Eclipsed

Twilight trotted down the hallway that led to the throne room. The halls were filled with deadening silence, the only sounds being Twilight's hoofsteps and a distant voice getting louder as she approached the throne room.

Twilight wondered if the princesses had somepony else with them or whether they were merely talking with one another. She knew that princess Cadence and Shining wouldn't be visiting since they had their own eclipse celebrations to prepare over at the crystal empire.

As she reached the door to the throne room, she couldn't help but listen for a moment. She heard princess Luna and a stallions voice she didn't recognise.

"And you're certain you've spared all you can, commander?" Luna asked, some worry in her voice.

"Yes, princess" the stallion responded immediately, his voice deep and commanding "if I spared any more, the wall would be completely vulnerable"

"Then things should stay as they are currently, thank you commander"

Twilight decided she had eavesdropped enough and knocked on the door before walking in. Once she came in, she saw that Luna and the stallion were the only two in the room. Celestia was no where to be seen. The pair was looking at Twilight as she entered and Twilight got a good look at the stallion.

He was a muscular pegasus stallion with a olive green coat and a black mane with a white streak. He had an aged and good natured face with some stubble growing. He wore possibly the most unique armour she had ever seen. Instead of gold for Celestia's guard or silver for Luna's guard, he wore a suit of darkened armour with both gold and silver colours on it.

Twilight had never heard of a general, at least not of Canterlot's Royal guard. She knew that there were military commanders and the such from Shining Armour's explanations of the Equestrian army, but he never mentioned a pony like this.

"Twilight Sparkle, it's good to see you" Luna said as Twilight approached. She sounded as if Twilight's mere presence had lifted a thousand problems off of the lunar princess's back. She noticed Twilight looking at the stallion, who was currently stood at attention and awaiting orders "you've not met commander Spearhead, have you?"

"No, I haven't" Twilight extended a hoof out to the stallion "it's a pleasure to meet you, commander"

"As it is to meet you, princess" Spearhead shook Twilight's hoof with a firm grip before letting go "if you'll excuse me, princesses, I've some things to attend to before the eclipse"

"Of course, don't let us keep you" Luna said with a nod.

Spearhead trotted passed Twilight and headed for the door Twilight had entered through. Upon the sound of the door closing filling the air, Twilight and Luna were the only two in the throne room.

"So, Luna, you wouldn't happen to know where Celestia is, would you?" Twilight asked after a moment of silence.

"She is in one of the upper towers, seeing to a more personal matter before the eclipse celebrations"

"Oh, okay" Twilight nodded understandingly "then do you mind if I ask about the guards?"

"What about the guards?" Luna asked.

"Well, why are they're so many stationed in the city centre?" Twilight asked "there was barely anypony on the outer walls. Something hasn't happened, has it?"

Luna paused for a moment, looking at Twilight as she thought deeply before answering. "It's simply a safety precaution, in case anyone tries something dangerous"

Twilight found herself questioning that answer more than she did the subject of conversation. "But, that's a lot of guards just for a safety precaution, don't you think?"

"Perhaps, but that is what we thought back when the changelings attacked princess Cadence's wedding" Luna replied "or when Tirek escaped Tartarus. Or when the changelings attacked again before gaining their new lease on life"

"Okay, I see your point" Twilight nodded "but I still think that-"

But before Twilight could continue, a sudden poof of magic caught the attention of both princesses. They both turned and were greeted by princess Celestia, who appeared to be placing her necklace back on.

"Twilight, it's good to see you" Celestia's said as she approached the other two alicorns.

"It's good to see you too" Twilight replied.

Celestia looked as though she was about to say something to Luna before the loud bang of the throne room doors being pushed open caught their attention. Twilight was as surprised as the other two princesses when she saw her friends all come through.

"Girls? What are you all doing here?" Twilight asked them.

"Why is the moon rising up so fast?" Starlight asked bluntly "I thought that there was another hour before the eclipse?"

Celestia and Twilight both looked at Luna, who was as confused as the rest of them.

"Whatever do you mean? I'm not raising the moon currently" Luna stated.

"I still you should see for yourself" Applejack said.

Celestia and Luna both nodded and trotted ahead with the group of ponies behind them. They walked back up the hallway Twilight had entered through earlier until they arrived at the front doors of the castle. They walked through the doors, and the girls could clearly hear the gasps of the three alicorns.

Up in the sky the moon had almost gotten into position over the sun, currently covering the very edge of the sun. All the ponies across Canterlot looked up at the sky, both surprised and confused.

Luna's horn began to glow as she aimed at the moon. "I don't know what is happening, but I'll send the moon back in its place" Luna stated before a beam of blue magic shot out of the tip of her horn.

The blue sparkling strip of magic shot through the skies, going higher and higher as it neared the moon. But before it could make contact with the moon, it simply began to dissipate until it was completely gone. Luna's magic hadn't worked on the moon. Luna's shock changed to annoyance as she shot another beam up at the sky, only to receive the same results as the first time.

"Luna...?" Celestia looked at her sister.

"I can't move the moon" Luna said with concern in her voice.

The group then looked back up at the sky as the moon had now completely covered the sun. This unscheduled eclipse burned a strong amber around the edges with a black void at its centre. The skies were darkened as a whole, turning grey with very little light shining outward. Ponies marvelled at the sky as Celestia and Luna's faces became more concerned.

"What's happening?" Twilight looked back and forth between the two princesses, hoping they had any answers.

Celestia and Luna looked at Twilight and then at each other. Twilight could tell from the looks on their faces that they knew about as much as she and her friends did. Then, a voice projected out among the confusion.

"Now that my master has your attention, allow me to address you all"

Everypony, Twilight and the princesses, turned their heads away from the skies and looked at the owner of the voice. A blackened grey coated unicorn stallion with white hair, who was wearing an auburn cloak, walked through the now crowded city centre. He was accompanied by two ponies in armour walking at either side of him. The ponies of Canterlot immediately moved out of his way without needing to be told. He looked up at Twilight's group, more specifically at Celestia.

"Nexus...?" Twilight heard Celestia mutter in surprise.

"Today is a day of rejoice for all ponies" the stallion, who Twilight guessed was called Nexus, stated with pride in his voice. "For today, ponies of Canterlot, you are being liberated"

"Liberated from what?" One pony in the crowd asked, catching Nexus's attention.

"Why, liberated from the rule of the deceptive princesses Celestia and Luna" Nexus answered proudly "we believed their rule to be gracious and kind, but it is a reign built on the bloodied soil of decades of conquest and deceit"

The ponies began whispering to one another, clearly not believing a word of what was being said. This Nexus simply walked into Canterlot and called Celestia and Luna 'deceptive' and 'deceitful' practically to their faces and in front of their subjects.

"It is hard to believe, I know, I myself found it hard to find truth in it" Nexus continued, silencing the whispers "but I've become enlightened, as have my associates" he said as he gestured to the two armoured ponies either side of him.

Celestia trotted forward a few steps, Luna at her side. "Nexus, I don't know what exactly what you think you're doing, or how you've assumed control of the moon, but-"

But Celestia was silenced by a deep cackled chuckle from Nexus, who looked at the princesses with a cold dead gaze. "Do you really think that such a feat as this could be achieved by any less than the great power my master wields?" He asked as he gestured to the eclipse.

"And who would your 'master' be exactly?" Luna demanded from Nexus.

"Why don't you see him yourself? He's been wanting to see both of you" Nexus said as he pointed his hoof at the sky behind him.

The ponies all looked at where Nexus was pointing, spotting a black shape shooting across the sky faster than any pegasus could. Twilight looked at Celestia and Luna, seeing the fear begin to show on their faces.

With a loud clank of metal boot adorned hooves, a black coated stallion with a cosmic flaming orange mane and an equally as orange pair of cold threatening eyes began landed on the ground of the city centre. He stood as tall and nobly as Celestia, he appeared as threatening as Luna would appear to strangers, he was...

"An...alicorn?" Twilight muttered in shock as she looked at the stallion's horn and wings.

Twilight, her friends, and everypony around them were shocked by the sight of an alicorn stallion trotted gallantly passed the onlooking ponies as well as Nexus and his two guards, who had dropped into a bowing position. The alicorn raised his hoof, allowing his three underlings to stand again. The alicorn then looked Celestia dead in the eyes. Celestia stood in front of Twilight, blocking her from the alicorn's view.

Twilight looked at the princesses. Celestia seemed to be trying to put on a front, while Luna looked outright terrified of the stallion.

"Celestia, it's been a while" the alicorn spoke with disdainful smugness as he approached.

"Umbra..." was all Celestia said at first. She took a deep breath before giving a stone cold and commanding look to the alicorn male "leave here, at once" she commanded "you and Nexus are surrounded"

"Oh, you didn't think I'd show up with simply three ponies, did you" Umbra said as he leered at the two princesses, his voice showing a small scowl now "I think you'll find that I've been rather...busy, and that the fruits of my labour are moving in as we speak"

Then, a loud bang of an explosion sent a fume of fire into the sky. Twilight looked up and saw the explosion had occurred at the outer wall, and the carnage of the aftermath looked as though it were large enough to have blown a good chunk of the wall wide open.

Screams filled the air as ponies fled from the city centre, Canterlot guards doing what they could to lead them to safety.

"Luna, get Twilight and the others out of here. Now!" Celestia told Luna before turning back towards the fleeing crowds "guards! Prepare for battle!" She called out.

Twilight felt Luna's hoof force her to start moving towards the castle door. Looking either side, she saw her friends also being moved inside.

Once they were inside, Luna ran ahead of the group. Twilight and her friends didn't need to be told to follow her. Twilight levitated Spike onto her back and ran with her friends, following Luna. Muffled explosions from outside shook the very foundations of the castle.

"Luna, what's happening?" Twilight looked up at Luna "who was that?"

Luna didn't respond, continuing to run as she burst through the throne room doors. She made her horn glow and used her magic to blow out one of the back windows. The act startled the entire group.

"Quickly, through the window" Luna ordered them.

"What about Celestia?" Twilight said.

Then the whole group looked back at the throne room doors behind them as the sound of wood smashing could be heard rather close to them.

Celestia stood her ground and waited until Luna and the other had gone inside the castle.

"Our conflict ended long ago, Umbra, I beat you once I can beat you agin" Celestia warned Umbra.

"I think you'll find I'm more than ready for a rematch" Umbra responded.

Celestia saw that Umbra now far closer to her than before. Guards charged to defend Canterlot as the explosions died down, clearly signifying to Celestia the real assault had begun.

But before she had anymore time to think, she felt the full force of Umbra's armoured hooves smash into her chest. The two of them smashed through the castle doors like they were wet paper as Celestia flew back a couple of feet. Umbra stayed on his hooves while Celestia crashed into a decorative table.

"You've grown stronger" Celestia stated as her horn glowed.

A beam of bright light erupted out and was thrown at Umbra by Celestia. Umbra projected a flaming orange shield in front of him which took the brunt of the attack, though he still was knocked down to his knees.

"One thousand years in the deepest crevices of Tartarus...you pick up a thing or two" Umbra rose back to his hooves "including how to convince a lot of ponies to assist in my conquest"

"The only thing you'll be conquering is a far stronger cell in Tartarus!"

"once I have what I've come for, nothing will be able to stand against me" Umbra said as his horn began to glow.

Celestia froze for a moment, bringing a hoof to her necklace for a mere moment. She couldn't allow him to have it.

She made her own horn glow and threw a beam of gold light at the other alicorn. Umbra shot a blast of bright amber at the oncoming magical attack. The two beams connected in between the opposing alicorns, the struggle causing more shifts of dominance than could be counted.

But in the end, Umbra raised up on his back hooves, spreading his wings apart before he slammed back down onto all fours, closing his wings together in front of him as several small projectiles shot toward Celestia.

Celestia managed to avoid some, but winced as she felt three sharp points drive themselves into her fore legs, drawing blood. Upon closer inspection, she saw that they were in fact sharpened down black feathers from Umbra's wings.

Celestia looked up from her leg wounds too late, as another blast of energy struck her chest. She was sent crashing back through the throne room doors. Celestia found that she had been sent about halfway across the throne room. She turned her head back to the now shattered doors, watching Umbra trot on through the wreckage as his horn charged up for another attack.

But suddenly, a large chunk of debris from the door was flung at Umbra, catching him off guard but not doing much other than that. Another but debris was also thrown, and another after that. Each piece slamming into the alicorn and slowing him down.

Celestia looked behind her to where the debris was coming from. She saw Twilight, Starlight and Rarity, all using their magic to throw whatever they could telekinetically grab with their magic at the alicorn threatening Celestia.

Celestia felt a pair of hooves help her stand up. She saw Applejack and Rainbow Dash both at her side assisting her. She looked back and saw Luna helping Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy through a broken window.

"We got ya, princess" Applejack said to Celestia, helping her walk along to the window.

"Enough!" Umbra roared as his horn released a blast of magic.

The pulse of energy shot out in all directions, obliterating all the incoming debris and furniture that was being thrown at him into dust. He began his approach again, the group of terrified ponies in his sights.

Celestia saw Luna, standing as though she were about to attack. But once she took a look at Umbra, she hesitated. The fear in her eyes was clear to Celestia, who understood it perfectly when Luna flew out of the window with the others making their way out.

Celestia regained her strength and hurried over to the broken window, making sure that Twilight and her friends were out first before taking flight out of the window herself.

"Run! Run all you want! But you can never again run home!" Celestia heard Umbra shout from behind her "I will find you both wherever you go!"

Celestia flew over Twilight and her friends, making sure they were safe. All the fighting was most likely happening in the city right now, so they had at the very least a few minutes before Umbra could get anyone to give pursuit. A few precious minutes was all she needed to end this before it could truly begin.

"Twilight" Celestia called to the lavender pony as she landed down in the grassy fields outside of Canterlot "you must head back to Ponyville"

Twilight looked confused and panicked by what was happening "but why? What's happening? Who is that alicorn?"

"His name is Umbra, that is all you need to know right now" Celetsia said bluntly "head to Ponyville and grab the elements of harmony"

She didn't know what to do at all. Normally she would have some kind of plan she'd made ahead of time, but she had nothing for something like this. The elements of harmony were a complete gamble, she didn't even know if they'd help them the same way they did with Discord.

She could tell that Twilight knew her instruction to be completely comprised of guesswork and improper planning. Regardless, she gave a small nod. "What about you?"

"I will attempt to evacuate Canterlot" Celestia stood up and looked at Luna "sister, head for the crystal empire and warn them about what is happening"

"Wait, shouldn't you both be defending Canterlot?" Twilight asked "you'll have a better chance to stop this"

"We don't have time for this, just get the elements and be quick" Luna told them.

With that, Luna spread her wings quickly and took flight towards the north. She had sped off before anypony could say anymore to her.

"Quickly, you can't waste a second, go!" Celestia ordered before she hurried to take flight and dive over the castle walls, leaving a shocked Twilight and her friends behind.

Twilight watched as Celestia took off towards Canterlot and Luna toward the empire, taking whatever answers to the questions she had with them. She had never known either of them to hold this much information about something. She turned to her friends, unsure of what to do other than what Celestia had told her to: get to Ponyville and use the elements against this Umbra.

"We can't just leave Canterlot" Rainbow Dash said as she prepared to take flight "we have to help the princess"

"And we will by getting the elements" Twilight told them.

"But how do we get back to Ponyville? I doubt the train will be running during a full blown invasion" Rarity pointed out "and we can't outrun Celestia knows how many of those brutes that are attacking"

Invasion. Twilight still couldn't believe that's what was happening. The fact an alicorn was leading the charge was also a huge shock, one she probably wouldn't have believed if she hadn't see him herself.

She looked up at the burning eclipse above in the dirty grey skies. This was meant to be something grand to behold, instead it was being used as some kind of war banner by this Umbra.

"Maybe if we both focus our magic together, we could teleport the whole group to Ponyville" Starlight suggested to Twilight.

"It's worth a try" Twilight nodded slightly, knowing that she couldn't allow herself to become distressed, at least not right now.

"Stand between me and Twilight" Starlight told the group.

The girls and Spike wasted no time at all, moving themselves in between Starlight and Twilight. Twilight gave Starlight a nod, which Starlight returned, before the pair began to focus their magic to transport them all to Ponyville. They both funnelled their magic through their horns with great focus, which Twilight found hard to keep considering the reminder of what was happening through the sounds of screams and clanging metal coming from Ponyville.

However, she still managed to produce a beam of purple energy, which connected with Starlight's cyan beam directly over the group. The two beams glowed brighter, creating an arcane circle around the group.

Then, with a bright flash and release of energy, the group vanished completely from sight outside of the grasslands beyond Canterlot.