The darkness, so cold, so empty, so lifeless... just a spark... just one tiny spark is all I need...

Celestia stared into the darkness that surrounded her. The soft glow from her horn did almost nothing to penetrate it. She walked calmly on, knowing full well who was behind this.

At least, she thought she knew.

She walked on, through this realm that was beyond her understanding. She knew that she shouldn't have gone alone. But she needed this. Needed this chance to prove herself. She had been idle for too long. She had to show them she was still strong.

She had to be.

Luna was now a more capable ruler then even she, Cadence's kingdom had expanded through the frozen wastelands, bringing new life, Twilight now ruled a land of her own, far away. What was left for the great sun princess? She had nothing, maybe in the beginning she had been great, and glorious, a hero even. But now?

She was nothing but the wise mare who could only offer guidance in times of trouble. But now was her chance. This new threat would be done away with, and she could once again be proud of her title.

She heard whispers in the darkness.

"Who is there? Show yourself!" She commanded, flaring her white light through the spacious cavern, lighting up the ground around her, but not penetrating the darkness very far.

"So, here you are at last. We have been waiting for you Celestia." A voice behind her said.

But as she spun round to face it, another spoke to her right.

"Dear, dear Celestia, you haven't changed a bit! Aren't you glad to see us?" The voice giggled.

She faced it, only to hear another voice sound. "What fire burns in her eyes! How she shines with her precious light! It sickens me."

Again she turned to see the source, but yet another spoke. "Celestia, oh sweet Celestia, do you really not recognize our voices?"

Celestia thought for a moment. Yes, those voices did sound familiar, in a way that made her sick. She lit up the room even brighter, showing a lot more, more then she wanted to see. The cavern's walls reflected her light, but inside those reflections...

They were the things of her nightmares.

All her enemies, all her foes, many she had not seen for a thousand years.

Discord laughed at her shocked face. "Oh Celestia, don't look so surprised. It doesn't suit you."

"Indeed." Chrysalis purred. "After all, isn't that what one would expect from the Princess of the Sun?"

Celestia was enraged. "Go away! You are nothing more then nightmares!" She blasted the nearest reflections, which shattered into millions of tiny, crystal fragments.

"And you have never believed in nightmares, have you?" Nightmare moon said from behind her. "I pity you, you have never felt the beauty of it."

Another blast of energy shattered the reflection, but she reappeared next to it. "Oh Celestia, how long will it take for you to see?"

Sombra faded into view. "Indeed. You never were one who could understand. We are here to help."

"Help me with what?" She spat as another blast shot from her horn. "What could you possibly help with?"

"We want to help you understand, Celestia, you never understood us, but we understand you perfectly." Sombra replied. "You, and your precious light. But the burden of that is lifted, and yet, you are not happy."

"Yes, you are not happy." Tirek said, "You still have all that power, but what use is that if you aren't even needed?"

She paused. "What are you trying to say? Of course I am happy, why wouldn't I be?"

Discord laughed again. "Oh Celestia, you aren't fooling anyone! We are, after all, your nightmares. We are a part of you, we know you."

"Yes, we do." Nightmare moon said. "You haven't been happy for over a thousand years. You tried to be normal, didn't you?"

Celestia started trembling. No, not that, anything, but that! She never wanted to face those memories again! Pictures started showing up in the crystal walls.

"Normal, that was all you wanted at that point, you met someone, didn't you?" Nightmare Moon continued.

A stallion showed on the crystal, a tall, strong, earth pony stallion with blue fur, darker blue mane, blue eyes, and a sunflower cutie mark. "Day Break," Celestia whispered, tears forming in her eyes. "No, please..."

"You loved him, didn't you? You became friends, and then more." The picture showed the wedding, Celestia heard a sob escape her throat. "You were happy then Celestia. You had everything you had ever wanted, and then she came."

A little filly, with golden mane and white fur and bright blue eyes showed on the crystal. Celestia broke down weeping. "New Dawn, my dear Dawn..."

"Yes, your daughter, a simple earth pony, like her father. You lived happily together." Images flashed through crystal, Celestia holding baby Dawn with Day Break, Day Break teaching Dawn to walk and run, she and Dawn in the morning as she raised the sun, Dawn and Luna playing hide and seek, Dawn studying with Twilight, Dawn and her father making breakfast, Dawn earning her cutie mark in painting, she and Dawn flying together, Dawn painting her father in a portrait, Dawn and her parents, huddled during a storm, Dawn and her father gardening the precious sunflowers.

"But that couldn't last forever now, could it?" Nightmare Moon whispered.

New images, Day Break, growing old, getting sick, in the hospital, Dawn and her at Day Break's funeral, Celestia with Dawn, crying. Dawn dying of illness and grief, no, please no...

Her, Celestia, alone at the graveyard, crying bitter tears.

Celestia wept openly. "Please stop, please!"

"Oh Celestia, poor Celestia, the price of Immortality, why didn't you remember? She wasn't even able to have children, children who would have been there for you to love. You knew it couldn't last, why did you do it? Why did you choose to love?"

"He- he made me smile, and laugh. He- he understood me. And little Dawn, sh-she was a miracle. I-I-I loved them! And now-"

"And now they are gone, buried, and only a memory." Sombra finished. "But you still hold on to that pain, and that pain grew with every day, every time you raised the sun. You still haven't let go, only buried the pain."

"Please stop! Just go away!" Celestia collapsed on the ground, crying bitterly. "There is nothing you can do..."

"No, we can't," They all said in unison as they faded. "But there is one who can. He is waiting for you in the next cavern. Go..."

They vanished.

Celestia laid there a long time, weeping. Finally she stood up and walked towards the next cavern. It glowed with the light of fire, hot and angry. Celestia didn't like it here. Not one bit.

"Hello Celestia, it has been a long time. I remember it well. We were foals then, only a couple years old." A voice boomed from the end of the cavern. "You have probably forgotten me."

Celestia peered at the end, a tall hooded figure waited there on a throne.

She walked up to him, glaring with hatred in her eyes. "I could never forget you Solaris. You were everything I hated."

"Which is why you trapped me down here, yes I know. But even you can't deny that we are a part of each other." He said, stepping down. "After all, even several thousand years can't change what you did. I still wonder how you lived with it."

Celestia turned her head from him. "I have lived, and have been better for it. I am a better ruler because of it too."

He walked up to her, staring at her from the depths of his cloak. "You were afraid, that is what happened. You were worried when Luna turned evil that you might too, so what did you do? Extract every ounce of Evil from you, every cruel thought, and haunted imagination, everything that could turn against you, and it became me. Why you are a mare, and me a stallion is still beyond us, but perhaps you'd like to reconsider what you did to me?"

"I would never." Celestia shouted. "You will never be a part of me! I don't care what nightmare you try to infect me with, but I am never letting you come back."

Solaris laughed."But Celestia, I have the power to change your nightmares, and you know it, perhaps I can even make your dreams come true."

Celestia sniffed haughtily. "And what would a creature as yourself know of my dreams?"

"More then you know." He replied. "And there is more... You know what I can do, but you also know what you can. You can control me, but not unless you are me."

Celestia looked into his eyes, so hot with rage and anger it made her afraid. But she knew he was just trying to trick her. "I won't. I can find other ways to stop you, and even if you were to over power me, you would only meet your doom at another's hand."

Solaris laughed. "Don't fool yourself Celestia, you would never allow others the burden of an enemy you created. And you don't have to. Just join me, or let me join you. We could make Equestria and even brighter, and more beautiful place! Perhaps we can even bring your loved ones back. With my strength, and your wisdom, there is nothing we can't do."

Celestia looked as if she were about to accept his offer, but then the sun blazed in her eyes. "You are a fool to think I would accept that. Just die and leave me in peace!"

She blasted her magic at him, but he stepped aside just in time, the magic leaving a sizzling hole in the wall. "As you wish, your highness."

He let his cape fall from his shoulders, revealing his black fur, flaming lava-like mane, flaming wings, and twisted, burnt horn, but most of all, his eyes, which resembled the embers in a fire-pit. They were eyes that blazed with rage.

Celestia fought hard, whipping up spells as only those who have studied magic for thousands of years could, but Solaris's magic was strong, dark and deadly, for ever spell she tried he countered it with incredible ease.

Celestia's fear of defeat, and desire for victory was almost overpowered by her rage, and hatred for her creation. She should have gotten rid of this monster long ago.

Solaris's anger fueled him to amazing feats and deadly tactics that left Celestia on edge. Soon they were both scarred, weary, and at their deadliest.

All the while, Solaris taunted her, mocked her, and tore her to pieces.

"Oh Celestia, this is the most fun I've had in years. You almost had me there, oh my, what would Twilight think if she could see you now? Oh oh oh, you almost got me. Are you ready to die Celestia? You certainly wished it when you dearest Day Break left you, and sweet little Dawn too, what a pity. They wouldn't be proud of you right now, you should look at yourself. What a mess."

Finally Celestia could take no more. "Just DIE you evil scum!" She pounced on him and they fell into a pit filled with lava.

Celestia felt a vivid pain, as though her whole being was being soaked in acid, and burned, then, it stopped.

She found herself, lying on the ground in the bottom of a pit. Alone.

Where was Solaris? And why did her head ache so? She felt, she felt so... so..."

"Alive." She whispered, and started laughing. Oh she felt so good! She was so, alive! And powerful! Energy rushed though her as she walked about, testing her limbs, they felt lighted, stronger, and she felt so alive!

She flew out of the pit, and the room lit up around her, she looked to find the source, but then realized she was the source, her mane, which used to be the colors of the sky at dawn, were now deep and vibrant as the flames on a torch. Her fur had darkened from pure white, to a waxy hue that resembled a candle. She laughed, she didn't care what she looked like. She was so ALIVE!She had never felt this way before. But she liked it!

She flew through the cave of crystal and destroyed those places where the ones who mocked her laid. She was not going to let some spooky old ghosts mock her.

She was the sun! No, she was much more then that now. She flew out into the moonlight and laughed. This darkness would soon be gone, gone for good. It was not fit for the sky to be dark when such a pony as herself was ruler.

She was Celestia no more, that foolish and weak pony was dead to her.

She was Solar Flare, Queen of the skies and Equestria, and things were about to change. It was time for a brighter future.

Author's Note

Hi! This is a story idea I've had for a while, but please do not complain if it is short. I like short stories sometimes, and I am still working on my timing in writing, I just wanted to write this for fun.
Thanks