Nightfall

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter One: The Messenger
Chapter Two: Shattered Harmony

Prologue

The darkness of night receded as the edge of the summer sun crept just over the horizon, its soft rays casting a hue of pinks and yellows across the early morning sky. In the vivid light, Canterlot, the ancient kingdom of pony kind, shone as if made of gold.

Though her horn glowed intensely, Princess Celestia stood quietly as she watched the sunrise and looked out across the city from her spire’s window. Despite the beautiful view, she closed her eyes then inhaled deeply, the luminance of her horn dulling then fading completely as she did.

Finding it difficult to face what was troubling her, instead she distracted herself by focusing on things she couldn’t see. Honey and cinnamon wafted lightly on a cool breeze, the delicious scents drifting her thoughts to the blossoming royal gardens. She could almost picture the various flowers and their assortment of colorful pedals, and though the sweet fragrances managed to distract her for a time, something else caught her attention as well. Over the distant roar of the neighboring waterfalls, trumpets sounded across the kingdom, their blare an age old custom signifying the change from night to day. With the announcement of morning's arrival, ponies would soon fill the various brick and stone streets, but rather than feel elated Canterlot had made it safely to another day, the princess twisted her lips in frustration.

“So many years have gone by... I had so much time to prepare and yet now I don’t even know the first thing to say.” Celestia bowed her head and stifled a small sigh. “I have my sister once more… but, by doing this, do I chance losing her once again?” Her heart ached at the notion.

Slowly turning from the window, her freshly brushed mane slid from her shoulders, the sunlight making the colors of her hair gleam. “No matter what's happened in the past, this is Luna’s place – her home." Feeling almost as if she were lecturing herself, she paused a moment and imagined what Star Swirl would say if he were here. "She's taken the form of her younger self... The burden of protecting Equestria cannot be beared by such tiny shoulders.” She mimicked the ancient mage's deeper voice and smiled at the thought of having his guidance at a time like this.

Trying not to be overcome by her worries, Celestia breathed deeply once more, allowing her thoughts to again be overrun by flowers in bloom, but nodded as she knew what had to be done. “There's still so much left to prepare her for, but until her memories return, being a part of the cycle we once shared is something she'll never be ready to endure. My sister must understand the sacrifices that were made to give her this chance...”

In a puff of smoke and green flame, a tiny scroll appeared then bounced as it landed upon Celestia’s desk. Almost as quickly as it had appeared, Celestia’s magic lifted the scroll and floated it across the massive chambers over to her. As it came to a stop and hovered magically before her, the tiny wax seal split and the scroll unrolled. The princess wasted no time reading its contents.

Dear Princess Celestia,

These last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind, but I can't thank you enough for allowing me to stay in Ponyville!

I just wanted you to know, Spike and I should be arriving at the Canterlot train station in just a short while. Once we're there, we have a few places to visit, but the important thing is we’ll be picking up our last few items to finish the move. Before we get started though, we'll be sure to stop by the castle to visit!

See you soon!

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

As she finished reading, Celestia looked to a large trunk sitting in a corner of her chambers and smiled. "As always, your timing couldn't be any more perfect, my little pony."

* * * * * * * *

A tiny dark blue alicorn stood upon her balcony and blinked heavily as she peered across the beautiful morning landscape then drowsily covered her mouth with a forehoof. "It'sh... s'ho pwetty..." She said, barely managing to squeek out the words between yawns. With a gentle rub of her eyes, she turned from the golden view of the city to look inside her room, where her giant fluffy bed waited invitingly.

Princess Luna's expression suddenly turned stern. "Nuh uh! I cannot think of resting! Big sister wants to meet with me!" She said stoicly and gave a determined nod as she flapped her wings, slowly lifting herself into the air. "But... I suppose there isn't any reason why I couldn't wait under the covers."

Giggling, she fluttered lazily across the room until hovering just above her bed. Preparing for a nice, soft landing into the warm folds of her blankets, she stretched her legs and began to slowly descend... But a sudden, loud knock startled her. Losing control, she crashed face-first into a mound of pillows.

"Luna?" A familiar voice said the princess's name from behind the large chamber door. Magically glowing soft yellow, the door slowly creaked open and Princess Celestia peeked inside. "Oh, I had hoped I wouldn't wake you!"

"No, um... " Luna quickly dug herself free from the soft mound then brushed away a thick wave of sparkling blue hair which immediately fell right back onto her face. "I... wasn't ash'leep-" she stopped mid-sentence to fight back another yawn, this one stealing her voice. "I just thought it would be nice to wait for you while in bed. It probably wasn't the best idea..." She smiled sheepishly and fidgeted as she peeked at her sister through her bangs.

Celestia's smirk turned into a warm smile as she leaned forward and nuzzled Luna. "It's quite alright. It's my fault I made you wait and I'm sure you're exhausted. But..." She paused a moment, as if considering her words carefully. "The matter I've come to speak with you of is very important. However, I fear it's also something that may be difficult to face... Are you certain you're ready?"

Luna blinked hard, determined to push back the ever-encroaching sleepiness. "I'm not that tired, really! Please, let's not delay this any longer..."

Celestia gave an appreciative nod then looked behind her to the door she had just entered through. "Then, to get started... I have some things to show you."

Luna almost jumped in excitement, a sudden burst of energy flowing through her washing away the haze of sleepiness. "Really? What are they?"

Celestia held her cheerful expression but Luna could tell she was masking her feelings. There was sadness in her eyes. "They're belongings of yours... from everything that happened."

Luna swallowed nervously. "I... I see. I've tried, but... I cannot remember much from then."

Celestia's horn sparkled and glowed softly, her magic fully opening the door to the chambers revealing a large wood and iron-bound trunk sitting in the hallway. Moving to give it space to bring inside, she then used her magic to carry the trunk across the room then sat it near Luna's bed. "I'm hoping this will help."

Luna gazed at the large wooden box a moment, somewhat uncertain what to do.

"I sealed it many ages ago with a locking spell that can only be undone by one of us," Celestia patted the top of the trunk with a hoof. "Inside you'll find the items I spoke of."

"I just... I'm not sure I understand, sister?"

Celestia's foreleg slid from the trunk as she looked at Luna curiously. "And what's that?"

"Why? Why would you keep anything of mine... I may not remember much, but I know I had to have done something terrible. If not for Twilight Sparkle and her friends..."

Celestia's head tilted as if surprised but her expression was sympathetic. "Time has healed much... Even so, you're here now - not as you once were, but as Princess Luna. The world is ready for your return and both Equestria and I are greatly in need of your aid," Celestia gave a long sigh then closed her eyes deep in thought. "But it's important that you remember what happened... It will almost certainly be painful, but the choices you made will always be a part of you... And because of that, you need to learn from them."

Luna looked to the floor, suddenly noticing all the cracks in the stone. "Are you... certain?

Celestia gave a single nod, her colorful mane flowing like liquid from the motion. "I believe bottling up your feelings is what lead to so many of the terrible things that happened. Keeping your memories locked away, like the items in here," she gestured to the trunk then continued. "Might only lead to another rift forming between us."

Luna's expression turned grim as her eyes finally moved from the floor to the large trunk.

Celestia moved close then draped her head over Luna's shoulder, embracing her. "This isn't something you'll face alone. Whatever happens, whatever you remember... I'm here for you, always."

Just being so near her sister seemed to help bring a sense of calm to her fears. Taking a deep breath, Luna closed her eyes and inserted her horn into the trunk's rather basic looking lock.

Various runes of stars and moons glowed intensely across the iron bands of the trunk as a series of clicks and pops came from within. With a creak and spatter of dust, the top of the large box slowly opened. Together, Luna and Celestia blinked then looked to one another and laughed as they both realized they had both taken a step back.

After scratching her head nervously, Luna slowly edged close to the trunk, then, after a quick glance to her sister for reassurance, took a peek inside. To her surprise, nothing stirred within the box and nothing glowed with magic. She had imagined she'd have to defend herself from something, but instead she only found a dust-covered charcoal-black breastplate, various large scrolls and an exceedingly worn book adorned with her cutie mark on its ancient cover.

An amethyst spark flared at the tip of Luna's horn as she used her magic to lift the items carefully from the trunk then floated them gently to the floor before her.

"Do they hold any meaning?" Celestia's voice was hushed, cautious.

Uncertain what to say, Luna gave a tiny nod but stayed quiet and began to slowly inspect each item. She started first on the scrolls. Fearful they may crumble, she unrolled one gently and only part way to see what was upon it. "My paintings... You kept these?"

Celestia nodded, then used her own magic to carefully unfurl another one of the scrolls completely. "You had a gift for intertwining your spells into your art, do you remember?"

Luna took a deep breath and nodded. The painting, a detailed image of the bustling old marketplace of inner Canterlot at midday, contained an intricate weaving of magical glyphs that formed the picture.

"Star Swirl himself assured me there wasn't a mage that could match what you accomplished with these..."

Luna knew her sister was being respectful, but this had never been painted to display her talent. With the correct invocation, the image would change to a view of the empty streets of the market at night. She could hazily remember how sickened and angry she felt as she painted each stroke, and the thought of feeling so alone - so isolated - made her bottom lip quiver. Exhaustion wore on her again and slowly she bowed her head.

Celestia gently touched Luna on the shoulder then sat on her haunches. "I am sorry, Luna... I knew this wouldn't be easy. Perhaps it'd be best to move on. How about the armor? Does it stir any memories?"

Giving a tiny nod, Luna gently set the scroll with the others and released her spell. She then shifted her attention to the black breastplate. With a soft puff, she gently blew on it creating a tiny cloud of dust then looked closely at the armor.

Though it was dinged and heavily worn in many places, it also had intricate details such as engraved ponies holding spears and silver edging, meaning this breastplate was likely worn by somepony in a high position, possibly the royal guard of old. She couldn't be sure of whose it might be, but as she noticed the image of a crescent moon on the hindquarters where the wearer's cutimark would be, she had a stirring feeling of who its owner was but still couldn't quite place it.

Annoyed at the fuzziness of her memories, she gave a small sigh and turned her attention to the final item. The soft glow of her purple magic lifted the ancient book into the air, but rather than simply bring it to her she turned and brought it to the edge of the bed. As it settled, something within the pages slipped free. Curious as to what it might be, she lifted the book's cover but froze in place.

"Luna? What is it? Are you... alright?"

Celestia's voice sounded distant. Slowly Luna reached forward and gently touched the item - a crimson dragon's scale - and shuddered as a wave of emotion struck her. There was so many ways to answer her sister's simple question, but she couldn't speak with the horrors of eons past running through her mind. In that fleeting instant she knew this was something Celestia could never help with.

Unwilling to give in to the flood of anguish from her renewed memories, the princess of the night closed her eyes and confronted the darkness within...

Chapter One: The Messenger

In the Blizzard-Covered Skies, Western Equestria

"Are you certain we're headed the right way?!" A female voice shouted from the swirling darkness.

"I'm pretty sure..." Stormstrike responded loudly then muttered to himself, "but I'm starting to hope I'm wrong." The ink-black pegasus scraped his goggles with a hoof and peered into the winter storm to look for his companion. Though she sounded close enough to touch, he couldn't spot her through the cloudy veil. "Cyclone, try to stay next to me. It's getting too hard to see anything in this mess and I don't want us to get separated."

Almost appearing from the clouds, the outline of a pegasus shifted into a tighter formation, the frost coating her silver armor and light-pink coat making her look nearly as white as her mane. "Storm... You know I'd follow you anywhere - even into this crazy weather - but I don't think I'll be able to stay in flight much longer." Cyclone said loudly and moved forward to display her frozen wings. "Even my feathers are freezing up."

Pursing his lips, Stormstrike gave a single nod. His onyx armor had been enchanted to help protect him from the frigid winds, but this storm was unusual - possibly even magical in nature - and was worse than any blizzard he had ever seen. Like Cyclone's, his own wings were starting to become coated in ice as well and because of it he could barely maintain a steady glide on the erratic air. Determined not to give up just yet, he looked to the silver necklace clasped in his hoof and saw the the glow of its red, purple and pink gems intensify. "Maybe we won't have to stay up here much longer! It's glowing brighter!"

Cyclone slid back the goggle over her left eye and gave Stormstrike a questioning side glance. “This seems like an awfully strange place for a princess, don't ya think?”

“I can't say I disagree, but we've been in this cloud cover for so long I can't even say where we are," he said as he glanced once more to the element of harmony then back to Cyclone. "For whatever reason this is where the element lead us. She has to be close.”

Cyclone popped the goggle back over her eye. “Well, I sure hope that thing isn't taking us on some sorta wild bird cha-” She cut herself short and tilted her head, her ice-encrusted ears shifting as she listened intensely. "Hey... what is that?”

Stormstrike looked about but aside from endless speckles of snow he couldn't see anything through the dark clouds. Instead, he heard what he briefly thought was thunder. Then he heard it again... and again... and again. It was repeating, like the air burst of massive wings and it was growing louder. His heart raced as he realized what it was. Before he could shout a warning, it was already too close.

Cyclone cried out as a scaled claw larger than her body emerged from the cloudy darkness and enveloped her like a bladed-cage. Stormstrike tucked in his left wing and let the drag of his right make him cut sharply and dodge as the same claw tried to snatch him up as well. As he spun, he watched as the full body of the largest red dragon he had ever seen appeared from the dark haze, its eyes shining with an unnatural purple glow.

He gripped the element of harmony with all his strength and went into a full dive. Thunder crackled as he emerged from the thick cloud cover and though he was relieved to be able to see clearly once again his stomach turned as he saw the area below. He peered across the lava pools and rocky terrain stretching out in every direction and now knew exactly where he was. Smokey Mountain... Right over the home of those lizards, he thought and grit his teeth.

Panicked screams filled the rushing wind in his ears. He knew the only way to save Cyclone would be to put some distance between himself and the beast so he'd have room to maneuver, but as he glanced behind him, all hope of out-flying it left his thoughts. The massive dragon had also turned into a dive and was almost upon him, the maw of its snake-like head opened wide.

* * * * * * * *

Throne Room, Canterlot Castle

"Princess? Um... Did you hear me?” Stopping short of clearing her throat, the light-blue unicorn blew a hair from her face then straightened her glasses. The tight weave of her hair bun was starting to come apart from all of her fidgeting, and she made a mental-note never to wear this hairstyle again, at least not on a sure-to-be-stressful day - or a STaBS day, as she preferred to call them. Cursing her inability to not have every out-of-place detail bother her, quickly she brushed away a few more loose strands of her velvety black bangs behind her ear, all the while hoping for Princess Celestia's attention to quickly return.

"Oh... I'm very sorry." Celestia finally turned and gave an apologetic nod to her royal adviser. "I just..." The princess looked across the massive dome-like throne room, her attention now residing on the empty silver and blue throne of her sister. "Have much on my mind."

A twinge of guilt hit Calligraphy as she followed Celestia's gaze. "That's completely understandable." Uncertain what else to add, she held her breath a moment then decided to continue on with the daily brief. "Well, there was just one more major detail I wanted to clear with you about the festival tomorrow-"

"It's been twenty-three days since Luna was last here..." Celestia spoke up abruptly, her voice soft and distant.

Though the princess had worked hard to keep things in order, she had clearly grown distraught over the past week. Calligraphy's shoulders slumped as she tried to understand what Celestia might be feeling. At the very least, she knew she had to say something. Trying to select her words carefully, she magically removed her glasses and briefly closed her eyes. "I've never had a sister... or, well, any siblings for that matter... so I cannot even begin to imagine what you're going through." Feeling awkward for trying to console the princess, she took a moment to distract herself by looking to the various statues on display in the throne room. When were those last cleaned? Ever? I'll have somepony from maintenance... Gah, not now! - focus Calli, she mentally scolded herself and looked to the princess. "Um, Your Highness... What I'm trying to say is... I know you can't help worrying, but keep in mind there's been just as many nights as there have been days. Princess Luna's out there, somewhere. Besides, you told me leaving was her choice... and whatever that reason may have been, I'm sure she'll return once she's ready."

There was a long pause and the vast chamber of the throne room had become eerily quiet. After what felt like an eternity, Celestia finally nodded and gave a tiny smile. "Thank you, I'm certain you're right." Taking a moment to wipe her eyes, she continued. "And... I must apologize once more for interrupting you earlier. What was the last detail you wanted to discuss?"

Thankful to move on to another topic, Calligraphy perked up. Quickly returning her glasses to her face, she used her magic to bring her clipboard close so she could look over a few details. "Um, let's see... decorations, covered... armor requisitions... no, no..." Somewhat flustered she had lost her place, she tapped her chin until she found her marker then smiled. "Oh, city security! Because of the amount of attendees expected at tomorrow's festival, the military and your royal guard have been heavily overburdened. For the next couple of days, I've requested a portion of the soldiers from the outlying towns to return and help within the city. They should be arriving by train today."

Celestia nodded and began to say something, but a sudden loud knock at the throne room doors interrupted her. Almost as sudden as the knock, the massive wooden doors opened inwards and a unicorn royal guard in his full golden armor rushed inside.

"Your Highness!" The guard spoke loudly and kneeled.

Princess Celestia moved down the steps of her throne and stood beside Calligraphy, her mane flowing like a liquid rainbow from the sudden stop. "What is it? Has something happened?"

"Your Highness... it's Princess Luna's chambers! The guards assigned to its entrance were just found unconscious!"

The orange magic keeping the clipboard suspended in the air flickered as Calligraphy nervously looked to Celestia. The princess was unmoving and aside from her endlessly flowing mane and tail looked almost like a statue. Suddenly, the princess's eyes closed. "Were my sister's chambers entered?"

The guard slowly raised his head. "I cannot say, Your Highness... Something magical protects the room and nopony has dared go near the door. And... while it might be nothing, there's one more thing."

Calligraphy moved forward, barely gaining the courage to speak. "What else?"

"It's unconfirmed but we fear this may be related..." The royal guard swallowed and looked to Calligraphy, his brow furrowed in concern. "There's also a guard missing that was on night duty. A search has just begun for him."

"Please let us know as soon as you've found out more." Celestia spoke up and nodded. "For now, please escort me to Luna's chambers. I need to see what's happened personally."

* * * * * * * *

Smokey Mountain's Peak

The sound of sputtering lava did little to stir Stormstrike awake, but the putrid scent of sulfur and burning coal made him cough loudly and warily open his eyes. With a groan, he slid his cracked, dirt-coated goggles on top of his helmet. He found himself laying upon dusty, charred earth and as his vision began to clear, he noticed a thin stream of lava had made its way from one pool to another almost side-by-side with him. Seeing his hind-leg was too close to the liquid stone, he woozily stood to move away only to find himself right along a cliff's edge. With his wings partially spread for balance, he flicked his tail nervously and took a step back.

"Where... Am I?" He whispered softly to himself and looked about. In response, a deep roll of thunder rumbled overhead. The winter storm blanketed the sky and aside from the orange glow of lava pools and volcanic fissures the entire area was dark as night. Trying to remember how he had gotten here, his stomach tightened as a sense of fear overwhelmed him. In a panic he whirled to look in every direction. "Cyclone! Where are... you-?!"

Instantly the pink pegasus appeared beside him, almost as if the acrid smoke and her were one and the same. Cyclone gave her usual crooked smile and slid back her goggles. "I'm right here... it's about time you woke up."

In total disbelief, Stormstrike rubbed his eyes. "What... how did you get away? Are you alright?!" He rushed forward to touch her but his hoof passed through her body, making her vanish once more into a swirling dark mist. Trembling, he held his foreleg outward, hoping somehow she'd return.

"She was merely a shadow given form," a feminine voice spoke aloud from behind him. "And her usefulness has come to an end."

With a loud crackle, the electrified sky rippled with blue lightning. Echoing thunder sent tremors through the earth as Stormstrike turned, his eyes widening at what he saw.

Princess Luna spread her wings making the thick smoke part from her, the purple luminance of her horn fading to darkness as she moved forward. Beside her, the element of harmony floated lazily in the air, as if gravity had no effect upon it.

"Princess?" Quickly he lowered his head in a formal bow then looked to her in disbelief. "Is it... really you?"

The princess stood quietly, but merely the tilt of her head made Stormstrike stop short of saying more. Slowly she tucked her wings to her side, her blue eyes strikingly bright amidst the darkness. "I am impressed you made the full trip here... even if it did require some assistance."

"But... I don't understand? It was Princess Celestia that asked... this of..." He oddly felt like he was lying and his voice drifted off as he looked about in confusion. His throat felt dry and raw, he quickly coughed to clear it then continued. "We were supposed to use the element to find you!"

"Is that so?" Luna smirked briefly, quickly replaced by a snarl. "My sister is nothing but a foal, but never would she allow my element to be taken from the city. To do so required finding somepony suitable - one that could be controlled and slip away unnoticed," for a moment, her expression softened. "And you, my dear little pony, were easily persuaded to suit my needs."

Stormstrike shook his head once but he couldn't speak. He couldn't believe what he was hearing but the guilt writhing in his gut confirmed it was true.

"It was almost pitiful, really... But at least you proved effective," Luna motioned a hoof at Stormstrike. "And because of you, I can finally move forward with my plans."

He struggled to stand straight and took a shallow breath. His strength had left him. "What... have you made me do?!"

"You imply I forced you to do this?" Luna gazed coldly at him. "I simply opened your heart to what you truly desired - Cyclone, I believe her name was? A fellow guard, no less - and you jumped at the chance to bring me what I required." Turning ever slightly, her attention now lingered on the element of harmony magically hovering next to her.

For a brief moment Stormstrike felt his heart surge and the blood boil in his veins. He had never been so angry, but he grit his teeth to try and suppress it. "Whatever your reasons... it doesn't matter... The important thing for now is I've found you! Princess Celestia will want you returned to the castle!"

Luna's jaw clenched and her head lowered aggressively. Stormstrike swallowed as he noticed the spouts of lava reflected brightly upon her silver armor. To him, the princess of the night looked like living fire. "That's what my sister wants, does she?"

Stormstrike took a step back as he heard deep laughter from multiple sources he couldn't see. Beyond the smoke, his eyes could barely make out what looked like dark outlines of massive figures, the glimmer of purple energy glowing brightly in their eyes.

"You look fearful... but calm yourself, I still have need of you yet." Luna pointed a foreleg his direction. "You were the last of my nightguard, Stormstrike. Not long ago, my sister had decided she wanted it to be part of her royal guard... and so, over time, one by one, every member of my elite guard were taken from me... And now, you are the only remaining pony to still wear that armor."

"I... I don't understand? What is it you need me to do?" Stormstrike nervously asked.

"Despite your flaws, you still exhibit an invaluable trait - loyalty. Because of that, you will have the honor of returning to the city and announcing my return." Luna's fiery gaze remained, but there was now a hint of respect in her voice.

Stormstrike blinked, disbelieving what he had just heard. "Are you certain? I'd be honored... And I'm sure they'll be relieved-"

"It seems you misunderstand, so allow me to give you clarity..." Luna's horn flared with amethyst, the surge of power fully parting the smoke of the area in a blast of heated air. Her magic created a field of energy around Stormstrike that pinned his wings and slowly lifted him from the ground. "Look around... allow my intentions to sink in fully. I assure you, unlike your precious Cyclone, my pets are not illusions."

He gasped from the power crushing him but more so of what he saw behind Luna. The glowing eyes he had seen earlier belonged to easily fifty or more dragons of various sizes, all of them clearly controlled by the princess's magic. Amongst them, the monstrous red dragon that had chased him before towered above them all. "You're... going to attack Canterlot?"

Luna waved a foreleg, the motion bringing Stormstrike close. "Attack? No, no. You have it all wrong." She smirked but her eyes narrowed dangerously. "I'm going to reduce it to ash."

"Why? Why would you do this? It's your ho-home?" He breathlessly spoke. The magic had crushed nearly all of the air from his lungs and it wouldn't be long before he'd fall unconscious. "You're a prin-cess... of... Eques-tria. You can't-can't do this!"

"As I am now... I am a princess of nothing." Tears welled in Luna's eyes as she turned away. "So very few care for my glorious night..." She motioned to the element of harmony and released the spell on Stormstrike, sending him collapsing hard onto the charred soil. "That will soon change... but first, I must strip my sister of her strength - and that includes taking from her the city she loves so dearly."

Stormstrike coughed and struggled to get to his hooves. "Please, Your Highness! Please don't do this! I'm the only one that knows what happened here... I'll tell nopony, not a soul! Just..." he gasped for air and shook his head, feeling overwhelmed. "Come home peacefully!"

"It's much too late for that." Luna plucked the element of harmony from the air and spread her wings, but held a moment to look at him. Tears trailed down her cheeks. "Return to Canterlot... Tell them... tell my sister, come next nightfall, her precious home will be no more."

Chapter Two: Shattered Harmony

Spire of the Moon, Canterlot Castle

Seeing she was nearing the crest of the winding purple staircase, Princess Celestia slowed her pace. She had felt so hurried to get to her sister's chambers, but there was something foreboding, something that made her feel strangely leery the higher she ascended the tower. She had tried to brush aside the notion, thinking it merely a side-effect of her already deep concern for Luna and what had happened to her chamber guards, but the uneasy feeling had only grown in strength, to the point that the eeriness was almost a tangible entity physically compelling her to leave. She needed answers, but decided others shouldn't have to face whatever was causing this.

The princess took one more step then came to a stop and spread her wing to motion those following her to do the same. Behind her, four royal guards moving together stopped completely then stood at the ready, their armored hooves clattering on the carpeted staircase as they shifted their stance. Celestia looked them over but it was unnecessary – the fear in their eyes was clear. “From here I’ll need to go alone.” She said quietly.

“Your Highness!” Silver Shield began, one of her most trusted in the royal guard. “Please... let us-”

Celestia raised her foreleg then slowly shook her head. She didn't want to give any of her guards a chance to press the matter, but seeing their concern she smiled to hopefully make them feel more at ease. “Please wait for me here. I won’t be long.”

Turning, she pulled her wing to her side and moved from the staircase into the dark hall leading to her sister’s chambers. As she moved forward, she felt as if she were stepping into night itself.

Torches hung upon iron sconces that lined each wall, and though their flickering magical blue flames would never burn out, they brought almost no light to the area. Reminding herself that Luna could see much better in the absence of light than her, yellow magic ignited upon Celestia’s horn, the magical energy a tiny beacon in the void-like darkness. As she continued on, she noticed most of the windows had been sealed but figured it wouldn't matter much if they were opened anyhow - she could sense the sun was at its peak in the sky but the dark clouds of an approaching blizzard had completely drowned out the star’s light. Even so, there was still one window she wanted to view – one that was normally beautiful at any point, day or night.

She peered down to the end of the hall, an area just outside the aura of her magical light, and barely managed to see the large stained glass window her sister had magically created with the tower only a few years past. The princess knew the imagery of it well – the vibrant glass depicted Luna and Celestia near their previous home, the Castle of the Two Sisters, the both of them united together at the tree of harmony – but no light shone through it, leaving it instead looking black, featureless.

Trying not to let the dreariness affect her, Celestia continued forward but after only a couple of steps, she briefly looked curiously at the vaporous white puffs of her breath and realized it was nearly as cold here as it was outside the tower. The magical wards of the castle protect it from all harsh weather, but for some reason it didn’t seem to be in effect within the hall. Her eyes narrowed at the mounting questions but she continued on until finally standing in front of the door to her sister's chambers, where she hoped she could finally get some answers.

Something magical protects the room and nopony has dared go near the door, she remembered what the guard had said earlier and slowly pressed her hoof onto the large door's handle. At her touch, the handle turned itself and she could hear the click of the lock release. The door creaked loudly then slowly opened inward. Feeling frightened by the unusual welcome, she swallowed to push back the strange feeling and stepped across the threshold and into her sister's chambers.

Within the room, the light of her horn made speckles of dust and ice shine like snowflakes dancing in the frigid air. "Luna... are you here, sister?" She whispered cautiously.

"Whooo... Whooooo." A strange voice replied.

Celestia slowly looked across the area but her vision seemed blocked, as if the darkness were trying to engulf her light. The energy of her horn intensified until its shimmering golden glow nearly filled the chamber. She smirked and felt relieved as she spotted what had spoke - in a large opened cage, a snow owl hooted once more, its eyes shining brightly.

She's always shown affection for some of the most unusual pets, she thought. Trying to shake the feeling of being startled, Celestia sighed then turned to the far wall and realized something was out of place. “Where... is her necklace?” She whispered then glanced about, thinking maybe it had been placed elsewhere. Dread began to creep into her chest the more she searched - the glow of the element of harmony wasn't anywhere to be found.

She slowly made her way to where the necklace should've been on display, to where the room was still darkest. The glow of her horn created long shadows across the front half of a black alicorn that had been carved into the stone, its wings spread upright and its head lowered into a bow. Where Luna's element of harmony should reside – the statue's bear neck – was empty. She moved closer to inspect it, but what she found on the wall made her shake her head and bring a hoof to her mouth in shock.

Though rich purple drapes covered most of the walls, around her sister's statue they had been torn down and the remnant of what looked to be Celestia's cutie mark had been painted upon the stone. Through the center, the image had been smeared and was incomplete. In its place, runes had been painted over the remains of the cutie mark and as she moved close, the paint of the runes began to glow, as if reacting to her magic. Though they were of an older Equestrian dialect, Celestia could read them clearly.

A n a t h e m a.

The princess shrunk back, feeling tears forming at the edge of her eyes. "What's made you do this?" She asked quietly. “Do you... hate me, Luna?”

She looked to the opened balcony filled with snow then once more to the statue where the element of harmony should reside, and fighting back the trembling in her bottom lip, she swallowed hard. “I can't put it off any longer... Whether she wants to be here or not, I must find my sister!”

Quickly Celestia turned and exited the chamber, determined to return once more to the throne room - there, she was confident she could lead the search to find Princess Luna.

* * * * * * * *

Smokey Mountain's Peak

"I... I can't do this!" Stormstrike shouted then gave a wracking cough as he warily made it to his hooves. Taking a few deep breaths still recovering from from the crushing power of Luna's magic, he watched as the princess flew higher and higher into the air, passing over an outcropping of blackened stone until hovering directly above a massive volcanic fissure. She didn't look his way, or give any indication she could even hear him, but he refused to give up. "You can't really expect me to return like this... There has to be a way to bring you back-" Something out of the corner of his eye made him shift and with a gasp he lunged out of the way as a clawed wing split the stony earth.

A sleek blue dragon, its eyes burning brightly with purple energy, turned and pivoted toward Stormstrike, putting itself between him and the princess. It took a step forward then lowered its wide head and spread its wings, seemingly creating a barrier.

Stormstrike grimaced as he watched the dragon pull its long black claws from the stoney earth where he had stood only seconds prior. “It'll take more than that to get me to leave.” He unclasped his helmet then quickly pulled his dusty black mane from the top. Without looking at it, he tossed the helm to his side.

Though they were intimidating, he had fought against dragons before. Even though the massive lizards had been exiled to the borders of Equestria, on rare occasion, an adventurous one would find their way into the kingdom and sometimes it took more than politely asking to get them to return home. He knew that even with their size and incredible power, most lacked agility, especially in flight. Even without a weapon, there was a chance he could still get to the princess, somehow make her change her mind. For a moment he considered removing his breastplate as well - he knew he'd likely need the extra speed. He glanced once more to Luna, still uncertain what to do... but his eyes opened wide in disbelief. Any fear he had of the dragon blurred away as he lunged forward, his black wings spread for takeoff. "No! Princess... NO!"

Stormstrike leapt forward then spiraled midair only barely missing the snapping jaw of the blue dragon, but its snout caught his side sending him barreling onto the ground and crashing against a boulder. Weakly, he looked up.

High above, the element of harmony tumbled through the air, released from the aura of magic keeping it afloat. The beautiful necklace sparkled silently, like a falling star coursing through the sky, then vanished as it went into the massive gaping fissure.

* * * * * * * *

Canterlot's Throne Room

"For now, it's more important that we keep... every... thing..." Celestia blinked, unable to finish her sentence. Something was horribly wrong. It felt like her heart was being crushed and suddenly she couldn't breathe. She swallowed and looked helplessly to Calligraphy who had just greeted her return to the throne room.

The light-blue unicorn flinched and held her chest, the sudden motion causing her glasses to slip down to her nose. She whimpered painfully then looked to Celestia, terror in her eyes.

The flooring seemed to become wobbly and the princess couldn't seem to steady herself. She tried to use her wings but they only seemed to make it worse. Trembling, she could feel the sweat upon her brow. There was a tone, a whistling shriek of anguish, that she couldn't hear yet filled her mind. Her eyes closed and she stumbled backward. Faintly, she heard somepony shouting her name.

Princess Celestia collapsed and in a sparkling flash, her crown fell from her head and tumbled across the tiled floor. Before falling unconscious, breathlessly she tried to speak, but only managed a single word.

"Sis... ter..."

* * * * * * * *

Smokey Mountain's Peak

Dusty tears matted the coat of his cheeks as Stormstrike pulled himself to the edge of the fissure. The searing pain within him had passed but he felt hollow, like part of him had been stripped away. His eyes burned as he looked desperately into the fiery depths to see if there was any hope - any chance at all - he could save the element of harmony. Through the thick rising smoke he could only find a single golden ring in the lava and he shook his head the tiniest bit in disbelief. The element had clearly passed through the crust and into the super-heated stone. It was gone.

Gagging and his eyes watering from the acrid fumes, slowly he slid back from the edge and laid his head against a jutting stone. A mix of emotions tore through him - he wanted to scream out in rage just as much as he wanted to curl up and cry – but he didn't submit to his anguish. It was impossible to believe, but as he tried to cope with the reality of what had happened, he clenched his eyes shut and gave a shuttering sigh.

Tell them... tell my sister, come next nightfall her precious city will be no more, Princess Luna’s last command passed through his memory. He tried to picture her face as she spoke those words – to imagine how she must feel to do something so unthinkable - but something unusual amongst the sounds of the storm and the churning earth made him tilt his ears and listen intently.

“Laughter?” He whispered questioningly. He was certain that’s what he heard, but there was something about it… something that, despite the burning ground he sat upon, chilled him to the bone. Strangely, almost as quickly as he had heard it, it was replaced by an odd ringing tone that was getting louder with each passing moment. Uncertain if he was just hearing things he slowly opened his eyes to look for its source.

He looked across the hellish landscape and was distracted by the heavy, almost thunderous clap of wings and saw the dragons were taking flight. He quickly glanced from side to side, watching as the massive reptiles lifted themselves into the air. Seemingly having lost interest, even the blue dragon that had blocked him earlier spread its wings then soared into the air to join the others. A legion of those beasts, all heading to the East - all heading to Canterlot, he thought.

As he watched the dragons move together then vanish into the thick storm clouds, he realized the unusual sound from before had only grown more intense - to the point that it was now almost piercing. He rubbed his ears to try and shut out the painful tone but noticed the area around him strangely had a purple tint to it. Briefly thinking his vision hadn’t fully cleared, he began to sift a hoof through the ash and soil but stopped as he noticed he too was glowing. Slowly his eyes went from the base of the fissure to where he had last seen Luna.

High above, the storm clouds spiraled like the eye of a hurricane, the winter maelstrom circling around a purple light as bright as a tiny star. Gasping and now feeling the hair of his neck rising, Stormstrike sprung to his hooves and spread his wings to get airborne. Just as his hooves left the charred soil, the heavy smoke curled away as a blast of purple energy erupted from the alicorn high above.

In the span of a sonic boom, the thunderous magic streaked downward and coursed into the mountain, the powerful energy sending tremors throughout the area that created glowing ruptures across the stoney earth. As the ground split apart, steam thermals burst from the cracks, the fiery air spinning Stormstrike skyward. Struggling to maintain control, he watched in horror as the area where he sat only moments prior collapsed inward and was engulfed into a massive pool of churning lava, devoured in an instant by the molten rock.

“A grand beginning, is it not?” A female voice emphatically said. “A testament of what's to come.”

Stormstrike tilted his wings so he could look to his side and found a dark alicorn peering at him intensely, her strange icy blue eyes glowing with energy. "Princess... Luna?" He asked fearfully, already knowing the answer.

The alicorn grinned wickedly. “Don’t be foolish,” her attention went from Stormstrike to the brewing fires below, her sparkling ethereal mane and tail flowing unaffected by the torrential winds. “I am that which she could never be, but should have always been… I am the darkness that shall envelop this land.” She didn’t turn her head, but her irises slid upward and met Stormstrike’s eyes. “You may call me, Nightmare Moon.”

Stormstrike clenched his teeth and swallowed nervously. One time, long ago, he had witnessed the incredible magic used to change the day to night and the pony before him radiated that same celestial power. Never would he have thought that the magic of a princess could be used to bring so much destruction.

“The light of this world will soon be extinguished... and once it has, Equestria will start anew.” Lightning cascaded through the swirling sky and flashed brightly upon her dark armor as Nightmare Moon spoke confidently and turned her full attention to Stormstrike. “Night eternal is at its beginning, little pony... The time has come for you to announce its arrival.”

He gave a slow nod and met the terrifying gaze of Nightmare Moon. There was so much he wanted to say but he forced himself to remain silent. Below, the mountain shuddered as it began to erupt. He briefly watched in awe as lava exploded outward and trailed down the mountain's rocky surface, but as he looked to where Nightmare Moon had been only moments before, the dark alicorn was nowhere to be found.

Knowing he couldn't stay here any longer and terrified as the thought of what was coming passed through his mind, he quickly angled his wings to turn east. He let the heated currents help give him a speed boost, but the storm had only gotten worse near the volcano and he knew he needed to get as far away as he could or else he might not be able to stay airborne.

As he streaked across the sky, the biting cold quickly returned, but with it came fresh air and he welcomed it. He knew with the tailwind of the blizzard he could make up lost time but he had a lot of air to cover before he could catch up to the dragons – and he knew that if the city had any chance, he needed to get ahead of them. Determined to not only warn Canterlot, but to save it, he flapped his wings as hard as he could.