The sun. It has brought forth light and warmth for all the world since creation. The sun is well-loved and cherished by many ponies.
Nopony ever thought that it would eventually die.
~Celestia~
Sunrise. My favorite part of the day. The very pinnacle of my power! Yes. My power. It is limitless. It is eternal. I can make the sun rise.
The Sun used to be a bright, yellow, happy thing. It is red now. Red as blood. No matter. It is still powerful. I am still powerful, even at my age. I am immortal.
I am a goddess.
Hoofsteps interrupt my thoughts. It is my sister. She can raise the moon. But what is the Moon compared to the Sun? Nothing. My sister Luna is weak compared to me. I am the eldest, and I am the most powerful.
"Celestia." Luna said with that serious voice of hers as she opens by bedroom door. Pfft. She never has any fun.
"What is it, little sister?"
She grimaces at me calling her "little". Or maybe for calling her "sister". Luna does not like nicknames or terms of endearment. She has no time for them. I laugh at the thought. No time? Ha! That's not a problem for me! My power extends to the heavens. I can control such a minuscule thing such as time.
"It is time for morning meal." Luna says flatly and walks out of the room. I laugh again. She thinks I am weak. Weak and old. Crazy, perhaps. If she wasn't my sister I would already have her head on a silver platter...
As I slowly made my way to the dining hall I gaze out one of the very large stained windows. I smile wide as I see crimson skies, the sunlight infusing the heavens with blood red streaks. My eyes then focus on the window itself. It is a glass representation of me, raising the sun. Yes, this is my favorite window. The artist has captured my likeness perfectly. Almost saint-like, but definitely regal.
For I am their ruler. I am their sun. I am their everything.
What would Equestria be without me?
"Celestia." Luna says again tiredly. Eh, she needs to get more rest. She's been planning something, I'm sure. I've seen her speaking with one of the royal advisers, and Twilight Sparkle as well. Is she planning to overthrow me again? But this time, with help? There is strength in numbers, after all... Would my former student aid to my dethroning...?
"Celestia." My sister's voice is now clearly annoyed.
"Coming, sister." I quicken my pace towards the dining hall. She loathes me, I know. That just about confirms my suspicions. Luna wants to overthrow me, doesn't she? That cretin wishes to banish me to the sun, of course! When she attacks me, I'll be ready for her. Even if she succeeds in banishing me, I won't care. I wouldn't die. I love the sun. I am the sun!
I look at my sister with new eyes. Eyes that see right through her mind into her hopes and plans. If she has a plan, I shall form one as well.
~Luna~
Celestia slept too late again. I had to raise the sun for her. I don't think she even remembers her duties. She believes she can control the sun with pure willpower. Hah! No, sister. It is my magic that takes care of your duties now. Although, it would be much more trouble if she found out... She'd order me killed, most likely. But I don't think the guards take her seriously anymore, or anypony, for that matter. Celestia is too old to still have responsibility at all.
"Luna." Twilight's face is as hard as stone. Her tone even and steady. "Luna, I must speak to you."
"Yes, Twilight Sparkle?" I turn to face her, my expression as hard as hers.
"I've spoken to the council. They agree it would be wise if you took over all your si- Ahem. Celestia's duties. They want to take Celestia's title as the main ruler of Equestria and give it to you." Her eyes stare into mine. I noticed how nopony wants to refer to Celestia as my sister anymore. Celestia is not Celestia anymore. She is a madmare. Her behavior is disgraceful...
How funny it is that I am the better sister now, and she the rejected one...
"I will speak to the council tonight about the matter." I state, continuing my slow walk towards Celestia's room. To be honest, I don't want all of Celestia's duties. It was her duties that caused her to ignore me. I must not put work before relationships as she did.
"What is there to discuss?" The violet mare's eyes darken, her tone growing less even and more miffed. Her wings twitch slightly, as does her tail. "It is settled. Celestia is deemed unfit to rule. You've already taken over most of her royal duties. This shouldn't be a problem."
"I never said it was. I just wish to debate it further with the council."
"Hmph. Why dawdle? We mustn't waste any time. Celestia cannot be trusted anymore. She is mad." Twilight then trots away briskly, not wanting to argue further.
Yes, Celestia is mad. But not because she chooses to be.
I knock on my sister's bedroom door. "Celestia."
Celestia's oddly high-pitched tone answers. "What is it, little sister?" I grimace. Her voice depicts the madness festering inside of her. One cannot help feel a little sorry for her, despite the fact she is absolutely psychotic now. She laughs a little. As if everything is a joke, the punchline known only by herself.
"It is time for morning meal." I turn and walk away, not wanted to look at Celestia a second longer. All of the color in her has faded, her eyes baggy and sunken. She hasn't brushed her mane and tail for months- or taken a bath, for that matter. Her pupils are small, making it look as if she is driven with fever. I hear her laugh again.
The way she finds humor in everything now is beyond me.
~Twilight~
"Did you speak with her?" Gilded Sigil, a head council member, insisted.
"Yes." I meet his steely gaze with one of my own. "She was... Open to the idea."
"'Open' is not good enough. She needs to act." He strokes his beard thoughtfully. "We need her to agree now. Her indecisiveness is becoming an issue."
"I am aware of that. I told her she must act quickly. But she still wishes to speak with the whole council first, even though I told her what they said." I shake my head. "Luna is too soft towards her sister. She doesn't think so, but I do."
"You don't feel pity for Celestia?" He gives me a quizzical glance that makes me stare down at my hooves.
"Well, I uh... I used to. But this has gone too far. Celestia isn't Celestia any longer. You don't pity her, do you?"
"...No, I suppose not." Gilded goes back to stroking his beard. "You're right. She is past the point of pity. She is at the point of concern."
I nod, thinking about what Celestia used to be. Ruler. Sister. Friend. Teacher.
Gilded clears his throat. "Enough talking. We must act. Tonight, we will meet with Luna. She must take action. Before things take a turn for the worse." His tone has a dangerous edge to it.
"If Luna doesn't...?"
He turns to me, eyes bright with such intensity, I don't know whether or not to be afraid or comforted. "Then she is no longer fit to rule. Her feelings cloud her judgement."
I nod solemnly and gallop away, my mind racing faster than my hooves. Gilded Sigil is the most powerful council member, equal to me. He has no feelings clouding his judgement, I doubt he ever did. Now that I think about it, nor do I, anymore. I gave up my position as Princess of Friendship because after all my former friends died, I failed to make any more relationships that were worthwhile. I shouldn't have been the Princess of Friendship in the first place. After all, Pinkie Pie would've been a much better candidate, she was friends with everypony. I'm not the one who made friends with those five, it was vice versa... I was never worthy of the position. It was Celestia's decision to place me on that pedestal. Maybe she was already descending into madness when she did it...
Or maybe, just maybe, she was mad all along. I'll never know the answer. All I know is that I am not a worthwhile friend. I should've been the princess of magic, or studies, or stress... I wish I hadn't been crowned. All it did was give me false ego, false power.
I think of all the ponies Celestia has hurt. Whether accidental or no, the number is quite large. Celestia must pay. I see that now more than ever. She will pay, ten times over.
Perhaps I do have feelings clouding my judgement. But they are not feelings of pity. They are feelings of bitterness.
They are feelings of white-hot anger that cannot be subdued.
Author's Note
Sorry for not publishing anything for almost a year. I've been suffering some severe writer's block.
