A New Equestriaby Lil PenpusherChaptersA Quiet WhisperA Flame RekindledTimes of ChangeSol InvictusA New SunriseA Quiet WhisperMany years ago, Queen Chrysalis sent her armies into Equestria, intent on destroying the pony nation and feeding on its citizens. Her swarm managed to surprise and overwhelm the weak Equestrian defenses, pushing deep into Equestrian territory. However, with defeat at the horizon and closer than ever, Princess Celestia saw herself forced to take drastic actions. In a matter of weeks, wartime policies were introduced on a scale Equestria had never seen before. Ponies were conscripted and forced into military service to defend the country, or were alternatively put to work into in armament factories to support the growing Equestrian war machine. The life of ponies became monotone and full of hardship. Factories were constructed all over Equestria, turning once beautiful landscapes into industrial centers. Recruitment offices were built in every village and town. An increasing Propaganda effort attempted to raise morale amongst civilians, with great success, at first. With all these rapid changes and new policies in mind, the war had turned into a stalemate. Ponies worked day and night to provide guns and equipment for their armed forces, while soldiers battled with sleep deprivation and fear as they looked out into the midst of the night, scanning for a possible Changeling attack. Additionally, the Changeling High Command began to turn the war into a pure battle of attrition and terror. Nighttime raids on Equestrian positions cost the ponies dearly, while submarine and bomber raids caused fear amongst the populace. The war, costly in lives, carries on with no end in sight. The citizens look up to Celestia for guidance and leadership in these troublesome times... Eyes half-open, Celestia stepped out of her private chambers. During these early hours, the moon still showed itself on the horizon. Celestia yawned as she wandered down the empty, cold corridors of Canterlot Castle. She could hear the wind whistle through the open windows and blow through her colourful mane. She was lost in thought, thinking about her schedule for the day. That is, until the whistling of the wind stopped. As if frozen in time, the Princess stopped, her mind cleared of all thoughts as she took in the noise of the wind once more. There was no whistling this time, but a mysterious whisper. "Protect your subjects..." "Hello? Who is this?" The Princess asked into the empty cold of the Castle. "Defend Equestria..." the same eerie voice whispered. "Preserve the nation... at all cost." The Alicorn scanned her surroundings, and yet it seemed as if nopony was there. It was... just her. "Do what you must... show no mercy..." Just as she began to feel a light aching in her head, the voice fell silent. Celestia rubbed her head, still unsure who or what had just spoken to her. That was, until she heard yet another voice. This time, it seemed familiar, however. "Sister? Sister, is everything alright?" Princess Luna called out as she approached her elder. "Luna! Oh, thank goodness, it's you!" Celestia said, embracing her sister. "It was you, after all..." "What do you mean?" "Why, the voice I have been hearing. It must have been you," Celestia explained. "Sister, I've only just arrived. I didn't say a word until I saw you," Luna replied. "Are you sure you are alright?" The Princess of the Sun fell silent, thinking for a few moments. Once again, she could feel that slight headache return. "Tia?" Worry began to spread within Luna. "Yes. Yes, I'm fine," she reassured her sister. "Let's just forget about all this and move on. What say you?" "Of course. We still have much to do, anyways. Prince Blueblood called me about an hour ago. He said he wished to speak to you," Luna informed her sister. "And you didn't tell me until now?" "It wasn't urgent. I told him you would call back when you had the time to do so. Figured you could need some more time to rest." "Thank you, Luna. But that wasn't necessary. Really." "Whatever you say, 'tia. What's done is done. You may call the Prince back as soon as we have finished breakfast." "Right... let's get it over with, then." Celestia gave out an exhausted sigh. She could feel that this was going to be a long day. "Lead the way, sister." The two Alicorns arrived at the dining room shortly after. Their meals, including breakfast, were probably the only ones not affected by the war. Rationing and lack of goods had yet to have an impact on the two. Royalty doesn't appreciate a lack of good food, as they say. The Princesses sat down at the long dining table, looking over all the different goods presented to them. Among them were things like pancakes, various fruits and a variety of drinks. "So, the Prince called, hm?" Celestia said before filling her mouth with a big bite of pancake. "So he did. I asked what it was and why he wanted to speak to you but... he wouldn't say," Luna replied. "He didn't tell you?" The Solar Princess gave out in surprise, still munching on her pancakes. "Why is that?" Her sister shrugged innocently. "I would have told you if I knew. He simply refused to tell me and insisted on talking with you. Why this is, I don't know." The Princess of the Night used her magic to carefully peel a banana. Celestia grumbled, thinking. "I suppose the Prince was never a big fan of either of us. Perhaps I am the lesser evil, in his eyes?" Luna swallowed a piece of banana and laughed. "Perhaps, sister. Perhaps." The Princess of the Sun looked down, staring at her plate. She gave out a deep sigh. "Sister, do you ever worry and think about the well-being of our subjects?" The two immortal beings looked up and stared each other in the eyes for a brief moment. "Well, I... yes. Yes, of course, I do." "And do you ever ask yourself when this horrible conflict will end?" "I don't think there's anypony in Equestria not asking themselves that question, sister." "I suppose so..." "What is it, 'tia?" "What if I can't live up to everypony's expectations? What if I make the wrong choices and the war drags on forever?" Luna remained silent. She watched as tears escaped her sister's eyes. "I'm afraid, Luna. Afraid of failure." "With time comes change, sister. There comes a time where we all must adapt and change, so that our values are not lost to time." Luna stood up from the table and looked over to her sister one last time. "Time stops for no one, 'tia. Not even us." Celestia wiped off the last remaining tears from her white coat, watching as her sister walked out the room to retire for the day. Her day had only just begun, and yet she could already sense that today was different. A minute later, she, too, got up. She thought about Luna's words as wandered outside. Perhaps she was right? Perhaps it was time for her to adapt, so that the bloodshed would finally end. Perhaps. For now, she moved on. She had a long day ahead of her... A Flame RekindledThe war had turned Celestia's daily routine into an unending nightmare. At any given time during the day, there was somepony in the Equestrian nobility or military that urgently needed to speak with her. She heard news of Changeling atrocities and raids. The life of ponies — her beloved subjects — became but a number on a clipboard as casualties increased. Today was but an ordinary day, as such. Besides raising the sun, she needed to deal with Prince Blueblood, who had been made responsible for a large amount of the frontline with the changelings. He was reckless and merciless, feared by his own soldiers, but Celestia had understood that in tough times like these, order and discipline might be more beneficial than tolerance and friendship. Just as she stood outside on the balcony to raise the sun, however, a servant interrupted the brief moment of peace and quiet that she had left. "Princess, pardon me for disturbing you but..." The servant stuttered nervously. "But?" "But Prince Blueblood has called, once again. Here." The Princess turned around and spotted the silver telephone which her servant was holding. "He wishes to talk to you. It appears to be... quite urgent." The Princess eyed the apparatus. She could feel a stinging headache, losing focus for a moment. "Princess? Is everything-" "I'm fine!" The Alicorn shouted back. The small pony in front of her recoiled, her limbs shivering. The Princess shook her head as the headache suddenly subsided once again. "I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scream," Celestia said quietly, holding a hoof over her mouth. "I don't know what's wrong with me today..." The timid mare remained silent, standing still as the Princess came closer. "Thank you for informing me, my little pony. You may go." Celestia encased the silver machine in her magical aura and levitated it into the air. The frightened mare bowed before her before leaving once again. "Princess?" the voice of the Prince sounded over the receiver. "You wished to talk to me, Prince? I hope it's urgent." "Quite. As you may recall, my soldiers tend to be a little undisciplined when it comes to following my orders." "Yes?" "You will surely also remember that I have made quite an effort to teach these scoundrels basic military order and discipline, since you refused to send me troops of... better quality than these ones," the Prince said with a low, awkward cough. "Get to the point, Blueblood. I don't have allday to chat with you." "Yes, well. The ponies living in a nearby village have told me that my soldiers are now resorting to robbing the populace, stealing both food and riches from them." The Princess listened carefully. "Today I had to deal with a crying mother who came rushing into our camp." The Prince paused for a moment. Celestia could hear him breathing over the phone. "Her... she says her daughter has been killed." Celestia's jaw dropped in horror. "She cried on and on, running around wildly and punching at my troops as she cursed us." The Princess suddenly felt dizzy and... she could feel that odd headache return once again. "The killing will never stop..." She began hearing that ghost, that voice again. "You must protect... you must lead..." Celestia dropped the phone as pain from the headache suddenly intensified. "You... must grow beyond yourself..." "No..." Celestia gave out quietly, the pain growing stronger and stronger. "Your destiny awaits... your people must have a leader!" "My..." Celestia mumbled, collapsing from the pain. "My... destiny..." As if she had cast a spell, the headache and ghastly voice, both, disappeared as soon as she gave out those words. After taking a few deep breaths and recollecting her strength, she took hold of the phone receiver once again. Prince Blueblood was still on the line. "Princess? Hello? What happened?" "Prince, listen up," Celestia commanded. "I want you to find all those responsible for stealing from my ponies. I want you to find them, and when you did, you shall send them off into the dirtiest, most miserable prison in Equestria!" the Princess shouted angrily. "But.. Princess, I-" "And if you find whoever is responsible for murdering that small, innocent filly, you are to personally execute him in front of the entire battalion, so they can finally see what happens to ponies like him!" The Prince remained silent. "Are we clear, Prince?" "Yes. Of course." "And if you dare disobey these direct orders, Blueblood, you may rest assured that I will come for you, and that I will end your life myself." Both of them remained silent. Only their breathing could be heard. "Is that understood, General Blueblood?" "Y-yes, Princess. Of course, Princess." "Very well, then. Goodbye, and good luck." The Princess hung up and made the telephone disappear. Only now did she feel that something was... off. She could feel something was different, almost as if... as if someone dictated those words to her. Such brutal, such reckless orders... that wasn't her, was it? "No matter," she thought to herself. Her patience with Prince Blueblood and his devilish barbarian 'soldiers' had finally run its course. Ponies like those, who turn against those who they are supposed to protect and fight for, deserve no less. The white-coated Alicorn took a deep breath before galloping back inside the castle. Despite her lack of sleep that early morning, she could feel her energy return to her. She could feel her strength and power increase. Her inner flame, formerly extinguished by the tragedies and losses of the war, had finally been rekindled. Times of ChangeAbout 4 hours have passed since the phone call between Princess Celestia and Prince Blueblood. The war continues on, locked in a brutal stalemate, and the Equestrian High Command has been summoned to Canterlot to discuss something Celestia simply called "A Change of Strategy". Deep inside the Castle, behind locked and guarded doors, sat the most influential military officials within Equestria, together with industrial tycoons who made a great effort to support the ongoing war. The conference room itself was dimly lit, and the ponies present were bent over a table on which a large map laid. It was a map showing the entire frontline with the changelings. On the map itself stood dozens of differently coloured flags, representing Equestrian divisions along the frontline. "We have postponed our push in the south, for the time being. General Whiplash informed me that his formations are behind schedule," Grimhoof, the Chief of Army, reported. The others present could clearly see that the Equestrian forces in the area were inferior to those of the changelings by looking at the map. "What about the push in the north?" Prince Shining Armour brought up, pointing his hoof towards the territories of the Crystal Empire. "We have divisions in place, with trained soldiers ready to fight the bugs at any moment." "You must realise that your units lack the firepower to oppose the changelings, Prince," Field Marshal Fastclip commented. "Indeed. Our troops are lacking vital supplies. Rifles, artillery and rations, mostly. With some Equestrian help we could-" "Nope, none can do," Flim interrupted, co-founder of McIntosh Industries. "Our ponies are already working day and night. No way we can support two big operations at once," Flam added. "Air Force won't be giving you much help either, I'm afraid," Air Chief Marshal Blaze Firehooves added. "We've got a large scale bombing campaign planned to support the push in the south. Most of our fighters will be on escort duty, and prepping for the job has already begun." "But Sir Grimhoof just said the Operation would be delayed! Surely you could scramble enough forces and equipment to aid a breakthrough." The Prince was growing irritated by the reluctance of his allies. Perhaps Equestrian lives were worth more to them than that of Crystal Ponies. "The Operation is postponed, but not cancelled. Preparations are still well-underway. Redirecting forces to the north would simply cause both advances to fail and end in a slaughter," Grimhoof explained. "Hundreds of thousands Crystal Ponies have to suffer Changeling occupation every day! I will not let you put their lives in second place!" "Shining Armour, calm yourself!" Grimhoof insisted, stomping a hoof on the table. "If you will not help me, I shall defeat the bugs myself!" the Prince shouted back. "Silence!" echoed a voice throughout the room. There was immediate and absolute silence. Blaze and Grimhoof stepped aside to let the Princess of the Sun walk up to the table. She stared straight at Shining Armour, who stood on the other side. "You raise your voice here today, Prince?" She asked. "Princess, I only wish to protect and save lives. My advance would-" "Do the opposite. It would kill thousands of Crystal ponies. No air cover, insufficient equipment...it would be a massacre. And for what, Shining Armour?" "To-" "For what?" the Princess interrupted, her shouting causing some of the ponies present to wince. "You are as naive as you are proud, Prince!" "Princess, you really don't have to-" "Silence, I said!" Celestia barked back at Grimhoof. "My authority will not be challenged here today!" The entirety of the room remained silent, either because of fear or because of respect. "This quarrel here today has opened my eyes. For too long did the Military, of Equestria and Crystal Empire both, fight itself. Commanders grasping for glory and popularity, indecisive entrepreneurs hindering the war industry, service branches fighting for dominance between each other." Some ponies lowered their heads in shame, knowing that they were the ones addressed. "To circumvent and prevent such rivalries, feuds and infighting, and to preserve the fighting spirit amongst our troops, I, as the Princess of the Sun, hereby declare myself the final instance in military decision-making. All acts of military importance, no matter the branch, will be decided upon by me, in person. All who ignore these direct orders are to be seen as traitors to the crown." Everyone was silent; frozen. The air was charged with the energy Princess Celestia was giving off during her speech. "The punishment for disobedience and treason is death." The voice of the Princess had grown cold, and yet warmth and energy radiated off of her with every word she said. And while her voice had become merciless and cold, her eyes had changed colours to a fiery orange. This, many ponies inside the room realised, was not the old Celestia anymore. But whatever the case, before them stood a pony willing to fight for her subjects, prepared to take the fight to the changelings. "Times of change are upon us," the Princess said proudly. "We must not get bogged down in the past, indecisive and idle. The changelings have brought this war upon us, brought loss and terror to everypony's doorstep. I say, no more! We shall abandon our old feuds and rivalries and turn our sights on the enemy, at last! We will push back the invader, step by step, and bring this cursed conflict to their home! And then, at the very end, it will be us who are triumphant! Equestria, I promise you this, will prevail and we will be victorious!" The immense amounts of energy the Princess gave off, combined with a fair amount of patriotism, caused a grand applause in favour of Celestia. The room, once shrouded in a depressing and sad dim light was now filled with a mystic energy that everypony in the room could feel, any yet nobody could explain what it was. At that moment, the mysterious force simply clouded their minds. A new Equestria was on the rise, and with it, a new Princess. Sol InvictusHours passed. The Night was soon to dawn upon Equestria. The Princess of the Sun sat outside on the balcony, once again. She didn't move, didn't think. She only listened to those beautiful voices and whispers. "The time has come... a new Equestria will rise..." The Princess remained calm, breathing in and out. Something about the voices was draining her mind empty, entrancing her. "All of Equestria will see your glory... your strength..." "My glory..." Celestia mumbled to herself. "The light of the sun will show you the way... its wrath will incinerate your foes!" She opened her eyes and looked up towards the sun. Without a problem, she stared straight into the sun. She felt its embrace, how its warmth covered her body. "You and the sun will be one, and all shall bow before you!" Celestia felt the voice in her head become more absolute, more dominant. It was hard for her to think but... she felt no need to think, anymore. Her path was clear. She knew what her destiny was as the sunlight embraced her. And yet... there was a disturbance. She felt pain. She... felt the pain of the sun. Felt how it grew weaker. "You feel it..." the voice whispered, "you feel its demise, how it is pushed aside by its rival..." The Princess rose from her sitting stance, still eyeing the sun as she listened to the hypnotising sound of the voice in her head. She didn't notice how her eyes changed even further, becoming slitted like those of a reptile. "Defeat the moon... defeat it and the sun may shine on for all times!" Without second thoughts, Celestia released a powerful, orange beam of energy. There was a brief silence as it travelled towards its intended target, until it finally collided with the sun. A wicked smile formed on Celestia's face as she watched the sun rise. The Sun would set no more. The Princess of the Sun was no longer alone, however. Luna watched in horror as the sun rose, once again. The scenery was almost too familiar to Luna. Memories revealed themselves in her mind, reminding her of what she did as Nightmare Moon... this wouldn't happen to her again, and it wouldn't happen to her sister, either. "Sister!" Luna called out loudly. "You must stop this, at once!" She was met with nothing but laughter. A wicked, evil laughter. "Is that so, 'sister'? Must the day end, already? I would love for it to go on for... just a bit longer." Luna's mouth hung open. That voice... that was not the voice of her sister, anymore. It was something different, something dark. "I know this isn't you, 'tia! Snap out of it!" Luna yelled, begging her sister to come to her senses. Once again, she was met with nothing but a short giggle. "You were always such a fool, Luna," Celestia said joyfully, turning around to face her sister. "I am so much more than your sister could have ever been! I have seen the light! I see my destiny clearly, and it does not involve you!" Suddenly, Celestia was shrouded in a deep orange aura, lifting her into the air. Luna stepped back and watched as her beloved sister was consumed by evil. Lethal fangs grew within her mouth. Her mane, once colourful and majestic, now turned into a living flame. The Sun on her flank, acting as her cutie mark, was now also encased in an orange depiction of fire. At the very last, different pieces of armour started appearing. Her crown was replaced by a yellow and orange helmet, while her wings and hooves were also covered in new orange armour. Her Chestpiece now, too, began to change colours. The purple crystal in its center disappeared and made way for an image resembling the sun. The transformation was complete. Evil had triumphed over Celestia's mind and body, both. "Sister...no..." Luna whispered. She couldn't believe her eyes as the wicked creature that used to be her sister landed in front of her. "At last! I can feel the power of the sun flowing through my veins! The sun and me - finally one!" "It did not have to come to this, sister! Have you forgotten your ways? Have you forgotten the way of harmony?" Luna yelled at the monster in front of her. "Your ways are weak, Luna! Open your eyes and see how my ponies suffer!" "Your ponies?" Luna interrupted angrily. "Your doctrine of peace and pacifism holds no worth, Luna. Times have changed, and time stops for no one. Unlike you, I saw the need for change and adapted, becoming something greater and more powerful than my old self could have ever become!" "And yet the price you paid..." Luna replied quietly. "I have sacrificed my old ways to save Equestria from demise, from conflict and death! All while you sat idle!" "I should not have let it come to this, sister... I'm sorry." "Your apologies mean nothing to me, insect! The winds of change have arrived, and with it comes a new era! The reign of the sun commences with this final daybreak! I hear the call of the sun, and Equestria hears mine! With the sun's guidance, we shall fight for a brighter future!" Luna watched as the sun reached its highest point in the sky, shining brighter than ever before. "The rule of Daybreaker begins now!" She shouted triumphantly. "Then it is time for me to succeed you..." Luna whispered, taking a deep breath. "For Equestria!" The blue-coated alicorn charged a lethal blast of energy, though her opponent swiftly dodged her attack. "Hah!" Daybreaker gave out as she lifted herself into the sky. "I shall purge these lands from the weak and corrupt - you will make an excellent first pick!" Luna clenched her teeth, pushing herself off the ground and charging towards her foe with immense speed. Daybreaker fired two blasts of energy towards her, though Luna dodged both and closed the gap between the two of them. The wicked mare now, too, charged towards her opponent, and the two immortals were stuck in a fight for raw strength as their horns clashed mid-air. "You should not have come! Your bravery will be your downfall!" Daybreaker declared with a strong voice. "I will not witness the destruction of harmony and sit idle! Your arrogance deceives you!" Luna replied, offering all her strength as she pushed back her rival. "You truly think you possess powers strong enough to defeat me?" Daybreaker gave out a pathetic laugh, countering Luna as she, too, pushed back hard. "You were always the weaker one, Luna! You will burn in the fires of my victory, reduced to nothing but ash!" Daybreaker suddenly struck one of Luna's hindlegs with her own, causing her to recoil and lose balance for just a brief moment. Her opponent wasted no time in exploiting the moment of weakness, and Daybreaker was quick to charge her horn with as much energy as she could. "Your pathetic existence... ends now!" Daybreaker yelled. An enormous blast of energy, its red and yellow colour mixture resembling that of fire itself, was released. Luna had but enough time to cover her face before she was struck. With immense velocity, the blast shot Luna back down towards the ground, causing her to crash through the roof of Celestia's private chambers. The explosion from the impact was so powerful, it could be heard all the way to Ponyville. Daybreaker remained airborne. One part of her was satisfied to have defeated the usurper and weakling that was Luna. Another part of her was disappointed at just how easy it had been to beat her. Slowly, she lowered herself back towards the ground. "Such a shame," she said mockingly, landing outside on the balcony. "I really did think you would put up more of a fight." As the new ruler of Equestria marched forth into her private chambers, she could see the outline of her defeated enemy through the thick clouds of dust. A smile formed on her face. "Whatever the case, your story ends here, 'sister'. Your weakness will no longer infect my nation and my subjects. I will create a united and strong Equestria, and I will lead it to victory!" Daybreaker flapped her large wings once. The mighty gust of wind casted away the thick clouds of dust, revealing the scarred and defeated figure of Luna, at last. Her foe stepped closer, enjoying every second of the moment. She could hear Luna mumble beneath her weak breath. She was already half dead. "So it ends, then..." Daybreaker declared triumphantly, standing next to Luna's beaten body. "The reign of night comes to a close, and so the sun shall reign until the end of time!" Even now, Luna could hear her foe's laughter. "Any last words...sister?" The white-coated alicorn asked, charging her horn one last time. Luna used her last remaining strength to look up to Daybreaker. Her fiery mane almost had a paralysing effect on her. With what she had left, she made her final speech. "Yes... yes, I do..." Luna's voice was sore and just as beaten as her body was. She coughed heavily before resuming. "You may be victorious today. But know this: your victory, like any other, will be temporary. And I trust th- argh!" Luna cried out in pain. "I trust... that you will someday realise your mistake." Daybreaker, although victorious and arrogant by nature, listened carefully. "Strike me down, then. Harmony will return, eventually. Stronger than ever." Luna closed her eyes and rested her head on the cold floor. "I'm sorry, sister. I'm sorry I let it come to this." A few seconds later, a loud blast could be heard throughout the castle. It was over. "At long last, the sun stands unopposed..." Daybreaker said to herself, once more standing on the balcony. "The sun shall aid my ponies to see the truth, and from the seeds of my work, a new, stronger Equestria will come forth!" Daybreaker spread her wings and looked up to the sun, feeling its strength in her every bone. "Hear me, Equestria!" She shouted, her voice sounding across all of Equestria. "Today is the day we unite against this common threat! Today, we free ourselves from our weaknesses! Hear the voice of your new empress, my ponies! Heed the call of the sun and follow its light! Our enemies will burn in the fires of our victory! Follow the light, citizens, and our flame shall be rekindled and grow stronger than ever before!" As if on command, a single chant could be heard all across Equestria that moment. "Glory to the Empress! Sol Invicta!" The Reign of the Sun and Rule of the Empress had at long last begun. Author's Note I hope you enjoyed the story! If you did, please consider leaving a like! Important Note: Depending on user feedback, I may go ahead and add yet another chapter to this story. It all depends on how well the story is received, though. So, if you liked this story, make sure to let me know and keep an eye on this one! A New SunriseSeveral hours have passed since the Empress' announcement. Clocks in Equestria indicated that it was nighttime, by now, though the sun refused to lower itself. Night was no more. Equestria would henceforth bask in the warmth of an eternal day, brought to them by the Empress herself. But while Equestria as a whole embraced their new spot under the sun, plenty of ponies refused this new order. Mere hours after her speech, the Empress received word of revolts and attempted revolutions in larger cities. Thus, shortly after embracing her destiny of ruling over Equestria alone, she finds herself stuck between the Changeling invaders and her own subjects. But there was something bigger, something more important. Yes, she remembered clearly now. Not far from Canterlot laid the small town of Ponyville, the place where the six elements of Harmony had met and lived, up until the war started. The Empress saw the threat these ponies posed to her rule and plans for Equestria. She knew that even with her new, unrestrained form, she would not be able to challenge the magic of the elements. The Empress sat down on her throne, putting together her hooves while thinking about the possibilities presented to her. There had to be a way to counter their aggression, to scrap their plans... "Twilight... Twilight, yes! That is it!" she gasped, jumping up from her seat. "The Elements were created so that nopony, not even I, could rival their power. However, their power cannot be harvested unless all six are used in unison!" The Empress chuckled beneath her breath, confidently galloping towards the great doors of the throne room. "My former student will be the answer, the way for me to not only neutralise the elements' power but also to harvest Twilight's knowledge and magic, as well." Daybreaker smiled at the thought of this. There was still much for her student to learn, things she may only fully grasp when put under her guidance, once more. Ponyville was but a small, friendly town before the war. By now though, rapid industrialisation had partially transformed the peaceful town into an industrial complex, with factories filling out much of the outskirts of the town. These were tough times for not just Ponyville but all of Equestria, but they had to keep up the fight. There was no surrender when talking to the changelings. It was either them or us, the ponies thought. Like many towns and cities, ponies were out to see the start of an eternal day in Equestria following their Empress' speech. Some began to praise her, began to claim that the war was as good as won now. Many had doubts and concerns, afraid of simply abandoning their harmonic traditions. A few were bravehearted enough to immediately begin plotting acts of sabotage or, in the most largest cities in Equestria, attempts at a counter-revolution to oppose Daybreaker rule. The now former Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle, had locked herself in her castle following the speech which she, too, took in. Stuck the castle's library, she and her assistant Spike attempted to find a cure of sorts against the apparent evil that had consumed the Princess of the Sun. "Nothing over here, Twilight," Spike called out to the purple alicorn on the other side of the room. "Are you sure there is something we can use, in here? We've been looking for hours now." Twilight's reply was delayed as she continued to rapidly take, examine, and throw away books. "There has to be! Don't you see the similarities to Nightmare Moon, Spike? Eternal night and eternal day? There has to be something we can do!" "But... didn't you defeat Nightmare Moon by using the magic of the elements? Not some dusty old spell from a book?" Spike interjected. "Well... yes, but as you know the others and I split up not long ago. Applejack and Pinkie are at the front, Dash is at Wonderbolt HQ and Rarity and Fluttershy both are at Manehattan. I already tried to notify them and ask them to come back here, but it doesn't look like my message has come through, considering they're not here, at the moment." Twilight stopped what she was doing and took a deep breath. After taking a step backwards, she dropped onto the huge pile of books that she had created behind her. "We've got to do something... we've got to cure Celestia from whatever has taken control of her. I just... don't know how." The mare let out a deep, exhausted sigh. As Twilight was laying on all of her dusty, old books, she couldn't help but notice that she was starting to sweat, all of a sudden. "Uh... Spike?" she asked her assistant, "is it just me, or is it getting really hot in here really fast?" "Not just you..." Spike replied, also coated in sweat. "Ugh, this 'eternal day' thing is already getting on my nerves." A sudden, quiet cackle could be heard from outside the door. The mare and dragon both looked over as the door was slammed open with a tremendous force. "Oh, getting on your nerves, is it?" Both of them immediately recognised the familiar voice. "We'll see about that, poor dragon." Twilight scrambled to her hooves as fast as she could. She looked back over to the door expecting to see the face of a villain and yet... it was totally different. What she saw was not a villain, no. She froze as she stared at Daybreaker, who returned an evil grin towards her. She knew this wasn't Celestia, her teacher, and yet... she knew that this was not like any other villain she had faced in the past. "Ah, there you are, my ever faithful student." Daybreaker's grin intensified as Twilight took a step backwards. "I am so glad to see you again!" "C-Celestia...?" The small pony gave out, inspecting Daybreaker. "I no longer go by that name, I'm afraid. You may call me Daybreaker, student, though Empress would also suffice." "What have you done to Celestia?" Twilight demanded. "Oh, nothing. As I just said, I am Celestia, in a sense, though I am something greater and wiser than she ever could have been!" "I wouldn't be so sure about that..." The Empress' smile faded as she came closer. "Stop! Not one more step!" Twilight yelled, charging her horn. Daybreaker couldn't help but laugh. "Twilight, come to your senses. Would you really want to hurt your own teacher? Your mentor? You were the best student I have ever had, after all and..." Twilight lowered her guard as Daybreaker walked up to her. "And...?" she asked with a mighty gulp. "And I could arrange for you to be my student, once more. You would not believe how much work there is to be done and how much new knowledge I have gained, my dear student. We could explore these new opportunities together! We could create a brighter future for Equestria, as a whole!" Twilight remained calm and silent as Daybreaker went on, circling around her. For some odd reason, Twilight didn't really feel scared of being this close to a villain like her. Nor did she really... think of her as a villain that much, really. "Twilight? Twilight!" Spike called to the helpless mare. "Do something!" Daybreaker halted and turned her head towards the petty little dragon that was hiding behind a bookshelf. "You annoying, little..." was all she gave out before releasing a beam that almost immediately struck Spike, who was henceforth trapped in a transparent bubble. He punched and kicked against the bubble, but to no effect. He screamed from the top of his lungs, but nothing could be heard on the other end. Just as Daybreaker liked it. Twilight, too, turned around, though before she could lay eyes on Spike's prison, her vision was blocked by Daybreaker, who teleported in front of her. "What did you do? What happened to him?" "He's fine, don't worry about him. What you should focus on is your future, little pony." "My... future?" the purple mare stuttered. "Why, of course. Just think about it, for a moment. You could stay here in your small, little castle and read dusty old books, or we two could explore aspects of harmony, of the world itself, that have yet to even been considered. We could reunite, at last, Twilight, the teacher and her loyal, faithful student." "I... I don't know..." The small pony raised a hoof to her forehead, which began aching, making it harder to think and concentrate. "Ugh..." she grumbled. "Is something wrong, my student?" Twilight looked up and took in Daybreaker's fiendish smile. "You... no..." Twilight mumbled when she realised who was causing her pain. "I'll never give up! Never! My friends will-" "-Come to your aid?" the Empress interrupted. "Please, Twilight, your friends have departed months ago. Even if you had a way to notify them, most wouldn't be able to leave anyhow." "You... underestimate our friendship!" "Don't be foolish. Your friendship has rescued our nation from evil time and again, there is no denying that fact. However, surely you must see the difference of our situation now. An enormous storm has reached our nation, a conflict bigger and more brutal than we could have even yet imagined in the past. No... this is not something friendship and harmony can tame." "No... you're... you're wrong." "I have realised the truth, Twilight. For months Chrysalis and her armies have raced inland, destroying our beautiful land and consuming the love of anypony they can catch. I could not sit idle while my loyal subjects are being murdered in an endless meat grinder! I saw the need for action, for change! And change I did!" Twilight winced quietly, fearing a strike from Daybreaker as she grew louder. "You must realise, Twilight, that all I did and all I will do is in the interest of Equestria, in an interest to end this cursed war and stop the bloodshed. Your friends could finally return home. Wouldn't you enjoy that?" Twilight remained silent as the pain spiked. She dropped to the ground, rubbing her hooves against her forehead. And yet, it passed on after just about 15 seconds. "Well?" Daybreaker asked again. "Would you?" Twilight slowly got up. She could no longer feel the pain in her head but, instead, a type of... dizziness. As she looked up, her eyes immediately locked onto the image of Daybreaker. Even if she tried, she could not take her eyes off of the Equestrian monarch. "I... I want to see my friends again..." Twilight mumbled in a monotone voice. She couldn't explain how or why, but it was hard if not impossible for her to think. And yet... no pain. In fact, replying to Daybreaker made her... feel better, if anything. "So I thought. And what about science? You love science, do you not?" "..." "Yes...?" "Yes," Twilight stated. "And as such you would love to know all there is to know, right? You strive to collect knowledge, to learn all there is to know, no matter how small or insignificant it might be." "Yes, correct," the mare replied, her voice now showing some sign of emotion, again. "Oh, Twilight. You can't even imagine the things I have learned. All the mysteries we thought to be unsolvable, I now understand completely. Aspects of life, harmony and science never before conceived have become clear to me! And all of this knowledge, Twilight, all of this wisdom could be yours, too!" "Knowledge... wisdom..." Twilight repeated. "Do you wish for me to tell you the secrets of the world? The hidden aspects of harmony? The revolutionary new facts of science?" "Yes. Yes, I do." "And do you wish to protect Equestria and your friends? Do you wish to push out the evil that is Chrysalis to defend our nation?" "Yes. Yes, I want to protect my friends," Twilight said with joy. "So then, do you agree to become my student, once more, in order to ensure the stability and security of Equestria?" "Yes, Empress. I do," Twilight replied, bowing before her new Empress and old Mentor. Suddenly, Twilight was surrounded by a bright, yellow aura. The Empress watched eagerly as her student's mane colour changed from purple to sky blue, with a red strand in between. The alicorn's cutie mark changed its appearance as well, slowly switching colours from purple to bright yellow. As the final act, her eyes changed to a slightly lighter colour of purple. Daybreaker smiled as she inspected her student. Now, the Empress thought, she was truly ready for what was to come. "Thank you, Empress," Twilight said, opening her eyes and showing them to her mentor. "It feels good to be back under your protection and guidance." "So it does," she replied warmly. "Although, there is something we need to change. Your old name simply won't do anymore." "Oh," her student acknowledged, "yes, you're right. What shall I call myself instead, Empress?" Daybreaker thought for a small moment before smiling back towards the small mare. "With you by my side, my faithful student, nopony, especially not that cursed insect Chrysalis and her underlings can challenge Equestria. We, both, will make sure that the sun never sets on Equestria and the world, so that we can forever bask in the embracing warmth of the sun." The white-coated alicorn walked past her student and stopped shortly before the door. "This is a new dawn for Equestria, and with it comes a final sunrise to begin the eternal reign of the sun." The purple mare set into motion as her mentor motioned her to follow. "Come, Sunrise Sparkle, there is much to do." Author's Note Well, here's the extra (and final) chapter you guys have all waited for. I want to thank everyone who has read, rated and commented on this story for their feedback and support. You guys rock! Hope you enjoyed this small, little addition to the tale!
A Quiet WhisperMany years ago, Queen Chrysalis sent her armies into Equestria, intent on destroying the pony nation and feeding on its citizens. Her swarm managed to surprise and overwhelm the weak Equestrian defenses, pushing deep into Equestrian territory. However, with defeat at the horizon and closer than ever, Princess Celestia saw herself forced to take drastic actions. In a matter of weeks, wartime policies were introduced on a scale Equestria had never seen before. Ponies were conscripted and forced into military service to defend the country, or were alternatively put to work into in armament factories to support the growing Equestrian war machine. The life of ponies became monotone and full of hardship. Factories were constructed all over Equestria, turning once beautiful landscapes into industrial centers. Recruitment offices were built in every village and town. An increasing Propaganda effort attempted to raise morale amongst civilians, with great success, at first. With all these rapid changes and new policies in mind, the war had turned into a stalemate. Ponies worked day and night to provide guns and equipment for their armed forces, while soldiers battled with sleep deprivation and fear as they looked out into the midst of the night, scanning for a possible Changeling attack. Additionally, the Changeling High Command began to turn the war into a pure battle of attrition and terror. Nighttime raids on Equestrian positions cost the ponies dearly, while submarine and bomber raids caused fear amongst the populace. The war, costly in lives, carries on with no end in sight. The citizens look up to Celestia for guidance and leadership in these troublesome times... Eyes half-open, Celestia stepped out of her private chambers. During these early hours, the moon still showed itself on the horizon. Celestia yawned as she wandered down the empty, cold corridors of Canterlot Castle. She could hear the wind whistle through the open windows and blow through her colourful mane. She was lost in thought, thinking about her schedule for the day. That is, until the whistling of the wind stopped. As if frozen in time, the Princess stopped, her mind cleared of all thoughts as she took in the noise of the wind once more. There was no whistling this time, but a mysterious whisper. "Protect your subjects..." "Hello? Who is this?" The Princess asked into the empty cold of the Castle. "Defend Equestria..." the same eerie voice whispered. "Preserve the nation... at all cost." The Alicorn scanned her surroundings, and yet it seemed as if nopony was there. It was... just her. "Do what you must... show no mercy..." Just as she began to feel a light aching in her head, the voice fell silent. Celestia rubbed her head, still unsure who or what had just spoken to her. That was, until she heard yet another voice. This time, it seemed familiar, however. "Sister? Sister, is everything alright?" Princess Luna called out as she approached her elder. "Luna! Oh, thank goodness, it's you!" Celestia said, embracing her sister. "It was you, after all..." "What do you mean?" "Why, the voice I have been hearing. It must have been you," Celestia explained. "Sister, I've only just arrived. I didn't say a word until I saw you," Luna replied. "Are you sure you are alright?" The Princess of the Sun fell silent, thinking for a few moments. Once again, she could feel that slight headache return. "Tia?" Worry began to spread within Luna. "Yes. Yes, I'm fine," she reassured her sister. "Let's just forget about all this and move on. What say you?" "Of course. We still have much to do, anyways. Prince Blueblood called me about an hour ago. He said he wished to speak to you," Luna informed her sister. "And you didn't tell me until now?" "It wasn't urgent. I told him you would call back when you had the time to do so. Figured you could need some more time to rest." "Thank you, Luna. But that wasn't necessary. Really." "Whatever you say, 'tia. What's done is done. You may call the Prince back as soon as we have finished breakfast." "Right... let's get it over with, then." Celestia gave out an exhausted sigh. She could feel that this was going to be a long day. "Lead the way, sister." The two Alicorns arrived at the dining room shortly after. Their meals, including breakfast, were probably the only ones not affected by the war. Rationing and lack of goods had yet to have an impact on the two. Royalty doesn't appreciate a lack of good food, as they say. The Princesses sat down at the long dining table, looking over all the different goods presented to them. Among them were things like pancakes, various fruits and a variety of drinks. "So, the Prince called, hm?" Celestia said before filling her mouth with a big bite of pancake. "So he did. I asked what it was and why he wanted to speak to you but... he wouldn't say," Luna replied. "He didn't tell you?" The Solar Princess gave out in surprise, still munching on her pancakes. "Why is that?" Her sister shrugged innocently. "I would have told you if I knew. He simply refused to tell me and insisted on talking with you. Why this is, I don't know." The Princess of the Night used her magic to carefully peel a banana. Celestia grumbled, thinking. "I suppose the Prince was never a big fan of either of us. Perhaps I am the lesser evil, in his eyes?" Luna swallowed a piece of banana and laughed. "Perhaps, sister. Perhaps." The Princess of the Sun looked down, staring at her plate. She gave out a deep sigh. "Sister, do you ever worry and think about the well-being of our subjects?" The two immortal beings looked up and stared each other in the eyes for a brief moment. "Well, I... yes. Yes, of course, I do." "And do you ever ask yourself when this horrible conflict will end?" "I don't think there's anypony in Equestria not asking themselves that question, sister." "I suppose so..." "What is it, 'tia?" "What if I can't live up to everypony's expectations? What if I make the wrong choices and the war drags on forever?" Luna remained silent. She watched as tears escaped her sister's eyes. "I'm afraid, Luna. Afraid of failure." "With time comes change, sister. There comes a time where we all must adapt and change, so that our values are not lost to time." Luna stood up from the table and looked over to her sister one last time. "Time stops for no one, 'tia. Not even us." Celestia wiped off the last remaining tears from her white coat, watching as her sister walked out the room to retire for the day. Her day had only just begun, and yet she could already sense that today was different. A minute later, she, too, got up. She thought about Luna's words as wandered outside. Perhaps she was right? Perhaps it was time for her to adapt, so that the bloodshed would finally end. Perhaps. For now, she moved on. She had a long day ahead of her...
A Flame RekindledThe war had turned Celestia's daily routine into an unending nightmare. At any given time during the day, there was somepony in the Equestrian nobility or military that urgently needed to speak with her. She heard news of Changeling atrocities and raids. The life of ponies — her beloved subjects — became but a number on a clipboard as casualties increased. Today was but an ordinary day, as such. Besides raising the sun, she needed to deal with Prince Blueblood, who had been made responsible for a large amount of the frontline with the changelings. He was reckless and merciless, feared by his own soldiers, but Celestia had understood that in tough times like these, order and discipline might be more beneficial than tolerance and friendship. Just as she stood outside on the balcony to raise the sun, however, a servant interrupted the brief moment of peace and quiet that she had left. "Princess, pardon me for disturbing you but..." The servant stuttered nervously. "But?" "But Prince Blueblood has called, once again. Here." The Princess turned around and spotted the silver telephone which her servant was holding. "He wishes to talk to you. It appears to be... quite urgent." The Princess eyed the apparatus. She could feel a stinging headache, losing focus for a moment. "Princess? Is everything-" "I'm fine!" The Alicorn shouted back. The small pony in front of her recoiled, her limbs shivering. The Princess shook her head as the headache suddenly subsided once again. "I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scream," Celestia said quietly, holding a hoof over her mouth. "I don't know what's wrong with me today..." The timid mare remained silent, standing still as the Princess came closer. "Thank you for informing me, my little pony. You may go." Celestia encased the silver machine in her magical aura and levitated it into the air. The frightened mare bowed before her before leaving once again. "Princess?" the voice of the Prince sounded over the receiver. "You wished to talk to me, Prince? I hope it's urgent." "Quite. As you may recall, my soldiers tend to be a little undisciplined when it comes to following my orders." "Yes?" "You will surely also remember that I have made quite an effort to teach these scoundrels basic military order and discipline, since you refused to send me troops of... better quality than these ones," the Prince said with a low, awkward cough. "Get to the point, Blueblood. I don't have allday to chat with you." "Yes, well. The ponies living in a nearby village have told me that my soldiers are now resorting to robbing the populace, stealing both food and riches from them." The Princess listened carefully. "Today I had to deal with a crying mother who came rushing into our camp." The Prince paused for a moment. Celestia could hear him breathing over the phone. "Her... she says her daughter has been killed." Celestia's jaw dropped in horror. "She cried on and on, running around wildly and punching at my troops as she cursed us." The Princess suddenly felt dizzy and... she could feel that odd headache return once again. "The killing will never stop..." She began hearing that ghost, that voice again. "You must protect... you must lead..." Celestia dropped the phone as pain from the headache suddenly intensified. "You... must grow beyond yourself..." "No..." Celestia gave out quietly, the pain growing stronger and stronger. "Your destiny awaits... your people must have a leader!" "My..." Celestia mumbled, collapsing from the pain. "My... destiny..." As if she had cast a spell, the headache and ghastly voice, both, disappeared as soon as she gave out those words. After taking a few deep breaths and recollecting her strength, she took hold of the phone receiver once again. Prince Blueblood was still on the line. "Princess? Hello? What happened?" "Prince, listen up," Celestia commanded. "I want you to find all those responsible for stealing from my ponies. I want you to find them, and when you did, you shall send them off into the dirtiest, most miserable prison in Equestria!" the Princess shouted angrily. "But.. Princess, I-" "And if you find whoever is responsible for murdering that small, innocent filly, you are to personally execute him in front of the entire battalion, so they can finally see what happens to ponies like him!" The Prince remained silent. "Are we clear, Prince?" "Yes. Of course." "And if you dare disobey these direct orders, Blueblood, you may rest assured that I will come for you, and that I will end your life myself." Both of them remained silent. Only their breathing could be heard. "Is that understood, General Blueblood?" "Y-yes, Princess. Of course, Princess." "Very well, then. Goodbye, and good luck." The Princess hung up and made the telephone disappear. Only now did she feel that something was... off. She could feel something was different, almost as if... as if someone dictated those words to her. Such brutal, such reckless orders... that wasn't her, was it? "No matter," she thought to herself. Her patience with Prince Blueblood and his devilish barbarian 'soldiers' had finally run its course. Ponies like those, who turn against those who they are supposed to protect and fight for, deserve no less. The white-coated Alicorn took a deep breath before galloping back inside the castle. Despite her lack of sleep that early morning, she could feel her energy return to her. She could feel her strength and power increase. Her inner flame, formerly extinguished by the tragedies and losses of the war, had finally been rekindled.
Times of ChangeAbout 4 hours have passed since the phone call between Princess Celestia and Prince Blueblood. The war continues on, locked in a brutal stalemate, and the Equestrian High Command has been summoned to Canterlot to discuss something Celestia simply called "A Change of Strategy". Deep inside the Castle, behind locked and guarded doors, sat the most influential military officials within Equestria, together with industrial tycoons who made a great effort to support the ongoing war. The conference room itself was dimly lit, and the ponies present were bent over a table on which a large map laid. It was a map showing the entire frontline with the changelings. On the map itself stood dozens of differently coloured flags, representing Equestrian divisions along the frontline. "We have postponed our push in the south, for the time being. General Whiplash informed me that his formations are behind schedule," Grimhoof, the Chief of Army, reported. The others present could clearly see that the Equestrian forces in the area were inferior to those of the changelings by looking at the map. "What about the push in the north?" Prince Shining Armour brought up, pointing his hoof towards the territories of the Crystal Empire. "We have divisions in place, with trained soldiers ready to fight the bugs at any moment." "You must realise that your units lack the firepower to oppose the changelings, Prince," Field Marshal Fastclip commented. "Indeed. Our troops are lacking vital supplies. Rifles, artillery and rations, mostly. With some Equestrian help we could-" "Nope, none can do," Flim interrupted, co-founder of McIntosh Industries. "Our ponies are already working day and night. No way we can support two big operations at once," Flam added. "Air Force won't be giving you much help either, I'm afraid," Air Chief Marshal Blaze Firehooves added. "We've got a large scale bombing campaign planned to support the push in the south. Most of our fighters will be on escort duty, and prepping for the job has already begun." "But Sir Grimhoof just said the Operation would be delayed! Surely you could scramble enough forces and equipment to aid a breakthrough." The Prince was growing irritated by the reluctance of his allies. Perhaps Equestrian lives were worth more to them than that of Crystal Ponies. "The Operation is postponed, but not cancelled. Preparations are still well-underway. Redirecting forces to the north would simply cause both advances to fail and end in a slaughter," Grimhoof explained. "Hundreds of thousands Crystal Ponies have to suffer Changeling occupation every day! I will not let you put their lives in second place!" "Shining Armour, calm yourself!" Grimhoof insisted, stomping a hoof on the table. "If you will not help me, I shall defeat the bugs myself!" the Prince shouted back. "Silence!" echoed a voice throughout the room. There was immediate and absolute silence. Blaze and Grimhoof stepped aside to let the Princess of the Sun walk up to the table. She stared straight at Shining Armour, who stood on the other side. "You raise your voice here today, Prince?" She asked. "Princess, I only wish to protect and save lives. My advance would-" "Do the opposite. It would kill thousands of Crystal ponies. No air cover, insufficient equipment...it would be a massacre. And for what, Shining Armour?" "To-" "For what?" the Princess interrupted, her shouting causing some of the ponies present to wince. "You are as naive as you are proud, Prince!" "Princess, you really don't have to-" "Silence, I said!" Celestia barked back at Grimhoof. "My authority will not be challenged here today!" The entirety of the room remained silent, either because of fear or because of respect. "This quarrel here today has opened my eyes. For too long did the Military, of Equestria and Crystal Empire both, fight itself. Commanders grasping for glory and popularity, indecisive entrepreneurs hindering the war industry, service branches fighting for dominance between each other." Some ponies lowered their heads in shame, knowing that they were the ones addressed. "To circumvent and prevent such rivalries, feuds and infighting, and to preserve the fighting spirit amongst our troops, I, as the Princess of the Sun, hereby declare myself the final instance in military decision-making. All acts of military importance, no matter the branch, will be decided upon by me, in person. All who ignore these direct orders are to be seen as traitors to the crown." Everyone was silent; frozen. The air was charged with the energy Princess Celestia was giving off during her speech. "The punishment for disobedience and treason is death." The voice of the Princess had grown cold, and yet warmth and energy radiated off of her with every word she said. And while her voice had become merciless and cold, her eyes had changed colours to a fiery orange. This, many ponies inside the room realised, was not the old Celestia anymore. But whatever the case, before them stood a pony willing to fight for her subjects, prepared to take the fight to the changelings. "Times of change are upon us," the Princess said proudly. "We must not get bogged down in the past, indecisive and idle. The changelings have brought this war upon us, brought loss and terror to everypony's doorstep. I say, no more! We shall abandon our old feuds and rivalries and turn our sights on the enemy, at last! We will push back the invader, step by step, and bring this cursed conflict to their home! And then, at the very end, it will be us who are triumphant! Equestria, I promise you this, will prevail and we will be victorious!" The immense amounts of energy the Princess gave off, combined with a fair amount of patriotism, caused a grand applause in favour of Celestia. The room, once shrouded in a depressing and sad dim light was now filled with a mystic energy that everypony in the room could feel, any yet nobody could explain what it was. At that moment, the mysterious force simply clouded their minds. A new Equestria was on the rise, and with it, a new Princess.
Sol InvictusHours passed. The Night was soon to dawn upon Equestria. The Princess of the Sun sat outside on the balcony, once again. She didn't move, didn't think. She only listened to those beautiful voices and whispers. "The time has come... a new Equestria will rise..." The Princess remained calm, breathing in and out. Something about the voices was draining her mind empty, entrancing her. "All of Equestria will see your glory... your strength..." "My glory..." Celestia mumbled to herself. "The light of the sun will show you the way... its wrath will incinerate your foes!" She opened her eyes and looked up towards the sun. Without a problem, she stared straight into the sun. She felt its embrace, how its warmth covered her body. "You and the sun will be one, and all shall bow before you!" Celestia felt the voice in her head become more absolute, more dominant. It was hard for her to think but... she felt no need to think, anymore. Her path was clear. She knew what her destiny was as the sunlight embraced her. And yet... there was a disturbance. She felt pain. She... felt the pain of the sun. Felt how it grew weaker. "You feel it..." the voice whispered, "you feel its demise, how it is pushed aside by its rival..." The Princess rose from her sitting stance, still eyeing the sun as she listened to the hypnotising sound of the voice in her head. She didn't notice how her eyes changed even further, becoming slitted like those of a reptile. "Defeat the moon... defeat it and the sun may shine on for all times!" Without second thoughts, Celestia released a powerful, orange beam of energy. There was a brief silence as it travelled towards its intended target, until it finally collided with the sun. A wicked smile formed on Celestia's face as she watched the sun rise. The Sun would set no more. The Princess of the Sun was no longer alone, however. Luna watched in horror as the sun rose, once again. The scenery was almost too familiar to Luna. Memories revealed themselves in her mind, reminding her of what she did as Nightmare Moon... this wouldn't happen to her again, and it wouldn't happen to her sister, either. "Sister!" Luna called out loudly. "You must stop this, at once!" She was met with nothing but laughter. A wicked, evil laughter. "Is that so, 'sister'? Must the day end, already? I would love for it to go on for... just a bit longer." Luna's mouth hung open. That voice... that was not the voice of her sister, anymore. It was something different, something dark. "I know this isn't you, 'tia! Snap out of it!" Luna yelled, begging her sister to come to her senses. Once again, she was met with nothing but a short giggle. "You were always such a fool, Luna," Celestia said joyfully, turning around to face her sister. "I am so much more than your sister could have ever been! I have seen the light! I see my destiny clearly, and it does not involve you!" Suddenly, Celestia was shrouded in a deep orange aura, lifting her into the air. Luna stepped back and watched as her beloved sister was consumed by evil. Lethal fangs grew within her mouth. Her mane, once colourful and majestic, now turned into a living flame. The Sun on her flank, acting as her cutie mark, was now also encased in an orange depiction of fire. At the very last, different pieces of armour started appearing. Her crown was replaced by a yellow and orange helmet, while her wings and hooves were also covered in new orange armour. Her Chestpiece now, too, began to change colours. The purple crystal in its center disappeared and made way for an image resembling the sun. The transformation was complete. Evil had triumphed over Celestia's mind and body, both. "Sister...no..." Luna whispered. She couldn't believe her eyes as the wicked creature that used to be her sister landed in front of her. "At last! I can feel the power of the sun flowing through my veins! The sun and me - finally one!" "It did not have to come to this, sister! Have you forgotten your ways? Have you forgotten the way of harmony?" Luna yelled at the monster in front of her. "Your ways are weak, Luna! Open your eyes and see how my ponies suffer!" "Your ponies?" Luna interrupted angrily. "Your doctrine of peace and pacifism holds no worth, Luna. Times have changed, and time stops for no one. Unlike you, I saw the need for change and adapted, becoming something greater and more powerful than my old self could have ever become!" "And yet the price you paid..." Luna replied quietly. "I have sacrificed my old ways to save Equestria from demise, from conflict and death! All while you sat idle!" "I should not have let it come to this, sister... I'm sorry." "Your apologies mean nothing to me, insect! The winds of change have arrived, and with it comes a new era! The reign of the sun commences with this final daybreak! I hear the call of the sun, and Equestria hears mine! With the sun's guidance, we shall fight for a brighter future!" Luna watched as the sun reached its highest point in the sky, shining brighter than ever before. "The rule of Daybreaker begins now!" She shouted triumphantly. "Then it is time for me to succeed you..." Luna whispered, taking a deep breath. "For Equestria!" The blue-coated alicorn charged a lethal blast of energy, though her opponent swiftly dodged her attack. "Hah!" Daybreaker gave out as she lifted herself into the sky. "I shall purge these lands from the weak and corrupt - you will make an excellent first pick!" Luna clenched her teeth, pushing herself off the ground and charging towards her foe with immense speed. Daybreaker fired two blasts of energy towards her, though Luna dodged both and closed the gap between the two of them. The wicked mare now, too, charged towards her opponent, and the two immortals were stuck in a fight for raw strength as their horns clashed mid-air. "You should not have come! Your bravery will be your downfall!" Daybreaker declared with a strong voice. "I will not witness the destruction of harmony and sit idle! Your arrogance deceives you!" Luna replied, offering all her strength as she pushed back her rival. "You truly think you possess powers strong enough to defeat me?" Daybreaker gave out a pathetic laugh, countering Luna as she, too, pushed back hard. "You were always the weaker one, Luna! You will burn in the fires of my victory, reduced to nothing but ash!" Daybreaker suddenly struck one of Luna's hindlegs with her own, causing her to recoil and lose balance for just a brief moment. Her opponent wasted no time in exploiting the moment of weakness, and Daybreaker was quick to charge her horn with as much energy as she could. "Your pathetic existence... ends now!" Daybreaker yelled. An enormous blast of energy, its red and yellow colour mixture resembling that of fire itself, was released. Luna had but enough time to cover her face before she was struck. With immense velocity, the blast shot Luna back down towards the ground, causing her to crash through the roof of Celestia's private chambers. The explosion from the impact was so powerful, it could be heard all the way to Ponyville. Daybreaker remained airborne. One part of her was satisfied to have defeated the usurper and weakling that was Luna. Another part of her was disappointed at just how easy it had been to beat her. Slowly, she lowered herself back towards the ground. "Such a shame," she said mockingly, landing outside on the balcony. "I really did think you would put up more of a fight." As the new ruler of Equestria marched forth into her private chambers, she could see the outline of her defeated enemy through the thick clouds of dust. A smile formed on her face. "Whatever the case, your story ends here, 'sister'. Your weakness will no longer infect my nation and my subjects. I will create a united and strong Equestria, and I will lead it to victory!" Daybreaker flapped her large wings once. The mighty gust of wind casted away the thick clouds of dust, revealing the scarred and defeated figure of Luna, at last. Her foe stepped closer, enjoying every second of the moment. She could hear Luna mumble beneath her weak breath. She was already half dead. "So it ends, then..." Daybreaker declared triumphantly, standing next to Luna's beaten body. "The reign of night comes to a close, and so the sun shall reign until the end of time!" Even now, Luna could hear her foe's laughter. "Any last words...sister?" The white-coated alicorn asked, charging her horn one last time. Luna used her last remaining strength to look up to Daybreaker. Her fiery mane almost had a paralysing effect on her. With what she had left, she made her final speech. "Yes... yes, I do..." Luna's voice was sore and just as beaten as her body was. She coughed heavily before resuming. "You may be victorious today. But know this: your victory, like any other, will be temporary. And I trust th- argh!" Luna cried out in pain. "I trust... that you will someday realise your mistake." Daybreaker, although victorious and arrogant by nature, listened carefully. "Strike me down, then. Harmony will return, eventually. Stronger than ever." Luna closed her eyes and rested her head on the cold floor. "I'm sorry, sister. I'm sorry I let it come to this." A few seconds later, a loud blast could be heard throughout the castle. It was over. "At long last, the sun stands unopposed..." Daybreaker said to herself, once more standing on the balcony. "The sun shall aid my ponies to see the truth, and from the seeds of my work, a new, stronger Equestria will come forth!" Daybreaker spread her wings and looked up to the sun, feeling its strength in her every bone. "Hear me, Equestria!" She shouted, her voice sounding across all of Equestria. "Today is the day we unite against this common threat! Today, we free ourselves from our weaknesses! Hear the voice of your new empress, my ponies! Heed the call of the sun and follow its light! Our enemies will burn in the fires of our victory! Follow the light, citizens, and our flame shall be rekindled and grow stronger than ever before!" As if on command, a single chant could be heard all across Equestria that moment. "Glory to the Empress! Sol Invicta!" The Reign of the Sun and Rule of the Empress had at long last begun. Author's Note I hope you enjoyed the story! If you did, please consider leaving a like! Important Note: Depending on user feedback, I may go ahead and add yet another chapter to this story. It all depends on how well the story is received, though. So, if you liked this story, make sure to let me know and keep an eye on this one!
A New SunriseSeveral hours have passed since the Empress' announcement. Clocks in Equestria indicated that it was nighttime, by now, though the sun refused to lower itself. Night was no more. Equestria would henceforth bask in the warmth of an eternal day, brought to them by the Empress herself. But while Equestria as a whole embraced their new spot under the sun, plenty of ponies refused this new order. Mere hours after her speech, the Empress received word of revolts and attempted revolutions in larger cities. Thus, shortly after embracing her destiny of ruling over Equestria alone, she finds herself stuck between the Changeling invaders and her own subjects. But there was something bigger, something more important. Yes, she remembered clearly now. Not far from Canterlot laid the small town of Ponyville, the place where the six elements of Harmony had met and lived, up until the war started. The Empress saw the threat these ponies posed to her rule and plans for Equestria. She knew that even with her new, unrestrained form, she would not be able to challenge the magic of the elements. The Empress sat down on her throne, putting together her hooves while thinking about the possibilities presented to her. There had to be a way to counter their aggression, to scrap their plans... "Twilight... Twilight, yes! That is it!" she gasped, jumping up from her seat. "The Elements were created so that nopony, not even I, could rival their power. However, their power cannot be harvested unless all six are used in unison!" The Empress chuckled beneath her breath, confidently galloping towards the great doors of the throne room. "My former student will be the answer, the way for me to not only neutralise the elements' power but also to harvest Twilight's knowledge and magic, as well." Daybreaker smiled at the thought of this. There was still much for her student to learn, things she may only fully grasp when put under her guidance, once more. Ponyville was but a small, friendly town before the war. By now though, rapid industrialisation had partially transformed the peaceful town into an industrial complex, with factories filling out much of the outskirts of the town. These were tough times for not just Ponyville but all of Equestria, but they had to keep up the fight. There was no surrender when talking to the changelings. It was either them or us, the ponies thought. Like many towns and cities, ponies were out to see the start of an eternal day in Equestria following their Empress' speech. Some began to praise her, began to claim that the war was as good as won now. Many had doubts and concerns, afraid of simply abandoning their harmonic traditions. A few were bravehearted enough to immediately begin plotting acts of sabotage or, in the most largest cities in Equestria, attempts at a counter-revolution to oppose Daybreaker rule. The now former Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle, had locked herself in her castle following the speech which she, too, took in. Stuck the castle's library, she and her assistant Spike attempted to find a cure of sorts against the apparent evil that had consumed the Princess of the Sun. "Nothing over here, Twilight," Spike called out to the purple alicorn on the other side of the room. "Are you sure there is something we can use, in here? We've been looking for hours now." Twilight's reply was delayed as she continued to rapidly take, examine, and throw away books. "There has to be! Don't you see the similarities to Nightmare Moon, Spike? Eternal night and eternal day? There has to be something we can do!" "But... didn't you defeat Nightmare Moon by using the magic of the elements? Not some dusty old spell from a book?" Spike interjected. "Well... yes, but as you know the others and I split up not long ago. Applejack and Pinkie are at the front, Dash is at Wonderbolt HQ and Rarity and Fluttershy both are at Manehattan. I already tried to notify them and ask them to come back here, but it doesn't look like my message has come through, considering they're not here, at the moment." Twilight stopped what she was doing and took a deep breath. After taking a step backwards, she dropped onto the huge pile of books that she had created behind her. "We've got to do something... we've got to cure Celestia from whatever has taken control of her. I just... don't know how." The mare let out a deep, exhausted sigh. As Twilight was laying on all of her dusty, old books, she couldn't help but notice that she was starting to sweat, all of a sudden. "Uh... Spike?" she asked her assistant, "is it just me, or is it getting really hot in here really fast?" "Not just you..." Spike replied, also coated in sweat. "Ugh, this 'eternal day' thing is already getting on my nerves." A sudden, quiet cackle could be heard from outside the door. The mare and dragon both looked over as the door was slammed open with a tremendous force. "Oh, getting on your nerves, is it?" Both of them immediately recognised the familiar voice. "We'll see about that, poor dragon." Twilight scrambled to her hooves as fast as she could. She looked back over to the door expecting to see the face of a villain and yet... it was totally different. What she saw was not a villain, no. She froze as she stared at Daybreaker, who returned an evil grin towards her. She knew this wasn't Celestia, her teacher, and yet... she knew that this was not like any other villain she had faced in the past. "Ah, there you are, my ever faithful student." Daybreaker's grin intensified as Twilight took a step backwards. "I am so glad to see you again!" "C-Celestia...?" The small pony gave out, inspecting Daybreaker. "I no longer go by that name, I'm afraid. You may call me Daybreaker, student, though Empress would also suffice." "What have you done to Celestia?" Twilight demanded. "Oh, nothing. As I just said, I am Celestia, in a sense, though I am something greater and wiser than she ever could have been!" "I wouldn't be so sure about that..." The Empress' smile faded as she came closer. "Stop! Not one more step!" Twilight yelled, charging her horn. Daybreaker couldn't help but laugh. "Twilight, come to your senses. Would you really want to hurt your own teacher? Your mentor? You were the best student I have ever had, after all and..." Twilight lowered her guard as Daybreaker walked up to her. "And...?" she asked with a mighty gulp. "And I could arrange for you to be my student, once more. You would not believe how much work there is to be done and how much new knowledge I have gained, my dear student. We could explore these new opportunities together! We could create a brighter future for Equestria, as a whole!" Twilight remained calm and silent as Daybreaker went on, circling around her. For some odd reason, Twilight didn't really feel scared of being this close to a villain like her. Nor did she really... think of her as a villain that much, really. "Twilight? Twilight!" Spike called to the helpless mare. "Do something!" Daybreaker halted and turned her head towards the petty little dragon that was hiding behind a bookshelf. "You annoying, little..." was all she gave out before releasing a beam that almost immediately struck Spike, who was henceforth trapped in a transparent bubble. He punched and kicked against the bubble, but to no effect. He screamed from the top of his lungs, but nothing could be heard on the other end. Just as Daybreaker liked it. Twilight, too, turned around, though before she could lay eyes on Spike's prison, her vision was blocked by Daybreaker, who teleported in front of her. "What did you do? What happened to him?" "He's fine, don't worry about him. What you should focus on is your future, little pony." "My... future?" the purple mare stuttered. "Why, of course. Just think about it, for a moment. You could stay here in your small, little castle and read dusty old books, or we two could explore aspects of harmony, of the world itself, that have yet to even been considered. We could reunite, at last, Twilight, the teacher and her loyal, faithful student." "I... I don't know..." The small pony raised a hoof to her forehead, which began aching, making it harder to think and concentrate. "Ugh..." she grumbled. "Is something wrong, my student?" Twilight looked up and took in Daybreaker's fiendish smile. "You... no..." Twilight mumbled when she realised who was causing her pain. "I'll never give up! Never! My friends will-" "-Come to your aid?" the Empress interrupted. "Please, Twilight, your friends have departed months ago. Even if you had a way to notify them, most wouldn't be able to leave anyhow." "You... underestimate our friendship!" "Don't be foolish. Your friendship has rescued our nation from evil time and again, there is no denying that fact. However, surely you must see the difference of our situation now. An enormous storm has reached our nation, a conflict bigger and more brutal than we could have even yet imagined in the past. No... this is not something friendship and harmony can tame." "No... you're... you're wrong." "I have realised the truth, Twilight. For months Chrysalis and her armies have raced inland, destroying our beautiful land and consuming the love of anypony they can catch. I could not sit idle while my loyal subjects are being murdered in an endless meat grinder! I saw the need for action, for change! And change I did!" Twilight winced quietly, fearing a strike from Daybreaker as she grew louder. "You must realise, Twilight, that all I did and all I will do is in the interest of Equestria, in an interest to end this cursed war and stop the bloodshed. Your friends could finally return home. Wouldn't you enjoy that?" Twilight remained silent as the pain spiked. She dropped to the ground, rubbing her hooves against her forehead. And yet, it passed on after just about 15 seconds. "Well?" Daybreaker asked again. "Would you?" Twilight slowly got up. She could no longer feel the pain in her head but, instead, a type of... dizziness. As she looked up, her eyes immediately locked onto the image of Daybreaker. Even if she tried, she could not take her eyes off of the Equestrian monarch. "I... I want to see my friends again..." Twilight mumbled in a monotone voice. She couldn't explain how or why, but it was hard if not impossible for her to think. And yet... no pain. In fact, replying to Daybreaker made her... feel better, if anything. "So I thought. And what about science? You love science, do you not?" "..." "Yes...?" "Yes," Twilight stated. "And as such you would love to know all there is to know, right? You strive to collect knowledge, to learn all there is to know, no matter how small or insignificant it might be." "Yes, correct," the mare replied, her voice now showing some sign of emotion, again. "Oh, Twilight. You can't even imagine the things I have learned. All the mysteries we thought to be unsolvable, I now understand completely. Aspects of life, harmony and science never before conceived have become clear to me! And all of this knowledge, Twilight, all of this wisdom could be yours, too!" "Knowledge... wisdom..." Twilight repeated. "Do you wish for me to tell you the secrets of the world? The hidden aspects of harmony? The revolutionary new facts of science?" "Yes. Yes, I do." "And do you wish to protect Equestria and your friends? Do you wish to push out the evil that is Chrysalis to defend our nation?" "Yes. Yes, I want to protect my friends," Twilight said with joy. "So then, do you agree to become my student, once more, in order to ensure the stability and security of Equestria?" "Yes, Empress. I do," Twilight replied, bowing before her new Empress and old Mentor. Suddenly, Twilight was surrounded by a bright, yellow aura. The Empress watched eagerly as her student's mane colour changed from purple to sky blue, with a red strand in between. The alicorn's cutie mark changed its appearance as well, slowly switching colours from purple to bright yellow. As the final act, her eyes changed to a slightly lighter colour of purple. Daybreaker smiled as she inspected her student. Now, the Empress thought, she was truly ready for what was to come. "Thank you, Empress," Twilight said, opening her eyes and showing them to her mentor. "It feels good to be back under your protection and guidance." "So it does," she replied warmly. "Although, there is something we need to change. Your old name simply won't do anymore." "Oh," her student acknowledged, "yes, you're right. What shall I call myself instead, Empress?" Daybreaker thought for a small moment before smiling back towards the small mare. "With you by my side, my faithful student, nopony, especially not that cursed insect Chrysalis and her underlings can challenge Equestria. We, both, will make sure that the sun never sets on Equestria and the world, so that we can forever bask in the embracing warmth of the sun." The white-coated alicorn walked past her student and stopped shortly before the door. "This is a new dawn for Equestria, and with it comes a final sunrise to begin the eternal reign of the sun." The purple mare set into motion as her mentor motioned her to follow. "Come, Sunrise Sparkle, there is much to do." Author's Note Well, here's the extra (and final) chapter you guys have all waited for. I want to thank everyone who has read, rated and commented on this story for their feedback and support. You guys rock! Hope you enjoyed this small, little addition to the tale!
