Chapters
As the solar princess, wandered in thought, watching as each tile passed by, she wondered about what she would do next, if what she was doing will be worth it, and heading silently to her destination, the consequences or price that may be paid shall she go through with her rather ambitious motive.
She walked through the quiet halls of Canterlot Castle alone as her head hung down low, her mane disheveled as it may be, sliding across the floor pathetically while her eyes were red from lack of sleep and fatigue claimed her body from lack of rest.
Her entire posture bled the signs of a ruler broken down by burdens and stress but had done her best to press on for the sake of leading her kin. The entire hall was silent as no servants, no nobles, and no guards walked among them. The castle staff had retired for the night and the soldiers were still recouping from their most aggressive and serious war that was only three months before.
The gryphons wanted back their territory and when negotiations and patience ran thin, they attacked with great fury. It was the princess herself who was force to lead them and the loss and sacrifice had been almost too much to bear. She had been in minor squabbles and battles before but this one had taken the cake as the most ruthless.
The war was violent, bloody, nasty and the most heinous. It was an event that rubbed salt in her already deep and lacerated wound. For her, it showed her how much of the skills she seem to lack ruling alone. It was grevious and was a perfect example of a world that was void of absolute....
Harmony.
Celestia cringed at the words. Such things no longer sounded pleasant and it left a bitter taste in her mouth to speak of it ever again.
Harmony was something that Equestria had once. It was physical, its magical presence located inside the likes of the most refined gemstones. She and Luna held those stones within their grasp but now the only thing that they were good for was being hidden away within the confines of her newly built home.
They did not respond to her call, her grief and nor did they even lift themselves to respond to her magic. They faded in color like the sun at dusk, standing on the ground like broken gems.
They were useless .
Celestia lifted her head that tied its eyes to the floor and looked forward upon realizing she was coming to the end of the hall. She turned and walked down another until finally she had reached that of her mentors room. She beheld before her in the shadows two large doors holding the very symbol - cutie mark - of the most influential pony of her time. In the middle of the large doors was a large spiral that bore the image of a large yellow star in the middle of it surrounded by smaller stars of the same. around it.
The doors carried an overwhelming feeling as to stand before the very room where her mentor and teacher worked was one that nearly gave her second thoughts. Other ponies would be enthralled at the ability to even see such a thing. To stand before the very room where the most powerful and authoritative unicorn worked his magic at and crafted spells.
For others, it carried a since of dread. Guards themselves refused to even go near it as Starswirl was one who did not like any old pony coming within a range of ten feet of his study room. Yelling or screaming at them to continue about their business shall he catch them so much as staring too long or standing too close to his chambers. Most of the time if not always, it was locked by that of a spell that prevented any old pony from entering without his worded permission.
A magical lock crafted by himself to ensure that his studies, books and handiwork was safe and kept within good hooves from being damaged or altered in anyway. He was protective of his things and his studies more so.
Celestia however, thanked her blessings for she not only was the graduated student of Starswirl the Bearded but also knew exactly what spell was needed to unlock the existing magic on the doors that kept the room shut off from outsiders and unwanted visitors.
Taking a deep breath, Celestia lit up her horn with yellow aura. A few glowing spirals emitted its way from off of the tip of it and struck the middle of the the door right on the picture of the middle star. Causing it to emit a soft yellow glow. Seeing this, Celestia moved her horn causing a light beam to follow its direction. She connected the middle star with the rest of the smaller stars that surrounded it, creating finally a larger star that engulfed the entire spiral.
Celestia stood back as the newly made star glowed strongly before swelling in brightness. It then exploded into a dazzling array of golden sparks as the stars faded back into their dull colors into the darkness. She head a few locks click and after a small second pause, the split door opened slowly within the confines the room. Creating a small sound as it did before stopping.
The princess walked in and used her magic to alight each and every candle in the room from where she stood. Starswirls room was a giant mess. Paper was everywhere, his desk was cluttered with pens, ink and scrolls and his walls were hardly able to be seen as book cases lined with books and scrolls filled them to the very brim.
He never cleaned the place and the one maid who insisted on being nice to straighten it was yelled at by Starswirl for touching his things. For him it was organized chaos and the poor maid didn't take kindly to being told off. Lest to say, she never bothered Starswirl's possessions again...or did a nice thing for that matter.
Celestia walked among the room, eyes gliding across the plethora of information that she could take from. She had entered the room before and had spent quite some time in it to remember the exact information she was looking for. After all, the spells she was looking for were not complicated spells and only required an average level of magical talent to understand and use them.
She was taking a risk. She was breaching on his trust of her but she swallowed her guilt and pushed back her convictions. She could not continue ruling like this. Harmony was what she was bred to breed and it was something that she going to gain back. With or without the Elements of it to do so.
Celestia approached Starswirl's desk and shifted through his paper work. Picking up each paper one by one as to make sure she did not over look the very spell she was aiming for. Her heart thumped hard against her chest and every little sound coming from outside or around her made her more frantic and panicked.
She shifted through them quietly but quickly as if she was running from a guard as an escaped prisoner. As she went through the multitude of papers on Starswirls desk, two scrolls fell down by her hooves to which she picked up and unfurled.
They were exactly what she was looking for.
Smiling Celestia took the scrolls within her magic and placed the papers she had shifted back to how they were arrange previously but not before also taking hold of a paper depicting a magical circle.
Celestia made her way outside the unicorn's room. She unraveled the scrolls and took one last look at them to ensure that she had obtained the correct ones. Reading over them and seeing that she did, she rolled them back up and shut the doors to Starswirl's room, placing back upon them the seal to safeguard against any hint that some pony had entered his domain.
Celestia gave one last look at her mentors room before heading to where the elements themselves were stored.
"Forgive me..."
The large, intruding, ebony doors stood before her in their radiant glory. Glittering stars of magic glimmered dimly against them while a giant sideways, crescent moon stood present in the middle. Starswirls, her's and Luna's room were all stylized this way. Showing off their importance as well as their influence and glory. It was almost prideful but the simple excuse of being royalty was enough for others to brush off its opulence.
This door in paticular had no seal. It didn't need one as other ponies hardly if ever entered it save to dust off the objects of the late princess and make sure that no spiders and dust webs created homes in there. Celestia unlocked the door with her magic and the ebony doors came opened for her silently.
She stepped in and looked around, seeing the room in complete spic and span shape. No wrinkle was present on the bed, no dust made sway on the carpet and no blotch or stain or dustweb could be found with even the keenest and sharpest of eyes. No pony had really set hoof in it and the pony it was built for couldn't set hoof in it if they wanted too.
It was perhaps the most elegant of the rooms and despite her preferences, it was Celestia's favorite. The ceiling was adorned with vibrant arrays of magical like energy that gave the appearance of stars much like the front of the doors. Upon it, bearing all of the different types of constellations that Luna herself had crafted in her disappearance from courts and royal duties after being pushed out by the rallying cries for her sisters attention.
The fabrics upon the canopy bed and windows were of a beautiful navy blue with golden lace and cords tied around them. There was a table and sofa seating by the bed, the walls were of beautiful blue color and gilded and bordered with gold and a large window engulfed the entire center wall that pointed outside so that the moon showed largely through. Outshining even the large, crystal and platinum chandelier that hung from the center of the ceiling.
Celestia closed the ebony doors to the room and just as quickly begun to use her magic. Her horn a lit and she strained under the amount of energy that was being used as she pointed it at the two doors. Hot, white, glowing chains appeared and begun to wrap themselves around the doors, intertwining themselves as she continued using her magic. After gaining just enough strength she jolted a small light beam at the entrance which completely sealed shut the doors.
To ensure that no pony could easily break them, she crafted her own specialized lock like that of what Starswirl did and then left the doorway alone. Finished, she stood in the center of the room and carried over the two scrolls and her chalk that she had grabbed also from Starswirls room.
Celestia took a deep breath and pulled back the curtains to the largest window in the room. Seeing the full glow of the moon that bore the image of the very one who had previously wield it. Its large size staring back at her intently.
"Here I am...Luna..." she spoke. Nearly choking on her words.
"I remember when the castle was first being built. When the carpenters and architects came to me with the blueprints for the new castle, I had asked them why there was no room for you. They looked at me bewildered, puzzled as to why I would even ask such a thing. They figured that such a thing was unnecessary. Princess Luna was gone and who knew when you were to return....if you would return. But even still I pressured them to build this abode nonetheless. I still had hope, hope that you'll return to me someday."
Celestia did her best to hold back the tears but she could feel her eyes burn from the saltiness that was beginning to swell up inside of them. "I should have paid attention. I should have been the bigger sister and did all that I could to help you through your pain but I didn't. It is said that the Elements of Harmony can purge out evil. That even the most vilest, grossest and most abominable creature could be cleanse if it was possessed or corrupted by something. When you became that wicked thing, I sought to purge it out of you. She was not Luna, she was not my sister, and she was not the one who was birthed alongside me all those years ago. Starswirl told me that it was of your choice, your decision, that I needed to do what a ruler should do and to press on."
Celestia looked down at the ground in silence as it begun to become wet from what she had tried so hard to hold back. "But what does he know! With you gone Equestria has now looked more bleak then ever! Harmony has vanished and on both sides of the globe is Equestria threatened with war and racial zealots! I know this is what fate had prepared us for, to be rulers and guide out subjects back to order but this is not how its suppose to be! Starswirl doesn't understand and neither does any pony else! Since your banishment the ponies more than ever praise me. They praise the defeat of Nightmare Moon, they celebrate the rising of my sun as a symbol of their everlasting deliverance from eternal night and for them they see nothing but my smiles. I am too go on, continue as though nothing had happened."
Celestia choked. "They don't see that I not only banished my sister but also the only pony that will be by my side. The only one capable of understanding me. I received no comfort when you were banished. The wars, the bloodshed, the violence...."
The princess squeezed her eyes shut as she let loose the tears that streamed down her face. Thinking back to the times where where battles engulfed the land and when the gryphons had recently attacked. The mourning of parents, the loss of innocent, and the horrible deaths of soldiers. All flashed back to her like a violent nightmare. Ready to engulf her in an everlasting tale of grief.
She opened her eyes and furrowed them at the moon.
"The Elements of Harmony failed me. They failed you but I will not. No matter what I will undo this even if it means forever sacrificing Starswirl's trust of me."
Celestia laid down the scrolls to the side and taking the chalk she held, begun to draw on the floor. She started with drawing a large circle and then begun to intrinsically put in the details according to the scroll that she looked at.
"Now, if I remember correctly..."
She drew a middle circle with a star in it along with two smaller circles within the much larger one. The two having a picture of the sun and moon. Afterwards, she filled in the gaps around the circle that carried the star shape and drew a picture of each element of harmony. Loyalty, kindness, laughter, generosity, honesty and finally magic.
"Finished."
She took a step back and glossed her eyes over the details to be sure that each one was not only properly placed, but correctly drawn accordingly.
Seeing how all was clear, Celestia grabbed hold of the black bag that she had stopped for long before, and emptied its contents out onto the floor.
They were the Elements of Harmony themselves.
They were faded and lacking in magical use since Luna's banishment to the moon.
Celestia took the bleak stones and placed them accordingly on each of their pictures upon the magic circle. Once completed, she turned to the other two scrolls that she had picked up out of her teachers room and stood in the middle of the image that she had created.
She opened the two up simultaneously and read over the papers intently at once. Making sure that she did not miss any words nor fine print that could possibly cause everything to go wrong. One was that of a breaking spell for seals. If Luna was banished to the moon then surely there had to be something, some type of magical power, that bonded her there.
A spell for breaking seals should truly do the work. However, it just wasn't enough that she simply be freed from the moon. Celestia wanted to make sure that it was her sister that was freed from the moon and not the likes of that wretched abomination that dared to possess her sister.
To be sure this was to happen, the day princess had the other spell up her sleeve. A conversion spell that could change a creature's or being's nature or appearance into something else more closely aligned with what it was. Like converting a greedy person into a more generous one.
These two spells was all she needed and it was all here to do as she wished.
"I am ready."
Celestia placed the three scrolls far over to the side of the room, on top of that of Luna's dresser.
She inhaled a deep breath and with eyes beaming with false confidence lit up her horn.
Author's Note
Final chapter is next. Wasn't intended to be multi-chapter but its what ended up happening.
Pupa
As if perhaps the most graceful sights, Celestia stood in the midst of the magical circle as her horn lit up. With eyes closed, focusing all of her energy into her magic spell, the symbols she stood upon begun to glow a hot white. A magical line traced over every one of the mystical symbols until every part of it was interlocked and intertwined. Once connected, the form glowed even brighter and emitted glowing glimmers of white light from below. Sending them up like snow falling in reverse.
Celestia took a deep breath and continued putting her focus of attention into her spell casting. She squeezed her eyes and with a small groan, shifted her magic to that of the elements of harmony. The gemstone for the element of generosity glowed first causing her horn to alight with the color purple. A beam of light of the same color moved from it and onto the next, the element of kindness causing her horn to light up with the corresponding color.
The same was repeated for the rest of the gemstones. The beam moved across the magical circle to honesty, orange, loyalty, red, laughter, blue and finally to the middle of the circle where the final element laid at.
Magic.
The circle and gemstones glowed immensely then before and shot corresponding colored beams straight to the tip of Celestia's horn. The solar princess's eyes shot open showing no pupils but instead orbs of all white. She groaned and strained under the pressure as the magical energy was not only seemingly rejecting her as it's wielder and summoner but also was too much for her too handle. Its magical power being too much for the alicorn to barely withstand without stress.
Beads of sweat begun to pour down her temple as she tried to focus on her spells.
"Come on...I can...oh ..do...this!"
She stammered over her words. Though her eyes were all but completely white, she kept her attention cleanly focused on the likes of her sister's moon. She was not going to give up and she was going to complete what she had alone started. It was too late to turn away now. She had made up her mind and though the Elements of Harmony fought against her, no longer viewing her as the wielder of their power, she held onto them.
Celestia quickly straightened her bending limbs and stood straight up. Letting out a grunt as though she had just managed to pick up something heavy. The magic that was being sent to her finally grew stable enough that it no longer wavered. Making it much easy for the princess to gather herself back in order and refocus her attention on casting the spell.
Celestia bent her joints and crouched low to the ground, summoning all of her raw strength and magical power to the very likes of her horn. The Elements of Harmony begun to beacon a glow like a light tower and pulsed as it pumped all of its magical potential into the likes of the alicorn that dared to harness its power.
She was draining it like a leech.
Lights pulsed from out of the elements, through the beams that connected it to Celestia's horn and into the bodily organ. Celestia felt her head pulse at the weight of the magical energy. It felt as though heavy weights were placed upon the likes of her entire body. Nearly unable to lift up any part as balls of magical light danced and wrapped themselves all around her body. Dancing across her fur as if performing a hectic waltz in panic.
She could no longer hold her voice as it became overbearing.
"Ugh!"
Celestia screamed the ground sunk under her as it cracked beneath the sheer amount of magical pressure.
"I..can...huh ..do this! Ugh !"
The ground cracked again and this time, beams of light danced across the borders of the circle. Celestia continued to crouch groaning, grunting and yelling under the intense being of com-pulsing the elements to bend to her will. The ground convulsed and cracks became more and more apparent from the midst of the circle as they multiplied in number.
The ground convulsed and with a sudden jerk of the entire room, the largest window of the chambers completely shattered allowing aggressive and violent winds to completely swarm the entire room and blow against objects, candles, curtains and beds.
As the moon stood in full before her, stars, something that had all but disappeared along with her sister, begun to emerge from the darkness one by one. Breaking through the shadows and unveiling themselves like a beautiful array of fireflies that never turned out their bio-luminescence. Only coming on one by one.
The silhouette of the 'mare in the moon' as it came to be called begun to radiate a beacon like glow just like the magical circle before it begun to illuminate with the dazzling array of colors like the Elements of Harmony.
It's working.
Celestia gathered up all of her strength, reared on her hind legs and with her head pointed high with all of the Elements of Harmony connected to her as their center point, she came bearing down upon the ground and screamed.
"UGH!!"
The entire wing of the castle where the moon princess's room was located at rattled as the moon turned ebony black.
"What in the world is going on!"
Star Swirl had all but fell out of his bed as he was pushed out by a violent quake of some sorts. He could feel the ground shake with no stability and the walls seem to slightly rattle before him sporadically before erupting into violent convulsions.
Starswirl, the brilliant mind of his time, the age and wisest unicorn, a grumpy old stallion, was less than pleased to have not only been awoken from his peaceful slumber, but to be awoken so violently that he was pushed out of his bed and onto the floor. Sensing the reality of what was going on around him, Starswirl raised an eyebrow.
"What the-?"
Another sudden jolt of the place came and some debris rained down from the ceiling of his room and onto his head. He grunted and brushed off his head. Dissatisfied at the state of things.
"Great...is another villian attacking the place?"
The doors of his bed chambers shot open as Clover the Clever, his trusted student from long before, came rushing in towards him.
"Starswirl! Starswirl!"
"What, what, what! Are you here to tell me what the hay is going on with this place?!"
"We don't know!" she said panting. "The guards heard screaming that sounded like princess Celestia's voice but when they went to her room she wasn't there! Instead they found this note laying on her bed!"
Clover quickly removed a rolled up scroll from her cape pocket and handed it over to the grumpy unicorn who read hurriedly over the words:
Dear Starswirl,
I know you trained me and Luna well and I know you only desire the best of me now but this I can no longer allow to continue. Left and Right is Equestria threatened with war and turmoil in an already crippled society between Discord and the loss of the Crystal Empire. Luna is banished and with her, the Elements of Harmony has been banished with her. Rendered useless and not answering to my call and command. I knew leadership and ruling came with issues...came with consequences. Some of them almost painful but still I cannot vision peace coming to Equestria like this.
Already was I burdened down and heavy laden only for the war of the gryphons to come only a couple weeks ago. The bloodshed, the violence...what is there to be done? Those things can be handled through good old fashion sword swinging but what if an enemy like Discord dares to wreck havoc again? Comes and threaten Equestria like Sombra? My magic is powerful yes but only to an extent. It is not stronger than the Elements of Harmony and as out main defense and last resort what shall we do if we come under threat without those to help us?
What is I... Equestria , to do?
You will yell at me, you will scorn me but know that if anything shall happen I only did so out of the purest intentions. Using a combination of your spells, the elements themselves and my own magic, I will bring her back and in doing so, regain harmony and with the regaining of harmony, see to it that once again Equestria will be lead under its banner. I will break the seal that bounds her and I will free her from the demon that has claimed her soul.
Forgive me but I am afraid that I know nothing else of what I can do. Nothing else I can do. As you read this know that I do not wish for you to understand but accept that I have made up my mind. I will do this and you will see...Equestria will be what its suppose to be.
Your Most Faithful Student,
Princess Celestia
Starswirl looked up from the paper with wide eyes in absolute disbelief that Celestia, his most proudest of students was taking the risk of mixing not only two spells but the elements of harmony along with them to do this deed. His mind flashed before his eyes as he thought of the many other students he had seen and had that had fallen victim.
Weather it was dark magic, the forbidden art of necromancy, typical mortal traits of greed or pride, or that of crossing forbidden boundries, he could not have imagined that Celestia of all ponies would dare breach his teachings, his trust, and go so far as to do this.
"Clover! Where is Celestia! We cannot allow her to continue this! Even if the elements are unresponsive to her now, we cannot risk the most powerful magic known to ponykind to become tainted by whatever she may be conjuring up! We must find her! Now!"
"She wasn't in her room but the guards said that they heard screaming coming from Luna's chambers! But they said they couldn't go in due to it being locked!"
"Take me there! Now!"
"Yes!"
The two ran for it out of the room as another scream was heard and the ground, walls and entire infrastructure of the castle shook in aggression.
As the two unicorns ran down the halls, Starswirl could only think of one thing:
Celestia...please be alright.
Author's Note
This was suppose to be the final chapter but welp. Didn't turn out that way. Another one coming soon after.
Butterfly
"How long has this been going on?"
Clover shook her head. "We don't know! All we know is that it wasn't too long ago that the guards were troubled by a sudden shake and a loud scream coming from castle wings.
The two unicorns continued their panicked run down the halls as Clover led her teacher to the wing that bore Luna's bedroom. Coming to a slow and gradual halt, the two panting unicorns laid eyes upon a mixed group of servants and guards that stood in front of the large ebony doors of the Lunar princess.
"AaaghnnUgh!"
Another scream was heard and with it the space where the ponies stood rattled. Some of the ponies covered their heads to shield their temples from the falling debris above.
Clover looked over to her side and saw her teacher bending over with his head held low to the ground.
"Are you alright Starswirl?"
"Ha...yes...very fine. No more fine than two centuries ago. I'm reaching my limit. Running around like this is going to give me arthritis."
Clover mumbled. "Don't you already have arthritis...possibly althmzers too..."
"What did you say?"
"Nothing!"
"Clover the Clever? Sir Starswirl?"
The two unicorns looked up to see a grey pegasus clothed in golden armor.
"I'm glad you two made it most of all. As you can see the situation is dire."
"Yeah...we can tell." Satrswirl spoke.
"Have you all gotten the doors opened?"
The guard shook his head. "I am afraid not. As you can see, the unicorn guards are doing all they can to undo whatever is sealing shut the doors as there seems to be some type of spell cast upon it. Their trying now."
The three turned their heads to see two unicorn guards beaming their magical powers straight at the large opulent doors that stood before them. Their eyes shut tightly closed, as they hurled their magic energy. As they continued, the white glowing chains of magic appeared and gradually begun to break one by one. Swelling into an immense bright glow only to shatter into white glimmers.
"They seem to be breaking it now!" Clover exclaimed. Seeing as how one by one the chains of magic that bounded tightly the doors begun to break. Shattering each one by one like the other.
The ponies stood back as they watched and as the final chain shattered the crowd of ponies let out a cheer.
"It's broken!"
"Finally we did it!"
"Hurry, undo the seal and-"
Before the guard could finish the doors shined a bright white before fading. Not long after did everyone of the chains that came undone begun to intertwine their way back.
"No, no no! What is happeneing!"
"The chains are enveloping the doors again!"
One of the unicorn guards, seeing as how the other that served to break the chains in the first place was spent out of energy, took upon the duty himself to charge his magic at each and every one of the links as he tried to break them. They broke as he did but instead of them staying shattered they came back, this time with more in its place each time that the unciorns managed to splinter them. Like the mythical hydra that grew two heads and more back in it's place each time and time again, a head of its own was chopped off.
The unicorns, tired and spent of their trial, stopped and in doing so watched as the last chains came together to completely lock the door even more than before. The once meager five chains that had surrounded the doors had now quadrupled into a severe number of twenty.
Starswirl narrowed his eyes at the chamber doors.
The ponies looked up in defeat at the doors.
"W-what do we do? We can't open the doors!"
"Your not going to be able to open them up like that."
The crowd of faces turned to Starswirl who made his way in front of them.
"I now see what she's done. Not only did she cast a simple bounding spell, she also infused it with a hydra spell to ensure that if any pony tried to break them they will multiply in number to make it much harder. The problem is that it has to be all broken at one time."
"She did...all of that?"
"Whatever she's doing in there she doesn't want anyone to disturb. I was the one who taught her those spells so I take responsibilty of their misuse."
"How do we break them all at once?"
"How many unicorns are here? Raise your hoof if you are a unicorn!"
The crowd begun to murmur and slowly but surely, some colorful hooves poked through.
Starswirl counted each one that came up.
One, two, three...five...six...eight...twelve.
"This won't do...I need twenty."
"Twenty?!" Clever repeated in shock.
"Yes. If we were to break them all at once. Including you and and me we only have twelve."
"Shall I go out and gather more then?"
"No! Absolutely not! We do not have time!"
Starswirl turned and faced the massive doors. "We will have to do what we can with only us in this situation."
A terrible quake suddenly resounded, rocking the walls and the lunar doors with it. The frequency of the trembles and convulses of the castle was becoming increasingly more violent and more severe.
He was running out of time.
"Quick! All of you unicorns come to the front where I stand!"
Following his command, all came including the two unicorns that though had mostly recovered, were still fatigued from their previous attempts at breaking the locks on the door. The others pushed through the crowd, saying excuse me as they did as the old and wise stallion told them to.
"Get into positions and line out. A straight line, everybody."
Again the ponies did as told and with eyes of small hope looked to the unicorn.
"Now when I say begin, all of you will aim your magic at the door! Each and every one of you I need you to lock onto a chain and hold onto it. I will then split my hold on my magic and hold onto the rest. Clover however, will aid in backup."
"T-the backup? I won't hold onto a chain?"
"No. I have a feeling that Celestia did more than wrap a bunch of locks around the doors. There could be something else afterwards and I want to make sure that everything is broken at once to ensure that nothing comes back and we start all over. Understood?"
Clover saluted. "Y-yes!"
Starswirl took a deep breath. "Alright you lousy unicorns! On the count of three start!"
"One!"
The unicorns shuffled on their feet, their eyes darting for a chain to call their own.
"Two!"
They pointed their horns at the door and took their stances, beaded sweat running down their foreheads in anxiety.
"Three!"
And just like that the room erupted into a bright frenzy of magical energy. Each unicorn strained under the weight of energy they emitted out to break the chains. Starswirl however, with pure confidence and show of strength, locked onto the center chain and split his magic into nine more rays. Connecting the rest of the links to his horn.
With perfect timing, the chains glowed a hot white but they did not shatter. Instead, a faint glow of a circle came up, disappeared and appeared again in brilliant glory showing the image of a circular line.
Starswirl knew eaxctly what it was.
I knew it...she cast a seal for backup.
"Clover!"
"Yes!"
"The seal! Break the seal!"
"But how?!"
Dammit!
"Think you old stallion! Think!"
Starswirl shut his eyes closed as he went into the depths of his mind on exactly what type of style Celestia would use to engrave the doors. He thought to Sombra's seal on the crystal heart which was en eye with a slit but then thought of his which was that of a star and before long the image of Celestia's cutie mark flashed before him.
"Connect the stars on the door in the shape of Celestia's sun!"
"Okay!"
Clover rushed over and aimed her magic at the center star. In doing so the other of the most largest stars lit up one after another like that of a connect the dots game. She moved her magical ray across the front of the doors connecting each and every star. Using them as a guide to draw Celestia's mark.
Finishing up the last one the yellow seal was traced by a fiery red flame before the chains completely shattered. The seal became enveloped in dancing flames before exploding into a million sparks before the doors of the moon princess's room swung violently opened.
Engulfing the crowd of unicorns, earth ponies, and pegasi in violent tempest.
Satrswirl and Clover braced themselves as their faces were bent back by the gusts of wind and sheer amount of turbulence that came speeding at them with aggressive force. Starswirl's hat nearly blew off while Clover's cape nearly tore at it's ragged seams as the vicious gale tore through their fur and against their skin with violent force.
Starswirl, moved his hoof that covered his eyes and face away from his vision and saw his most prized and precious student, daughter of the late king, standing in the midst of a magical field of intense energy. Straining under its force and pressure that was exerting from the both her own magic and the elements of harmony.
But it was the image he laid eyes upon that made his blood run cold.
He was pale at the sight.
Looking pass that of the princess and through the glass of the large windows that Celestia faced, the once silver moon was bathed in the color of crimson blood.
Of all omens this was one he didn't wanted to see.
"Starswirl! What is going on? What is happening!" Clover yelled. Barely audible over the sounds of the trembling ground and the wicked groans of the princess.
"Like the devil I know!"
Before he could react a, magical sparks burst forth and aimed straight for the crowd.
Clover, seeing this, quickly erected a barrier of green magic and let it remained around her, the group and the teacher as magic fell out of place all around them.
Starswirl let loose a small growl and turned the the group. He canceled out Clover's magic and erected his own barrier as he served to push the group out. He could have sworn there was more ponies than now that was present but assumed that the violent tempest and the sight of the princess more than likely, scared some of them off.
"Statrswirl, what are you doing?!"
"It is not safe here! I don't want anyone to cross the boundaries of this room! Clover, you will stay outside and keep watch over the panicked lot! Ensure everyone in the castle of what is going on currently and calm their scared flanks!"
"But-!"
Before she could finish, ebony doors of the fallen moon princess, slammed in her face.
She frowned but did not attempt to open the doors back up knowing it was probably for the best. She turned her attention to the group who looked at her with lost and frightened eyes like a confused puppy. Pitying them she sighed.
"I guess I have no other choice. Guards, go and evacuate the castle. Maids and servants, go with them to help in escorting them safely out through the corridors. If any are hurt, unicorns, use your magic to help them out. There should be a total of two parties, one for escorting and evacuating and another for any that may need help. Gather any nurses and other ponies as well. Now go and do what Starswirl said!"
The group immediately fell out and running in all types of directions in talkative murmur, set forth to do what the graduated magical apprentice said.
Clover closed her eyes as she place a hoof to her chest in prayer.
Starswirl...Celestia...please be safe
Starswirl stood not far from the doors as he braved the violent turbulence, encased in a barrier to stop the gusts of hellish wind and the sparks of magic that erradically flew in all types of directions.
She could no longer keep them balanced and under control.
Celestia could feel her horn splitting.
"Celestia! Celestia!" He was barely heard by the princess as she thrashed about in an attempt to forcibly wield magic that she no longer could.
"Do you have any idea what you are doing!? You are putting the entire fate of Equestria in jeapordy! Why are you doing this!? Have you gone mad?! Has King Sombra infected you with his magic?!"
Celestia snapped her head at him. Bones cracking as they contorted in ways unusual to its anatomy.
Starswirl flinched as completely white orbs stared back at him with clear blood shot veins. Her horn was beginning to crack and fray off as glowing white light took its place. She was falling apart like a statue that had been neglected for centuries. Parts of her body begun to crack and break, a sight that the centuries old unicorn had never witnessed before.
It shouldn't be like this. Everything was wrong. It wasn't suppose to be like this.
"Ye of all ponies shall not speak!"
Her voice echoed with a mixture of the booming voice of royalty and a near demonic sound as her speaking went back to one of old.
"War after war after war. The violence the bloodshed the constant threat that Equestria faces. How can harmony be spread henceforth through the world if there is none to begin with? We were harmony, me and my sister. The elements gave us peace, gaveus sanity and now with her gone, there is none left. We are alone, we are no more but if I bring her back surely harmony will be restored and with it peace."
"You are insane Celestia! The elements of harmony is no more for you to control! Your sister is gone! She chose her fate! She decided to rebel and engulf the world in enternal night!"
"The elements of harmony failed us! That was not of our sisters doing! She was possessed! Under the control of something! She will never do something of the like to us or our subjects!"
"Snap out of your denial Celestia!"
"The elements should have purged her but instead they've done nothing but remove her from us! They have put thy world under complete disarray and chaos! I shall bring her back to us...to me."
"There is nothing you can do Celestia! She is gone! This is not the way to restore harmony! You are a princess! A humbled queen! You must now be the sole focus of the country!"
"Thee was not there while we suffered in sadness. I remember thy cold gaze as ye spoke to us in coldness. Telling us to simply move on because it was 'thou duty' . But today we shall have none of it. We shall restore harmony, we shall fix our mistake and we shall make one whole again."
Starswirl watched as the princess begun to fade. Multiple pieces of her body begun to crack and shatter like stone and glass. Revealing only light in its place. Splattering small amounts of blood all over the entirety of the rooms furniture and walls as it did so.
She now seemed...numbed to the pain.
No longer screaming.
It seemed as though she was under possession of something unknown as her voice echoed as two.
She turned her back to Starswirl and blankly, like a zombie, stared outside the large windows.
Starswirl could feel himself straining under the pressure of keeping the barrier up as it begun to fade. Taking to much impact from the whirlwind sworms of powerful magical energy and swarms.
"Think about your future! Equestria's future! One day your sister may return! You must be patient! Perhaps the elements of harmony will be restored by then! Celestia! Think about your subjects! Think about those possibilities!"
Celestia did not move, flinched or so much paid mind.
"Equestria...may not survive til then..."
Starswirl aimed his magic towards a magical beam that flew his way and then to another. The barrier had failed to stay up any longer and now Starswirl played a deadly game of catch.
He didn't have time left between snapping Celestia out of her trance and that of erecting a barrier to protect himself. His focus remained on his beloved student.
"Your subjects Celestia! The ones you care and love!"
His voice was but a distant memory. A noise in the background of turned over thoughts. Celestia's blanketed mind flashed images of her past. The birth of her sister, reading stories to her in bed, playing pranks, getting on each other nerves, Luna singing lullabies to the moon, meeting Starswirl for the first time, witnessing the alicorn war together, finding the tree of harmony together, defeating discord together, raising their celestial bodies together, ruling equestria together, fighting King Sombra together.
"Celestia!" Starswirl screamed.
His saying echoed in her head.
Think about your subjects!
His words had finally reached her.
"....with this we do."
It was too late.
The moon turned black as a dim halo encircled it.
The stars vanished from sight
Celestia reared on her hind legs as her body begun to crack all over. Breaking, shifting, churning her blood and body in excruciating pain as it shot through whatever nerves she had left. The ground shook more violently then ever, the furniture toppled over.
Her body broke apart as she let out one last final scream as her horn shattered.
The sun princess was no more.
Author's Note
Yeah this ain't the last one either. One very short chapter after this. Cause you know. Cliffhangers are fun. Really, there should be an uplifting tag.
All was silent as Starswirl slowly opened his eyes as he laid against the doors of the chambers. He groaned as he placed a hoof to his head. It pounded slightly from the impact and as he tried to move, he fell back against the doors.
"D-damn it."
His side was in a fair amount of pain. The sudden shatter of Celestia's horn had sent him spiraling into that of the ebony coated doors. He got up slowly, groaning under the small shocks of pain that graced his side. He touched just behind and around the front of his leg where he could see a small coloration through his fur. Surely an internal bruise but one that did not seem to signal immediate medical intervention.
He touched the top of his head and realizing his hat was gone looked around for it.
Eyes gazed along the now destroyed room.
Curtains were ripped, dressers and drawers were toppled over and parts of the roofs ceiling laid on the floor as debris. Along with the once beautiful, crystal chandelier that that once adorned it. It laid shattered and broken, no light or grandeour emitting from it at all.
He saw his hat laying there by the toppled over dresser and smiling internally, used his magic to levitate it over to where he was. Placing it back on his head the way it should have been.
Starswirl saw in the distance an oval like figure hanging from the ceiling in the middle of where all the hell had broke loose from. The room was dark and there was little light to behold upon the sight.
He furrowed his eyes and lit up his horn. Creating a spark of light that stayed at its tip.
He made way towards the figure limping that laid in the shadows and walked around it. Taking in whatever feature the object or...creature he could.
The object was a cocoon of pure green.
Starswirl frowned at it as he used his light to try and take a peek in. The object inside was unseeable as it was covered by a pair of large mix matched wings which was all he could see.
One seemed to be of the purest white like a rich white dove seemingly having the most softest feathers. The second one however, carried fathers just like that of the other but only at the top as the rest descended to the shape of a bats.
There was nothing else the old, aged, unicorn could take in afterwards. It was too dark and dim to see much else and the cocoon the unknown creature was in, was too thick to see completely through. Not as though it mattered as it was doubly encased by wings.
He was tempted to use his magic to open it up as to gain a peek at exactly what laid behind that set of beautiful wings but he stood cold.
Unable to decide and unable to move.
His body was willing to do it but his mind stopped it from doing so.
It simply wasn't safe, he didn't know what it was.
Nothing good could have possibly have come out of the likes of Celestia's sad doing.
The blood moon, the eclipse, the blood...her destruction.
It was unknown, it could be anything, it could be a threat .
"Starswirl!"
The doors of the moon's chambers were opened as Starswirl noticed his apprentice alone.
"Starswirl!"
"Calm your wits child I am here."
"Starswirl!"
He rolled his eyes as the unciorn mare came hurling upon the old lad with a death gripping hug. He flinched as her limbs came in contact with his bruised side.
"Oh Starswirl! I thought you would done for!"
"I will be if you keep...suffocating...me!"
She realeased her grasp. "Sorry, I-" Her eyes scanned her teacher.
"What...happened to you?"
"Me? Look around you Clover, this whole place is a mess."
The mare's eyes wandered over the view of the room. Taking in the messy, disorder, chaotic sight of their surroundings.
"I was blown back by Celestia's energy. I tried to rush towards but obviously such a thing was unwise. I suffered a small injury to my side.
He turned and showed her.
"Its discolored. Is there bleeding?"
Starswirl shook his head. "No, I doubt it. More than likely, a pretty bad bruise. I tried to stop her but she didn't heed me. She was lost Clover. There was nothing I could do. I tried talking some sense into her, trying to get her back into her senses but it was futile. There was no use."
"Celestia! Where is Celestia!"
"It was no use Clover! Mare did you not hear a word I said? She's gone."
"Your telling me she just...just vanished? How is that possible!"
"For crying out loud Clover we live in a world where ponies live off of love! Anything could be possible!"
Clover looked at him with large eyes. Unbelief clearly showing on her face.
Starswirl sighed. "She was fading. The power of her own magic and the magical force of every single one of the elements of harmony was too great for her. She broke like pieces as if stone. Like glass..."
"And just like that she's gone?"
"....I suppose you could say...she isn't gone.
Starswirl turned his head to the image in the shadows and glowed his horn once more. Allowing his apprentice to see the new discovery.
Clover looked up at it.
"A-A cocoon?"
"Yes."
"There seems to be something inside of it...wings?"
"Wings of something. Of what I don't know."
"You didn't look?"
"I'm afraid to. After all that happened...it could be anything."
Clover walked around it and gazed over the object.
"I don't know if that thing is Celestia or not. Of what it is I do not know. I want to tear it open but i am afraid that doing so may cause more problems then anything.
Starswirl looked down.
"The elements..."
Clover turned her focus back to her teacher.
The magical circle that the being stood upon was gone saved for the blood stain. The elements were a dull grey color and lacked any type of magical pulse.
They breathed no life.
"The elements...they are.."
"Dead."
Clover looked up at him. She had never seen Starswirl carrying such a pained expression. She was use to his rather stoic looks, and stern gazes. Not one to be expressive of any type of emotion.
"That pony..." he growled. "All she had to do was listen to me! None of this would have happened! I should have better secured my door I should have never trusted her!"
Clover watched on as the years old stallion lost his usual composure.
"Now what will Equestria do! The elements are gone and we know not of who else may take them!"
"The elements of harmony chooses their own weilder Starswirl you know that."
He simply growled in response.
"Celestia did in fact say that she dis this for reason! To help Equestria! To restore harmony!"
"Horsehit!"
Clover flinched.
"Sneaking into your master's room, stealing his spells, mixing them in a risky move and forcibly controlling the elements of harmony is not, and by no means not, doing anything for the good of Equestria! It is disrespect and stupidity to the highest degree!"
"She wanted her sister back Starwirl, she was alone. She has no other like her in all the land and she is still young."
"She has a duty! Her sister chose her path! It is no fault but her own. Celestia must suck it up and deal with it. That is what it means to be a royal. At least one who is kind."
Clover stood silent as she and her teachers eyes interlocked with one another.
"That's the same attitude you carried towards her when her sister was banished. She came to you seeking comfort and you provided none. Of all ponies she thought you would understand because you have lived before her and for three centuries. No wonder she did what she did."
Starswirl felt an arrow pierce straight into his heart at the words. He couldn't deny them, he couldn't fight them. He knew exactly what it meant to lose a loved one. What it meant to outlive those who grew close, to remain hurt. Did one continue opening their hearts and allow pain to swell up when a loved one passes? Or does one close themself off to no longer feel pain. Starswirl had chose the latter and in the process it had caused him the grief in knowing that he may have just played a part in Celestia's despair.
One whom he loved and treasured as a daughter.
"What the?"
Clover touched her head as she felt something else, a liquid, as well, hit her against the top of her head. She looked down at her hoof only to see a thick, black mucus staring right back at her.
Starswirl looked from her and slowly towards that of the cocoon.
"Is it..."
"Leaking?"
Clover used a part of her cloak to remove the liquid and moved from next to the cocoon. Starswirl did the same, standing next to his apprentice as they stood in front of it.
"Why is it leaking?" Clover questioned.
Starswirl furrowed his eyes and looked on.
The cocoon was moving, bulging, as if something was trying to break out.
"Clover! Be on your guard! I think it is erupting!"
"W-What!?"
"Aim your magic ready!"
"Y-Yes sir!"
Starswirl and Clover stood still as they poised their horns directly at the viscous object. Horns a lit with strong magic as they readied themselves for whatever may come out.
"If it is anything...kill it."
Clover said nothing as beads of sweat came down her temple.
The hanging sac begun to bulge even more, doing so multiple times in multiple places causing black fluid to drip out more from being under stress.
Finally, a white hoof tore through as black liquid came gushing forward.
The unicorns stood still as they had no idea what exactly it was.
Starswirl could only watch, recognizing the hoof.
Celestia?
Clover was ready to aim but not before Starswirl stopped her.
"Clover no! Wait."
"But you said-"
"I know what I said! Just...wait."
More bulges kept happening until the whole entire cocoon shifted and turned in different ways back and forth. A wing like a dove busted through the side of it, coated in black fluid. The next wing, its brother, burst through the walls of it's encasing showing itself as the black, bat wing it was.
However, the rest of the creature seemed to struggle for although it had managed to get both its wings and a hoof out, it still suffered under the strength of the sac. It was too weak and Star Swirl could sense that it was dying...
It was suffocating.
The bulges had died down and there no longer seemed to be a struggle.
"Destroy it! The cocoon!"
"Only the cocoon?"
"Yes!"
Doing as told, Clover joined in her teacher as they use their magic to tear the cocoon apart piece by piece. The mare winced as she could feel through her horn, the thick, grotesque, viscous fluid that stretched at her pulling.
They removed piece by piece until the head of the creature erupted through. Hanging out with blood, clear and black fluid like a newborn child.
It was white, and it was no doubt a pony.
Starswirl and Clover continued, tearing apart the sac that latched onto the creature that dangled out until finally, the bottom gave way and erupted forth blood and fluids and the very pony itself onto the floor.
The two ponies ceased what they were doing and looked on with heavy laden breaths.
Sweat dripping down their foreheads.
They approached the pony that laid limped upon the floor on its belly. Wings furled out, covering it's birthing liquids.
"Just looking at it makes me queasy." Clover shivered.
Starswirl walked towards it and seeing this, the mare did the same.
The pony before them was of large size and seemed to be a mare by its shape and features. It was pure white save the fading of black at its hooftips. Its joints were more detailed and horse like than that of the standard pony and its mane and tail, soaked and wet, sparkled and seemingly flowed from its body in a brilliant array of shiny golden orange like the day to a dark blue starry night that showed constellations of stars.
It had to be one of the most intricate manes they had ever seen.
Its large wings accounted for its size as they showed themselves elegantly to the two unicorns. One was as pure and white as a dove save for the blemishes of blood black mucus that laid upon it but the other was like that of a bat wing. Carrying upon it a glimpse of the universe as stars and nebulas shined.
It was as though it had captured a piece of the universe.
The newborn mare blinked and with blurred vision slowly lifted its head at Starswirl who placed a hoof under its chin to keep it's shaking head up.
It seemed cold.
The mare blinked at it, allowing its vision to come in balanced.
It spoke with the sound of two voices speaking at once. Two voices that sounded all too familiar.
"W-who are you?"
Grey eyes met heterocrhomic blue and gold ones as they looked back at each other.
Starswirl narrowed his eyes at it.
He took note of the cutie mark, its voice and its features. He hoped that it wasn't what he thought it was. He hoped it wasn't what it probably is.
"Celestia...?
No sooner had he said that name did images flash before the mare's mind. Pictures of two alicorns playing together, laughing together, ruling together. Images of two alicorns that seemed familiar, two alicorns that she had memories of but did not know why.
"Celestia..."
"Do you have any memories? Any memories of us?" Clover asked.
Tears streamed down its face.
But it knew not why.
"Two sisters that played, laughed and ruled together. One of the sun, the other of the moon. Those are our memories....and they are happy ones."
Clover looked towards Starswirl who stood silent. Hoof still placed under it's chin.
"What is your name?"
The being stood quiet before responding.
"We do not...have a name."
Starswirl sighed and looked up at the moon that was no longer black nor red but a shining silver with no mark of Luna's banishment.
He looked back down at the mare.
"You shall be called Eclipse."
The mare looked on as her tears begun to become intermixed with the tears of the one who held chin.
Starswirl's lipped quivered until finally no more could he contain his emotions.
He collapsed in front of the mare and his apprentice. Head in hooves as he covered his face. Weeping as he tried his best to restrain his sounds.
Clover approached him and taking off her cloak, placed it on top of him along with a gentle hoof.
"Clover! Miss Clover!"
Clover turned her head as she looked at the door entrance.
There laid a small group of ponies. A collection of maids, nurses, guards, and servants that had helped with evacuations and getting ponies to safely as well as the maid that looked for her.
"Miss-"
The mare stopped as she saw Clover comforting weeping Starswirl and standing infront of an unknown pony.
"...Clover."
The unicorn shook her head. "Not now. Just not now. Bring silence for now."
As the small group of ponies looked on and Clover comforted her mentor, the newborn mare stood up on shaky limbs and faced the sky. Large wings dragging by her sides.
Something was calling her, something drove her to do her duty!
You must lower the moon! It is your duty!
Her horn glowed a mixture of blue and golden shimmering light as dusk begun to make way for dawn.
All the ponies looked on as an eventuful and horrifying day came to a final end.
"Eclipse..." the mare spoke.
"...we like that name."
Thanks for reading
Author's Note
I said very short chapter but you never know what you may end up writing in the end. Everything of this story poured out of me like a glass of milk. Just typing, typing, typing away. This was only suppose to be a short one chapter story but alas that was not so. I'm thinking about making a small epilogue with Twilight learning about Eclipse but I'm not sure as of right now.
