The Devil You Know

Chapters

Soliloquy
Passage
Declamation
Allocution
Exhortation
Invocation
Harangue
Tirade
Parlance
Utterance
Bombast
Confabulation
Epilogue: Eulogy

Soliloquy

Screams of terror filled the air as Daybreaker began her onslaught in the wee hours of the morning. Her arrival had been nothing short of mythical, the fiery aura around her body as she'd hovered in the air like an angel glowing as though she was the embodiment of the sun. The ponies within Canterlot had been completely unprepared for Daybreaker to emit a scream as though she was one of the legendary Valkyries, swoop down like a falcon, and begin killing those who were closest to her.

Her blade sang as it moved through the air, the death-song apparent as blood flew hither and yon with every stroke. The grin on Daybreaker's face was deeply terrifying as everypony ran for their lives, and those who were felled beneath her sword seemed to meet their end within moments while Daybreaker stepped on their corpses to move down the streets. It didn't seem like there was any rhyme or reason for this, no preference to those cut down by the broadsword to litter the cobblestones with their blood and guts.

There was only the battle, one-sided as it was while the fiery mare gleefully ended the lives of innocent ponies left and right.

While Daybreaker carried out her merry executions, Twilight Sparkle awoke suddenly within the castle itself. The thickness of the windowpanes had turned the cacophony outside to the faintest shrieks, but nonetheless the lavender alicorn panted while her pulse raced through her veins. Leaping out of bed, she landed and skidded a bit on the floor. Rushing to the doors leading out, there wasn't any hesitation as she bolted down the halls. Guards scurried back and forth as she passed them, but her focus wasn't on what the Royal Guard was doing. Right now she needed to find out just what was happening, and that meant heading for Princess Luna's chambers.

It took some time, but the frantic pony maneuvered the maze-like corridors with practiced ease. She'd just made it to the Great Hall when her hurried hoof-steps came to a complete stop. With the floor-to-ceiling windows, Twilight Sparkle could see outside to the city below. The absolute carnage that greeted her visage froze her to the spot, shock and horror stilling her breath and making her heart rate kick up several more notches.

Canterlot burned, smoke roiling like a midnight flood past the castle itself while Twilight Sparkle tried to process what she was seeing. Guards shouted orders, but she was deaf to it all while her violet irises absorbed the scene before her. She couldn't see an immediate source to this, but after what seemed like an age her body could finally move again. Twilight all but fled the Hall, galloping through the next set of hallways in search of Princess Luna's personal chambers.

Left, right, left again, straight, round the curve, dodge this, dodge that, spin around this guard, and--Twilight Sparkle splayed all four legs trying to brake her momentum to avoid colliding into her goal. Her muzzle stopped just shy of the door, and she actually needed to back up to raise a hoof and knock. Once, twice, thrice, Twilight tried to avoid sounding too desperate though the speed at which she'd all but hammered the wood probably gave that away.

"Enter," came a faint voice from within, and Twilight Sparkle burst inside.

Daybreaker was grinning wildly as she turned with the careless grace of somepony who didn't expect any resistance. Three more felled beneath her sword, their lifeblood splashing against her armor while she twisted away. The scent of offal filled her nostrils, no doubt due to the meat fouled by the waste spilling forth from the intestines pooling in crimson puddles to stain the stone beneath.

The screams and groans were a symphony to her snowy ears, the shrieks of terror a counterpoint to the overall music of violence and death Daybreaker was orchestrating this night. Satisfied with the chaos she'd caused, Daybreaker took to casually walking about the streets, occasionally swatting with her blade at those who tried running past her. Word was already spreading of The Devil in Canterlot, which pleased the fiery alicorn immensely. Such a befitting title, she mused while cutting down a filly that was in her way.

Her squeal of fear was interrupted when her throat was cut, and she was reduced to foamy gurgles as she sank to the ground, dead before her skull touched the street. The filly was already forgotten in Daybreaker's mind as she moved her way down to the plaza while buildings burned around her. The wails of grief behind her went unnoticed, though with a flick of her flaming tail she set a nearby cart ablaze that drowned out the noise.

Once Daybreaker reached the plaza, she settled herself against the fountain while admiring the way the buildings seemed to spread the fires in a way far more quickly than she'd initially imagined. Nopony dared to approach her now, not with the heap of corpses that served as a reminder to stay out of range of her sword. Draping her limbs in a way to lie against the cool stone comfortably, Daybreaker's brilliant orange and gold eyes surveyed the landscape before her.

Yes, this is a fine way to begin my rule here, she thought to herself. Everypony knows of my might, and I'm only just getting started. The interlude against the fountain was mostly for show since Daybreaker was barely out of breath, but it also meant she could rinse the blood and guts from her fur and armor to be presentable once the enemy came. In fact she began to do just that, lazily dipping a hoof into the water and sliding it across her body to wash the crimson blemishes off.

There was care in these motions, deliberately slow and careful to ensure that she gleamed snowy white within her golden armor. An earth pony tried to sneak up on Daybreaker to see if he could get the drop on her, but with a flick of her tail, the flaming fibers set the young stallion alight before she'd turned her head to assess the situation. He screamed, lunging towards the water to try and put himself out.

Daybreaker's horn glowed amber as she lifted her sword with her magic, then plunged it through the earth pony's spine and impaled him. He died quietly, and once she was sure the corpse was simply a natural torch, used her magic to lift the blade free of the fur; then swung it rapidly in a few circles to flick the gore from it. Once that was done, Daybreaker floated the sword back to rest at her side, tipping her face up to grin at the castle. This was going to be fun.

Passage

Twilight Sparkle had been prepared to ask a million questions when she burst inside Princess Luna's chambers, two million even. What was going on, who was behind it, have the guards gone out, what's the casualty number, so on and so forth. Instead, what came from her mouth was nothing but silence as Twilight realized that Princess Luna was out on her balcony. The smoke rolling by almost seemed like an inky ocean, the smell choking with things she didn't want to consider the possibility of.

Eyes watering, she ventured forth carefully and paused a few feet from Princess Luna. With her back to Twilight, it was impossible to discern Luna's current mood aside from the stiffness of her legs and the quivering muscles jumping beneath her flank. "Good morning, Twilight," Princess Luna said quietly. "Though it is most certainly not actually a good morning."

"Morning, Princess," Twilight replied, inching closer to the taller mare. "Do you happen to know what's going on?"

Silence reigned for several moments.

"I have an idea," Luna said finally, turning to face the young alicorn before moving past her and back indoors. Twilight Sparkle was hot on her hooves, and absently Princess Luna used her magic to close the balcony doors then cleared the smoke out of the room. Moving over to a nearby settee, she gracefully sat down upon it, then swiveled a hoof to indicate that Twilight should sit as well.

Her eyes were huge as she waited for Luna to tell her what the idea was. Princess Luna didn't seem to be in any hurry to tell her though, floating over a teacup and saucer for them both before filling them with a fresh pot of tea. Milk and sugar were added by taste, and then the brew was artfully stirred and sipped daintily. Twilight Sparkle was dying to know by now, but manners meant she had to wait. For all she knew, the princess was using this ritual to compose her thoughts before beginning. She would also be correct.

"I believe this to be the work of one of our great enemies," Princess Luna began after what felt like the longest interlude of Twilight Sparkle's life. "King Sombra, Queen Chrysalis, Lord Tirek, or perhaps The Storm King." Pausing to drink some of the tea, her expression was thoughtful as she regarded Twilight Sparkle. Twilight's eyes were about as big as the saucer held afloat by her raspberry magic while she absorbed this information.

"...So, you think it could be one of those four?" Twilight asked slowly, trying to make sure she had heard the princess correctly.

"Yes," Luna replied, the word spoken somewhat softly before she took another drink. "Since this attack was sudden, with no prior arrival or announcement, it makes sense that it could be one of them."

"I see," Twilight said, not entirely seeing but she was grasping the idea. It made sense, from a logical perspective. The kingdom had been mostly peaceful as of late, so a surprise incursion felt like it had to be one of their greater foes. It certainly couldn't be someone who hadn't thought this through carefully, knowing to strike when they'd been sleeping and therefore at their most vulnerable.

As she drank deeply of the rather delicious tea, Twilight's thoughts drifted inward as she tried to analyze the situation. In the past their great foes had struck hard, aiming for Equestria for reasons that invariably led to conquering the kingdom, it was a powerful nation and a jewel to any monarch's crown. While she considered the various motivations of the villains Princess Luna had named, Twilight couldn't help but think that none of them quite fit.

Sure, they were all capable of something like this, but by now a declaration or at the very least a summons would have been sent to the castle. An expectation of surrender, the prequel to a fight. Unless a guard burst through the doors at that very moment with the document suggesting that very thing, she was almost certain it wasn't--

Her thoughts were interrupted by a guard bursting into the room. Twilight nearly dropped her teacup in surprise, while Princess Luna calmly glanced in his direction as he skidded to a stop some feet away and dropped into a breathless bow. She waited for the poor stallion to catch his breath, knowing that he was about to inform both mares of something incredibly important in the wake of abandoning protocol.

"Your Majesty!" The stallion began, clearly struggling with his words. "The.. the enemy has been located!"

Twilight wanted to reach into his mouth and drag the words out across his tongue, but she had to be patient. This was critical, and their next steps depended entirely on what he was about to say to them both.

"In the plaza, in the center of town near the fountain! A great, flaming horse is there, surrounded by the corpses of those who were unable to avoid their wrath!"

Princess Luna slowly put her teacup and saucer on a low table, giving the guard her full attention. Her gaze was intense, face hard like the steel that lurked beneath her fur. "How many dead?" She asked, the words steady though the tone was terrifying.

"We don't know yet, every time any of us gets close the terrible blade wielded by the horse slices through the air with magic and cuts down anypony who gets too close," the guard explained, eyes welling with unshed tears. "Their skill is beyond ours, though it is a sole being, they have completely overwhelmed our forces. Their violence knows no bounds, young and old alike have been struck down in a bloody path to where they rest now."

Twilight Sparkle's jaw dropped, and she looked visibly horrified. Princess Luna was pale, but her composure held. "I see," she replied quietly. "Have ye been able to make any headway on protecting those from approaching the fountain?"

"No, your Majesty," the guard replied solemnly. "We had to retreat for the time being, to escape the laughs as our friends and loved ones were struck down as though they were nothing more than a mere irritant." He paused in his report, rubbing his eyes with a hoof as he choked up. It was difficult for him to relay the information, but his princess needed to know everything that they did.

When he spoke, both princesses slowly got to their feet. Anger burned through them like fire flashing along oil, quick and hot with a dulling to the logic portion of their senses.

Daybreaker chuckled as another foolish pony met their end, impaled on her sword and lit on fire like a macabre marshmallow. They had been trying to sneak past the fountain behind her, doing what she didn't know but she'd seen them in her peripheral vision when she'd shifted slightly. The sword had sliced through the air, abruptly spilling lifeblood onto the cobblestone like emptying a water skin. It was delightful entertainment, their screams a symphony to her ears.

She waited patiently for her true prey to get word of her arrival, since she had plenty to occupy her in the meantime. This was like a game of chess, not to be rushed while moves on both sides were calculated. Daybreaker was simply confident she was going to win, though the game had only just gotten started.

Declamation

Princess Luna had more control than Twilight Sparkle did, so while she was moving swiftly throughout the castle, her movements were poised and confident. Anger hardened her eyes, her muscles were taut with the desire to charge into battle and bring her enemy to ruin. Twilight Sparkle was all but running ahead of her, hooves ringing out against the floors while she raced towards the main hall itself.

Chaos ruled in more than one area of the castle, guards scurrying to and fro while trying to just get a better handle on the situation at hand. The princess and her lavender shadow moved nearly as one against the armored tide flowing against them, until they could make it to the main hall and the thrones within. Luna ascended the dais, every inch the Equestrian Princess that had been her birthright. Twilight Sparkle hovered near the first stair leading upwards, all but vibrating with her own imminent rage.

When the guards realized they were no longer alone, they quit running about pell-mell and turned to face the lunar deity. Faces upturned to look at their leader, there was a definite sense of mingled fear and hope amongst those who had sworn the solemn duty to protect the kingdom from whatever evil might come to their doorstep. Even though Twilight was angry, she sympathized with those who seemed more nervous than brave. They were merely ponies, and they truly had no idea what they were up against.

Princess Luna took a moment to quietly clear her throat, the gesture almost unneeded since the hall had fallen silent at their arrival anyways. Her fierce gaze took in the soldiers that waited for her decision, knowing in this moment the enemy had the upper hand. The first move in response would need to be strategic, anything less would simply mean sending these ponies to their deaths needlessly.

"Lieutenant," she said finally, the moments having stretched to eternities when in reality it was only minutes.

"General," replied a voice from the armored throng.

"Have any aerial troops managed to get us a view since this attack started?" Luna's question was succinct, keeping it to the point instead of anything broader.

"One, the rest died rather violently," the Lieutenant replied. His voice seemed to have an undercurrent of shakiness to it as he spoke, but the response was as simple as the question.

"Where is the survivor?" Luna inquired then, her words slightly softer, but the steel underlying those words brooked in no uncertain terms that she was biting down her anger.

"I'm.... I'm here, Princess," said a much more timid voice, near the back of the room. Ponies shifted apart to form a pathway to the dais, and a heavily bandaged pony with one visible eye and a crutch under one leg limped forward. Twilight felt the blood drain from her face as this soldier drew closer, noting one of this wings was missing some of the feathers while the other appeared to have been blackened with soot.

Luna remained stoic, but her own horror slithered up her spine upon seeing the sorry state of the little pegasus who'd managed to return to the castle alive though not unharmed. She gestured for him to continue, and the soldier visibly took a deep breath before beginning his report. The ones nearby appeared to be silently lending support and courage, though his fighting days were clearly done until he could heal up in the infirmary.

"I... I was flying about, trying to make sense of the smoke when I managed to pass over the main plaza," he began. "There, sitting on the fountain, was a great flaming pony. They seemed to take great delight in burning or cutting down whoever got near enough, and when I'd turned to fly away I accidentally dropped my sword." He grimaced, but Luna gestured for him to keep speaking. Her eyes were sympathetic.

"When it fell and clanged against the stones, the pony looked up and saw me. A voice called out to me in sweet tones, like that of a mare. I flew closer. I shouldn't have flown closer. I shouldn't have. I shouldn't--" As the pegasus broke down into sobs, the closest of his allies draped a foreleg across his back and murmured encouragement to him.

"She--she said horrible things to me, then she used her fire to burn me out of the sky," he continued, tears falling freely from his limpid eyes. "Crashing into the ground, I somehow barely avoided her sword when it swung at me. I don't know how I made it, the others were burned and impaled when they came to help." Once again, the pony was too distressed to continue while others came close to soothe and encourage him.

"When the captain flew at her in my defense, I grabbed my sword and flung it at her." A great, hiccuping cough interrupted him, then he resumed. "It was knocked away by her blade, then she used it and her own steel to disembowel the captain in front of me." The pegasus shuddered. "As his guts spilled forth, he told me to run. To my shame, I did." With that the poor little pony broke down completely, his sobs overwhelming in the silence that followed.

Princess Luna and Twilight Sparkle were both stunned. This was an enemy they'd never heard of before, or at least... Twilight gave a little gasp as an idea of who it might be occurred to her. "Princess," she said suddenly, startling the other mare. Luna looked down at her, both eyebrows raised. "Can I go to the library and do some research? I think I know who it is."

Luna nodded her approval, and just like that Twilight Sparkle hurried out of the room in the direction of the library. She had a feeling that somewhere among all the books and scrolls lie the answer to their dilemma, at least in identifying the threat to Equestria. From there she would then have to figure out a way to discover weaknesses, a way for them to win without being overrun, conquered, or wiped out completely.

Twilight's hooves all but sparked against the tiles of the floor as she galloped as fast as she could, hoping beyond hope that her hunch was right. She needed to be right, because otherwise this was going to eat up precious time they didn't have before the enemy had obliterated their defenses and did who only knew what else to them for their own amusement.

Daybreaker was thoroughly entertained by her own antics, having discovered by chaining up corpses with her sword and her magic she could get her victims to make musical noises, and she was composing her own violent little songs to pass the time. She was in no hurry, having taken down the aerial platoon sent no doubt to scout her location and try to take her out that the castle was going to be responding soon.

This was what she was hoping for, of course. A proper battle instead of these useless little upstarts trying and failing to get her attention beyond amusement or irritance. Either way, Daybreaker knew that the castle was likely weighing their options before responding with all the respect she deserved so was content to wait. Shifting slightly on the fountain edge, she trailed her tail within the cool waters behind her in lazy repose.

Her sword rested within a pool of crimson, the sounds around her mostly quiet aside from the roar of the flames consuming buildings and faint screams of fear. Daybreaker had decided a rest was her best option, so when a few ponies darted past her spot she let them pass unmolested. They seemed to be more afraid that she did nothing more than track their motion with her head, a fiery statue that lived and breathed carnage.

Soon enough, the real fun was going to come, and she needed to be ready. Daybreaker lowered her head to her hooves, closing her eyes to take a nap. While the sword lay silently, should any danger be detected the song of death and rage would fill the air while she took her prey.

Allocution

Twilight Sparkle burst into the Royal Canterlot Library, panting heavily as she skidded to a stop. It wouldn't do to damage any of the priceless volumes in her quest for knowledge, so she allowed herself time to slow her pulse and relax before moving purposefully into the aisles. Eyes narrowed, she focused her attention to books that would lead her on the path to discovery as to who this threat is, as well as how to defeat them.

Knowing that the modern tomes wouldn't be helpful to her in this regard based on a hunch in her gut, Twilight Sparkle instead tried perusing volumes that spoke more of the past. Grabbing a stack from various shelves, she sat down at a nearby table and began to read. Magic lights in the library enabled her to see the words on the pages when it otherwise would have been too dark to see from the ambient light because of the all the smoke in the air.

Hours passed in this manner, with the stack of discarded books growing to epic proportions while a steadily frustrated Twilight Sparkle kept trying with older and older editions. Finally, in desperation she grabbed an ancient looking book that covered her in dust when she yanked it off of the shelf it sat on, half hidden in shadow behind a few forgotten volumes about the Sweet Apple Acres farm. Sneezing, Twilight sat down and carefully opened the book with her magic since it seemed like her hooves would crumble the paperback into pieces.

At first, it seemed like an ordinary history detailing the battle between Celestia and Luna when the latter of the two princesses had been banished to the moon, but looking closer Twilight realized there was more to this story. In her mind's eye she saw the battle, but the words on the page spoke of something else that had happened as Celestia declared victory over her sister. A birth of something else, a creature within Tia's mind that seemed to have its own thoughts and actions.

Celestia had fought long and hard to win control over this being that resided within her soul, but there were weaknesses to the blockades within her mind. Weaknesses that over time would be eroded, and the caged monster within could use that as an opportunity to break out. Twilight carefully turned the pages, eyes huge with mingled fascination and horror. This being had over time come to name itself, but only Luna knew the identity of the creature that seemed to be a darker image of the royal princess who's job it had been to raise and lower the sun.

What if.... that was what was attacking Equestria? Who would know better the battle strategies of the kingdom, the fastest ways to bring the nation to their knees than their own ruler? Twilight sat back in her chair, thunderstruck. If Celestia was now their enemy, what chance did they stand to stop her? Was that why so many guards had lost their lives? Did they recognize their solar diarch and hesitate? Hundreds of questions tumbled in Twilight Sparkle's mind, unable to be answered.

After several moments sitting there, Twilight burst forward and flicked rapidly through the pages, searching for a way that this creature who lived within the beloved princess could be stopped. Faster and faster she moved through the little book, her expression falling. Nothing. There was nothing here. No way to stop--Wait. Twilight Sparkle narrowed her eyes, trying to decipher the blurred manuscript. Something was here. Something that suggested a way to stop the evil within.

The lavender unicorn could only see what looked like one word, and the meaning of it was lost to her. Closing the book with a snap of her raspberry magic, she floated it back to the shelf it sat on before standing. The word was burned into her mind, but it was shoved to the back while she took a breath and steeled herself for her report to Princess Luna. Just what was Pōwehi anyways?

Princess Luna hesitated before a map of the city. The fires were slowly becoming contained, but a lot had already burned. Figurines marked all the spots that had been reduced to ash, and smaller ones depicted the piles of bodies in the wake of the enemy leaving a trail of carnage in their path. Others still marked the overall pattern, trying to make sense of the sudden chaos that had struck in the night, and lingered on into the blossoming dawn.

Her cyan eyes were full of worry as she realized that in just a relatively short time, this fearsome foe had nearly crippled them and all but decimated the heart of the populace. This was definitely a problem. The Lunar Princess was struggling to come up with a plan of attack, let alone one for defense. She tried sending out a few scouts, most had refused outright in the aftermath of the others being gleefully murdered for no apparent reason.

The ones that had been willing to go out, reported the oddest thing: the enemy was sleeping. Luna also struggled to wrap her mind around that. How could you cause so much damage, so much chaos, and then just go to sleep?! It was maddening to even try and consider, so she decided not to. Thankfully the scouts had been much too afraid to approach the sleeping beast, but they'd also confirmed something else. The enemy was in fact a pony. Which meant every foe save for Cozy Glow or Tempest Shadow was right out in terms of identity.

Luna had almost thought that it might have been Queen Chrysalis, but the scouts confirmed that there were no changeling markings or coloring. Flames aside, they were pretty sure the pony that was sleeping on the fountain had a white coat since it gleamed within the fire coating her very being. Even the wings were the color of freshly fallen snow, though they seemed to be topped in a form of armor. The metal had gleamed reddish gold in the light, so the scouts weren't sure if that was the true color, or just the way it seemed to appear because of the fire.

A part of Luna briefly wondered, but swiftly brushed those thoughts aside. There was just no way. She was ruminating over the map again, trying to decide how to best combat their equine enemy when Twilight Sparkle came galloping into the room again, skidding to a stop amidst a shower of sparks while panting for dear life. Princess Luna looked up, surprised.

"I know who it is!" Twilight cried out, breathing heavily. "I know who's destroying the city and everyone within!"

Exhortation

Princess Luna, had she been lesser trained, would have stormed over to Twilight Sparkle right then and there, shaking her until the words tumbled forth from her mouth. What had she found? Who was it? Instead, she waited for the lavender unicorn to catch enough of her breath to resume speaking. There was a virtue in patience, even if at this moment she found herself surprisingly impatient at waiting to hear what Twilight had found whilst researching within the library.

Just when the azure mare thought she was going to have to actually shake her companion, Twilight blurted out, "It's a pony that only you know the name of!"

Luna was thunderstruck. "The book said the creature lives within Princess Celestia, and the only pony in Equestria who knows the name is you!" Twilight continued, her eyes wide as she stared up at the Lunar Princess. Princess Luna's reaction was to slowly sit herself down, looking like she might faint.

"Oh no, nooo no no no no no no," Princess Luna said softly, the words coming out in a moan. "Not this. Anything but this."

"Princess?" Twilight asked, creeping closer.

"It's... Daybreaker," Luna explained, the word all but whispered in fear. "The only pony I have ever truly feared above all others, who may very well bring about an end to this world."

"Who is Daybreaker?" Twilight pressed, her words pleading for the story behind the name, both in a quest for knowledge and in supplication to the troops so that they would know best how to fight.

Luna sighed, realizing she would have to be quick about it. "Daybreaker is the darker half of Celestia, as Nightmare Moon is the darker half of me. She is a formidable creature, and a foe beyond our reckoning."

Twilight Sparkle ruminated over this for a few minutes. "Okay, so how do we stop her?" She asked, which only earned her a look of sorrow in return.

"We don't."

"What do you mean?" Twilight demanded, nearly shoving herself into Princess Luna's face. "There has to be a way!"

Luna shook her head slowly. "I have never heard of a way to defeat her, but then again none of us have ever had to actually battle this creature," she said slowly. "So, to my knowledge Twilight, there is no way to stop Daybreaker from destroying Canterlot and Equestria itself."

Twilight frowned at this, then sat down on her rump. "What about... Nightmare Moon?" She asked after a few moments, hope written all over her face. She was grasping at straws, surely, but some kind of plan was better than none at all.

"I beg your pardon?" Luna replied, ears swiveling back and forth in confusion while her nostrils flared in a deep breath.

"Nightmare Moon. She's incredibly strong too, and it took the Elements of Harmony to defeat her with the rainbow friendship laser and bring you back to us, Princess," Twilight said, standing again. "You could bring her forth again, let her fight Daybreaker and bring her to heel."

Princess Luna opened her mouth to object, but closed it again as she thought it over. "How do you intend to defeat Nightmare Moon?" She prompted, hoping that this wild, hare-brained idea of Twilight Sparkle's had been actually thought through and not just blurted forth as inspiration had struck her.

The question only deterred Twilight for a moment, her violet eyes narrowing thoughtfully as she considered. "What do you mean?" She countered, though it was clear the gears were turning within her mind.

"If Daybreaker can be defeated by Nightmare Moon, then how do you intend to bring my darker self down again?" Luna pressed, her own eyes stern with the inquiry. "The Elements of Harmony again? What if the others didn't survive?"

Twilight Sparkle sucked in a breath, but she wasn't about to back down from the closest idea of a plan they had that didn't involve sending any more soldiers to their death from the fiery pony who'd so far been wiping the floor with them. "I'll find a way," she said firmly, while a thought tickled the back of her mind.

Princess Luna stared at her wordlessly for several moments, the silence seeming to stretch into infinities before finally she merely nodded. "Very well," she said softly. "I warn you, she is much angrier than before, and likely won't listen to any commands you try to give her."

Twilight simply nodded in return, remaining on her hooves.

With a sigh, Princess Luna went over to the troops that were lingering near the map, studying it carefully in the hopes that by burning the routes into her mind, her other self would remember them. It was not going to be easy to give in to the darkness, especially when it didn't want to give up and return to the light. Either way, it seemed like this was their best shot. Luna didn't want to think about what would happen should she fail to bring her sister down, so she shoved those thoughts away. They would do whatever it took to stop Daybreaker, even if it meant she had to regress.

A simple nod to the soldiers, who hurried out of the room. Shaking out her mane, she sensed Twilight moving behind her. "My dear, you don't want to get too close to this," she warned, and heard the young unicorn step away again. Princess Luna then closed her eyes, looking within herself to where the darkness lingered in her soul. She knew that her own monster had been locked away after the initial defeat, so once she found the cage she simply undid the locks, waiting for her other self to step outside and take control.

Princess Luna took a shaky breath, then the air chilled around her as the Nightmare came forward to occupy the body and mind. Her azure body deepened to black, her mane and tail becoming a brilliant, sparkly blue full of stars, and armor covered her head, chest, and legs. The change was as rapid as it was thorough, and the slow inhale followed by a little chuckle filled the quiet hall.

"Ahh... So good to be out in the world again," purred the distinctive voice of Nightmare Moon. "Time to go and see what my competition has gotten up to in the town square." She gave no indication of being aware of Twilight Sparkle's presence, and the little mare wasn't about to press her luck.

Waiting, perfectly still, she hoped that her old nemesis was willing to go and seek out Daybreaker instead of hanging around the castle and perhaps raze it to the ground. So far, so good. Mentally crossing her hooves, Twilight Sparkle remained a living statue so that Nightmare Moon would remain focused on the hastily arranged plan. It appeared to be working, so everything was coming up roses.

Nightmare Moon chuckled again, moving towards the doors leading outside. Her hooves rang out confidently against the floor tile, her gait the predatory glide of a panther on the hunt. The air seemed to shimmer around her, magic gathering for the battle that was surely to come. She was hungry for blood, and it seemed like this Daybreaker was as well. A most interesting turn of events since her banishment. Perhaps she would taste Daybreaker's life force at the end of it.

And then, then she would of course turn her sights onto once again destroying the Elements of Harmony and ruling Equestria in an eternal night.

Invocation

Daybreaker awoke lazily, like a leopard sunning itself after a hunt. She had been having the most fun, and the nap had also helped to pass the time. Blinking to alertness again, she lifted her head and looked around. It took a few moments, but she didn't see anything that looked that different. Some of the fires had spread, others had died down.

Apparently while she'd been resting, not a lot had been happening. Disappointing. Glancing up to the castle, Daybreaker sighed as she'd hoped that the royals within would have sent somebody to challenge her by now. Something much better than feeble little ponies who were no better than offal beneath her hoof. Not even close to an effort to kill and dismember.

Settling herself against the fountain again, she sighed a bit while resigning to wait a little longer. Daybreaker was confident that eventually someone would come, to alleviate her boredom despite the joy she'd been having earlier. This time she kept her head up, alert though no ponies darted across her plaza now. They had learned, and quickly. It was a surprise to her then, when she heard the gentle sound of wing beats.

Nightmare Moon landed without any of her usual fanfare, splashing in a pool of blood and kicking up a few stray sparks. Looking about, she had a pensive expression on her face before turning to the burning mare resting on the edge of the fountain. Her expression shifted to curiosity, and a grin slid across her face. "You must be Daybreaker," she said without any preamble.

"And you are?" Daybreaker replied, speaking with a mixture of humor and derision. She made no attempt to get up from where she was, but at the same time her sword didn't lift into the air either. Nightmare Moon took the response in stride, after all this wasn't someone she'd encountered before and it was obvious this was not someone she could just browbeat into submission.

"Nightmare Moon," she purred, gliding closer to her alabaster counterpart. "I was once the being who wanted to rule Equestria in an eternal night, banished to the moon for a thousand years." She gave Daybreaker a wink, her armor gleaming in the light as she moved.

"I see," Daybreaker said, following the ebony mare with her head. Tracking, like a hunter does to another hunter. Or perhaps like a hunter does to prey. "I am impressed."

Nightmare Moon gave a little laugh, tossing her head. "I assumed as much," she responded, the words flippant. "You are the only one to truly come up to my standards when it comes to bringing a kingdom to it's knees." She moved slowly, easily, not yet pacing but she did keep going back and forth. Remaining in front of the other mare.

Daybreaker gave a little bow of her head, chuckling. "Good to know I can bring such emotions out of the common rabble," she said, amusement radiating from every inch of her.

"My dear sweet little Daybreaker," Nightmare Moon began. "You will find that I am not part of the common rabble, nor that I am someone who can be so easily beaten."

A brow raised on Daybreaker's face. "Excuse me?" She said.

Nightmare Moon scoffed. "You heard me," she shot back. "I know you have ears and you're not deaf."

Daybreaker scowled at her mirror image, dark against light.

"I know that all you want to do is beat me, but darling I can't be put down as easily as the smaller, younger ponies," Nightmare Moon continued. The smug confidence poured from her, an aura that put a sour taste in Daybreaker's mouth.

Slowly, gracefully, Daybreaker got to her feet and stood up from the fountain. Her face had twisted from humor into anger, all but bristling before Nightmare Moon. "I am the one who will rule this kingdom in blood, not you," she hissed, all traces of laughter vanished.

"Bring it on," Nightmare Moon replied, and flapped out her wings to take flight. Daybreaker responded by opening her own wings, and they took to the sky to begin their battle.

Twilight Sparkle had stayed behind when Nightmare Moon had left, hoping beyond hope that the ebony mare would stay on the trail of fighting Daybreaker. In the immediate silence of her departure, she had breathed out a sight of relief and sank down onto her rump. That had been way too intense for her, but thankfully it had been out of sight, out of mind. A little miracle.

She'd told the soldiers to stand down, to retreat from the outside of the castle and return indoors. They had been more than happy to oblige, grateful that they were now being taken out of harm's way. With that done, she wasn't sure what else to do from this end. Princess Luna hadn't given her any orders before shifting.

Puffing out a sigh, Twilight Sparkle decided to move to a different location within the castle. Perhaps it was best if she just held down the fort for now, waiting until later. Then again, she could do more research. Moving in that direction, she'd only shifted a few steps before remembering. Princess Luna had mentioned that there was no known way to defeat Daybreaker, so right now Nightmare Moon was their best shot.

Another sigh, while Twilight tried to think things through. With Nightmare Moon hopefully out there taking on Daybreaker and the Equestrian army back behind the walls of the castle, for now there really wasn't anything to do. Research had brought her Daybreaker's identity, so maybe there was something else within the library that could help. Turning back in the general direction of the library, Twilight Sparkle tried to rack her brains and come up with something. Anything.

Then it dawned on her, the phrase she'd read before. Of course! She could research that and see how that could help them. Twilight Sparkle then took off at a restrained trot, heading back to the books. The pages of the tomes had long since guided her, never letting her down. Feeling inspiration and hope swelling within her, she hurried to do what she did best.

Something deep inside Twilight Sparkle said this was the right path to take after convincing Princess Luna to shift to Nightmare Moon in the hopes that her righteous fury would take her straight to Daybreaker and not distract her with anything else. Now, she just had to figure out the other thing and perhaps it would all work out in the end. Take down the villain, without sacrificing the hero. Should be pretty easy, right?

Just had to hope that she hadn't made a monumental mistake.

Harangue

Powerful wing beats sheared the wind, as light and darkness ascended above the city. It was a mutual understanding that they would fight where there would be minimal collateral damage, since the fires had done enough. Once they were high enough in the sky, the shifting smoke lay like a heavy pall beneath their hooves. From here it was more of a mild irritant when the smoke blew into their eyes, and not the choking hazard it was below.

Sunshine brought light to the kingdom of Equestria and the city of Canterlot, but you wouldn't know that at ground level because of the pall that stung the eyes and burned the nose. It glinted from the armor of the dual mares, shimmered on the distant waters, and brought heat to the wood and stone of the houses and stores. Daylight was an advantage to one, and a disadvantage to the other. It seemed as though both Daybreaker and Nightmare Moon were aware of this fact, sizing up the other before deciding on their first move.

Both knew that battles were often decided as soon as the first move was made, so each calculated carefully. Moves and countermoves blazed in their minds, a mental game of chess playing out before deciding to act them out for real. In their thoughts words were thrust and riposted, parried and blocked with ease. Action, reaction, advantage, disadvantage, opportunity, kneel kick lunge spin -- all of this happening at the speed of imagination.

Therefore, when one of the pair finally moved, it was not one that was expected. "You and I both know that you will lose, Daybreaker," Nightmare Moon said, breaking several minutes of silence at last. Daybreaker responded with a scoff and a toss of her head, every inch as proud as her mirror image. "I will beat you down, and you will bow before me on the Equestrian throne as I rule this kingdom in eternal night."

"Fat chance," Daybreaker replied, her horn glowing the amber of freshly stoked fire as she readied her magic. "It is you who will bow before me, as I claim my birthright in the blood of the fools who stand in my way and take my place as the Eternal Sun." Nightmare Moon had no time to verbally parry, as Daybreaker fired off a bolt of flame at the midnight alicorn. She'd hoped for a direct hit to start off this battle, but maddeningly the egotistical maniac stepped out of the way as smoothly as if they were on the ground instead of in the sky.

Nightmare Moon grinned at the alabaster mare, giggling in her realization that the first shot had missed. "All that effort, and you couldn't even hit me on the broadside. Were you born in a barn?" She taunted, flaring her wings before charging her horn with her own obsidian spell.

Daybreaker growled, firing a spinning halo of fire to counter the pure void of black being shot at her face. "Did you buy your gear in the latest trend at Hoof Tropic?" She countered, cackling with the insult. She was rewarded with a sound of pure fury, and Nightmare Moon chose to rush at her, using her body as the weapon instead of her magic. Daybreaker chortled, absorbing the blow and spinning in the air. Following it with a flung out hind leg, Daybreaker turned the motion into a windmill kick and landed home.

Nightmare Moon grunted in pain, but her helmet kept it from being too nasty of an impact to her face. "I mean come on, we get it Nightmare Moon. You're so black and sad all the time. Really, I'd think you're the best customer at Hoof Tropic with all the dye and glitter to look like the latest disco ball." Daybreaker's words dripped with condescension. "Do you get a rewards program from buying up all their stock? Or is it just a photo and a sticker to show the world how scary you are?"

The reply was Nightmare Moon firing several inky balls of magic, landing a few of the shots in the process due to their close proximity. "Tell me, does that hurt more than your childish insults best left on the playground?" She challenged, grinning at the other alicorn. "Because if that's the best you can come up with, then I think I can beat you easily."

Daybreaker huffed, backing away with a few flaps of her wings to create distance between them once again. "You underestimate me, sister," she sneered. "I will end you and take up the mantle of The Living Star, Solar Empress and Unconquered Sun."

"You and what army?" Nightmare Moon replied, charging her horn and firing a huge bolt of obsidian magic at the boasting mare who had just left herself wide open in the process.

"I don't need an army to conquer Equestria," Daybreaker countered, opening her mouth and breathing fire as easily as if she were a dragon to stop the shadows that rushed towards her body. "I can bring you, and the other ponies to their knees by myself."

Twilight Sparkle let out a heavy sigh as she rested among the books that were scattered on the table. Her previous research had been frenzied, this was much closer to a snail's pace and she hadn't been able to find any more information. So far it seemed that the word she'd encountered by chance had been the only mention of something that could very well be the key for deciding the battle that would determine the fate of Equestria's future, but there had to be other things. Some other way that Daybreaker could be brought down, and bring Princess Luna back into control.

She kept trying, searching the older tomes since that had gotten her pay dirt the last time. If she didn't love books so much, she might end up going cross-eyed with a headache from reading so much in a short amount of time. Either way, Twilight knew she had to keep examining to find any clue that might help her and the rest of the kingdom. The fate of everypony hung in the balance with the fight currently going on outside, and they needed whatever edge they could get.

Finally, she stumbled across something just when she was beginning to think there was no hope after all, and they would be stuck with either Nightmare Moon if she couldn't be persuaded to let Princess Luna back into the foray, or Daybreaker and her bloodthirsty rule. Twilight Sparkle huddled close to the book, slowly translating the words from an older ponaic language to their current, more modern tongue.

It took a little while, but eventually Twilight puzzled out the words before her in the little manuscript. From what she could guess, it was a ritual to summon somepony or something. Peering closer, her muzzle all but touched the page that held the words in an apparent chant.

Fire, Water, Mountain, Air
Sunrise, Moonlight, Balanced Fair
Mother Earth, Father Sky
Open The Heavens Completely Wide
I Call To Thee, Oh Ancient One
Come To Me, Make Them See
You will Show Them
Harmony

Seemed simple enough, all she'd have to do is say these words until whoever it called for actually showed up. Of course, the real question aside from who would come, is if they would be an Ally or an enemy. Despite pouring over the little book until it was in danger of falling apart within her hooves, Twilight Sparkle was unable to find an answer to that question. It looked as though no one had ever actually completed the ritual and called them forth, so there was no way to know if they would help or hinder.

Twilight Sparkle was hopeful though, since the chant included the word harmony. That had to mean that they would be a good guy, right? She'd just have to hope it would be enough before the twin alicorns destroyed everything that she called home. Sucking in a breath, Twilight shut the book having committed the chant to memory. The odds were good she was going to need it, and so she carefully returned the tomes to their spots on the shelves before leaving the library and going outside. She was going to need a good vantage point for the summoning, and it was better to go now with the fight keeping attention away from her.

Please, let this work, she prayed as she maneuvered her way out of the castle and into the city. This just has to, or she'd just made a colossal mistake by letting Nightmare Moon fight Daybreaker. Then she'd have no other choice than to go through with the summoning, and leave all of their futures to the chance that this ancient one would show up and bring harmony to the kingdom once again.

Tirade

Buildings crackled and fell under the onslaught of wind and magic from the battling sisters. Words were forgotten as they both opted for sheer might, flying at each other with a speed that seemed to defy logic and created shattering waves of sound that boomed below. Horns and hooves were flying while they both seemed keen to beat the other down, physically and mentally. Only their armor provided enough protection to remain airborne as they fought in all-out war against the other.

The safety of the ponies had been pushed aside, as neither alicorn was above collateral damage. Blood flew from Nightmare Moon's mouth as one of Daybreaker's hooves landed a particular nasty punch, and the rage that filled her eyes seemed to echo in the air around them with crackling energy. Rapidly charging her horn with the void colored magic of darkness, she fired several rays at Daybreaker in retaliation for the hit. It managed to get some distance between them again, which helped get some time to breathe and think.

Daybreaker responded to the rays of shadow flying at her by suddenly glowing with the brightness of the sun, and the intense heat burned away the black magic that would have otherwise dealt a serious blow to her. Nightmare Moon's eyes glowed then as she summoned more of the night, surrounding herself in an ebony shield while the light barreled towards her. The intense flames from the heat of the light burned away her shield, but it gave Nightmare Moon time to dodge out of the way and fire bolts at Daybreaker.

Daybreaker used more fire from her mouth to deflect it, then grinned at her opponent. "I'm stronger than you," she taunted, though she was a little out of breath as she spoke from the exertion. "And when I beat you, you will be the first to bow at my hooves on the throne of Equestria."

Nightmare Moon snarled at the glowing mare. "I will cut you down!" She challenged, baring her fangs at what used to be somepony she knew. "You will not beat me, Daybreaker!" The problem though, was that it seemed the other mare was right. Nightmare Moon had barely been holding her own against the other alicorn, especially because the sun was high in the sky at the moment.

Flaring her wings wide, she flapped them for a moment before zooming at Daybreaker again. She needed to attack, and fast. Speed was on her side, and she needed to utilize that to her fullest potential if she was going to have any hope of coming out of this as the victor. Launching her renewed spree, she turned on a dime while wheeling about to rain more blows on the other alicorn.

She couldn't help the smirk when she hit Daybreaker hard enough to nearly knock her helmet off of her head, and refused to let up on this sudden advantage. Nightmare Moon turned, a perfect corkscrew while she flew with one hoof outward to follow up on the blow and completely remove the piece of armor that had been protecting her. Daybreaker's eyes widened at the onslaught, too slow to react to this in time.

Nightmare Moon hit her so hard her helmet then went flying down to the city below, and Daybreaker had to shake her mane out of her eyes before staring down the midnight mare with murder in her eyes. Blood ran from a cut above her eye, streaming down her face and muzzle. She spat out a tooth, blood trailing before giving a crimson smile. Her wings flapped casually, with only enough force to remain airborne.

"That was a lucky shot," Daybreaker said, almost idly. "You won't get another one, Nightmare Moon." Without warning she threw her forelegs apart, dropping her head low with a growl. Her horn lit up in a brilliant amber, before she fired off a bolt of fire and followed behind it like a living meteor. She was no longer holding back.

Crying out at the impact of the white mare slamming into her body, Nightmare Moon did the first thing she could think of and promptly bit the snot out of Daybreaker's shoulder. Drawing blood from the scored hit, she spat it out as she let go while Daybreaker roared in pain. "Looks like that was another lucky shot," Nightmare Moon said, grinning. "I'm not out of this fight yet, sister."

Twilight Sparkle had hurried along the city, moving quickly towards a location that would be both big enough and high enough to give her a vantage point so that she could get a good grasp of what was going on. Every now and then one of the shadows from the foes fighting above would make her glance upwards, then continue scurrying forwards on her path to a hill she'd spotted on the horizon.

While she was making good progress, she still had to dodge falling lumber and burning buildings on top of trying to keep track of the princesses fighting above her. Twilight was about halfway to her goal when suddenly a helmet clanged off of the cobblestone in front of her, scaring her half to death. Once her shriek had faded away, she crept closer to examine it. The markings and coloring were unmistakable, this was Daybreaker's helmet. Twilight looked up again, squinting past the smoke when she saw two objects harshly collide.

Looks like she needed to really get going in overdrive if she was going to make it before the tide of the fight swept too far, so she promptly took off at a gallop. Speed was something she had, and she hopped over fallen ponies and dodged under smoldering ruins while heading closer and closer to the hilltop that would help her make her decision. Twilight just hoped that she would get there quickly enough, since there was no way to know how much stamina Princess Luna had used up as Nightmare Moon fighting to try and bring her sister back to her senses.

The crackle of thunder had her instinctively duck under a doorway, peeking out she looked up at the smoky sky. It was hard to see beyond it, but it looked like the fight had grown so intense it had drawn the attention of mother nature, and she spied a few more bolts of lightning along the clouds. Rapidly assessing her situation, Twilight Sparkle then resumed galloping towards the hill so she could get to the top of it and get above the smoke choking the city.

Urging herself on, it wasn't too much longer before she reached her goal and shot above the line of smoke as she crested the hill overlooking the city. Looking around as fast as she could, Twilight tried to figure out where the fighters were in relation to her. The gathering storm wasn't much of a help either, with booming thunder and bolts that lit up the sky in warning.

That is, until she spotted a figure illuminated by the lightning. From where Twilight was standing they were no more than a pinprick, but the coloring was profound. Daybreaker was there, and she dove with the fury of the light while fire flared out around her before slamming into a dark object that Twilight realized had to have been Nightmare Moon. "No!" She cried, watching in horror as the princess fell towards the earth, wings akimbo from the blow.

"Come on, you gotta wake up!" She shouted, but from this distance they wouldn't hear her. "You have to beat her, or else we're all doomed!" Twilight could then only watch as the dark blob disappeared, and a faint trail of smoke and dust rose to show where impact was. From there, Daybreaker flared her wings wide, the lightning crashing behind her before she rained down rays of light and fire towards Nightmare Moon's body.

Horror spread along every inch of Twilight Sparkle's body, not believing what she was seeing. Nightmare Moon was losing, and badly. If she didn't do something now, then Equestria was done for as Daybreaker took each and every one of their lives to fuel a kingdom conquered in blood. Tears filled her eyes, and she sat on her rump. "Oh Celestia, I wish you were here right now," she lamented. "You'd know what to do, how to help."

"I'm so alone." Twilight broke off crying then, her little body heaving with sorrow. After a few moments, her eyes snapped open and she jumped to her hooves, filled with determination. "No," she said, though she was talking to herself. "I know just what to do to make this right."

With that, she began to chant, the words memorized from the tome she'd read. Over and over she spoke the words, her fervent belief filling her and flowing out into the universe with her call. Twilight Sparkle hoped and prayed that this would work, as the faint sound of Daybreaker's laughter filled her ears.

A particularly loud clap of thunder flattened Twilight Sparkle's ears against her skull, but she didn't let up her chanting. Not until she looked up to the heavens, and gasped. So it had worked, and the ancient one had indeed heard her call. Now she could only hope that they were friend and not foe, otherwise much more than their kingdom would be doomed.

Parlance

The thunderclouds swirled overhead, like it was suddenly becoming a hurricane. Lightning cracked and boomed, before the heavens slid apart to reveal a being slowly descending from on high. The being was winged, and seemed to merely float down as though it were a god. Twilight Sparkle stared with her jaw unhinged, wondering just what she had summoned to Equestria.

Once the being was close enough, Twilight realized it was a pony. A massively sized mare, bearing both horn and wing which made her an alicorn. When the pony was more or less level with Twilight in the sky, she flapped her wings slowly to remain aloft. From the looks of it, Celestia's head would reach just barely above her chest, maybe the bottom of her neck. Her coloring was dark gray, like the clouds above them.

The feathers of her wings seemed to be a dark charcoal mixed with orange, and her massive horn was ringed in reddish gold. Her mane and tail were darker, closer to black, ending in bright oranges and yellow and floated like shadowy flames. Her sclera were the same midnight as Daybreaker's, but her irises were a glowing mixture of pumpkin and amber. Most surprisingly, instead of a small tiara like the princesses would wear, surrounding the pony's head was a halo with points on it that almost resembled stars.

Understandably, Twilight Sparkle regarded this ancient one with a mingled fear and awe. Her eyes were huge, ears flattened against her skull as she dropped her rump against the grass immediately. "Who... Who are you?" She asked in a very small voice.

The mare regarded her for a few moments before answering, and Twilight Sparkle noted she had tufted ears like a batpony. "I am Queen Pōwehi," she said, the words spoken evenly. Her tone seemed to resonate with the power not unlike the Royal Canterlot Voice, which made Twilight even more fearful of this nearly divine presence.

Pōwehi then looked closer at the much smaller alicorn. "Why have you summoned me?" She asked, turning slightly as she did so and revealing a cutie mark on her hip. It was a black circle outlined in ambers and golds, almost depicting a spinning rotation to it.

Twilight gulped before answering her. "I... I need help in saving the kingdom of Equestria," she explained. Her words were spoken timidly. "To protect the ponies from the tyrant, Daybreaker, and convince the darker half of our princess to let go and become her normal self again."

"Is that all?" Queen Pōwehi replied, humor touching her words. "Well, since you have called me here from the cosmos, I am bound to fulfill your desire."

"The cosmos?" Twilight repeated, all but squeaking the words.

"Of course, child. Where did you think I came from?" Pōwehi said. "Your princess may rule a kingdom, but I rule entire solar systems, and trillions bow down to me."

As the words all but echoed through the air, Twilight Sparkle found herself unable to comprehend such a large number. Queen Pōwehi had said trillions, as in plural. Such a staggering amount that her mind refused to give her even a ballpark, and she discovered that she had begun to tremble in earnest before this queen of perhaps the universe. What would this creature do, once her wish had been fulfilled? Would she return to the heavens from whence she came, or would she create even more destruction than Daybreaker and Nightmare Moon had? There were no immediate answers to these questions.

Finally, she nodded. "A-alright," she said to Queen Pōwehi. "What will you do once my desire has been fulfilled?"

Pōwehi chuckled then, the sound seemingly sinister coming from a pony who looked like she did. "That, my dear little foal, will depend on you."

The chill that ran down Twilight Sparkle's spine was profound enough that her fur rippled in response. Ears completely flat against her head, she lifted a hoof as the instinct to flee this mare filled her mind. She couldn't budge though, she was completely frozen in place. Queen Pōwehi seemed unaware of this as she turned away, taking in the landscape before her.

After several moments, Queen Pōwehi flapped her massive wings, and began to fly in the direction of Daybreaker. The heavens responded with an array of powerful lightning and deafening thunder, as though the very earth itself was giving the queen an impressive entrance before she joined in on the fight. Floating casually on the air streams, she was not in any hurry to join the alabaster pony who'd stopped laughing in her apparent victory against her dark twin. Daybreaker had noticed this new foe, and she watched carefully to see what was going to happen now.

Sunlight gleamed off of her armor, but the storm seemed to swallow the sky in shadow to rival the smoke from the flames. "Who are you?" Daybreaker challenged, wings flaring wide as her ears went back and her head lowered slightly. A defiant pose, meant to intimidate the other into leaving. Her hooves were splayed apart, ready to gallop her forward to plunge her horn into the completely unprotected body of Queen Pōwehi.

"I am Queen Pōwehi," the dark gray mare replied smoothly.

"What do you want?" Daybreaker asked, her tone puffer-fish friendly. Her eyes flashed with irritation, but the size of her opponent alone gave her pause.

"I have been tasked with defeating you, and helping the other pony become herself again," Pōwehi said. She spoke the words almost cheerfully, but there was an undercurrent of something else. Something Daybreaker couldn't quite put a hoof on. "Unfortunately my little charge forgot to mention whether or not lethal action was on the table, so it seems I am free to use whatever I please in order to bring you down."

Daybreaker flapped her wings a few times since she'd started to sink out of the sky, absorbing the queen's words. This was beyond Nightmare Moon, beyond anything she'd ever thought she'd faced. Whoever this queen was, seemed far deadlier than anything that had ever come to Equestria before her. Daybreaker's desire for a worthy opponent had been answered, and she had won. Now, now it seemed like she was going to have to fight for her very life against an alien who didn't appear to care whether or not she continued existing.

Queen Pōwehi watched the by-play of emotions on the alabaster mare, smiling when she observed the conclusion Daybreaker had come to. "This fight is just beginning, my little pony," she purred. "And I will greatly enjoy getting to spread my wings in battle for the first time in over a thousand years."

Eyes widening, Daybreaker found herself gulping in actual fear as the vibrato of the queen's words resonated in her chest. "I will stop you," she said hoarsely, determined to win and take the kingdom of Equestria for herself. To rule in eternal sunshine on a throne made of blood, stolen from her sister and the truly shining bright capitol. That was her goal.

Pōwehi merely grinned, exposing her own impressive pair of fangs. "You will try," she countered. And then, she blurred forward and rushed at Daybreaker with enough force that the collision sounded like a crack of thunder. The new fight had suddenly begun.

Nightmare Moon groaned when consciousness had finally returned to her in waves. She'd fallen hard when she'd lost to Daybreaker, somehow surviving a fall that had taken out a couple buildings and left a crater in the smoldering street. Lifting her head, she squinted up at the suddenly darkened sky. What had happened while she was out cold?

Slowly getting her hooves underneath her, she managed to get upright again. With a bit of a shake, Nightmare Moon looked about her body as she assessed the damage she'd taken. Nothing seemed broken, but she was definitely sore all over, bearing cuts and bruises. Flaring first one wing then the other, Nightmare Moon determined that she would still be able to fly and to fight. It would not be easy, but she wasn't down for the count quite yet.

The sudden crack of thunder got her attention, and she peered upwards. There, among the clouds, were Daybreaker and somepony she didn't know. Flapping her wings to become airborne again, Nightmare Moon decided she was going to find out who had joined their battle, and fight to her own bitter end. There will be eternal darkness again, victorious over the light. If she could take down this newest enemy first.

Author's Note

interested in what she looks like? check out this deviantart where i got the inspiration for the character.

Utterance

Daybreaker wasn't expecting to suddenly get slammed into, the air knocked from her lungs in the process. The sound echoed like a shot, not too unlike thunder. Somehow she remained airborne, and responded with a vicious bite and a flare of solar magic to bring room between them again. Queen Powēhi shied away from the beam of light, growling when the bite scored on her shoulder.

Her eyes snapped fury, but she was the one who had said she was going to fight dirty so Queen Powēhi wasn't entirely surprised that Daybreaker was responding in kind. In her mind Daybreaker was nothing more than an irritating gnat buzzing in her ear, but wasn't going down as easily as she thought. The sudden smack against Powēhi's left flank got her attention, and she turned to see Nightmare Moon flapping her wings to remain aloft after firing a jet of darkness at her. A flash of irritation crossed her face, she hadn't anticipated this one turning against her. No matter. Taking down two ponies for the price of one would be easy.

As Nightmare Moon flared her wings outward and dropped her head to loose another volley, Queen Powēhi opened her mouth and collected a fiery ball of shadow magic within it. This rapidly swelled until it was loosed in a multi ray attack, firing beams of flame and umbra on both Nightmare Moon and Daybreaker. Both of the other mares responded by trying to block the attack as best they could, but Powēhi wasn't a queen for nothing. Her powers eclipsed both of these dark princesses, and it would soon become obvious to them.

While assessing the stances of the ponies who'd both opted to use their wings to deflect the bolts of fire and shadow, Queen Powēhi decided to throw a concealed dagger at Daybreaker while using her wings to shove her body forwards before tucking them close to her body in a falcon's stoop rushing at Nightmare Moon. Distant thunder rolled and boomed, the storm called from the fires still raging in the city below. This was a calculated move, hoping to keep the ebony and ivory mares from staying on top of their game before they decided to team up against her. For now it seemed like a free-for-all.

Nightmare Moon squealed when Powēhi slammed into her side, wings flailing every which way as she began to fall out of the sky. She tried firing off a jet of magic, but due to her head lolling from the impact she missed Queen Powēhi and nailed Daybreaker instead. With a shriek of rage, Daybreaker summoned her magic, opening her mouth and raining fire at the tangled duo plummeting from the heavens. Nightmare Moon squeezed her eyes shut while waiting for impact, then opened them again when Queen Powēhi cried out then snarled.

Turning away from Nightmare Moon's body, the latter pony took the sudden opportunity and viciously bit into the exposed shoulder of Powēhi. Queen Powēhi responded with a wing slap, trying to buffet Nightmare Moon away from her. Nightmare Moon flared her wings and managed to shift backwards to gain some room between them, before shooting upwards both to avoid hitting the town again and to also regain the height advantage she'd had before. Panting, Nightmare Moon tried to calculate her next move while Daybreaker used her magic to fling her sword through the sky and keep Powēhi's attention on her.

Twilight Sparkle had been watching the trio in the sky, unable to do anything else from this hilltop. Fear and worry alternated flowing through her body, as she truly didn't know who was going to come out on top from this fight. Deep within her mind, she wondered if she had done the right thing by calling in this pony from the stars since it had been clear that Nightmare Moon needed help bringing down Daybreaker.

"Please, please let this have been the right choice," Twilight Sparkle prayed, her eyes riveted on the scene playing out above her. She wanted to try and get closer to them, but for now this place was best as they kept flying around over the city and colliding with the force of the growing storm behind them. Their armors crashing against each other rang out like the thunder booming in the clouds, lightning flashing as though to underscore the fight raging on as though the fate of the world depended on it. Perhaps it did, there was no real true way to know.

Alternating between sitting and pacing, Twilight Sparkle kept her attention upwards while trying to see who was leading the fight. From her perspective it seemed fairly even, but Nightmare Moon had been wounded before Queen Powēhi had joined the fray and now that tiredness was beginning to show. The midnight pony seemed to be responding slower to hits, trying her best to defend herself but even from down here Twilight Sparkle could see that her sides were heaving as she panted heavily. Daybreaker was doing better, but seemed to be favoring her left side over her right. Perhaps a blow was struck that Twilight hadn't seen, but Queen Powēhi had noted this weakness as well and was pursuing it mercilessly.

The cry of rage and pain made Twilight Sparkle stand again as she watched Daybreaker fire off multiple volleys of light at Queen Powēhi, some managing to hit their target while others were blocked. Nightmare Moon used the opportunity to kick out with her hind legs and nail Powēhi in the right flank, scoring a direct hit while Powēhi shrieked and her leg buckled. Whirling on Nightmare Moon, Queen Powēhi bit down onto Nightmare Moon's neck and causing the dark princess to scream. Daybreaker refused to lose out on such a chance, and rushed the pair. Slamming into Queen Powēhi's unguarded side, all three were knocked about as the bite was broken and the alicorns did their best to remain airborne.

In an unprecedented motion, lightning arced through the clouds and struck Queen Powēhi. Unfortunately since the princesses were still so close to her the electricity ran along her armor and jumped to their bodies, providing lesser shocks than the actual bolt that had hit. Daybreaker and Nightmare Moon both fell away from her, using their wings to regain both height and distance. Both princesses took the moment to try and rest, blowing hard with sides moving like bellows in a forge. Queen Powēhi shook off the lightning, but it was clear that mother nature getting involved had hurt a lot more than it had looked.

Blood streamed from cuts on all three bodies, dripping from armored hooves to fall to the city below unnoticed. Bruises abounded on the exposed fur, while Nightmare Moon had a few bent feathers in her wings Daybreaker had a few that were missing entirely. Only now was it starting to occur to them both that they very well may lose the fight against this powerful foe. Those swirling amber eyes were full of contempt as Queen Powēhi leveled a smirk at them both.

"Again," she said, grinning and lowering her head to attack. With no other choice, Nightmare Moon and Daybreaker moved to obey.

Bombast

Both Daybreaker and Nightmare Moon moved to try and knock Queen Powēhi out of the sky, using their wings as speed and leverage to hit the shadowy mare in her exposed side. With the combined effort they managed a massive blow, one that staggered the queen into falling a short distance. As she began to recover with a shake of her head, Nightmare Moon fired off rays of darkness at the bigger pony in a near desperate attempt to bring her down. Queen Powēhi countered a majority of it, the rest either missed or were absorbed as acceptable blows to her body.

Daybreaker fired off her own volley of fireballs at her opponent, but had to dodge the rebuffed attacks that seemed to hit her as hard as a freight train. Sweat poured from her flanks, foaming against her armor as her sides heaved like a massive pair of bellows. She was flagging badly, tail drooping even as her wings beat at the air to keep her aloft. Nightmare Moon didn't look much better, panting with lowered ears and a tail just as low behind her wounded rump. Even from this distance, Daybreaker could see the crimson marring her mirror image's ocher hide.

This wasn't turning out how she'd hoped, even with Nightmare Moon sullying her original plans of slaughtering her foes and ascending the throne in eternal sunshine. The initial joy in the bloodshed she'd reveled in had long since faded, anger over being interrupted had shifted into determination. Daybreaker had been confident she could take out this opponent, but the pony from beyond the stars had proven to be more than enough of a match. Powēhi was formidable, and though she'd combined efforts to try and take the interloper down, it was clear that she was in a whole other league altogether.

As the pair of dark princesses took stock of the situation, they stared down this impugning queen. Three gazes measured each other, and there was a little spark of recognition that this fight was coming to an end; soon. Two of them failed to make the grade, though it was not without saying that they had been fighting each other quite hard before player three had entered the game. Either way, it was time to gather up the last vestiges of strength to try and defeat Queen Powēhi once and for all. Until she was no longer a threat, the throne of Equestria was at stake.

Lightning crackled across the heavens as Daybreaker lowered her head, inhaling deeply. Whinnying a challenge, she declared her intent. To her left Nightmare Moon mimicked her, the sisters ready to see this through to the end. With a toss of her mane, Powēhi pawed a hoof and smirked at them. Challenge heard and accepted. Flaring her wings outward in a show of dominance, the queen whinnied a return declaration.

Twin ponies moved, as though they were attempting a sonic rainboom. Speed was their ally, twisting about each other in a tight corkscrew formation as both Daybreaker and Nightmare Moon fired off a volley of shadow and flame, the combined attack spiraling ahead of them in a desperate attempt to score a major hit against their opponent. Without realizing it, both ponies had begun to scream as they hurtled towards the other mare.

It was an impressive show of power, one that had Twilight Sparkle's jaw unhinged while she watched from afar. She had never seen such skill, such grace as two polar opposites worked symbiotically together in a beautiful display of harmony. Dark played against light, and the swirling of their magics was both terrifying and awe-inspiring. Twilight found herself on her hooves as she watched, tail lashing back and forth with ears swiveling towards the fighters before pinning against her head as her emotions cascaded through her lavender body.

While a part of her mind wished to jot down notes with a furious speed, she knew that right now it was much more important to give this moment her full attention. Everything hinged on the action of the three ponies, not just the Equestrian throne but the future of their world as they knew it. There was just no way to know how this was going to go, and her withers quivered from the trepidation that it all might go wrong. Twilight's eyes remained glued to the scene above her head in the sky, knowing that this was something that would be recorded in the history for millennia to come.

Queen Powēhi gritted her teeth as their magics rushed towards her, pulling her wings in close in front of her face as she used her horn to summon a shield. With a grunt, her hooves skidded back several inches as she did her best to block the attack and deflect it away from her. Unfortunately this left her wide open for a physical maneuver, which both Daybreaker and Nightmare Moon had been counting on.

Nightmare Moon edged out slightly in their spinning dive, screeching as she slammed into Powēhi's body in a show of defiance. The impact knocked them both out of the sky, but Powēhi was quick to react. Twisting around as she fell, she fired a jet of magic at the Mare of The Moon that struck home. Without missing a beat, Queen Powēhi flapped her wings to regain the height she had lost.

As Nightmare Moon fell, and landed hard in a pose of defeat, Daybreaker was still making her move. She'd pulled up sharply out of the falcon's stoop, spinning around before repeating the dive with a cry of righteous frenzy. Her snowy body gleamed like sunlight against the stormy atmosphere, armor reflecting the flashes of lightning as though she was gathering it into her in one last assault. Flames seemed to crackle in her eyes, one foreleg held in front of her as she braced herself for impact while counting on her speed to catch Powēhi off guard.

Closing her eyes and turning her head, her entire body prayed that this would work. At the last moment, in a tumultuous display of strength, Queen Powēhi caught Daybreaker head on and tossed her away like a rag doll, neighing to the city at large who was the superior pony once and for all. While she flew towards the ground with dizzying velocity, Powēhi followed her down at a more leisurely pace.

Daybreaker's body hit the earth with a sickening thud, the crack like the thunder overhead. In that moment, the fight was decided. As Queen Powēhi landed and then moved towards her opponent, her gaze took in the remnants of the midnight twin to this alabaster one. Both had been felled easily, though Powēhi respected them for how long and how hard they had fought back against her. The heavens finally opened then, tentative sprinkles dusting fur at first before finally the deluge came. This fight was now over, and even mother nature seemed to agree.

Confabulation

Rain fell in torrents, dampening the fires in the city and putting out the choking smoke at last. The wind howled around every nook and cranny, blowing away char and cinder while the storm itself washed away the blood, guts, and gore that had littered the city. Queen Powēhi stood over Daybreaker's body, smirking. She had won, she was victorious over her opponent and her summoner's desire had been partially fulfilled.

Queen Powēhi lifted Daybreaker's sword with her umbral magic, ready to deliver the final blow that would kill one of the princesses of Equestria. Nightmare Moon lay on her side, also defeated. Raising her head, she saw the blade hovering in the air before it sank home and ended her sister's life. "No!" She cried, trying to raise up on a hoof. Her body failed her, badly battered and broken from the onslaught of the queen.

"You can't!" Nightmare Moon was desperate, and with a loud cry reverted back into the form of Princess Luna. Her eyes were huge, pleading with Powēhi to stay her hoof and spare her alabaster twin. Her starry mane pooled around on the ground, glittering in the rain and the wind. "Please! Spare her life, Queen Powēhi!" Luna begged now, all but groveling before the insanely powerful pony who had won.

Twilight Sparkle rushed upon the scene, soaked to the bone with wings rendered useless in the rain. "Wait!" She called, panting. "The deal was that you defeat Daybreaker, not kill her!"

Queen Powēhi paused before swinging the blade down and severing Daybreaker's head from her neck. Her captive moaned under her hoof, and with a quiet glow of magic began reverting back into Princess Celestia. The armor shimmered and vanished, her mane shifting colors and lengthening to match her sister's. Her tiara re-appeared on her head, rich gold instead of reddish bronze.

The pastel of her tail matched her mane, undulating across the earth even though she lay still. Princess Luna watched as the rage that had filled her sister's heart finally melted away, but it seemed to have come at far too high of a cost. Was she to lose her sister, forever, at the whim of this absolutist queen? The fear that this might be her future here and now filled her heart, and tears freely spilled from her eyes.

Twilight Sparkle made sure she got front and center in front of Queen Powēhi, ensuring she had the mare's attention. "You can't just kill her now!" She continued. "You've won, you beat Daybreaker and Nightmare Moon, you've fulfilled your part of the bargain completely!"

The sword seemed to hum as it hovered there, a weapon of Damocles waiting to rend asunder. Time seemed to stand still in those moments, save for the steady downpour of rain. Queen Powēhi appeared to be considering something, and though the sword didn't move it didn't seem to be an active threat to Twilight Sparkle either. Finally after what seemed an eternity, the queen spoke.

"I told you that the end to this would ultimately be up to you, little pony. Here we are at the precipice, and you will decide which way we fall."

Rain pattered on her mane and her fur as she considered these cryptic words. Twilight's mind was struggling to keep up in light of everything that had happened, not just Princess Celestia going dark and killing innocent ponies but now Queen Powēhi showing just how powerful she really was. While evil did exist in Equestria, it was nowhere close to the abilities this mare had. She was on a completely other level, and had the confidence to match.

Powēhi's eyes seemed cold as she observed Twilight Sparkle, but there was an odd sense of respect since she could still simply end Princess Celestia's life at any moment without anypony being able to stop her. The fact that she hadn't meant that there was more to this, something that wiggled in the back of the lavender pony's mind. She could feel the frustration riding against the fear within her. Come on, come on! Think! Twilight Sparkle desperately wracked her brain, trying to frantically connect the dots.

She remembered how to summon Powēhi to Equestria originally, and she narrowed her eyes in concentration. Of course. Harmony. The spell had mentioned that the ancient one would bring harmony, which was of course achieved by ending the fight. Princess Celestia had been made herself again, reunited with Princess Luna underneath the stormy sky.

Since she was the Princess of Friendship, she knew how to use the power of the Elements of Harmony. Would she have to call upon her friends to banish Queen Powēhi back to the cosmos from which she'd came? Twilight Sparkle hoped it wouldn't have to come to that. Instead, she opted for trying to talk to the victorious mare.

"Queen Powēhi," Twilight began slowly. "When I summoned you using the ancient spell, the terms of our contract were that you would put an end to Daybreaker and Nightmare Moon battling each other at the expense of the kingdom." Her words were carefully chosen, spoken with weight.

"You have fulfilled this contract as the victor of this battle, so I humbly request that as you have achieved harmony for our people once again that you retreat back to the heavens from whence you came and continue your rule in peace."

From there, she fell silent while waiting to see what the cosmic queen would have to say. Twilight Sparkle sent up a quiet prayer that this royally oppressive autocrat would be willing to listen to reason and accept the terms as they were presented. If she didn't, Twilight wasn't sure that anyone in the world would have the power to stop her. It was a scary moment of silence while watching Powēhi consider.

"Perhaps, little pony," Powēhi responded, her words cool and calm. "But, you did not state how I was to achieve harmony by defeating these dark foes, so it is perfectly reasonable for me to execute them here and now to prevent such things in the future."

"NO!" interjected Princess Luna, who was given a scowl of disapproval from Queen Powēhi. She was immediately cowed back into silence, despite Powēhi having not said anything to her.

Twilight Sparkle absorbed this bit of information, improvising on the spot. "Surely you can see that without the darkness within them that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are logical ponies, who would be more than willing to appease your decision with whatever you desire."

Queen Powēhi's left ear flicked in Princess Luna's direction as she mulled this over. "Are you absolutely certain that you wish for me to spare this alicorn's life?" She asked Twilight.

"Yes," was the immediate answer.

Her ear flicked again as Powēhi opened her mouth and spoke once more. "And should the darkness return, will you call on me to eradicate them?"

Twilight shook her head. "No," she said simply. "I will handle it on my own, with the help of my friends and the Elements of Harmony."

The pumpkin and amber gaze held Twilight Sparkle still within them, almost as though chains had suddenly bound the much smaller lavender alicorn to the spot. It was clear now that Queen Powēhi was making her decision, and pinpricks of fear seemed to caress her body like painful little kisses of despair. The rain continued to fall, drenching them further and seeming to absorb all but the loudest of sounds as everything seemed to hinge on what happened next.

"Very well," Queen Powēhi replied. The sword lifted into the air, then gracefully came to a halt lying flat on the grass. As her magic released the blade, she removed her hoof from Princess Celestia's body and shifted backwards so that she stood tall once again. Her attention was still on Twilight Sparkle though, who waited to see what the cosmic queen's next move was going to be.

"I will take my leave, little pony. Should you decide to join my court someday, I will await you amongst the stars." With that, she flapped her massive wings and began her ascent to the heavens, clouds parting enough to let her leave before the storm became whole once more. There was no trace of her left in Equestria, save for the damage wrought to the city and the wounds on both ruling princesses. A few heartbeats passed in silence, and when Twilight realized Queen Powēhi was well and truly gone she rushed to her mentor's side.

"Don't cry, my little pony," Celestia soothed, raising a hoof to try and comfort her student. "This was my doing, and without your bravery could not have been undone."

Luna tried to get to her feet, but failed. "Twilight, you should try and get some help now," she said, favoring the younger pony with an exhausted smile. "We are not yet ready to leave this realm. We'll be fine."

"Okay," Twilight replied, then ran off to wake up somepony who could rescue the princesses, get them to safety, and administer first aid.

"....So, you see, that's what had caused Daybreaker to come forth," Celestia finished explaining, resting on her hospital bed as Doctor Whooves and Nurse Redheart looked on.

Twilight Sparkle furiously scribbled down detailed notes, nodding as she finished them off with a flourish. "Sounds like you were under quite a lot of stress," she replied, and Celestia nodded in return.

"I'm sure you'll be taken good care of during your extended sabbatical from your duties," she said matter-of-factually. Spying Celestia's look of protest, Twilight held up a hoof. "Princess Luna can handle raising the sun for you, just until you are well enough to do that and no more."

Celestia smiled at her. "Thank you, Twilight. And thank you for not holding this against me."

"Of course not," was Twilight's upbeat reply. "We managed to get Discord through more than one rough patch, and in time I think the ponies will come for forgive you like I have."

Celestia winced, but Twilight was already leaving the hospital so she could report back to Princess Luna how her sister was faring in recovery. It wasn't going to be easy, but all three were confident the ponies of the realm could recover from this. After all, Equestria had weathered far more from far worse. The ponies would eventually come around and love their Princess of the Sun once again.

Epilogue: Eulogy

Change does not happen overnight. No, it takes far longer than speeches given, promises made. Laws were passed and changed, ponies shuffled in power and jockeyed for positions. Everypony was certain of one thing: Celestia could never become Daybreaker again.

Time passed at its own pace, some would say it went quickly while others that it dragged all too slowly. Regardless, it took a few years to fully repair the city of all the damage done to it and for the ponies to feel like they were safe under their diarchy once more. Princesses Luna and Celestia returned to their duties of raising and setting the sun and moon, and Twilight Sparkle occasionally lent a hoof to political manners when she wasn't helping with friendship issues across the lands.

Queen Powēhi passed into legend, and some ponies wondered if she'd ever truly been there at all while others swore up and down they had seen the dark alicorn in the sky, fighting Daybreaker and Nightmare Moon. When pressed on the issue Twilight would demure, and Spike would simply distract the ponies until they left the Princess of Friendship alone so that she could carry on with her own duties. Every now and then stylized graffiti of her would appear on an alley wall, a lingering reminder of the ancient entity who could have absolutely brought all of Equestria to ruin had it not been for a quick thinking lavender alicorn.

Still, guilt lingered in Princess Luna's mind. She saw firsthand the trauma the ponies had endured in their nightmares, trying to soothe them as they mourned the missing and the dead. It changed something within her, and she slowly became more stoic and withdrawn. Equestria had paid a heavy price, but now there was a system in place to prevent such a tragedy from repeating. One could only hope that this would not be tested as it was not likely anypony could handle it a second time.

In the aftermath of it all, more than one pony looked heavenward, wondering if the queen of the cosmos would ever return. Many hoped she wouldn't, but some hoped she would. It was such a strange thing to hear tales of a magnificent mare, both terrifying and beautiful who had brought a nation to its knees within a span of hours. She seemed like a greater enemy than Sombra and Cozy Glow combined, yet in the end had chosen to leave instead of striking down the royalty. Rumors abounded, but nopony could really say why. Perhaps it was respect, admiration, or simply fulfilling one end of a bargain.

Perhaps it was something else entirely. Either way, as the nation moved on stories remained. Many were fanciful retellings, details embellished until nopony was certain what was truth and what were beautiful lies. The princesses simply refused to comment as they had all decided it was best to let the ponies decide what they wanted since the history books would record the tale as diligently as all the other powers that had come to Equestria with the intention of conquering and enslaving. Somepony eventually created a small festival about the event, with troupes performing a dramatic version of the fight complete with epic speeches and soaring music.

These events went uncontested, and occasionally a cloaked pony would be seen amongst the throng of beings enjoying themed snacks and assorted knickknacks available to buy in the name of protectors and villain both. Many wondered if it was a princess in disguise, there to indulge without being accosted for their version of what had happened. However, none had dared approached these ponies, potentially out of fear or out of respect for privacy.

It took fifty years for the city to be completely repaired and rebuilt, the systems refined after being putting into place, and for the ponies to truly feel safe again within the kingdom of Equestria. Through it all the princesses did their best to retain order, to foster friendships as they blossomed and to defend their home from the other villains that came and went like the wind. The dead were honored, gravestones gleaming in the sun and moon as seasons wheeled and changed. The names of the innocent were read out annually at the memorial, a way to preserve their legacy and to remind Celestia of the cost of losing herself to her inner darkness.

None could fault her for this, many ponies respected her for her strict stance on remembering the lives she had taken while she had held the mantle of a nightmare. Whatever misgivings that were there initially had faded as she attended every ceremony, standing with perfect posture as Celestia was every inch a princess who was determined never to forget the consequences of her actions. Her voice never wavered, her demeanor never cracked. Her will was as strong as iron, though her heart remained heavy.

The diarchy was forever changed; though Princesses Celestia and Luna remained cordial to their subjects the prices they had paid had been great. Their lights had been dimmed, and while many forgave their actions the ones who had had to bury their loved ones quite understandably held on to the hatred and the pain. Princess Twilight Sparkle remained in her role as the Element of Magic, defending when she had to but otherwise shuttered herself within the great castle as caretaker to the sisters.

Time continued on nonetheless, and soon only Twilight herself remained as ruler of Equestria. She was the sole reminder that the legends that were whispered under the stars next to campfires had nuggets of truth to them, though if she was asked Princess Twilight simply stared with a Mona Lisa smile instead of responding. Some ponies consumed themselves with learning everything they could from the history books, pouring over drawings and paintings of the queen and desperately researching for answers.

None received any answers outside of the texts, even with the festival that had grown to a massive annual event that culminated in the memorial for the dead. Princess Twilight Sparkle had taken over for Celestia now that she was gone, reading aloud the names and moving through the ceremony with the grace of her predecessor. The descendants were touched that after all this time their ancestors were remembered, the innocents who had been killed were not forgotten like dust in the wind.

When she felt it was time, Twilight moved out of the ancient castle in the deep of the night while her guards slumbered. She was tired, her bones ached, and her great life had finally come to an end. Moving slowly out of the city, she found a hilltop under the stars and made her way to the top of it. Sides heaving from the effort, Twilight looked up at the sky.

"Queen Powēhi!" she called. "I am ready, take me home."

The heavens overhead opened, and the queen beyond the stars slowly descended. She looked unchanged, while the lavender princess had aged beyond her prime. As she became level with the one who had summoned her all those years ago, she smiled.

"Come," Powēhi said simply. "I will show you what it is like to rule eternally among the cosmos."

Twilight bowed her head in agreement, and bounded up with the exuberance of a filly. Laughter spilled from her, joy at how light her body had become. She shimmered with vitality, eagerly joining the queen as they both returned to the skies from whence she'd come. Not for one moment was this questioned, certainty filling her as surely as the breath of new life.

It was the next morning when the royal guards found the body of their beloved princess, lying peacefully underneath the bower of a tree on a hilltop as though she was sleeping. Twilight Sparkle was buried with the ceremony befitting her station, and the country mourned her passing as others came into their abilities as the new bearers of the Elements of Harmony. And so it continued, stories woven into legend while the truth lingered in secrets between pages of history books.

Author's Note

three years ago i started this story, a dark piece originally intended to just get the desire to write something dark and gory out of my system. i'm not much of a planner kind of person, i usually let the stories take me where they see fit. the queen named after a black hole was never meant to be in this story, but i was so inspired by the drawings of her on deviant art i just had to write her in.

somehow along the way it became something more akin to an epic tale, and i hope that this ending is as worthy as its beginning. thank you for reading, from the bottom of my heart.