As the sun sets

Chapters

2

She remembered in great detail. She had just discovered an eternal life spell. She was going to show Starswirl, when she found him performing dark magic. Quickly she tried to stop him, when instead she cast the wrong spell. Setting him into a state of grotesque transformation. And the screams. She snapped out of it. Tears swiftly streaming down her face, as she looked over her happy little kingdom.

Chrysalis stood over her subjects finishing her explaining. “This shall be the perfect invasion!” She yelled her face curving into a hideous smile. “And Equestria’s fate will rest uncomfortably in the frog of my hoof! And that insolent little Twilight Sparkle will pay for what she has done!”. Cackling pursued. “This plan is just amazing. Celestia will go to Tartarus, Luna will be my little pet. And my sweet children will get a feast. Plus, that cute stallion Shining Armor will be all mine. Hmm? What if I go ahead and see what happens when a changeling has a pony’s foal?” She thought aloud, causing another round of wicked cackling. “And no pony will know. For I will take over and rule as Celestia. And I am sure that Shining would do anything for his princess. Oh this is getting better and better!”. She said her head continuing to fill will nefarious ideas.

Celestia kept filing through treasured memories. Including when her younger sister Luna was freed from her jealousy. Or the time Celestia was teaching her little sister how to raise the moon. Luna was the most important thing to Celestia. She was all she had back when their parents had been killed. They were the only alicorns left after the mass extinction. And back then the ponies hated alicorns. Always shunned them as show offs who’s magic would destroy everything. Celestia started to cry remembering when her and Luna just sat in between those two rocks. Waiting months for their father to return and tell them everything was alright and that they could come out now. But, they had died only weeks before. She then remembered how they stayed in hiding for 500 or so years. When alicorns became just a fable to tell foals as a bedtime story. Then they were discovered, an ivory filly with both wings and a horn, and her sister a spring-star-flower blue filly who wore the same rare features as her big sister. They were taken in by the most powerful pony in the land, Starswirl. Her thoughts were interrupted as Luna strolled in to raise the moon.

A low buzz rung in chrysalis’s ears, as the entire nest of changelings flooded toward Canterlot in a large swarm. “That old hag will not foresee this! She wouldn’t see a fly coming!” Chrysalis laughed maniacally. Just over the mountain, and the great invasion would begin.

Celestia was shaken awake. Her pink eyes opened and her slender neck lifted her head. Around her stood four guards, a servant, and her sister. “Princess, a large black mass is floating toward canterlot!” The servant screamed in panic. “Yes, and it resembles changelings.” A pegasus guard said adding to the mare’s statement. Celestia leaped up and trotted to the balcony. Luna joined her.

“What are we to do sister?” She asked worriedly. “I don’t know.” Celestia responded examining the mass. “But I know who might.” Celestia said, turning around, galloping to her desk. She picked up a quill and started writing on nearby parchment. Once done she rolled up the parchment and using her magic sent it to her faithful student Twilight Sparkle, in ponyville.

3

The queen placed her first gnarled hoof on the ground. “At long last!” She screeched, followed by all of her subjects landing. Most outlined a path to the castle, where others walked along side their loving queen. The queen originally planned on slowly walking toward the castle dramatically, but she couldn’t help but go at a slow gallop. It was just to exciting! Plus she didn’t want to waste any time, letting them prepare. It would ruin everything. Quickly Chrysalis neared the castle. About ten feet from the entrance the queen gestured at the changelings. They then proceeded to fly off far into the distance behind a nearby mountain range. Seconds later she arrived to the castle. The entrance was blocked off, but it was a truly stupid and poor attempt of slowing down the happy queen. She stood for a moment looking up at the beautiful structure. After a while, she started to flap her small frail looking wings. She just stood there, flapping her decorative wings for a few moments before seeing a young pegasus mare running into what was probably her home. The changeling then proceeded to transform her wings into larger versions of those of the mare. She slowly lifted off of the ground. From the sky she flew toward a large stain-glass window picturing Twilight and her stupid little elements of harmony all together. “Damn you Twilight.” she said as she backed up 30 or so feet before flying forward at high speed, smashing the damned window. Glass stuck out of the queen, from her grotesque horn to her knotted tail. The illusion of the pink wings started to fade then all at once poofed away. She then galloped toward what used to be her room.

“Chrysalis is in the building!” A huffing unicron guard said coming from the throne room.

“Sister?” Luna asked looking at Celestia.”What shall we do? We don’t even know where she is!”.

“We...we will...Wait!” Celestia said, thinking. “She would probably go up to her former room!” She said, confusing Luna.

“Oh sister? What do you mean?” She asked very confused.

“Well,” Celestia explained with a sad sigh, “Chrysalis is a former friend. She was once a kind changeling filly, who was separated from her hive. I took her in. Until one day her hive came back for her.”

“Uh. Sorry to interrupt and all, but we still have a big problem your majesty.”Another unicorn guard said putting everyone back on track.

“Guys! Celestia is in grave danger!” The purple unicorn mare exclaimed. Her friends all cocked their heads toward her, staring blankly. “Ya’ll don’t worry we’ll just catch tomorrow’s train.” Applejack said. “Ya, and besides Celestia is like the most awesomest, strongest, powerfulest, bestest, coolestest pony out there!” Rainbow added. Fluttershy, Rarity, and Applejack and looked at her confused. “Coolestest?” Rarity asked, but Rainbow dismissed it.

“Clink!” that was the sound continuously ringing through Celestia’s ears as her horn collided with Chrysalis’s. Celestia quickly hit the queen with a magic wave. The changeling flew backward, then lunged back slightly cutting the princess’s ear. The ivory alicorn then jumped back firing a beam of magic from her horn directing at the changeling. Chrysalis dodged it though. Only bits of her tail getting singed. This continued until Celestia got some leverage and through Chrysalis back. Before Celestia could do anything else though, the changeling tossed a beam of light. It hit the princess right in her horn, breaking it and throwing her back. She fired another ray at her and it pierced her chest. Adding another thick layer of crimson to her coat. Her eyes started to fill with both tears and blood. Chrysalis snickered as she took form of the injured mare. Celestia’s eyes started to shake, and her mouth started to drip with dark red blood. Her former horn poured out with magical essence and blood, little strands of flesh hung out of it as if searching for it’s missing half. Her mane had stopped flowing and her cutie mark darkened to grayscale. Her legs and hooves were very cut up and parts were swollen. Her left ear missing it’s top half. Her right wing being held on only by a few strands of skin. Chrysalis stood up above the flinching body. She quietly laughed. The waltzed towards the untouched balcony of her former room. Just before she could reach it though, Celestia mustered up the last bits of magic and slammed Chrysalis with a golden aura out far back to the Hell from which she came.

1

Celestia finished the last word on the thin parchment. She then set her old phoenix quill down from her shimmering orange magic aurora onto the splintering oak desk. She picked up her tired hooves and trotted over toward the large oval shaped bed. The pink blankets and sheets were fading now. But they were precious to her. She could not toss them out. Not yet. The princess hopped in and became comfortable under the warm blankets and fell fast asleep, as her younger sister Luna watched over the wonderful kingdom Celestia was so very proud of.

Chrysalis walked placing one gnarled leg in front of her at a time, causing a forward moving motion.”Percy!” she yelled as she came to a sudden stop. Running into her room was a small female changeling wearing a sea-foam green bow on her long green decayed blue mane. “Yes, your majesty?” She asked, huffing.

“Are the plans ready?” She asked her servant impatiently.

“Yes, your highness.” She said rubbing her foreleg.”When would you like the meeting to be?”

“Tomorrow at five o’ clock sharp.” The tall changeling said glaring at the smaller female.”No sooner. No later. Understood?”

“Understood.” Percy Belle said before bowing, then walking out from the cold room.

Celestia’s eyes opened, Luna shaking her vigorously. “Sister...it is time.” The night princess said sighing. Celestia quickly got up and nodded and slipped out from the bed. Luna gestured towards the balcony signaling Celestia to walk to it. Luna followed close behind.

The two began their “religious” routine. Luna first lower her beautiful moon. Followed by Celestia raising her bright sun. Slightly weakening her old legs. Once done luna began to speak, “Sister, you grow weaker each day. Soon I must raise both the sun and moon. When, I do not know. But, we both know it. Please sister, teach me.”

Celestia’s eyes narrowed as she stared up into the vast blue sky. She knew her sister was right. She had lived for so long. So many memories. Good and bad. Dreamy and nightmarish. Then a certain memory came back to her.