Midnight

Everypony's eyes turned to the figure now emerging from the shadows. All was silent and a cool breeze blew, but it was not enough to hide the ponies' obvious fear.

Celestia held her stern gaze, although more frightened, as she turned toward the pony. "You know as well as I do that I cannot let you do that, dear sister."

The pony came out of the shadows enough to reveal her colors. "It has been 5,000 years. Do you think I want to just throw my whole plan away, and have everything just go back to the way it was? The only way for all these ponies to love me is if they have no other princesses to love." Her cold eyes wandered to Cadence. "Which means, I'll have to eliminate you as well, Princess Cadence."

The pink pony was surprised to hear that the figure knew her name after being gone all this time. "H-how did you..." The unknown pony turned away to look at Twilight. "You, however, I had no knowledge of. I suppose Celestia had wanted to replace me with another purple pony, hm? You will suffer along with these other fools."

Luna finally spoke to her long-forgotten sister. "Midnight, please. Times are different now. I have struggled as well as you have. You are not the only one of us to suffer."

"Is that so?" she sneered. "Enough chit-chat. I believe I must go find my new throne." Midnight flew into the sky and turned to shout. "Oh, and one last thing." Her horn began to glow as the moon crossed over the sun, creating a beautiful eclipse. "Equestria's princess has returned at last! The new reign of Midnight Eclipse begins NOW!" she boomed as she flew off towards the old castle.

"Now what? Why'd you just let her get away?!" Cadence questioned her aunt. "Silence. I do not have a plan, but we must find her. I believe she seeks out our castle in Canterlot, but is headed to me and Luna's old one. Quickly, we must return to Canterlot at once to intercept her. There is something I need to try."

An hour later...

"Of course the castle is destroyed. Celestia must have built a new one after Nightmare Moon attacked, and failed" the princess mumbled. It must be in Canterlot. Tia always talked about making that the capital of Equestria." Midnight was flying as fast as her wings could take her, and she felt some of her stronger magic returning. "I must hurry before they reach the castle, so I can destroy them."

At last, she had the new castle in sight. "How extravagant. This will be lovely." Midnight entered, noticing none of the Royal Guard on duty. "I always knew Celestia was an airhead, but this? Pathetic." She worked her way through the castle until she found the throne room. The former princess walked up to the throne and sat down. "And now, I wait."

The ponies arrived at the castle and Celestia had formulated a plan at last. "I know this sounds like a bad plan, but it should work. We must split up and search the castle for her. If she's already her, we don't know where she will be. Midnight does not know the castle interior well, so we cannot assume that, if she's already inside, that my sister is already there."
Luna turned to her sister with a disapproving look, and knew exactly what she was planning. "Very well," Luna sighed, "we shall."

Midnight was waiting for Celestia. And the sun princess knew this. Celestia knew she had to face her herself. As she walked into the throne room, she noticed her younger sister was already changing. Her once darkly colored purple mane was now that akin to a shadow. "Midnight Eclipse, we end this now. It is time for you to..." Celestia stopped speaking. Her sister was not listening. Instead, the darkened pony was focused intently on something else. "Midnight?" Celestia did not get a chance to blink before she saw a blast of energy coming at her.

"A direct hit. Wonderful. I always knew you were foolish. Do you think simply speaking is enough to stop me? I almost pity you. And if you must know, I have decided not to kill you. That's too simple. I think you deserve the same punishment. But I won't banish you, oh no. I am going to turn you and the other princesses to stone. So you can see how a true princess rules."

Celestia tried to use her horn, but noticed it turning to stone already. "Sister, please, no! I had to do what I had to for my subjects! You know I love you, don't you love me too? I am truly sorry for what I have done! There was no other choice. You were harming ponies. Innocent lives, Midnight. Can't you see that? I have always loved you, and I always will. Please."

Midnight Eclipse looked at her sister, now turning to stone. She stayed silent for what seemed like an eternity. "I don't believe you."

Celestia's eye had formed a single tear before her entire face had turned to stone. Soon, her entire body had turned to stone in the very same way she had done to Discord.

"You'd look much better adorning the room than in a garden." Midnight lifted Celestia in her imprisonment and placed her on the left side of the throne. "Lovely."

Luna had entered the throne room, noticing it now empty. But the emptiness lasted hardly a second before she spotted a familiar statue sitting on the left of the throne. "Tia? Tia!!?" Luna had no time to cry as she was blasted by a magical beam which hit her in the back. "Oh Luna, would you like to join your favorite sister on the throne? Oh, of course you would." Midnight laughed at her frightened sister.

"Midnight, I'm sorry I was never there for you like I should have be-" Luna was cut off by stone.

Midnight felt a sharp emotion rise up in her chest, but quickly brushed it off as she moved Luna to the opposite side of the throne.

Midnight did the same to Cadence and Shining Armor as they each entered the room separately. When Twilight's friends entered, she simply locked them up in cages. "This is getting quite boring," she moaned. She turned her eyes to the stained glass lining the walls of the room. "Equestria's certainly been busy."

"Yes it has, Midnight." The purple princess' head took a sharp turn to see the other purple princess. "Wh-" Twilight blasted her with a beam of magical energy, knocking her off the throne. "And I see you've been busy in here. She looked around the room to see her friends simply locked up. I should have gotten here sooner, I see."

Midnight blinked, and as she did so her eyes changed. They no longer had pupils, just cold, dark, black eyes. "You. I know what power you hold. Which means I must kill you." With that, Midnight blasted through the ceiling and flew through it as Twilight followed.

The ponies stood face to face on the roof of the castle in the dark sky. "You know, you could join me if you wish. We could rule together." Midnight spoke. Twilight was taken aback by her offer, but she knew her answer. "I would never side with you, never in a thousand years." "Very well." Midnight flew towards Twilight, grasping one of her wings and quickly snapping it in half. Twilight screamed, unprepared for what had happened so quickly. She retaliated with a blast of her horn, but missed. "Foolish pony. You could have lived. And with adoring ponies serving under you for the rest of your life." Midnight knocked Twilight to her side as slipped off the roof, barely grasping the edge and dangling to certain doom.

"Goodbye Twilight Sparkle. Sorry the magic of friendship could not save you." Midnight turned away, back into the castle as Twilight hung on for dear life. It was to no avail. She screamed as she lost her grip and plummeted down towards the cold concrete.