The Stars Above Know

The Stars Above Know

by Denim Blue

“Do I feel guilt over my actions? Yes, I do. Do I wish to return to the past and change what I did? No. Looking back on the past and wishing to change it is not how one should view life. Instead, one should learn from the past, apply it to the present, and look forward to the future.”

- Princess Luna, two months after returning from her millennium-long imprisonment in the moon

Nightmare Moon closed her eyes, taking a short break from gazing off into space. The sun had set from her point of view, the colossal ball of light and gas having moved behind the planet. Looking down at the blue and green sphere, she could make out the various mountain ranges, lakes, and oceans.

“Luna?”
Nightmare smiled. “Yes?”

“Do you...well, what will happen when we get out of here in another one thousand years? We more or less told Celly that we will escape, and I am sure she has not forgotten...but...what do we do? What actions must we take?”
Nightmare nodded. “Well, we have two options. We can tell Celestia, along with whomever else stands up against us, the truth.”

“What is the other option?”

“We continue the charade of being a twisted alicorn, hellbent on revenge and consuming the world in night for all eternity.”

“I see...I think we should go with the first option.”

Nightmare laughed quietly. “I think that’s a good choice, too. Actually, there is a third option, now that I think about it.”
“What is it?”

“First the charade. Then when it’s all said and done and you ‘return’ to normal, the truth.”

Luna’s hummed in thought, her voice echoing in Nightmare’s subconscious. “I like that option. I don’t wish to keep Celestia in the dark. She’s not perfect, and she’s made a few bad decisions, but she has never intentionally hurt anyone. She deserves to know about us, and our connection.”

“I agree. At least she hasn’t driven the dragons to near extinction.”

Luna sighed deeply. “I really am sorry to hear about what you had to deal with. If it means anything...you’re more than welcome to stay here.”
Nightmare could feel Luna’s eagerness for a response.

A place to call home again? What about her old home? Was it still around?

She shook her head, and continued to gaze at the stars.

“I’ll think about it.”

Chapter Two: Black Hole Sun

3081 E.B.

Luna stared at herself in the mirror, unblinking.

“This is it. We either stop her...or...” She went silent and looked out to the low-lying sun in the sky. “No...we’ll fix this, and Equestria will be fine.”

The Night Watch was set up throughout the castle. Some would be disguised as guards, others would be simple servants or hoofmaidens. A few of them were even dressed as representatives. They would be the support that would keep her attention from being diverted from Celestia if things got bad. The last thing she needed was to get incinerated by a blast of solar energy because of a random guard pony distracting her.

She looked to the crown on her head, and frowned before removing it with her magic. No, she wouldn’t be approaching Celestia as a princess today. She would meet Celestia as her sister; as an alicorn who wanted to make things right.

Taking a final look at herself in the mirror, she nodded, then walked out the door leading to the halls of the Royal Sisters’ castle throne room. The guards stood at attention as she passed, a few giving curt greetings to her or bowing.

Soon enough she was standing in front of the giant oak doors once more. She pushed them open, and exhaled deeply.

“Harmony give me strength...” she whispered.

She walked with purpose down the red carpeting leading to the grand throne of Celestia, which was almost twice as large as Luna’s and much more decorative in appearance. Looking ahead, Luna was relieved to see that Celestia was not giving an audience to any ponies at the moment. This would make confronting her much easier.

Celestia noticed Luna and smiled fondly. “Luna, good afternoon. I was afraid I would have to send someone to wake you up. You only have about another hour before sunset.”

For a moment, Luna wanted to smile and just enjoy the moment with her older sister. However, she was reminded of what had to be done as she glanced at the guards, then towards the window where the sun could still be seen. She cleared her throat and spoke. “Guards, we ask that you leave us.”

The ponies all looked to Luna, then to Celestia. Most of them gave bows and slowly made their way towards the doors. The others followed suit, though they seemed hesitant to leave the two alone. Luna forced herself to not make eye contact with any of them, her eyes remaining glued to Celestia’s. As soon as the throne room was empty aside from the two, Luna continued. “Sister, we must talk.”

Celestia, to her credit, managed to hide her confusion behind a mask of calm. “Of course, Luna. What is it you wished to speak to me about?”

I had better just get to the point. Luna closed her eyes and spoke. “I believe it is time for you and I to step down from our thrones, and allow Equestria to run its own affairs without us. We can continue to control the cycles of day and night, but we should leave the land in the hooves of its many capable ponies.”

Celestia’s eyebrows rose. She smiled, then began to laugh. “Haha, oh, Luna...I...” She stomped a hoof against the tiled floor while nodding approvingly. “...haah...I needed a good laugh, thank you. You wouldn’t believe how dull it gets, listening to pony after pony complaining about this and that. Taxes, health concerns, sanitation issues, well water problems...honestly, if they only worked a little harder, they would be worlds better. Now, what is it you wished to really speak to me about?”

Luna simply frowned.

Celestia’s expression slowly morphed from happiness to confusion, and then to shock. “Y-you’re serious...? You...honestly...” Celestia frowned. “Luna, what is the meaning of this outlandish behavior? You know as well as I that if we left these weak mortals to their own devices they’d all but perish!”

“That, Celestia, is where you are wrong,” Luna spoke with a firm tone. “We were meant to lead them, yes, but only through benevolence and understanding. We do not age only so that we can retain our wisdom for endless generations and help other ponies learn from our experiences! We knew this since the day we became Equestria’s diarchs!” She stomped a hoof on the ground. “You’ve crossed that line so many times now I’m positive that you’ve forgotten about our role in Equestria! You’re an alicorn, not a deity! We are not meant to be feared, but loved, and we must love in return!”

“That’s enough, Luna. Stop this now and I’ll forget about this tantrum you are throwing.”

“Tantrum?” Luna repeated. “Tantrum? No, this isn’t a tantrum, this is me speaking on behalf of the burdened, starving, impoverished ponies who can’t scrape up enough bits to buy a bag of hay! This is me speaking on behalf of the soldiers who are fighting the Diamond Dogs in a fruitless war that could be resolved easily through peaceful means! This me speaking for the dragons, griffons, and numerous other races that you’ve wronged through actions that are nothing short of biased slaughter!”

Celestia rose from her throne at this point. “How dare you accuse me of such things! I am only doing what any true ruler would do! I have yet to see you do anything for our citizens aside from dedicating the occasional monument, park, or artwork to some town or another. I have been carrying the weight we should both be burdened with, Luna!”

“I have been doing more than that, Celestia, far more than that. I just have to do it in secret, since you forbid me from doing anything that I believe would benefit the kingdom! I say we should give money to the orphanages, you say to not bother with spoiling little foals who are too young to do anything for the community. I say we should open more shelters up for the homeless and poor, you say they need to work harder instead!”

“That’s because such acts are merely pampering those ponies, not motivating them to do something with their short and meaningless lives!”

Luna took a step back. “Celly...you...don’t honestly mean that.”

“I’ve said it before, Luna! They’re mortals! Their lives are but a minute sliver of a fraction compared to ours, and if we concern ourselves with every single one of their problems, we would never accomplish anything! I work for the kingdom as a whole, not for a few individuals!”

“You’re working for yourself, Celly!” Luna shot back. “Don’t deny it! I already know that you’re planning on expanding Equestria’s borders past the former den grounds of those dragons that you murdered!”

The tapestries on either side of the grand hall began to blow as though a hurricane wind had found its way into the castle. Celestia stood at her full height while glaring down at her sister. “Do not question me, little sister! My power was given to me by the cosmos themselves, and I was destined since birth to rule these lands! The same can be said for you, but you instead wish to sit idly and allow these mortals do things themselves!” She stomped her hoof, which echoed throughout the throne room. “The Divine are destined to rule the weak, that is the way things are! It is the natural order of-”

“There is no natural order with the way you run things!” Luna screamed, matching Celestia’s overbearing power with her own. “We were never supposed to oppress the ‘weak’, as you call them! We were placed upon the planet to help guide them and protect them!” She felt her heart hammering in her chest as years upon years of frustration and anger were lifted off of her. “We are not gods!!”

“Silence!!”

A sudden weight crashed down upon the throne room, and Luna felt her breath hitch. She strained to stay standing as Celestia’s palpable magic threatened to crush her.

“Luna, as of now you are to step down from your position as the Princess of the Moon until I see fit. I highly recommend that you do so, unless you wish for me to force you to do so.”

The midnight alicorn grit her teeth. “No. I cannot fail my subjects...or my kingdom.”

A wave of telekinetic energy smashed into her, sending her careening into a stone wall. Luna got to her feet and forced magic to tend to her injuries as she looked upon her sister.

“You are acting like a spoiled little foal, Luna. Don’t make me repeat myself.”

Luna made her way towards Celestia once more. “I refuse.”

The oppressive force of Celestia’s magic was suddenly met with one of similar intensity. The Princess of the Sun showed minor shock as her sister managed to resist her powers. “Luna...you are making a grave mistake.”

Luna shook her head. “No, I am simply performing my final duties as the co-ruler of Equestria: removing a tyrant from throne.”

Celestia’s glare intensified while the temperature of the air increased dramatically. Luna’s horn began to glow as she concentrated on a spell she had prepared for this moment. She reached out, searching for the Elements of Harmony. If only she could...

“Very well, Luna. I have no choice but to use the Elements on you.”

Luna’s eyes widened as a chill ran down her spine. She couldn’t sense them. Her magic senses felt nothing akin to the Elements. That meant...

“No...” Luna whispered. The glow of her horn faded..

The older alicorn smirked. “You think I wasn’t prepared for a situation like this, Luna? I suspected you of plotting something, though I didn’t think it would be this foolish. The Elements of Harmony are under my control as we speak.” A glow of light from Celestia’s horn brought forth five jeweled artifacts, while a sixth one floated within the center of them. “I shall strip you of your powers, and become the sole ruler of Equestria. I shall be the Queen of the Sun and Moon, the Bringer of the Day and the Night!”

The Elements of Harmony glowed as Celestia channeled magic into them. They began to spin wildly around her as she flapped her powerful wings and lifted off the ground. Luna could only watch in despair while the Elements hovered over her sister, their now very-present magic filling the room.

“The...the Elements are responding to her? How? They should only resonate with a being who has good intentions and has no anger in their heart.” Luna crouched low, preparing to move at a moment’s notice.

The Elements of Harmony halted suddenly and began to emit a soft hum as Celestia absorbed them into her body. The white equine’s eyes shined with primal energies as bolts of magic crackled around her. “Yes...I will usher in a new era! All will know my power, and all will bow before the might that is Equestria! I shall make an example of you, Luna! Then we’ll see how many will continue to reject me as their rightful ruler!”

Luna leaped to the side as a rainbow colored bolt of energy shot out at her, followed by another. The midnight alicorn was forced to evade as her sister began to assault her with the ancient magical artifacts. So far everything that could have gone wrong for her was happening. She couldn’t summon the Elements of Harmony, Celestia had managed to harness said Elements, and she managed to connect them to her own vast magical energy.

The younger sister skidded and ducked as a bolt flew over her head, and she caught the faint smell of burnt hair.

“I have to stop her...” Luna thought as she looked to Celestia, who was now surrounded in an aura of volatile magic. “Before she destroys herself and everyone in the castle as well.”

Heavy Hoof was currently standing outside the door next to his partner and fellow guard, Withersdale. He tried to ignore the explosions just beyond the doors, but the powerful energy he felt was hard to dismiss. Princess Luna was in danger, and he knew it.

He felt a sudden tug on his mind, and a voice echoed in his mind. “Heavy Hoof, Withersdale, I need you to begin the evacuation at once. I’m afraid we’re proceeding with the back-up plan.”

Heavy Hoof and Withersdale each sent her a mental affirmative before the connection was abruptly cut off. They looked to each other, then abandoned their posts and galloped down the hall. The turned down several corridors, heading up a flight of stairs and reaching a small tower where a bell hung. Heavy Hoof grabbed the rope tied to the bell and tugged. The massive bell let out a loud tone which echoed throughout the castle and surrounding area. Ponies all around stopped what they were doing and proceeded towards the edge of the woods. Moments later smoke could be seen on the opposite end of the castle.

“Good, looks like Trotter and Shine Point got the fire started in the dining hall already.” He continued to tug the bell as Withersdale watched the evacuating ponies below.

“Alright, that’s enough. We need to make sure the guards are distracted with the fire before the weather ponies arrive,” Withersdale spoke as he looked to the growing plumes of smoke. “I just hope the princess can handle this.”

“Well...” Heavy Hoof began. “If she fails...Equestria will be in for some difficult times.”

The two stallions stared at the rising column of smoke for a few more seconds, then galloped down the stairs to begin the second phase of their plan.

Luna’s horn glowed as she deflected a bolt of solar energy that had been launched by her sister.

Right now, Luna was at a severe disadvantage. The two sisters’ powers were directly linked to their charges, and the sun was still hanging in the sky. Luna, while capable of defending herself without the moon or night sky, was fighting in enemy territory with Celestia’s sun giving her energy a constantly regenerating source of magical energy.

Chancing a glance out one of the massive windows, she let out a gasp.

The sun was rising back into the sky; it was going from west to east!

Celestia was trying to keep the night from coming!

“That’s right, Luna! You’re finished.” Celestia landed gracefully on the stone floor, which began to turn bright red upon making contact with her hooves. “I won’t allow you to throw the kingdom into chaos with your whims and radical ideas.”

“Sister, stop this now! You’re going to throw our world into disarray if you continue to do this!” Luna pleaded.

Celestia merely called forth a ball of flaming magic that was white as her own fur coat, hurling it at Luna. Raising forth a barrier of magic, Luna skidded several feet and fell to the ground, shaken, but otherwise unharmed. She coughed a bit as she got back to her feet, forcing herself to move as flames spewed forth and scorched the spot she had been moments ago.

“You have some nerve, Luna! Scolding me on throwing the world into disarray when you’re ideas will only bring forth the same thing!” Celestia slowly walked towards her sister while flames of solar energy danced around her. “Know this, Luna: those who stand against the natural order of things will only be burned in the end. Whether it be a mortal pony, or a foolish alicorn who believes she has the answers to everything without listening to her elders, all face judgement in the end.”

Luna took a tentative step back while her horn began to glow a deep purple. “Celestia...please don’t make me fight you.”

“There will be no need for you to, Luna. I’ll simply bring you down to your knees in defeat before you have a chance to fight back.”

A second ball of solar energy formed at the tip of Celestia’s horn, but Luna was ready this time. The ground around the two alicorns began to shake while Luna let out a primal scream, something akin to a war cry of sorts.

Celestia’s gaze drifted towards to the horizon where, much to her dismay, the sun was beginning to once again set. She halted its descent, but she was unable to stop the sky from darkening in the east. She watched as the moon managed to poke over the horizon, and several stars began to dot the slowly dimming sky.

“No! I won’t allow it!” Celestia shouted, and the moon stopped shortly as it passed over the horizon. The sky was now painted a deep pink with orange dotting the portion of the sky where sunset occurred, and a dark purple on the side where the moon had risen. Despite the situation, the sight was quite beautiful.

Celestia’s attention turned towards her sister, who now stood in a battle stance of sorts while her horn continued to glow. Six blue lights appeared in front of her. The Princess of the Sun could sense powerful magic behind whatever spell Luna was casting, and didn’t like it one bit.

“This...wasn’t supposed to happen,” Luna spoke, her voice shaking a bit from the strain of using such powerful magic. “Forgive me, Celly.”

The six lights took on solid shapes, four of them becoming blue, armored shoes of sorts while the other became a helm and breastplate of sorts.

“What...what are you doing? What magic is this?” Celestia questioned, taking a step back as Luna’s magical power began to increase at an alarming rate. “What are you doing??!”

The magical armor floated around Luna for several moments, and then she became enveloped in a gentle blue light and levitated into the air. She closed her eyes while the various pieces of armor placed themselves onto her body. Luna’s eyes opened, her pupils glowing with an ethereal light.

Celestia was knocked back as a powerful shockwave rocked the castle. Lowering the hoof covering her face, she felt her jaw go slack as she beheld her sister.

Luna’s dark coat was now pitch black like that of the night. Her mane, while still sparkling with the intensity of the stars in the night sky, was longer, and seemed to move more wildly than before. Luna now stood around the same height as Celestia now, and her overall body frame was more lithe and powerful in appearance.

“Sister...” Luna’s voice had changed, taking on a deeper tone fitting for a mare of her appearance. “...prepare yourself.”

The ground around Luna cracked as she launched herself at Celestia with a single flap of her midnight wings. Celestia found herself flying back as one of Luna’s hooves caught her in the jaw and sending her crashing through the two thrones and into the stone wall behind them. She got to her feet and raised a barrier of her own as a flash of blue light crashed into it.

“That armor...” Celestia glared at her transformed sister. “...where did you get it?”

Luna stood at the top elevated platform where the destroyed thrones had been, looking down at Celestia with an unreadable expression on her face. “This armor is a gift from the stars and moon themselves. It is something I am entitled to, as the Princess of the Night. In times of danger and peril, I may call upon its power if the heavens above deem me worthy.” She frowned sadly. “I had hoped that I would not have to use it against you, sister.”

The Princess of the Sun scoffed. “So, you’ve gained a boost in your magic, hm?” Her horn ignited as the solar winds enveloped her once more. “It changes nothing, sister. I still hold the Elements of Harmony. The difference in our powers is like the distance between the sun and the moon themselves.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that.”

The crescent moon cutie mark on Luna’s flank began to glow. A thin layer of sweat was soon covering her body as she gathered more energy. Lightning crackled around her body, and her muscles became taut as she crouched.

Celestia smirked. “You really should give up, Luna. It’s pointless to-”

“Yaah!”

Luna burst forward, her body a blur of black and blue as her front right hoof collided with Celestia’s stomach. The white alicorn recovered in midair and pushed off with a flap of her wings. Luna pursued her and shortened the distance between them within seconds. Aiming her horn at Celestia, she blasted her with a barrage of what appeared to be shooting stars. They exploded upon impacting with the Princess of the Sun.

By now the throne room had been reduced to ruins, windows were broken and walls were crumbling around them. Dust filled the air, and the smell of smoke hung around the two warring sisters.

Luna panted and heaved as she waited for the dust to clear. As the dust clouds parted, her eyes narrowed. Celestia was gone.

“Where...?”

“Right here, Luna.”

The younger alicorn turned around, only for a ball of flames to smash into her. She spiraled downward, but managed to land on her feet at the last second. Gritting her teeth, she dashed forward and leaped into the air once more. She jetted around Celestia and kicked her in the back with her hind legs. Celestia flew back several yards and flared her wings out, halting her descent. She spun around in time to duck as Luna’s hind legs reared up in an attempt to kick her in the head.

“I must say, sister, you have surprised me so far.” Celestia wiped a hoof over her bottom lip, red staining her golden shoes. “Despite being the gentle pony you are, it looks like you know how to put up a fight.”

Luna simply launched another barrage of light at her sister, which Celestia avoided once more. She flew high into the air then suddenly changed her direction by a whole one hundred-eighty degrees, diving straight for her sister. Luna pushed off the ground and the two collided in an explosion of light that shook the foundations of the castle.

By now, the few ponies that had decided to remain in the forest surrounding the castle were aware that there was no fire and that the true reason behind the evacuation of the castle had been due to the quarreling alicorn sisters. They had taken to the air now, combating each other with magic and enhanced strength fit for ponies of their position in Equestria.

“It looks like Princess Luna has her armor on...” one of the Night Watch ponies stated. “She’s...different.”

Another one of the Night Watch spoke. “Do you think she can defeat Celestia?”

Silence hung between the two for several moments as they watched Luna deflect a blast of blazing winds with the flapping of her wings.

“I hope so...”

Celestia slammed her shoulder into Luna’s chest, causing the younger alicorn to cough as the wind was knocked out of her. The midnight alicorn pushed herself away from her elder sister and grimaced. “Celestia, we can’t keep fighting like this! We’ll end up pulling the rest of Equestria and our subjects into it!”

“At this point I’m more concerned with eliminating you, Luna. A few lives lost can easily be replaced within a few years’ time.”

Luna had long lost the ability feel shock towards her sister’s cruel worlds. She flared her wings out to their full length and spoke. “Celestia...is this what you truly want? To rule Equestria with an iron hoof?”

The elder sister said nothing in reply. Instead, she flew higher into the air, flaring her wings and raising her front legs up above her head. Luna’s attention was then drawn to the horizon as it began to brighten.

“Oh no...”

The sun was beginning to rise higher into the sky. Luna attempted to halt the glowing celestial body from moving further, but her powers seemed to no longer have any affect. It appeared Celestia was investing all her strength into raising the blazing star into the sky.

“Your insolence has cost you, Luna!!” Celestia shouted from high above. “I’ll destroy you, and all of the dissenters, with this attack! My guards have not risen up to help me, and all the ponies have run off, leaving me to take care of things myself, as usual! None of them are worth sparing if that is the case!!!”

Luna’s eyes widened. “No...Celestia, you wouldn’t!!!”

The Princess of the Sun’s body began to shine, and Luna had to cover her eyes to prevent herself from being blinded. The air was saturated with heat, and plants and trees around her began to wilt and wither under the intense sunlight being emitted from the princess.

“Sister, stop this! This is going too far!”

“Too far?!” Celestia laughed. “You stupid foal, I alone decide what is too far! I am the Queen of the Sun, the true ruler of Equestria! None surpass my authority and power, none! You are nothing but a pale imitation of my power, a fragile creature! The likes of you serve me best by groveling before my hooves!” The sun was now at its apex, and Luna was no longer able to gaze anywhere close to her sister due to the intense light. “No, not grovelling. You would better serve my kingdom best by being crushed beneath the hoof of your Queen!”

A solar wind, one that dwarfed any of her previous assaults, roared towards the planet below. Luna found her feet shaking, but forced herself to summon forth magic. Please...not like this...!

Luna...Luna of Equestria...

A voice? No...several voices, speaking in unison, echoed in her mind.

W-what...?
Do you wish to save this land, Luna?

Luna blinked, and realized that everything around her seemed to be frozen in time. The retreating ponies, the blowing grass, even Celestia herself. Who are you?
We are the Elements of Harmony, Luna. We wish to end this conflict as much as you do. Your sister has used our power in ways that go against what we symbolize. Therefore, we have decided to aid you in stopping her.
Luna frowned at the implications. “Will...she live?”

She has caused too much pain and suffering in this world, Luna. Even if it is not in your heart to end her, we must cleanse the pain and hatred she breeds in this world. She has brought forth too much imbalance, and there is no way to purge one that has become so corrupted without ending their life. We can heal injuries of the heart and mind, but when one becomes so tainted by their own desire for power...especially a power like that of the sun, it is hard to repair the wounds.

Luna bowed her head, looking to the unmoving blades of grass. “There is no other way?”

We are sorry, Luna. This is the only way. The preservation of this land, or the destruction of you and all of Equestria.
Luna felt tears sting her eyes, and she forced back the sobs that tried to escape. “I...understand.”

Slowly, the world came back to life. Luna looked up, her body feeling rejuvenated. She took in a deep breath and exhaled. She gazed at Celestia as best as she could through the blinding light. She tried to picture the smiling face of her elder sister, the warmth she seeme dto always radiate. Tears threatened to break free as she took in another breath.

“Goodbye, sister.”

Luna focused all her power and aimed her horn towards Celestia. The lump in her throat made breathing difficult as she felt moisture run down her cheeks.

“I love you...Celestia.”

A high pitched hum could be heard as a bright light surrounded Luna’s horn. Then, like water breaking free of a dam, a mighty blast of magic erupted from the tip of her horn. The alicorn slid back a few meters as she strained to keep her feet on the ground. The wave of midnight blue colored energy collided with Celestia’s solar wind and caused the ground to tremble upon impact. The blue wave of energy increased in power as a spectrum of colors began to appear around it.

Then it broke through, heading straight for Celestia.

“W-what??” Celestia’s eyes widened as her vision became flooded in a bright, iridescent blue light. “H-how did she-?!”

Luna was knocked to the ground as the sky lit up, an explosion of red and yellow flooding either side of the horizon. The panicked screams of ponies could be heard in the distance as Luna got up on shaky legs. She looked to the sky, watching as the massive explosion of magic dwindled down before vanishing.

Celestia was nowhere to be seen, nor could Luna sense her presence, not even a whisper of it.

For several moments the only sound heard was the echoing roar from the no longer existent explosion. Luna bowed her head, sorrow filling her heart.

“Celly...” Luna whispered hoarsely as tears flooded her vision. “I’m so sorry...”

Her mourning was cut short, though. The air around her began to heat up once more. She looked up to the sky and gasped as she watched the sun above her. It was...growing!

“Oh no!” Luna lifted off into the air and tried to sense what the problem was with the glowing ball of gas and flame. Was this because of Celestia’s absence?

The sun is trying to compensate for the loss of its caretaker, Luna.spoke the voices of the Elements of Harmony.

Luna bit her lower lip while studying the growing sphere of heat. “What do I do?”

Silence was her only answer.

“Elements, what must I do?!” She was at a loss, unsure of what could stop this calamity from getting worse. “Please, tell me! What must I do?!!”

Several more seconds passed, but no response came from the six elements. She cursed loudly before flying higher up. “Perhaps...I can try and reverse it? It can’t be too hard, I understand the sun enough from what Celestia taught me...” She closed her eyes and reached out with an invisible force, trying to get a hold of the celestial giant.

She let out a scream as she felt an intense heat wash over her. She forced an eye open, and grimaced as the sun seemed to grow brighter.

And brighter...and brighter...

“No...” Luna whispered. “I...will not fail them.” She bit her lower lip until it bled as she forced her magic to continue its work on taming the sun. She screamed as her body was being burned by the magical connection she was trying to force between the sun and herself, but she wouldn’t give up. Not when Equestria was relying on her.

The burning stopped suddenly. She opened her eyes, and looked to see the sun was still shining as bright as before, but it was shrinking now.

“What...did it work?”

Her question was met by the Sun erupting in a blinding display of light. Luna felt herself being pulled towards the glowing orb in the sky.

Closer, closer...faster and faster. The sky vanished, and blue gave way to black, and stars and space. The tugging sensation was impossible to fight now. Her body felt like it was being ripped apart from the sheer force being placed upon it.

Luna’s vision became a narrow tunnel as light stretched out before her. Looking ahead, she could see into infinity. The universe itself seemed to be moving slowly compared to her. The stars around her began to slow down, and then...

They began to move backwards, moving away from her. A powerful tug on her body that seemed to come from somewhere behind her now caused the alicorn to scream in pain as her vision went white.

Then, Luna vanished with a flicker of magic.

To be continued...