Twilight gazed upon her new castle. She knew that it was a special gift from the chest, but, something didn't feel right. The castle was much bigger than the old library that was once here in it's place, so Twilight decided to look around a bit, get to know her surroundings. Most of the rooms looked the same, painted purple or pink with a few pieces of furniture, all including a large set of drawers. The drawers were all painted white with a familiar sun shape on the front.Twilight thought nothing of it, until she reached the end of the hallway. It seemed like nothing but an almost blank wall, marked with the sun shape as well. But as Twilight stared on, she could make out a phrase written out just underneath the wallpaper. Looking behind her to make sure no pony was coming, she tore the paper off to get a better look.
"What? This writing doesn't make any sense! I can't read a single word!" Twilight exclaimed. She decided to cover the words and go to the castle of the two sisters for a bit of research. Before she left, Twilight wrote the strange phrase on a piece of parchment.
Twilight entered the castle and immediately flew to the library and began flipping through each book. She glued her eyes to each page, reading again and again for any thing that might help her figure out what this seemingly pointless writing means.
"I was sure I'd find an answer!" she said as she closed the last book. Twilight had been reading for hours. She turned to the scroll with the strange writing on it. "Why can't I find the answer?!" Twilight threw the scroll into the fireplace and began to pack her things. In the corner of her eye, Twilight saw the paper burn to a black crisp and white letters slowly being revealed.She quickly put the fire out and levitated the parchment towards her. The new letters read, "The sun will turn to black fire. The princess of flame shall rise. Equestria will burn and eternal fire shall begin."
"Twilight's been gone for a long time now. Ya'll think we should look for her?" Applejack asked her friends as the entered Sugarcube Corner.
"Calm down AJ. It's only been a few hours. I'm sure Twilight has a very good reason to stay at the castle so late." Rarity replied. Rarity and the others sat down at a table in the far corner.
"I know. I know. But why did it have to be today? Tirek has just left, but who knows what could happen next? Nightmare moon could return, Discord could turn evil again, the Everfree forest might re-invade, or maybe even somepony new!" Applejack mumbled under her breath. The 6 friends finished eating their usual desserts and left to return to their own homes.
The next day, Twilight returned from the castle back to her new palace. She called all of her friends over to tell them of her findings. "Girls, I found something the other day that has concerned me. I did some research and I found a message that is very unsettling," Twilight said as she unraveled the burnt parchment. At first, the letters were faint and unnoticeable, but as the mane 6 stared on, the letters bolded and the message read clear once more.
"Sweet Celestia! What is this fatal message?!" Rarity exclaimed.
"I'm not sure, but I think our 'Sweet Celestia' has something to do with it." Twilight rolled up the parchment once more and turned to her assistant, Spike. "Spike, I want you to request a fleet of royal carriages. This requires for a private fly in to the princess."
That night, Twilight went to the local blacksmith's to gather some armor for her and her friends. She had a sinking feeling this would be more than a civilized conversation. "Armor? What'da need 'em for?" Iron Glaze, the blacksmith asked.
"Just want to be sure nothing harms me or my friends while we go on our journey." Twilight replied. Iron Glaze nodded and turned to his furnace, already heat some sort of metal inside. He levitated it with his horn and carried it over to a sword mold.
"I'll finish up this order for another pony.Then I'll make the armor for you and yer friends. What armor metal ya lookin' for?" Twilight examined the wall of different metals, and turned to look into Iron Glaze's eyes.
"We would all like armor made from the rarest metal you can get. Lunar titanium."
Twilight sat beside her window, waiting for the strike of midnight. DING DONG DING DONG DING DONG DING! The bells of the clock began to ring. "It's time." Twilight has scheduled an appointment with Celestia, and she had agreed, but she insisted they meet at midnight. Twilight quietly tip toed down the glassy stairway to the hall. She grabbed her armor set and her cloak and opened the door. Twilight pulled her hood over her face and ran over to the meeting spot the mane 6 decided on. When she arrived, Rainbow, Pinkie, and AJ were already there. The others weren't there yet, but Twilight knew they would come. Even Fluttershy.
As soon as the others arrived, the Mane 6 boarded the carriages and headed to see princess Celestia. The carriages were quiet, and the Mane 6 were too high to hear each other speak. Twilight looked up to examine the stars. "Luna, help us tonight. Keep us safe from any evil that comes our way." Twilight silently prayed. She could just make out the silhouette of Canterlot in the distance. The cold night air stung Twilight's face, but she ignored and stared on, hoping (and fearing) that something might happen that she could see. Twilight remembered the times when she looked up to Celestia, like a second mother. "Why must it be her?" Twilight whispered. She knew no pony could hear her, but her friends saw a single tear roll down her face.
The Rise and the Fall
As the royal carriages slowed to a stop, Twilight gazed at the large golden doors, protecting the castle. "Please say my theory isn't true..." Twilight whispered to herself. The doors creaked open, the haunting sound sending shivers down AJ's spine. "Twi, I have a feeling something isn't quite right." Applejack said as they walked inside. The throne room was dark and cold, and Pinkie pie turned to Rainbow Dash, looking unusually scared.
"Dash? What do you think the princess will say?" Pinkie whispered. Rainbow shook her head.
"I don't know Pinkie. I really don't know."
"Hello pink star, lightning storm, diamond crystal, apple bunch, butterfly and balloons." Somepony said from the end of the throne room. Candles all lit in synchronization to reveal the princess.
"Celestia!" Twilight faked her enthusiasm.
"What did she call us? Pink star? Apple bunch? Those sound like... our cutiemarks!" Rarity remarked. "That's right, diamond crystal! Anypony have a cookie? Diamond crystal deserves a cookie!" Celestia said mockingly. She used her magic to bury Rarity in a mound of cookies.
"Rarity!" Fluttershy squeaked. Twilight and her friends took a step back.
Celestia put a fake sad face on and whimpered, "Awww. Does somepowny miss hew fwiend?" Twilight's fear grew as Celestia stood up from her twisted throne. The look on the princess's face was horrifying, a mix between anger, and insanity.
"Celestia, we have come here to-"
"I know why you're here night star. You read my cyptic message. I thought you would've realized it from the start, but it seems my 'faithful student' remains oblivious to the cause of the matter." Celestia cut her off. Twilight stared in confusion. Then it struck her, like a knife through her heart.
"You... you are the princess of fire... aren't you?" Twilight whispered, "AREN"T YOU?!" Celestia smiled a devilish smile. Her hair began to almost flicker, and it turned to a bright gradient flame. Her hooves charred and sizzled as the ground around her melted into molten lava. Celestia's eyes faded into white emptyness, and the smile, that was already haunting, sharpened with fangs the size of daggers.
"What in the name of... well now, what do I say? Celestia is evil now!" Applejack said as the princess rose into the air, showing off her blazing wings.
"Silly Apple bunch. Celestia is no more! I, am Solar Flare, ruler of the sun!" Solar Flare's horn suddenly glistened with dark magic, breaking the castle roof to smithereens. Twilight conjured a shield spell before the rubble could hurt her friends. Solar flare rose to skies as a now blazing fireball once called the sun flickered behind her. The air was hot and sticky as the stars faded into blinding sunlight.
"Halt! I shall not let thee destroy Equestria with thy magic of flame!" a call sounded from behind Twilight and her friends. Shadows crept across the floor as Luna stepped into the now wreckage of a throne room. Solar Flare snorted as her sister's eyes darkened. "Dearest sister! Please! Thy doth wish to inflict pain upon thee! Thee shall be spared if this insanity ceases!" she yelled.
Tears streamed down the young princess's face as Solar flare looked down and said coldly, "Silly foal. You must've stepped in some poison joke. To think! Having a foolish filly such as you... as a SISTER! You really are quite funny!" The tears on Luna's face dropped to the floor as Luna rose into the air to face her old sister.
"It was all a lie. YOU LIED TO ME!" Luna's mane began to fade into black. The glistening stars than ran through it sharpened into spiny orbs. Though some of the sky stayed a fiery shade of red, the side in which Luna stayed turned a dark blue, swirled with purple and black.
"Finnaly! You realized!" Solar Flare snickered. Luna's face turned pink with anger.
"You scoundrel! Thou betrayed the ways of royalty! Thou betrayed Equestria!"
"Can't you see? I'm not betraying Equestria! I'm saving it! Making it better!" Solar Flare said. Luna stopped. Her face returned to it's natural color.
"How will fire and destruction save Equestria?" she asked. Solar Flare's eyes closed.
"Equestria is too dark and evil as is. I will light the world on fire, vanquishing all evil. Equestria will be reborn in flame, where I will be the lone ruler!" Luna considered this theory.
"Sister, this would never work. The world would be-"
"SILENCE!" Solar Flare's mare rose with flame and rage.
Luna turned to Twilight and her friends, now standing, with eyes wide. "I will protect thy companions, Princess Twilight." That was the last thing Luna said before she rammed herself into Solar Flare, knocking down the flames to where Twilight and her friends could jump over. Twilight looked over her shoulder to see a flash of blinding light and a shadow falling to the floor.
"Thank you, Princess Luna."
Twilight and the others safely escaped the castle, and took refuge in the outskirts of Saddle Arabia. The lonely houses were empty, so the Mane 6 chose a smaller one, that would draw less attention. "Okay, Twilight, what now?" Rainbow Dash asked sarcastically.
"Wow. After all of that, you STILL are arrogant!" Rarity commented.
"Who you callin' arrogant?!" Rainbow Dash replied. Twilight jumped in front of Rarity.
"C'mon girls! This isn't the time to fight! We need to come up with some sort of plan to save Equestria!" Rainbow Dash folded her wings and sat down at the table.
"So... What should we do? We certainly are not ready now!" Applejack said.
"Why don't we go see Zecora! She's pretty smart!" Pinkie said. Twilight shook her head.
" I don't think she can help us this time."
Fluttershy spoke up. "um... I think I know somepony who could help us..." Rarity turned to face fluttershy, who was half under the table.
"Who, darling?" Rarity asked. Fluttershy whispered,
"My friend, Buttersky."
