In the Shadow of the Sun
Written by: *Fluttershy and Dragon*
Celestia sat in her comfortably furnished room awaiting the arrival of her sister. She sat in front of the fireplace while writing a reply to Fluttershy's request. Suddenly her shadow moved as a moan of begging came from it. Celestia looked back at her shadow as she saw glowing eyes with purple wisp escaping from them. Her eyes widen as she stood, her shoes glistening in the firelight as she mumbled thoughts to herself. "Sombra..." She uttered as her eyes were darting across the room. Celestia shuddered as a cool hoof ran down her back. It felt like she was inhaling the cool winter air. Purple wisp came from her eyes as she began to cry. She screamed with pain as she heard hooves thundering down the hall. "Luna!" She called for her sister in the cool air. The door was bucked open as guards rushed in to examine the princess. Celestia was shuddering in the corner as more tears escaped from her eyes. She choked out the words help as black tentacles crawled up her throat. Choking her against her will, she banged her hoof against the wall begging for the pain to stop. A guard stepped forward to comfort her as she screamed no and turned her head, staring at him. Her eyes turned a glowing green as purple wisp crawled up her horn, taking full control of her. Her horn was now surrounded with a purple aurora as she blasted one of her guards against the wall.
Celestia's head twitched as an evil laugh escaped from her mouth. Her voice deepened as she laughed at the guards fear. Luna's hooves were thundering down the hallway to find the cause of the shouts. "Celestia!" She shouted in fear as she knew what awaited her at her sister's room. She saw the bodies of guards on the floor and a giant hole in the wall. Luna galloped and spreaded her wings and flapped them vigorously as she reached higher altitude.
"So you decided to chase me did you?" Celestia was standing on a cloud, towering over her younger sister. Luna's eyes widened as she was hit in the chest. Luna slowly began to fall from the cloud as her eyes slowly closed. The blow was delivered hard and Luna could still feel the pain. She crashed through a glass roof and landed onto what she thought was her final resting place on the concrete floor.
"Sombra..." She uttered. Luna whimpered as her cuts stung with pain. She looked down at the cuts and scraps and nodded her head. Luna explored the dusty library until she found what she was looking for. Her horn was surrounded with a light blue aurora as she lifted a light blue helmet. "This must be done." She said as a single tear escaped from her eye. A thundering laugh came from the building as Celestia looked down at the pony growing closer. Her eyes narrowed as she took flight high into the sky.
"I knew you would joined the dark side sometime." Celestia uttered as she flapped her wings, keeping her in place.
"Hmph, I do not intend to stay in this state." Spoke a low voice of a mare from the corner of Celestia's eye. It was Luna, but Nightmare Moon at the same time. Her black coat was stained with light blue as she braced herself for an attack. Celestia chuckled as Luna stood in the face of her fear. "I know it is you, Sombra." Luna said as her eyes narrowed. She knew he would escape sometime in her lifetime, but she wasn't expecting him to take her sister's form. "Leave my sister's body, besides you have enough energy now." Luna said as she floated down onto the cloud that sustained Sombra.
"You know Luna, you and I aren't so different." Sombra turned towards Luna. "You are queen of the night and darkness, and I am the king of shadows." Sombra winked as Luna struggled to understand.
"I am no queen of darkness, just the night Sombra." Luna hardly understood Sombra's ways. Even after she had explored his dreams.
"You are right Luna, but I am having a lot of fun already. Why would I quit?" Sombra then laughed and took flight through the misty air.
"I will force you out of her if I have to!" She shouted behind him desperately trying to catch up with him. Sombra turned around and shot Luna in the chest with a purple blast. Luna dodged the ray of magic and sent a blast towards Sombra. He dodged the blast as he turned into a shadow. He swept across the cloud nearing Luna as he consumed her body in the darkness. "No!" She shouted, as she escaped the darkness. Her eyes turned white as she gained power from the moon. Sombra laughed and landed on a cloud.
"You really think you can defeat me?" Sombra shouted into the night sky.
"Hmph, do birds fly?" She questioned sarcastically. Sombra roared and horn became surrounded by a purple aurora. Luna's horn also lit up as a ray of light made it's way towards Sombra. Sombra sent a ray of black hurdling towards Luna. Halfway, their power met and Luna pushed her magic as far as she could. Sombra simply smiled and his horn grew brighter. His magic was making it's way towards Luna's horn and finally collided with her horn. Luna was in shock, everything went dark as her wings failed to support her. Her magic was useless down as she landed on the hard dirt. The wind was knocked out of her as she struggled to breathe. How did this happen?
Luna's eyes fluttered open as she took in a deep breath. She was deprived of the memory from long ago. She tried to use her magic but to her disappointment, her horn would work. Her wings were wrapped tight in bandages as she heard the gentle beep,beep,beep of the heart monitor as a stallion with a white coat walked in. "She looks fine nurse RedHeart, I don't think we will have to worry about any problems." The light blue stallion said speaking to a white mare, with her pink hair in a bun.
"Are you sure doctor? She looks parched and flushed." The mare replied with a worried voice.
"Well, give her some water and then fill out a form for her release." The stallion replied then walked out the room. Luna heard the conversation as her eyes darted wildly across the room. Her eyes finally met with the window and she stared at the surroundings. Nurse RedHeart turned towards the object she was so obsessed with.
"Oh, in case you are wondering it is winter." Nurse RedHeart chuckled as she picked up a clipboard, hanging on the wooden door. Luna had many more questions than what season it was. She wanted answers to all her questions, and not just the un-important ones. She wanted answers to questions like, where is my sister? Where am I? What happened? Nurse RedHeart trotted over to her bed and lifted a cup to her lips.
"Drink up princess, it is just water." Nurse RedHeart reassured her. Luna opened her mouth as water flowed down her throat. The room seemed grey except for the nurse's vivid pink hair. Luna managed to take a deep breath and eventually move her mouth comfortably.
"Nurse RedHeart, how long has it been? What has happened?" Luna questioned, worried as the memories came flowing back to her. Nurse RedHeart's eyes clouded as she opened her mouth to speak.
"Sombra.." Nurse RedHeart spoke as she walked slowly towards the bed. "He has taken over, and your sister..." She trailed off. "He has taken over your sister's body." Nurse RedHeart turned towards the door and pointed out the window. "He has given up the form of your sister's body." Nurse RedHeart said as she walked towards the bed. Luna could finally breathe normally when she heard Sombra has escaped her body. "But, she is in severe condition." Nurse RedHeart picked up the empty cup Luna drank from and re-filled it. "You see, after Sombra escaped her body." Nurse RedHeart lifted the cup to her lips as Luna sipped, drop after drop. "The tentacles in her throat and her horn." Nurse RedHeart looked at the ground. "We are still trying to remove them." Nurse RedHeart finally said as she pushed open the door. Wait. Luna thought. Tell me what happened. But, she couldn't say anything. Luna stared out the snowy window as a black wisp crawled out from it. Luna jumped up in surprise and tried to scream for help. But, her silent screams did no good.
The shadow finally came into full form as a grey stallion appeared. "I was expecting to find Celestia laying here, but I see I found you." Sombra chuckled and trotted over to her bedside.
"Why do you want my sister? What have you done Sombra?" Luna asked, glaring at Sombra angrily.
"Oh I see you haven't heard the news, how delightful." Sombra laughed even harder, as he fell onto the empty space on the bed beside Luna. "Well, after your sister and you were weak. I took over for you." Sombra gloated about himself. "Well, now that all hope was gone for them, they were forced into hard labor." Sombra made a crystal pic-ax appear and twirled it around. "Celestia seems to still be getting over the attack." Sombra rose to his hooves and walked around the room. "Come, Luna." Sombra's horn had a red aurora around it, as he removed the bandages. Luna could finally feel her wings and horn and flapped her wings, as Sombra took off into the snowy air.
"Wait Sombra!" Luna was now trying to fly through the frosty wind, keeping a good pace with Sombra. Luna flapped her wings harder, when the castle was in sight. But, it didn't look like hers and her sister's castle. It seemed like it was rebuilt with black walls and red banners. She came in for a landing when she saw the ponies of Canterlot working as slaves. Her heart sunk and she turned her head away from the sight. The ponies were begging for death as they were whipped, and dropped to the ground with a thud.
"You see Luna, I saw an opportunity here." Sombra said as he walked closer towards the slaves. They back away with fear, wincing at the painful marks on their back. They bowed as guards opened the door for him. The guards were under control of Sombra's magic and would say yes to his ever command. He walked down the long hallway and finally reached the thrones. Instead of the sun on the chair, it was replaced with his cutie mark. Luna's throne sat there, unchanged.
"Sombra, are you asking?" Luna paused and gasped with fear as Sombra levitated something. He got down on one hoof and levitated a ring and a black crystal crown.
"Yes I am Luna, will you marry me?" Sombra asks gazing into Luna's sparkly eyes.
"No Sombra! I will never marry you!" She screamed as she blasted the crown out of his hoof.
"Well then, I guess I will have to kill your sister." Sombra laughed to himself as he turned to leave. "She is already weak and it will be an easy battle." Sombra said as he made a black sword with a red tip appear.
"Wait!" She shouted galloping towards Sombra.
"What Luna?" Sombra turned around to face Luna.
"I will marry you, only if you dont hurt my sister and keep her alive." Luna said while tears ran down her cheeks.
"Fine my queen." Sombra levitated the crystal crown onto her head and the ring onto her horn. "The wedding will be soon and every slave of ours will be there. For the first time Luna felt helpless and she felt like screaming. But, it was all for her sister and the pay off would do some good.
Help......................
Luna walked through the black crystal hallways. "I can't do this, I can't." Luna muttered under her breath, while walked towards the bathroom. She pushed open the door and spotted Aloe and Lotus chopping cucumbers.
"Hello princess Luna, are you ready for your relaxing treatment and make-over?" They questioned almost at the same time.
"Yes, I am happy I chose you two for the job." Luna said happily, trying hard to not show her true emotions. Aloe and Lotus quickly pulled off her shoes,crown, and necklace. They helped her into the tub filled with soap bubbles. They scrubbed on the princess bare back causing more bubbles. Aloe brushed her hair during this process and put cucumbers over her eyes.
"Now just relax princess, we will ready the hot rocks as you soak." Aloe said as she abandoned Luna in the tub. Luna sighed as sunk down in the tub. She blew on the bubbles just to watch them pop. "Lotus is almost ready for you Luna, I suggest you dry off." Aloe said as she watched the princess step out of the tub and levitated blue towels her way. Luna wrapped one of the towels around he hair and wrapped the other one around her waist.
"I'm ready Aloe." Luna said while trotting towards the massage room. Lotus placed her in a chair with a mirror in front of her.
"Brace yourself, you might feel a little cold. Normally in your face area." Lotus said while leaning down for the cucumbers. Lotus placed them onto her face and reached for a pink gel substance. Lotus picked up a small brush in her teeth and dipped it into the pink substance. Lotus gently guided her brush along Luna's face and stopped when she was finished. Aloe rinsed off the pink substance to reveal Luna's now shiner face. Aloe then opened a container that held eye shadow and picked a light blue and dipped her brush in it. Aloe gently put on Luna's eye shadow and began to pick out a lipstick color. She picked out