it means a forceful confrontation.’

After several minutes of relaxing in her bath and planning her move, the alicorn drained the tub by yanking the plug on the drain with her magic. Princess Celestia climbed out of the tub, dripping from head to hoof with water, prompting her to levitate a snow white towel from a nearby rack to dry herself off.

The white piece of cloth slid its way across Princess Celestia’s body, revealing her pristine, immaculate white fur for the first time in days, followed by her mane. Once her mane was also completely dried off, the long, multicolored form flowed majestically in the air, with the colors restored to their former glory. With a touch of her magic, Princess Celestia slipped her royal adornments back onto their places on her body.

With these all taken care of, Princess Celestia opened the window of her bedroom after tossing the towel aside. She spread her wings with serious look about her features, and pushed off the floor with her hooves, taking flight into the sky.

As Princess Celestia soared through the air at almost impossible speeds with her strong wings flapping furiously, she gave one last thought as a sinister smirk of confidence crept onto her face.

‘It won’t be long now, Crimson. I’m coming for you! And I will get what I want.’

Chapter 8: Betrayal Part 1

Just below the horizon, she could see it.

Princess Celestia could see the city of Stalliongrad off in the distance. The city, from her point of view, was rapidly growing larger each moment as she drew closer to it.

At her velocity, Princess Celestia had taken no more than an hour, if even that, to arrive at her destination. Her sleek alicron body allowed her superior flight speed to any pegasus. At her altitude, nopony was likely to spot her, especially given that the sun was roughly midway through its daily course.

‘I will try not to make a scene,’ she thought, as her speeding form finally passed over the city limits, now looming high above the city itself. ‘My business is with Crimson, and Crimson alone.’

Her ever watching eyes scanned the city below, seeing the streets bustle with the small dots that were ponies, all going about their daily business. In the center of town was the very same capitol building she witnessed from Star Streak’s mission, complete with dome on the top, with a spire of some sort protruding from it.

‘I won’t bother wasting anytime. I’ll go to it, find Crimson, force him to talk, dispose of him if I have to, and leave,’ her thoughts claimed, reciting a simplified version of her plan. The alicorn briefly shut her eyes, picturing the conference room she had seen through Star Streak. ‘Yes, this spot will do.’ Her horn produced a burst of golden magic energy, teleporting her form to the new location.

Finding herself inside the very same conference room where the spy had perished, Princess Celestia saw it to be devoid of any pony life at present. Even Star Streak’s corpse had since been disposed of, and the area cleaned up.

‘So far, so good. The area is clear,’ she observed. Indeed, it would be better for everypony to avoid unnecessary fights and casualties. Although, should it come to that, Celestia could handle just about anything they would have to throw her way. Deep down, she knew that.

‘Now to find Crimson.’ Princess Celestia closed her eyes and allowed magic to flow through her horn, using some type of sensing spell. Suddenly, the alicorn could sense all of the ponies within the building. The floor she was presently on, the 3rd floor, had very few ponies at the moment. The lower two floors bustled with many more government officials.

However, one location caught her attention. A single, lone pony, above her? Princess Celestia found that to be curious and out of place. Then she felt a very familiar magic pulse as the pony she detected activated his magic for some reason.

‘That magic signature... It belongs to... Crimson!’ Celestia’s thoughts claimed. ‘Yes... I’ve found you.’ With locating his position out of the way, Princess Celestia prepared a teleportation spell to travel directly into the same room as Crimson.

Nothing happened. Princess Celestia gritted her teeth together, her horn flowing with magic once more, she tried again, but to avail.

‘Oh, I see. An anti-teleportation field around his room,’ she realized, narrowing her eyes. ‘Clever. But, that won’t stop me’

The alicorn glanced directly up at the ceiling, allowing her horn to light up with its golden shroud. Part of the surface of the ceiling was encased in the same magic aura. With that, Princess Celestia bent her legs before pushing off, flapping her wings slowly at the same time.

Her form calmly ascended to the section of the ceiling that her magic was affecting, passing right on through as if there was no ceiling. Within moments, her head, followed by the rest of her body, poked up through the floor of the room above. Once her whole body was through, her horn deactivated, allowing the alicorn to stand on solid ground.

The room’s shape seemed to match that of a dome. The floor was fitted with a crimson red carpet. There were a number of bookshelves that lined the walls in a few spots, filled with many books and tomes. Facing the wall in one location was an oak desk, with various papers, documents, and other assorted items were well organized. Directly across was a bed with an oak bed frame, with a nightstand next to it. The pillowcases and bed sheets also appeared to be crimson red in color. Hanging from the ceiling above was a chandelier, which lighted the room adequately.

On that very bed of crimson red, was none other than Crimson himself, relaxed on top of it with a book in front of him. Wrapped around his torso was a bandage, used to cover his wound, mostly to stop his bleeding from making a mess. The sinister stallion directed his attention away from his book by turning his head to face Princess Celestia. The alicorn looked back at him with a scowl forming upon her features. Crimson’s stoic expression turned to an unsettling, yet calm smirk. One which sends a chill down the spine of anypony not used to it.

“Oh my. Why, hello Princess Celestia,” Crimson greeted, his calm eyes staring into the alicorn’s soul. “It has been a very long time.” The unicorn stallion activated his crimson red magic to close the book he was reading. “So, to what do I owe this unexpected visit?” he inquired.

“I want answers,” said Princess Celestia, pointing a hoof at the crimson red stallion. “How is that you are still alive after all this time?” she hissed, demanding information from him.

A soft chuckled passed Crimson’s lips. “Wouldn’t you like to know,” he mocked, maintaining his unsettling, creepy demeanor. Princess Celestia was unmoved by it, however, as her expression changed not.

“Yes, as a matter of fact. I would,” she retorted angrily. Crimson arched a brow at this, although his onverconfident grin never subsided.

“Well now, isn’t that curious? But you see, I cannot tell you,” he replied. “It was a secret that I came across during my travels over 200 years ago. But I have no intention of divulging that information to you.”

“Then I will make you an offer you can’t refuse,” the alicorn claimed. Crimson arched a brow again, listening intently. “I will pardon your attempt to assassinate me as long as you reveal the secrets to me.”

Crimson’s brow returned to its normal state as he let out another chuckle. “And if I refuse?” he spoke in a calm, yet mocking tone.

“Then you will regret it...” Celestia growled, narrowing her eyes. The alicorn was dead serious. And yet, Crimson’s smug appearance never dropped, acting as if he were in full control of the situation.

“Hm. I would like to see you try, Princess Celestia,” he retorted, hoisting himself into a standing position on his bed. He stepped down off of his bed and onto the floor to face Princess Celestia, should she decide to attack. “Although,” he continued, staring at Celestia. “I doubt you have it in you.”

“Raaah!” the alicorn yelled, picking up off of the floor and pinning him against the wall with her magic. The stallion had slammed against one of his book cases, shrouded in Celestia’s golden aura. Within the blink of an eye, she was upon him, with her horn not even an inch from his neck.

“I demand that you tell me!” she ordered, starting to lose her temper. She was breathing faster and much more intently than normal, given her angered state.

Crimson remained silent for a moment in thought. Although, his overconfident and unsettling demeanor never ceased, even though he was at the disadvantage.

“Tisk tisk, Princess Celestia. You could not kill me even if you tried,” he boasted. Suddenly, his horn lit up, shrouded in crimson light.

The next thing she knew, the alicorn felt a small ring, a jewel, of some sort slip itself onto her horn. ‘An Inhibitor!?’ her inner thoughts shouted, recognizing the device immediately. Celestia’s magic deactivated, with Crimson falling to the floor, landing safely on his hind legs as he leaned back into the book case for balance.

Princess Celestia stumbled back before collapsing onto her stomach with a thud, her legs and hooves spread out along the ground. It seemed as if all of her strength had been sapped. She could barely keep her head up to see Crimson.

Crimson watched with utter satisfaction as the regal alicorn before him lay, weak and helpless. “You’re familiar with the Inhibitor, aren’t you? It is a device which artificially suppresses the magic of a unicorn, all while sapping them of their strength!” he said, with much more enthusiasm than anything he had stated previously.

The stallion pushed off the bookcase, allowing him to return to a normal standing position. He triumphantly trotted over to the incapacitated Princess, only to place a hoof under her chin, lifting her head to make proper eye contact.

“You see, Princess Celestia, I’m afraid that one of us is going to have to die today,” said Crimson, with a hint of harshness to his tone. He then took a moment to admire her features, before he let out a sinister chuckle.

“Hm hm hm hm... And yet,” he began, forcing her head to move to one side, then to the other, further admiring the alicorn’s beauty. His smug smirk suddenly peaked into a wide, malicious grin, causing Princess Celestia’s eyes to widen in fright. “It would be such a shame, to let such beauty go to waste!” Crimson let go of her head, letting it carelessly hit the floor.

The stallion very slowly trotted around Princess Celestia, running a hoof a down her back before it met her flank. The regal alircorn let out a gasp at the implication, causing her eyes to snap shut. Crimson quickly arrived at the back side of Princess Celestia, caressing her flank with a hoof, rubbing it with a circular motion.

Crimson then made his way back around to Celestia’s front side, once more running a hoof along her sleek body, admiring the Princess’ soft, regal white fur.

He stopped just short of being directly in front of Princess Celestia. A wide, malicious smile still present on his visage, Crimson lowered her head, placing his mouth inches from Celestia’s ear.

“Before you perish, I shall have my way with you, savoring every euphoric moment of it,” he whispered, with a perverted enthusiasm. Princess Celestia gasped as her eyes shot wide open. Crimson raised his head back to level, almost cackling out loud. His once unsettlingly calm demeanor became increasingly deranged as time went on.

“You won’t get away with this, you monster!” Celestia spat, seemingly unable to raise her head or move her limbs. Crimson said nothing in reply, only letting out a sinister, deranged laugh that sent chills down the alicorn’s spine.

With that, the stallion circled back around to Celestia’s back side, gently caressing her soft flank with his hooves. “You won’t enjoy this, my little pony,” he sadistically mocked, as began to lower his head, his mouth agape in order to run his tongue along Celestia’s lady parts.

It was then that a white colored hoof, adorned with gold, struck him the side of his jaw, dislocating it on contact. Simultaneously, the stallion’s neck snapped at least a full 90 degrees as he flew backwards, careening into a bookcase. The shelf that Crimson hit shattered before he flailed onto the floor.

Crimson struggled onto his hooves, hacking up blood, followed by a strained, painful inhale of air. He growled in pain as he hoisted himself onto his hind legs, leaning on the bookcase. His forelegs reached up to his head, giving a quick twist to snap his neck properly into place, followed by performing the same feat on his jaw. He then slumped down noticeably, a look of horror on his face.

"Abandon your arrogance, Crimson!!!" Celestia bellowed angirly, already standing on all four hooves. Her brow furrowed, eyes narrowed, a livid scowl place itself on Princess Celestia’s visage, effectively staring daggers directly at Crimson.

Everything had been going his way, up until the point. Standing before him was a perfectly fine Princess Celestia, with himself cornered against a bookcase. She could do anything to him at this point. For the first time in 200 years, Crimson felt intense fear twisting his heart.

“What!? H-How in the world did you-"

“Since when were you under the impression that your pathetic inhibitor could suppress my power!?” Celestia hissed loudly, interrupting the frightened stallion. Crimson actually winced, turning his head to avert his gaze. Princess Celestia’s undeniable control of the situation made Crimson feel utterly powerless.

“The moment I recognized that as an Inhibitor, I decided to play along in order to lure you into a false sense of security,” Princess Celestia began, her voice carrying undeniable authority. “Then, I would crush that security, in order to show you something the hard way” she spat, stomping a hoof into the floor. A sudden surge of golden magic rushed through her horn, shattering the Inhibitor ring like glass.

As Princess Celestia began to slowly trot towards him, Crimson attempted to frantically scramble backwards, finding himself already against the bookcase, unable to retreat any further. “You foal, you always thought that you had utter control over every situation, with your little schemes and silver tongue. And yet, here you are, cornered. Your little plan has failed with no back up, and you lose your composure!” the alicorn growled, continuing her monologue.

Princess Celestia’s livid gaze loomed over Crimson once she came to a stop a mere couple hooves away. “And, I told you what would happen if you refused my offer. It’s too late to change that, especially after what you just tried to pull on me!” the alicorn yelled, shoving her face into his in anger, causing Crimson to slump down to the floor, trembling in terror.

The Goddess of the Sun slammed a hoof into his underside, knocking the air out of him in a painful gasp while his body was pinned to the floor. “First, I will take the information I want by force,” she asserted, lowering her head and placing the tip of her horn on Crimson’s head.

The tip lit up with a spark of golden light, causing Crimson’s eyes to widen into a trance-like state. Princess Celestia used her magic to force her way into his memories, searching for the knowledge she so desired. Fortunately, it took mere moments to find what she searched for. With that, the regal alicorn forcefully extracted Crimson’s memories and knowledge of obtained immortality, and implanted them into her own mind.

After raising her head, the scowl upon her features shifted into a satisfied grin. Princess Celestia gave a glance down at the cowering stallion under her hoof. “Now, about you...” she muttered.

“What... What are you going to do with me!?” Crimson cried, his fearful eyes looking up at the intimidating alicorn.

Princess Celestia let out a sinister snicker. “I think I know just what to do about you,” she replied, narrowing her eyes as her smirk morphed into a stern scowl.

With that, magic rushed through her horn, encasing the two in a golden flash of light.

* * *

Princess Celestia finished stomping on the now flattened mound of dirt in a large grassy field several miles outside of Stalliongrad. She averted her gaze from the out of place patch of dirt to a crimson colored unicorn horn, which lacked its stallion master.

Her horn activated, shrouding the severed unicorn horn in a golden aura. The aura compressed itself around the crimson red horn for a moment, causing it to shatter into hundreds of small fragments. “Good riddance,” she murmured to herself, shifting her gaze back to the patch of soil before leaning closer to it.

“I hope you enjoy the rest of your life down there, Crimson,” Princess Celestia said, prompting muffled screams from below the ground.

She gave it no heed however, merely turning away leaping into the air. Her wings flapped furiously, allowing her sleek form to take flight into the sky above. A satisfied smirk adorned her features as the alicorn sped off towards her home castle. ‘This is wonderful! I have finally attained the knowledge I so desperately sought!’ he mind bellowed in a fit of joy. However, she soon snapped out of her joy when she noticed something amiss.

Although it was still day, everything was darker than it should be. Princess Celestia gave a glance towards her Sun, noticing something odd.

A dark object, round in shape, was blocking the large golden orb that blessed the land with light. Although it was not completely blocked, it still diminished the amount of light in the world ver noticeably.

As the while alicorn soared through the air, she began thinking to herself, coming only to the same conclusion. ‘There is only one other celestial body in the sky. Then, that has to be Luna’s moon...’ she concluded. ‘But, why did she eclipse my Sun?’ she pondered. ‘I must hurry back to the castle to make sure everything is alright!’

With that in mind, the Goddess of the Sun picked up her speed, cutting through the sky like a hot knife through butter towards her home with one final thought.

‘I suspect this does not bode well...’

Chapter 9: Betrayal Part 2

The sound crafted by the large double doors slowly creaking open interrupted the eerie, desolate silence. It echoed loudly in the empty halls as she stepped through, promptly shutting the doors behind her with her magic.

Princess Celestia had returned to her castle after having dealt with Crimson, finding not a single sign of life upon her return. The clopping of her hooves on the hard floor broke the silence once more, her head shifting back and forth, trying to spot anypony in the immediate area.

“Hello!?” she called, raising her voice, hoping to find somepony within earshot in another room.

The only response she received was the echo of her own voice. ‘Something is definitely wrong. First Luna’s moon eclipses my Sun, and now my castle is deserted,’ observed Princess Celestia.

The only thing of interest in the entrance hall were the pedestals where the dormant Elements of Harmony were displayed. The regal alicorn continued onwards, trotting around the pedestals and into the the next chamber.

Once again, she was met with silence and emptiness as she trotted into the center of the room. Not a single royal guard or servant stirred within the area, going about their usual duties. Princess Celestia’s ears perked up upon the sound of a pebble hitting the floor behind her. Even the smallest of sounds in such desolate silence stood out clear as day. Her form swung around quickly to witness who or what created the small sound.

Nothing. There was nothing. No pony, no intruder, just nothing.

‘Am I hearing things now?’ she pondered as her eyes narrowed in suspicion. A strange feeling had been nagging at her ever since; a feeling that was familiar, yet different, and it was not just the fact that the castle was suddenly forsaken. There was something else.

Princess Celestia’s horn created a burst of magic energy, promptly teleporting her form directly to the throne room of the castle. Her head and eyes shifted around, scanning the surroundings.

Once more, it was deserted. The alicorn’s brow furrowed as she let out an audible frustrated grumble.‘I am growing tired of this,’ she thought. With that in mind, her eyelids snapped shut as her horn became shrouded in gold light.

To her surprise, Princess Celestia felt the presence of many ponies. All of the guards, the staff, even Star Swirl the Bearded himself was present. And yet, something was off; their location.

‘The dungeon!? What are all of my subjects doing cramped inside of the castle dungeon!?’ her thoughts bellowed, understandably confused. In addition, the Goddess of the Sun sensed some sort of magic seal on the dungeon, preventing any entrance or escape.

Her mind raced to make sense of everything that had been found thus far, and then it hit her. There was another presence inside of the castle, lurking in the shadows; a very dark presence. Just feeling this dark force almost made the alicorn choke, causing her to gag.

Her spell deactivated as her head drooped, panting, with cold sweat damping her brow. Princess Celestia took a moment to catch her breath as her panting slowly began to subside. The alicorn’s eyes were widened in shock.

‘Such... darkness,’ she thought. ‘I’ve never felt such malice before!’

“Hm hm hm hm,” a chuckle rang out, echoing within the halls of the castle. Princess Celestia’s head sprang up, startled by the sudden sound. She frantically glanced around the throne room, attempting to discern the source of the sinister chuckle. However, the sound seemed to have come from all around, rather than a specific direction.

“Reveal yourself at once!” Princess Celestia demanded as she stomped a hoof into the floor, causing it to crack. Her brow furrowed with anger at this malicious, invasive entity.

With that, an aura resembling the starlit night sky materialized before the throne, growing and swirling around, creating an ominous wind in the area. “Hahahahaha!!!” a voice boomed in a maniacal laughter.

The swirling dark aura dispersed suddenly, revealing a tall, sleek, jet black alicorn. Her mane resembled that of a starlit sky, much like the aura from mere moments ago. It too flowed majestically like Princess Celestia’s. Her body was fitted with blue royal adornments. Her teal blue eyes each had a vertical slit for a pupil, similar to a dragon. The brow of the dark alicorn was furrowed, with her mouth formed into a large, maniacal grin, which conveyed feelings of malice.

Princess Celestia’s widened eyes scanned the dark alicorn before her. Something was so familiar about her, yet so different. Then, her eyes spotted it. Upon the flank of the evil alicorn, was a crescent moon cutie mark. Princess Celestia gasped at the realization.

“Si... Sister? Is that you!? How did you assume that form?” she asked, in a frightened confusion.

“Yes, sister,” the dark alicorn spat in reply. “But I am Luna no longer. I, am Nightmare Moon!” she bellowed, causing her ethereal mane to spread out rapidly in an intimidating manner. “It was all a simple matter, really! A few preparations and arcane spells to increase my powers!” explained the dark alicorn in a taunting fashion.

“Sister! What has happened to you?! What in Equestria has driven you to this!?” she cried in a pleading tone. Nightmare Moon narrowed her eyes at the white alicorn.

“Why don’t you go look in a mirror, you foal!” she growled in anger. Princess Celestia was taken aback by her sister’s answer.

“What? What do you mean!?” cried Celestia. Nightmare Moon shut her eyes in thought for a moment, before they snapped open.

“These past number of days, sister, you were beyond insufferable!! At first I wanted to help, but you drove me away! You abandoned me!!!” she yelled, gritting her teeth together.

Princess Celestia winced at Nightmare Moon’s comments, her eyes snapping shut.

“In addition, you threw away all of your royal duties, completely neglecting your entire kingdom, and left me with the all of the burden!” she reasoned angirly, pointing an accusing hoof at Celestia. “I have deemed you unfit for your position, and your Sun shall never rise again, dear sister,” she spat. “I will remove you myself!!!”

Nightmare Moon gathered dark blue magic energy at the tip of her horn as she reared her head. Without hesitation, she drove her horn forward, releasing a vicious beam of magic which resembled the night sky, directly towards her sister with killing intent.

The attack was monstrously fast. Princess Celestia almost reacted too late, narrowly teleporting out of the way in a flash of golden light. The blast struck the floor, creating a violent explosion with a crater in its wake.

Princess Celestia had reappeared several meters away from where she just stood, glancing at the destruction caused by Nightmare Moon’s attack. Her eyes were wide, awe struck at her violent acts.

Seeing this, Nightmare Moon pushed off the floor with her legs, lunging towards Princess Celestia with her horn pointed directly at the Sun Goddess. Princess Celestia tilted her head down, pointing her own horn forwards in defense.

The royal sisters clashed, locking their horns together in a stalemate, each attempting and struggling to overpower the other. Princess Celestia felt a metaphorical knife plunge into her heart at her sister’s hostile actions. With that, Celestia attempted once more to reach out to her sister.

“Please, sister! I’m... I’m sorry! I never meant to hurt you so much! Please, calm-”

“SILENCE!!” interrupted the dark alicorn, pushing forward. “The time for words is over!” Nightmare Moon quickly hopped back, landing in a combat ready stance. Suddenly, her wings began to flap, lifting her form into the air. The dark alicorn’s ethereal nighttime mane began to expand before twisting upwards, swirling around above her body.

“AHHH!!” shrieked Nightmare Moon, throwing her hooves outwards as her a burst of magic erupted from her hovering form. The ceiling of the regal throne room was obliterated, sending the debris flying into the skies above. Stain glass windows shattered into thousands of tiny fragments.

Princess Celestia braced herself, gritting her teeth as she brought a hoof up to shield her face and eyes, stubbornly holding her ground. Once the blast subsided, the alicorn brought her hoof back down as her head tilted upwards to see the damage caused.

Dark clouds loomed overhead, with rain trickling down into the now exposed throne room. A bolt of lightning streaked across the clouds, followed by the loud voice of thunder.

‘When did the weather change?’ Celestia thought to herself as her body was bombarded with hundreds of drops of water.

Nightmare Moon’s wings gave a powerful flap, blasting herself further into the air above the castle. Her dark magic began gathering quickly at the tip of her horn. “I will finish you off quickly!!” boomed Nightmare Moon.

Princess Celestia could feel immense power from Nightmare Moon’s horn as she gathered magic there. The alicorn’s eyes snapped shut briefly. ‘It’s no use. She’s too far gone...’ Celestia concluded. Her brow furrowed as she looked back up at Nightmare Moon. ‘If I have no choice but to fight, then so be it!’

Princess Celestia suddenly vanished from her spot in a flash of light. Nightmare Moon let out a surprised gasp, looking around frantically.

Without warning, a pair of hooves struck the dark alicorn in the back. She lost concentration of her magic, causing her destructive spell to disperse harmlessly. Nightmare Moon’s form stumbled forward in the air before turn her head to see her sister.

“RAAHH!” the dark alicorn bellowed, flapping her wings furiously, swiftly charging towards Princess Celestia. Their respective horns lit up, shrouded in magic at the same time as they clashed once more. Sparks of gold and blue erupted from the point of contact, creating a shock wave which blew away the raindrops that surrounded them. The two alicorns gazed deep into each others eyes, grunting from their horn deadlock.

“Sister! Do not make me strike you down!” Celestia yelled, pushing Nightmare Moon back.

“SHUT UP!” the dark alicorn screamed, pushing her sister back in her rage.

They both reared their heads simultaneously, preparing for another clash. Each made their move, only for Princess Celestia to teleport in a burst of light at the last second. Nightmare Moon’s eyes went wide before noticing a golden light in her peripheral vision.

The alicorn of darkness quickly lowered her elevation, narrowly ducking underneath Princess Celestia’s illuminated horn. As a follow up, Nightmare Moon thrust her horn directly upwards towards the white alicorn’s head before she had a chance to move out of the way.

The Sun Goddess’s head jerked to the side, causing Nightmare Moon’s horn to graze her cheek instead. The white alicorn promptly moved backwards with a stronger flap of her wings to gain distance. Blood trickled down her cheek from the cut Nightmare Moon gave her.

Nightmare Moon followed Celestia’s path, not letting up in her assault. The sister clashed horns several more times, circling around one another to try and gain the upperhoof, creating shockwave with each mighty blow.

A final thrust by Nightmare Moon was met with Princess Celestia slapping her attack off course in a parry. Before Nightmare Moon could recover, the Sun Goddess aimed her horn at her sister, unleashing a quick bolt of magic energy to subdue her as she quickly backed away.

The small golden blast of magic exploded harmlessly against Nightmare Moon, doing nothing to slow her down. “Foal! Did you really think that would do anything?” she mocked, grinning maniacally at Celestia.

Princess Celestia grunted in frustration with a furrowed brow, having expected it to do more than that.

Nightmare Moon charged towards her sister once more. She easily cleared the distance within moments, causing yet another horn clash. This time however, Nightmare Moon’s mane expanded above her, swirling around. The night sky mane generated bolts of magic lightning, viciously striking Princess Celestia.

The white alicorn was knocked out of the sky, tumbling downwards at an angle towards the castle entrance. Her white fur was noticeably charred, with pain coursing throughout her body. Her eyes had closed due to almost losing consciousness.

Her eyes reopened, with her blurred vision sharpening back to normal. Celestia gasped as she found herself falling, dangerously close to the ground. Her form stabilized itself when she spread her wings before landing on the ground in front of the main entrance on all fours with an ground shattering thud.

She turned to look up at Nightmare Moon, finding the dark alicorn to already be charging a spell at the tip of her horn. Princess Celestia widened her stance as golden magic gathered upon her own horn. Every effort was made to gather as much power as possible, gritting her teeth as she strained.

With that, Nightmare Moon launched a large, nighttime sky-esque beam of magic from above. In response, Princess Celestia unleashed her own attack, creating a golden blast almost as bright as the Sun itself.

The two attacks collided midway, violently pushing against one another. A constant shockwave emanated from the beam collision, creating strong winds blowing away in all directions. The white alicorn fed as much power as she could handle into the attack, but to no avail.

Nightmare Moon’s blast began pushing Celestia’s back. The Sun Goddess could feel her power being forced back, no match for her sister’s. ‘No... At this rate, I will never defeat my sister!’ she reasoned in her mind. No matter how she strained, Princess Celestia was unable to overpower her sister’s attack. Then, she had an idea.

With that in mind, the white alicorn darted to the side, towards the main doors of the castle while maintaining her attack. The force of Princess Celestia’s blast changing angles pushed Nightmare Moon’s attack far to the side.

A satisfied smirk crept its way onto her features as witnessed hers and Nightmare Moon’s magic blasts were redirected away from the castle. The beams traveled a fair distance towards the nearby chasm, effortlessly obliterating the cobblestone bridge which connected the two sides.

With that out of the way, Princess Celestia pushed the large doors open with her hooves, dashing inside the entrance hall, the doors slamming shut behind her. ‘I have no choice but to use the Elements of Harmony!’ she concluded, having determined herself no match for Nightmare Moon.

The regal alicorn levitated the 6 sealed artifacts off of their pedestals and over to herself. ‘Elements, don’t fail me now...’ she thought, as sparks of magic flew from her horn and onto the 6 stone orbs. For a brief moment, the orbs lit up in a powerful, radiant glow before cracks formed on them. The orbs shattered to reveal the true, regal forms of the Elements of Harmony.

As that happened, Nightmare Moon landed harshly on the ground just outside of the entrance, creating a loud thud. “Don’t run from me, Celestia!!” she shouted, forcing the doors open with a touch of her magic.

It was then and there that the alicorn of darkness saw the Elements of Harmony surrounded in her sister. The white alicorn turned to face Nightmare Moon, a stern scowl adorning her features. The dark alicorn gasped at the sight, rearing her head.

“You leave me no choice, sister!” asserted Celestia with a loud, angered voice. “I did not want it to come to this! You are hereby sentenced to imprisonment on the moon!” Princess Celestia pushed off the floor as her wings flapped, allowing her to hover several hooves off the floor, her eyes whited out with an eerie magic glow. The Elements of Harmony surrounded her form in an evenly spaced orbit.

Nightmare Moon panicked, frantically flinging bolts and blasts of magic at her sister, only for an invisible force to effortlessly swat them away. Seeing her assault was futile, Nightmare Moon gritted her teeth, growling in frustration as cold sweat dripped from her forehead.

With that, a massive rainbow colored blast erupted from Princess Celestia and the Elements of Harmony, knocking back and engulfing Nightmare Moon’s form, swirling around her. She let out a terrified scream as the blast of rainbow light launched itself, along with her, into the skies at impossible speeds. The dark clouds above parted, revealing the still-daytime sky as the rainbow headed directly towards the moon.

Her mind was flustered. Surrounding her was the power of the Elements of Harmony, launching her towards her own moon. No matter how she struggled, Nightmare Moon could not break free of the magic that encased her.

The dark alicorn suddenly found herself slamming into the surface of the moon, with the magic of the Elements of Harmony pinning her against the surface as its power seeped into the moon itself.

The the surface of the moon where Nightmare Moon was help, suddenly parted, revealing a deep chasm. Rainbow colored chains quickly reached up from these depths, wrapping around Nightmare Moon’s body. She began thrashing violently as the chains began to pull her down into the depths of the moon.

“DAMN YOU CELESTIA!! WHEN I RETURN, I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!!” she screamed with all her might, her eyes appearing bloodshot. With that, Nightmare Moon was helplessly dragged into the dark depths of the moon, screaming, as the chasm closed itself, sealing her fate .

Back at the castle, Princess Celestia snapped her eyes shut as tears gushed down her cheeks, causing her to hyperventilate. Her legs gave out from under her, causing the alicorn to hit the floor on her side with a hard thud. The Elements of Harmony very quickly followed her example, all of them becoming subject to gravity’s pull.

The physical and mental strain was too much for Princess Celestia to handle, as she felt her consciousness beginning to fade. Her sister’s betrayal felt as if her heart had been ripped clean out of her body and stomped on.

Princess Celestia gave one final thought as her eyes slowly shut, falling into the dark, cold void of unconsciousness.

‘I’m so sorry, Lulu...’