Chapters Celestia sighed as she leaned back from the terminal. That was her one reply she gave herself every week. She almost thought to help them, but then remembered, it's not my problem, Luna turned her back. Why shouldn't I? The Princess's eyes glanced up and down the deserted halls.
They were dark, dusty and cold. No laughter or a smile warmed the atmosphere anymore. There was no skipping and playing anymore, everypony either ran for their lives or shuffled to wherever they were headed.
There was no happiness. No warmth. No joy. Equestria was a cold, heartless land now, and it was 'ruled' by a selfish, cruel pony.
But it wasn't always this way. Equestria used to be a land where everything was perfect, all three races of ponies lived in harmony, and two princesses shared the throne. Now, the sun is always obscured by thick brown clouds, only a few hundred ponies are in Equestria and Celestia sits in her castle all through the day and does nothing. Luna...well that's another story entirely, one that only Celestia doesn't know. It's for the best.
Let's hope she never finds out.
It would be the end of us.
Day and night was a difficult concept. Sometimes, the sun was up for more than an entire day, and others, there were less than three hours of filtered sunlight. But there was no nighttime. The sun only dipped just below the horizon for no more than an hour before reappearing above the world's edge. This made for extremely difficult living conditions.
It wasn't like Equestria's falling-apart happened all in one day. Celestia's greatness slowly fell away, and poor Luna tried all she could to change that.
Celestia started caring less and less about the well being of her citizens. "It's seven o'clock, sister. Time to raise the sun," Luna would say. She would always get one response. "Go away."
As time passed, the days seemed to fall off balance. And they did. Whenever the sun was raised, it was raised at a random time. Whenever the moon was raised, it was raised whenever Celestia felt like having Luna raise it. Luna knew not to get in the way of her elder sister's wrath.
One day, it all came to a boiling point. It was 11:30 at night, when Luna entered Celestia's chambers. "Celestia, lower the sun so I can raise the moon. Do you realize how late it is?"
"Do you realize how annoying you are?"
Luna sighed. "Sister, please. It would be wise of you to stop slacking off like you have been."
"At least everypony likes me," Celestia replied, desperately attempting to get Luna out of her chambers without using direct force.
"Not anymore they don't. Celestia, do you realize what you've been doing lately? You never lower the sun on time, and you never raise it on time either. One time, you didn't even raise it until one in the afternoon! You never leave your chambers, you sit in your bed all day. You've really stopped being everything you once were, and you need to stand up straight and start returning to you old self."
Celestia scoffed, "You should talk. All you do is come in here and nag at me all day long. Just leave me alone."
"I can't leave you alone and I shouldn't leave you alone when all you do is sit here and do nothing! If it weren't for my guidance, you'd leave the sun up all week!"
"Luna, just leave. You're starting to get on my nerves with all your incessant whining."
"That's just it. You just don't care." It took all of Luna's strength not to explode on her sister right then and there. "If you don't straighten up, this will be the last time we converse together."
Celestia responded by sitting up in her bed, and staring at Luna very intensely. "I know you, Luna. You couldn't leave. You're too weak."
Luna responded by walking closer to her sister. "Then so be it. Goodbye, sister. Let me know if you ever decide to return to how you were."
Luna bent down and embraced her sister for what would probably be the last time. "I love you," Luna said.
Celestia snorted.
Luna stood up straight. "So long, dear sister."
"Bye."
Luna walked out of her elder sister's chambers for the last time. A single tear fell down her cheek as she gathered what she needed from her room and left the castle.
She remembered all the great memories she had. Her first Nightmare Night back from her millineum long imprisonment, all the memories from when she and her sister ruled in harmony. It was all over now. She just needed somewhere else to go.
The other towns weren't hit so hard by Celestia's crash. She eventually decided on visiting some for a while while she decided on where to go.
Sure, it was hard on her. Leaving everything she had to get away. But it needed to happen, and at least she had the respect of the citizens this time. She had to do something, and this was the best thing.
But the worst thing would be leaving her citizens. The ones that grew to love her, and not her sister. The ones that trusted her because she was the mature one. Leaving them would easily be the hardest thing she had ever done.
But it had to happen.
It all just seemed like a surreal experience that she would never experience again. Alas, there was nothing she could do. She had done all she could, but it wasn't enough. Maybe once her sister realized that she really had left for good, she'd come around. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking.
Author's Note
short chapter, I know.
I'm writing the next one as you read this.
Something to note: I wrote this all on my lonesome, without the help of my dear partner in crime, Mr. zachbobalu2.
V: A Frightful Solution
Living constantly without minimal sunlight isn't good for a soul, it makes room for depression, remorse and sorrow. The ponies that still lived within Equestria's boundaries were never smiling, never laughing, not even talking to one another!
Things have gone too far.
But a change is coming, and quite a big one at that.
"You did what !?"
"I do not understand why it is such a surprise, desperate times call for desperate measures."
"Well, um-- I mean yes! But couldn't you at least considered something else?"
Princess Luna, the sole ruler of Equestria, had requested that aid of the Changeling Empire.
This will be fun.
Author's Note
Thanks for putting up with me and my abysmal writing schedule.
Also, my and Zach (mostly zach) got to writing again! I did the first half like five months that ago and he wrote the second portion literally yesterday. Not his fault though.
Blame me.
Anyways, enjoy!
VI: Lionhearted
Should one look directly north-west from the top of Canterlot Castle, one would see a mountain range of incredible height in the distance. Beyond said mountains are the borders of the Queen's land, most of which is grassland, with some sparse forest mixed in for variety, I suppose. However, should one journey further into this majestic landscape, one would encounter a land much like Equestria, save a few miniscule differences: ponies were a very small minority (but that number was increasing daily), it was a relatively aggressive empire, and did not take kindly to drastic changes, ironically enough. It was this non-conforming attitude that made Queen Chrysalis very, very annoyed .
A changeling named Narok flew towards the palace as fast as he could, for he bore important news. He wondered what Equestria could possibly need from his empire, but quickly wiped those thoughts from his mind.
C'mon, just pay attention to where you're going. Don't think at all, just fly. Narok thought to himself as he neared his destination. Upon reaching his Queen's court, he steeled himself for the outburst that was sure to follow his arrival.
"My Queen, there is a letter from Princess Luna of Equestria for you. It says on here the contents are extremely important and concern the wellbeing of Equestria as well as our own lands." Narok stated.
"Read it aloud," Chrysalis said while waving a hoof in the messenger's general direction, not seeming to care.
That, however, couldn't be further from the truth.
Queen Chrysalis of the Changeling Empire,
My dear friend, I write to you in a time of dire circumstance. Celestia is not acting at all like herself, and it has had a very undesirable effect on my citizens. There is no more sun in Equestria. We cannot grow our own crops anymore, nor can we survive here for much longer.
My assistant and I will be arriving shortly to give you a more detailed report on the events that have been occurring in my realm.
Regards,
Princess Luna of Equestria
Once Norak finished the letter, he looked up at Chrysalis.
"My Queen, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Chrysalis responded. "Just a little annoyed that she's contacted us on such short notice is all."
Narok sighed, relieved.
"Thank you for your service," the Queen said, waving Narok out of her chambers. Once he was gone, the Queen smiled to herself. Now's my chance , she thought to herself.
She immediately began tidying up the place. It had been quite a long time since she'd had any visitors, other than her servants. She didn't tidy up her room for them though.
Once she had her own chambers spic and span, she moved out to inspect the surrounding chambers. The servants did an excellent job of keeping the place spotless. Never hurts to check, Chrysalis thought to herself, as she made her way throughout her castle making everything was perfect. And as she expected, it was.
"Is everything to your liking, Your Highness?" One of her servants, whom she identified as Voda inquired.
"If not, it'll have to do," Chrysalis said, pleased with how perfect everything turned out. She walked back to her chambers. "Now we wait," she said to herself, smiling.
Sender: Jet Stream, Pegasus
Recipient: Princess Celestia
Date: October 30, 2014
Subject: we need your help.
Equestria is in shambles. Ruin. Disorder. Even as I write this, there is fighting in the streets and criminals running rampant.
[attached audio file]
See what I mean? There is no hope for us if we don't have somepony like you to guide us. We are lost, hopeless, and weak.
The sun has been blocked out for three months now. The crops are all almost dead.
What happened to the Equestria we knew, Celestia? What happened to the bright, sunny days? The snow-filled Hearth's Warming Eves? Surely you can't have forgotten that quickly.
This is the last message this console can send, Celestia.
Don't ignore it like you do the others.
You can't.
Please.
[message sent, 7:09 pm. message read, 9:34 pm.]
Sender: Princess Celestia
Recipient: Jet Stream, Pegasus
Date: October 30, 2014
Subject: [not disclosed]
Jet Stream,
Your concern is duly noted.
Most of Canterlot was in a state of disrepair and neglect. The only building in reasonably good condition was the Royal Castle. There wasn't a pony who didn't mope around the town, discontented by the thoughts of what used to be.
Through everything that had happened over the course of the past year or so, Canterlot's elite citizens still maintained the same sort of attitude: they weren't very tolerant of others.
Of course, back in Canterlot's 'glory days', if you will, they all carried a different motivation for that attitude. Now, with there being only a mere three hundred or so ponies remaining, they were just wary of everything.
To put it in simple terms, life sucked.
Despite that though, the citizens did manage to push on, and make it through their current obstacles. Not to mention their leadership element...
...which they had none of. Celestia used to be seen as a genuinely good-hearted Princess.
Used to be.
As the last year passed by, her sunny personality seemed to just sort of cloud over, revealing a side that nopony knew about. Currently, it was like she wasn't there at all, or didn't care at all.
It was like comparing light and dark, night and day, good and evil. One side was the cheerful Princess everypony knew and loved. The other side was just...unpleasant, in the fullest extent of the word.
Where Celestia used to stroll in the parks, now she remained cooped up inside her private quarters all day and night, peering out at the city with a wrathful stare, as if it were their faults that Luna dissapeared.
