Canterlot was magnificent, a towering city catering to the rich and reeking of nobility. Bathed in the early morning light, marble columns glistened and crystal windows bathed houses and stores in rainbows. The faintest hint of pink remained on the horizon as the sun continued its ascent, and it was looking to be another beautiful day.
In the palace, in a dining room, the Princess of the Sun was sitting down for breakfast, a daily ritual of painstaking details concerning pancakes and fruit. She smiled down at the plate. Today, she had decided to move on from simple faces and began to create scenes.
On her plate, slices of mangos and oranges depicted a rising sun. A few seats down from her sat her sister’s plate, which showed a peaceful moon made of blueberries and blackberries.
Luna would be in any moment now, and she looked forward to the breakfast they would share. It had been a week since Starlight switched their cutie marks and she felt closer to her sister than she had in ages.
Oh yes, but how long until the next fight?
A frown tugged at her lips at that thought, but the sound of hooves entering the room formed a smile once again. “Good morning Luna, have a good night?”
Luna yawned, blinking sleepily as she slid into her chair and glanced down at her pancakes. She smiled at the fruit art before looking to Celestia. “Oh, it went quite well. The pancakes look amazing this morning, like always.”
Celestia beamed proudly, “Oh, I’m so glad you like it! I think I’ll try some flowers tomorrow morning.”
“I look forward to it.”
Celestia levitated her knife and fork, turning to her plate. Where a delicate stack of pancakes and fruit carefully laid into a sun was, now was just a pile of ashes. She blinked, and the ashes were gone, her pancakes and the fruit untouched.
She glanced over to Luna, but it appeared she did not have the same kind of vision. Celestia shook her head and began to eat.
~~
Celestia was smiling as she listened to the morning court proceedings, nodding along to the talk of the next garden party. Her assistant, Raven, was dutifully taking notes beside her as Fancy Pants presented his plans for this year.
He gestured out the large windows, outside of which lay an impressive view of the Royal Canterlot Gardens. She turned her gaze to the scorched wasteland, absolutely destitute of life and burned black beyond recognition. The air was heavy with smog, but she could still see the blazing sun forcing its bright rays through.
Celestia took in a sharp breath, shutting her eyes for a moment and opening them to the lush, green landscape that bloomed with life. Only Raven noticed the breath, the stiffening of her body and dilation of her pupils that lasted only a moment. Celestia breathed out slowly, her eyes meeting her assistant’s before looking back to the nobles as she tried to regain attention to the conversation at hoof.
“-would that be acceptable, Princess Celestia?”
Fancy Pants was looking at her expectantly, needing an answer for...something.
Raven delicately cleared her throat next to her, tilting her notepad up just enough for her to read over the latest notes. He wanted permission for specialty ice sculptures and recommendations on students from the school proficient in ice spells that could keep them from melting.
Puddles at her hooves, quickly boiling away and leaving nothing but dusty ground beneath her. Steam rose around her but she didn’t mind the heat, rather she loved it.
Celestia’s wings fluttered as she nodded. “Of course, I think it’s a marvelous idea. Raven, make a note for me to send the headmaster a note asking Winter Breeze and Snow Lily if they would like to volunteer for this.”
Celestia glanced back at Fancy Pants, “I imagine they would be receiving invitations with a plus one for the party?”
Fancy beamed and bowed his head, “I could not imagine doing otherwise Princess.”
He straightened and turned towards a dark coated stallion near him, “Jet Set? You have the invitations handled, correct?”
“Winter Breeze and Snow Lily, consider them officially invited.”
Celestia smiled in relief, “Now that that is settled, what is the next order of business?”
~~
Celestia let out a soft sigh as she walked through the palace. It had been a busy morning of meetings and she had just finished finalizing the plans for the Garden Party. Now, she had to meet with another group, something about a new pastry shop if she remembered right.
She glances up at the stained glass windows as she passes, a smile perking her lips at the reminder of all her faithful student’s accomplishments. She stopped in front of the one depicting Twilight and her friend’s victory over Nightmare Moon.
Her eyes stayed on the glass panels of her sister's corruption, the monster she had become.
But were you not a monster once as well?
Celestia shook her head, chasing the thought and memories that followed away. She took a deep breath, willing her heart to settle and blood to cool. Now was not the time to dwell on the past.
“Your highness?”
Her wings fluttered as she glanced at Raven. “Yes? Is everything alright?”
The mare cracked a small smile, “I was just about to ask the same of you, Princess.”
Celestia chuckled, turning to face her properly when her breath hitched. Raven was on fire.
Celestia’s eyes widened and she took a few steps back as a wave of heat washed over her. Raven was still smiling, seemingly unaware of the flames licking at her hooves, her charred fur falling off in smoking chunks before turning to dust.
Celestia shook in horror as fur and hair burned away, then muscles, until only a skeleton remained. The skeleton, despite having no distinguishable features, was frowning at her now, she could feel it. It opened its mouth and screeched, thousands of tortured screams escaping the bony muzzle at once.
It took her a moment to realize hers was one of them.
“-lestia! Princess! Are you okay?!”
She was on the ground now, her head in someone’s lap. She gasped raggedly and gripped at their shoulders, tilting her head up to see Raven with tears streaming down her face. “Oh Princess, what happened? Did I do something? Oh Celestia say something please.”
Celestia became aware of a dozen more eyes staring at her, the royal guard, who had come running at her screams. She gulped and shakily stood, swaying on her hooves. She licked her lips, her mouth dry as she croaked, “Cancel,”
She coughed and gained control of her voice. “Cancel the rest of my day Raven, please. I am feeling unwell.”
She glanced around at the shaken faces of her guard. “Tell no one. The screams were, were a maid seeing a spider. Understand?”
They responded with a sharp salute, hesitating for a moment before she waved her hoof and sent them away.
Celestia took another deep breath before announcing to no one in particular, “I will be in the gardens.”
~~
It was nearing evening as Celestia continued her walk through her gardens, looking all around for any indication of the scorched land she saw before. Thankfully she had run into few servants and guards on the way. She wasn’t sure she could handle another vision like with Raven.
She paused by a pond, laying down on the cool green grass and running a hoof through the blades, as if to confirm they were really there. She closed her eyes and sighed, mumbling, “What is happening?”
“You mean you haven’t figured it out yet? And here you were supposed to be the smart one, Celestia.”
She gasped at the voice and quickly stood, looking all around.
“Oh I’m afraid you won’t find me there. Down here.”
She felt heat coming from her side, stiffly turning to look into the pond. The normally pristine surface was boiling, curling strands of steam rising off it. Celestia growled, “I thought I got rid of you a long time ago.”
Her reflection laughed, the movement sending ripples that changed Celestia’s face and mane. Her muzzle grew fangs, her eyes darkening and pupils elongating into a slit. Armor appeared on her forehead, curling around her cheeks and going down her neck as her mane caught on fire, crackling and curling like an inferno. Celestia no longer saw herself in the pond, not her true self anyways.
She saw Daybreaker.
“Oh, sweet little Celestia, it's been too long since we have truly talked. I’m surprised that little purple mage could reach through your subconscious like that and pull me from the recesses of your mind.”
Celestia stomped her hoof, nostrils flaring. Try as she might to look fierce, she couldn’t help the pit growing in her stomach or the fear that gripped her heart. “Y-you have no power over me now. Leave me! I command it!”
Daybreaker brought her hooves up to her cheeks, “Oh, but of course, mighty Celestia, Goddess of the Sun, I shall obey your every command…”
She paused for a moment, eyes and mouth slowly widening in shock as nothing happened to her. “Oh my, would you look at that? Getting rid of me won’t be that easy. Remember what happened last time~?”
A burning forest, a smoking and charred body, tears soaking the ground…
Celestia shook her head, gritting her teeth. “No! That won’t happen again! I won’t let it.”
“Well, well, someone has finally grown a spine. You're not the same little filly who went messing around with spells you weren’t supposed to. Or maybe you are. Tell me, how is Luna? Or is she still Nightmare Moon?”
“Lunais doing just fine. She was purified of your corruption by the Elements of Harmony.”
“MY corruption? Oh, now isn’t that rich. I was born out of your darkness Celestia, your petty jealousy and constant need to prove yourself better than your sister. I am part of you, and no matter what spells you try to cast, what lies you tell yourself, I will always be there.”
Celestia trembled under the truth of her words. She was never good at denying the past to herself, especially not when it was thrown back in her face like this. It was her fault. In her youth, she had been cocky and brash. She was the embodiment of the sun, Daughter of the Light - she was a goddess.
Yet, she had to share her fame and her throne with her complete opposite, her younger sister, the embodiment of the moon and Daughter of the Stars.
They were students of Starswirl the Bearded. Celestia always felt she was better though; how could she not be? Everypony loved the day, it was so cheery and bright, it was near impossible for anyone to be unhappy.
But ponies had loved her sister’s night just as much, if not more at times.
She had felt that she had to prove them wrong. She was the better sister, she was the eldest. To prove this, she had taken it upon herself to learn every spell in existence, no matter how hard. She would show them all, she would be the most powerful being in all the land! And then, then they would have to love and adore her, Celestia, Daughter of the Light, ruler of Equestria.
Then came the day she met her match. The spell was easy enough to cast of course, but it was the consequences she wasn’t prepared for.
Tears slipped down her cheeks. That damn spell. It brought out and personified the darkness lurking in a pony’s soul. Starswirl had intended it as a way to help to test recruits of the guard and upcoming mages, and was in the process of a counter spell that would eliminate it when she stumbled upon the scroll.
Of course, she didn’t understand the implications at the time. ‘Darkness of my soul? I am a perfect deity, I am the sun! I have no darkness. This will prove that stuffy old mage wrong.’
What a fool she had been.
For weeks after she had been taunted by Daybreaker, though ‘taunting’ might be a strong word. Daybreaker understood her like no other, and fueled her rivalry with Luna.
‘But of course you are more important. What is more important than the sun? If there is no moon, the ponies have lanterns and fireflies. Without the sun? They don't have anything.’
She became obsessed over her superiority, egged on further by this new companion of hers. Daybreaker eventually moved on to speeches on how much better they could be together, if Celestia would simply let her take control, share her body and mind.
Of course, she had agreed immediately.
It was a bloody chapter in pony history, one remembered by none but herself, Starswirl, and Luna. Daybreaker had gone on a fiery rampage, spreading destruction everywhere and without discretion. Towns were wiped out in a matter of minutes, countless historical artifacts and scrolls washed away in the blaze, and there were barely bones left behind from how hot her flames had burned.
Celestia collapsed by the pond, shaking as the memories washed over her, watching them now as a remorseful observer, forced to listen to the terrible cackles that came from her own muzzle and feel the heat as the fire burned everything.
“Tia?”
She gasped, head shooting up at the sound of Luna’s voice. She sniffled and wiped her face, glancing at the pond to see it was no longer boiling. Daybreaker was gone again, for now.
Luna recognized the haunted look in her sister’s eyes and quickly wrapped her in a tight embrace. “You are seeing her again, aren’t you?”
Celestia could only tremble and sob into her shoulder.
A few tears ran down Luna’s face as she held her sister, whispering comfort in her ear as she cried like a foal. She knew the pain and guilt well, as well as how best to deal with it.
Later, they would talk, and probably share more tears. But for now, she just needed to be there for her sister.
Author's Note
Hey guys, hope you enjoyed the first chapter! I do have plans for a second and possibly third (depending on how writing the second chapter goes) that should be out soonish and will reveal some secrets hinted at here~
