These are Dark times for Equestria. The two Princesses grow farther apart with each passing night. The Eldest of the Princesses, Princess Celestia, senses rebellion growing amidst her people. "Why do they wish me dead?' Celestia asked herself every night from atop the Royal Observatory, watching her sister closely. "It must have something to do with Luna, she's the only pony to have ever outright stood against me. I must ask her about this immediately." As she walked to the topmost tower of the castle, she noticed that many of Luna's appointed guards were giving Celestia nasty looks as she passed by.
"Sister, why have you come here?" Asked Luna, her blue hair rippling in the night sky. "Are you felling well?"
"I feel, a disturbance among our people. I fear an uprising is eminent." Celestia began, "I wish to know if you have anything to do with this?
"Sister, I enter dreams to give security, not thoughts of uprising."
"Indeed, but if you were to be behind this, i will have you sent back to the moon."
"Was that a threat, Sister?" The offense in her voice was obvious.
"A warning, nothing more. I shall see you in the morning to talk more on this matter."
* * *
That night, Celestia dreamed of Luna. Except, It wasn't really Luna. She dreamed that Luna was going to overthrow her rule and become Nightmare Moon. She would plunge the world into darkness and create a new dictatorship, and execute Celestia.
"Ah!" Celestia screamed as she awoke from being beheaded. She pondered about what she had seen for a long time. When she finally went up to the tower to raise the sun, what she saw was a surprise. "Protestors? In my kingdom?" Celestia sent down a warning shot to scare them away, but it only seemed to rile them up even more. "Luna!" Shouted Celestia, beckoning Luna to the tower.
"Sister, you know I sleep during the day. What is the meaning of this?" Said Luna, not seeing the protestors at first. "What is going on down there?"
"They are protesting my rule, sister."
"But why have you beckoned me here?"
"I believe it was you who gave them these rebellious thoughts."
"I would never betray you again, Sister" replied Luna, being very careful with what to say next.
"I am not so sure. Last night, I had a nightmare. Why did you not come to fix my dream?"
"I am unable to enter dreams where I am featured prominently. Wait, that must mean you had a nightmare about me?"
"I am going for some breakfast," answered Celestia, eager to end the conversation as quickly as posible.
* * *
Throughout the day, Celestia kept letting her suspicions get into her mind. She was convinced now that Luna was planning to overthrow her. "The only way to end the protests," Celestia thought to herself, "Is to get rid of Luna!" Celestia walked up to the Captain of the Royal Guard, Shining Armor, and told him to bring her a dose of Poison Joke and Sulfuric Acid. When the two are mixed togethor, the results on oneself can be fatal.
"Princess, why do you require these ingredients?" Asked Shining Armor. "I thought that we were at peace with all our neighboring countries?"
"Do not ask questions, Shining Armor. Just do as I say."
* * *
"Shining Armor."
"Who's there?" Asked Shining Armor, for the source of the voice could not be seen.
"It is I, Princess Luna. Do not gather those ingredients. You know not what they are to be used for, but I do. Gather my guards if you would. I need to tell them something Important. You should come too."
"But Celestia gave me orders to-"
"yes, but I am telling you not to listen to her. If you value your job as captain you will do as I say."
"Yes, Princess Luna."
* * *
"I suppose none of you know why you are here?" Asked the princess. "It is because Celestia is plotting my death. I have seen her dreams and entered her mind. She wishes to end my existence and blame it upon you soldiers. I will not stand for this. I need you to listen carefully to everything she says. Report back to me about your findings."
After all the soldiers had left, Luna was left to pace in her room. "What am I going to do? If Celestia wants me dead, she will kill me, but what if there is a deeper meaning behind all of this?"
Luna decided the best course of action was to clear her thoughts and send a message to Twilight and her friends. "But what if they believe that I am lying?' She thought to herself, her blue hair glowing in the sunlight. "Then I will be sent back to the moon!" She thought, Panic filling every portion of her body.
* * *
"What do you mean the materials never arrived!" Screamed Celestia, the anger in her voice unmistakable. "I told my most trusted soldiers to bring me those items, and you're telling me that they never arrived?"
"Well, um, they just didn't get what you asked for," Said the extremely scared news pony. "Sorry?"
"Get out of my castle!"
The news pony ran as far away as he could, and began telling the rebellious ponies in the land all about the treachery of Celestia.
* * *
"What am I going to do about that traitor, Luna. She's too smart to be tricked by a poison... Maybe brute force will overwhelm her?" Whispered Celestia to herself. "Maybe the Elements of Harmony will do the trick..."
"Dear Twilight,
It's been a while since I saw you last! why don't you come up to Canterlot for the weekend? Bring your friends and the elements of Harmony (just get them out of the tree, everything will be fine). You should also bring your friends, as they might want to see what shall happen when you arrive."
Celestia put down her quill and began preparations for the weekend. It was going to take a lot of planning to defeat Luna directly if the Elements failed. If they did in fact fail, Celestia would have to take her operations to the Crystal Empire and engage in full on war.
* * *
"So, What was it you wanted us in Canterlot for again?"
"Oh Twilight have I got a show for you today!" Responded Celestia to her most faithful student, Twilight. "Guards, Bring Princess Luna down for a moment won't you?"
"Yes, Princess."
"Quick question, will it be awesome?" asked Rainbow Dash
"Oh, yes. I believe what is about to happen will go down in history!"
"Cooooool..."
When Celestia had finished talking, she heard footsteps coming from the stairwell. "Excellent, she's here. We can begin now! Twilight, pass me the elements."
As twilight took the elements of harmony out of her bag, Celestia used her alicorn magic to levitate them around her horn, with the element of magic at the tip of the horn.
"Sister why have you summoned me-" Said Luna, before seeing the Elements.
"It is time for the rebellion to end Luna! call off your protestors, and I will not banish you!"
"I didn't arrange them!"
"3!"
"Sister!"
"2!"
"DON'T!"
"1!"
The elements fired their beams of energy at Luna, transforming themselves into one, all-powerful rainbow beam. They struck Luna in her face but, to everypony's surprise, she still stood tall.
"No! What went wrong! That should have worked!" Cried Celestia, beginning to panic now that her plan had failed, future options running through her head.
"It failed, because I am not guilty," responded Luna, "you, on the other hoof, are. You were quick to assume that I was the culprit, even though I had told you the truth. I'm sure the citizens of this country will really try to overthrow you now, sister."
"You're crazy!" said Rainbow Dash, the element of loyalty. "That was seriously evil, Princess. In fact, why are you the Princess again?"
"Dash, are you CRAZY?" Screamed Twilight, extremely offended that her mentor was being turned upon. "Celestia is the GOOD pony here!"
Twilight, are YOU crazy? From what I just saw, Princess Celestia just betrayed all of us!" Added Applejack
"Really? It looked like a party to me!" said Pinkie Pie.
On and on the bickering went, before Celestia spread her wings wide, and flew up threw the ceiling to who knows where. The Mane 6 all ran outside the castle, which was collapsing due to the destruction of its roof, and split up in 3 directions. Applejack and Rainbow Dash went to Luna's tower, Twilight and Pinkie Pie both headed off for the Crystal Empire, while Rarity and Fluttershy both went back to Ponyvile to escape the new war.
