Author's Note

Yay, have the new chapter early!
Besides, it is weekend for me...

Same Warnings as in the last chapter, even if not that heavy

Go, Celestia, go!

Solar Wrath (Celestia)

Chapter Ten: Solar Wrath (Celestia POV)

It was a rather… boring day so far. My little ponies tended to their business and as usual, asking me everything they couldn’t find a solution alone. Sometimes it was very strenuous, and the fact that neither my sister nor Twilight were here to spend time talking with me only made it worse.

“I’m starting to complain like a foal, not like a ruler in my age should,” I chuckled softly.

“Princess?”

I looked up to find my personal aide and scribe Quick Quill looking at me. “Yes?”

“Your nephew would like an audience. Once you are done with him, your sister would also like to talk with you,” she smiled sheepishly. “I’m sorry.”

I sighed before giving her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, my friend. Even if I prefer the good news, I can deal with them.” Nodding to the guards at the door, they opened them, just to be pushed to the side by the one problem I loved and hated at the same time.

“How can I help you on this wonderful day, nephew?”

“Auntie! This is outrageous!” he yelled as soon as he stepped a hoof inside. “You have to put these commoners in their place at once!”

“My dear Blueblood, you have to be a bit more precise than that. Also, I told you to not speak like this about the ponies,” I scolded him gently.

“But Auntie! Those commoners ask that I make reservations at my favourite restaurant! That I wait in line like everypony else, like those winged freaks-” I held my hoof and glared, stopping him dead in the tracks.

“Blueblood! This is the third time this week that you use such words in front of me or in court! I will not have it anymore! You will behave like every other pony or I will stop overlooking those things and start punishing you!” I said sternly, getting up from my throne. “Don’t think that I will forget Equestria or my little ponies just because you are part of my family!” Even if it is a doubtful one.

He looked outright shocked at me, just before turning and stomping out of the room, cursing most of the way while I sighed and sat back onto my throne.

“Any more surprises, my dear Quill?” I asked the mare to my side, whose coat turned from a light yellow to a more dark orange thanks to her embarrassment. “I’m not faulting you, my little pony. When does my sister wants to meet?”

“How about now, dear sister of mine?” Luna spoke as she glared at me.

“I didn’t see you coming in, Lulu.”

“Of course not, Tia. ‘Tis our realm, night and shadows,” she spoke, her voice containing a hardened edge.

I smiled before I stood up and to her side, brushing my coat against hers. “I can tell that there is something wrong. What is it?”

Luna snorted before stepping away, glaring frustrated at me. “Thine fools of a so called guard won’t stop attacking my family and my friends!"

“Luna, I told you once, but let me repeat it again. We have no evidence that there is anypony within my Royal Guard engaged in any of the actions against you or the Night Guard,” I replied calmly.

“THEY SMUGGLED A MOON-DAMN BOMB INTO OUR WING!”

I stopped at that piece of information. “Who?”

“Some stallion. Our general is interrogating him. And then we will finally know who is behind this.” Luna completely turned to me, her eyes totally black. “And then they will feel my wrath!”

“Lulu, don’t over do it,” I warned her. “Please remember the last time you took a matter too much to heart!”

“No!” she growled. “Since you won’t do anything, we will take the matters in our own hooves. They will learn to fear us and our night!”

“I thought you wanted our subjects to love your night!” I objected.

“They don’t deserve our lovely night. Mark my words, dear sister. They will regret everything they have done to our friends and loved ones.”

I didn’t have a chance to further talk to her as she simply turned and left, anger and a cold wind left in her place. As I made my way back to the throne, I waved for one of my guards.

“Lieutenant Silver Wings.”

“Yes, your highness?”

“I want you to find out where the prisoner is my sister has talked about. I need to know his exact whereabouts,” I said, massaging my temples. “And make it quick.”

“What are you planning to do?” she asked, her brown eyes widening.

"Everything I must.”

***

Everything around me was silence as I moved to my chambers. Luna was gone, nowhere to be found, as well as the general and the others of the night guard. However, I knew where the prisoner was.

I should’ve known that Luna would use the dungeons for such an interrogation.

“Lieutenant?” I asked loudly and the mare opened the doors. “I want you to stop everypony from entering. I would like some time for me alone, and wish no disturbances.”

“Of course, my Princess,” she saluted quickly before resuming her post.

I should start drawing more mares into my Royal Guard. The old team is shattered. One mare dead, the other two switched to Luna’s army. What a shame.

“There is just one question left,” I muttered silently. “Do I step in or let Luna handle it alone?”

After what happened last time, it wouldn’t be wise, a soft voice in my head whispered. Do you want another Nightmare?

“Of course not,” I sighed. “But I am not my sister. I’m not a warrior and not one to shed the blood of my little ponies. I was always the diplomat and wise teacher.”

It is for your sister. Save her. You have to keep these ponies from hurting her before it is too late.

“Even if it means that I have to draw blood again. For the first time since the Lunar War,” I said before growling as I concentrated on the wards in the dungeons, bending my own enchantments to my will so they would let me through.

In a quick flash, I arrived in the only occupied room currently in the dungeons, quickly hiding myself with an illusion in a lonely corner. The room was bare except a lamp, a table and two stools. One of them currently occupied by a pony contained with handcuffs, another standing over it, hitting with all available force.

“-daughter? I should-” the pony stopped and looked around. “What was that?”

I recognized the pony as Midnight Flow. A lieutenant in Luna’s armies and, if the rumours were true, her current consort.

The stallion at the ground laughed and smiled. “Afraid, you bitch? Afraid of some light, as may the true princess come and punish you for everything you have done?”

Now this is interesting, if rude.

Midnight just stared at him. “You really think that Princess Celestia would approve of your behaviour?”

"She would definitely not approve of you raping one of her guards and forcing her under your love!”

That was all I needed to hear. Usually I would refrain from using any magical tricks on my ponies, but I had to save Luna, and Equestria. That was the reason I used at least. Controlling a light spell on Midnight, I nudged her in one direction. Anger. Fueling everything she had against that stallion.

As the mare looked around I noticed that she was looking for a way to hurt him even more. I reacted quickly and teleported a weapon from the guard chambers. Smiling, I recognized a hoof blade. She will definitely know how to work with this.

“You wanna talk now?” Midnight asked, pressing the blade against his throat.

“No! I will never talk to you! I will never forget the disgrace you brought upon my daughter and my family. You bitch, you poisoned her!”

Now I was intrigued. Probing his mind a little, I nearly gasped. It was the father of Sunset Streak, my guard that was killed in the last accident. This was becoming more and more interesting, but I couldn’t see any connection to my Royal Guard. I needed answers.

“Too bad,” was all Midnight said as I nudged her mind further and further towards her hatred and anger.

You are pretty stubborn, little one. Or I simply lost my flair in the finer arts of manipulating my ponies. Well, in this case I have to help a bit. Concentrating my magic, I manipulated the blade. A effect that quickly took notice of the two ponies.

“You might kill me, I will stay loyal to our Sun Princess! She will wipe Equestria of the night and- AHH WHAT IS THIS.” the stallion screamed as his flesh boiled and sizzled upon the wound.

Midnight quickly used it. “Tell me what you know, or it gets worse!”

"I don’t know anything, please, make it stop!”

“Why should I make it stop if you won’t give me what I want?”

“Bet you said that to my daughter as well, you monster,” the stallion screeched before spitting some blood onto Midnight’s face. “Nothing but a monster, my daughter probably knew it and refused you!”

The mare completely lost herself as she retracted the blade and started to punch at his throat even without my nudging. I cringed as she dented his throat a bit and the stallion wheezed.

“I-I’ll tell you. Please. No more!”

“Then start talking!”

“Grey Plate! The former Royal Guard was at one of the meetings! He is involved!”

I lost part of the following conversation, too shocked to to anything. My sister was right. All the time it had been the Royal Guard, my guard. Or at least one of them. A scream took me back and I watched, as the mare cut one of the prisoners ear off.

“You fucking bitch! Did you cut my daughter to pieces as well? Then it was good that I released her from her bad fate with you!”

Now that was pretty interesting.

“You did what?”

“I helped this weird mare with cursing the weapons. Sadly, you survived!” the stallion snickered. “Well, it’s not like Celestia won’t kill you s-”

I turned my head on the next scene, only the screams of the stallion accompany me. Even with my anger and determination to save my sister, it was hard to see any of my little pony hurt. No matter how much they deserved it.

“STOP! GOLDEN SNOW!”

I knew that name.

“Golden Snow! Her family owns most of the weather factory, that’s where our funding comes from! She works at the local weather team and is one of our head organizers!” he screamed, before sobbing. “Please, let me live!”

Midnight smiled. “Why should I do that after what you said about my beloved? She is gone thanks to you and this cult! You really think Celestia is the true princess?”

That made me scowl a little, I had to admit that.

“Let me tell you something. The Royal Guard is just a protection for the nobles and some cities. We, the guards of the night are Equestria’s army. If you plan to dismiss of my queen, try it. Equestria will fall and all of you ponies shall die, because we won’t save you then.”

Well, that was true.

The stallion, however, wasn’t done. “You think so highly of yourselves. The night is unholy and should be removed. And with it all of you freaks. I’m honored to serve my true Princess and nothing you say will keep me from this. Luna is nothing but a bitch that tried to take the throne once and will do so again. And you. You… monsters! Creatures like you will burn under the sun, inflamed by holy light as the true princess will judge you! Equestria will be safe and peaceful again.”

It was too much. I had to stop those twisted plans, and with it those ponies. Even if it hurt. I had to save my sister and Equestria. “I am truly sorry, my little pony, but I cannot allow that,” I said and dropped the illusion hiding me. Midnight was surprised, while the stallion turned up a smug grin.

“Princess! What are you doing here?” the mare asked, her blade still extended.

Everything I have to do to save my Lulu from another Nightmare.” I sighed and looked into her eyes. “I’m truly sorry for what I have to do, Lieutenant, but you won’t remember anything of it afterwards.”

“What are you doing?” she asked as I grabbed her in my magic.

The answer hurt, but it had to be done. “Using you to protect my sister and Equestria,” I said before wiping her memory and letting her fall into a peaceful sleep.

“Princess! You came to save me!” the stallion cried out in happiness as soon as I had settled the mare down.

“I think you misunderstood something, my little pony,” I said as I glared at him, golden flames enveloping my body. “I’m here to save my sister and Equestria, not you.”

He was afraid. Truly afraid of me. Who would blame him? A goddess, completely engulfed in the flames of the sun standing in front of him, ready to wipe his existence.

“I only did it for you, the true princess!” he wailed.

“You disgust me,” I hissed. “We are all true Princesses! Twilight, Cadance, me, and yes, even Luna! My sister you seem to hate so much.”

“She is the night! It is unholy! We accept you and Princess Cadance as goddesses, but not the other two!”

“Why not my student? What did she ever do to you?” I asked, fear clenching my heart. “She doesn’t even live near Canterlot! Her castle is in Ponyville.”

“She is a unicorn and will be one forever! You simply can’t declare a pony a princess and expect to have it accepted by everypony!” he smiled uneasily. “She was your student, your highness. Surely you have to see how wrong she is.”

They even want to hurt Twilight!

I frowned. “And my sister? Besides that her night is ‘unholy’ as you say.”

The stallion pondered for a while and shifted, wincing every now and then in pain until he spoke. “She wants to bring eternal night. The elements may have rescued her, but the evil is still inside her, we just know it.” he paused and gulped. “And then her abominations. These… bat ponies. They are just wrong!

I felt anger burst through my chest, anger I haven’t felt in centuries. “They are ponies just like you and me! They are created by birth, natural! My sister didn’t create or alter them! Even the first pony was created naturally and in pure love!”

“You… You can’t seriously mean that, my princess! They are freaks!”

“I can’t stand that word anymore,” I growled and stepped closer, the flames crackling brighter and brighter. “It is time that you realize that my sister is not the only one to carry negative power. I will protect my subjects and my sister from you and all that are helping you.”

I sent the flames out to devour him, ignoring his screams of pain. “No matter the cost.”

I would never forget the first life I took after nearly a thousand years of peace in my heart.