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."