The stars cried for their fallen mistress.

In the center of the Everfree forest it was almost as if the world was coming to an end

Magically caused explosions reduce rock and cloth alike to not more than dust. A battle, taking place in the very heart of the Equestrian Capital between two sisters. One, lost within her anger and spite at being rejected by the world and the other heart broken and pleading, hoping that her dear sister would return to her senses.

For hours they battled, their once beautiful castle home now naught more than a glorified heap of rubble, barely held together and partially collapsed after a blast hit a major supportive pillar. Beautifully woven tapestries of day and night alike ripped to pieces and set aflame by the manifestation of the younger’s rage.

No words were uttered, how could they be? The oldest having lost the ability to shout hours before, now the only sign of her sorrow the tears that stain her cheeks.

‘I can’t win this... not if things continue how they are,’ Celestia realizes, quickly throwing up a magical shield to block another of Luna’s, now the self Proclaimed Nightmare Moon’s blasts.

It was starting to crack.

‘It’s not going to hold, she’s too strong!’

Eyes desperately scanning her surroundings the Princess of the Sun spots what may be her only chance at salvation. A small door behind the remains of the throne, seemingly untouched despite the furious battle of the last few hours.

‘I’m sorry, Luna,’

Celestia dashes, dropping her shield just as it’s about to shatter under her sisters wrath. Letting out a yelp of pain as one of her sisters attacks tears a bloody hole through one of her hind legs.

Using her magic to propel herself forwards she bursts through the simple door and into the adjoining room.

Fairly small by the standards the rest of the castle might have maintained and bare of all decoration, the only feature of this room is the large stone pedestal in the center of it, bearing six artifacts of immeasurable importance and power.

‘The Elements of Harmony!’ Celestia mentally exclaims, dashing towards the pedestal and grasping all six of the revered stones with her magic before desperately attempt to yank them from their pedestal.

“I don’t think so dear sister of mine!” A loud voice exclaims from behind, followed by the sensation of an immense amount of dark magic building up.

Celestia rolls to the side, abandoning the Elements and dodging the blast that was meant to take her life by mere inches.

The pedestal however, was not so lucky.

With a sound comparable to rending metal and smashing stone the pedestal explodes, the room filling with a think cloud of dust and the scent of ancient decay.

After several seconds the dust settles, revealing a gaping hole where the pedestal once sat. At least 20 meters deep and perfectly circular aside from where Nightmare’s blast had damaged it.

Both Alicorns pause for a moment staring in mild surprise, neither had ever known of such a tunnel existing, their long departed mother never leaving any mention of it in the castles blueprints.

Their attention is once again diverted when a massive glow obscures their vision, the Elements unharmed and protected by a glowing shield of pure light drop into a deadfall, plummeting into the darkness below.

A second passes,

Then another,

Nightmare Moon and Celestia lock eyes.

Nearly simultaneously both Alicorns push off the shattered ground, powerful wings beating as they dive as fast as possible into the hole, shoving one another to the side in a mad dash to grab falling artifacts.

For what seems like hours, but in reality is only around eight seconds they fall, both gaining numerous cuts and bruises after being shoved into the side walls by each other in their desperate plummet to grab the Artifacts. Horns light, only to have to be diverted from Telekinesis to raising a swift shield to defend from a magic bolt.

Celestia hits the ground first, reaching out and grabbing one of the Elements with a hoof before a bolt from her fallen sister forces her to drop it.

“Please, Luna! Stop this madness!” Celestia cry’s out, desperation and sorrow having filled her eyes.

A scoff, “My name is no longer Luna. In fact, Luna no longer exists. I am Nightmare Moon, the rightful Queen of Equestria! I will make all of them see the true beauty of the Night, for it will last forever!” The maddened sister exclaims, hate in her eyes

“Luna, please! I’m sorry for not noticing... but please! If not for me, for mother she wouldn’t have wanted this!” Celestia cries out, while inching towards fallen elements.

Nightmare scowls, “Mother?! She always cared for you over me, ‘Why can’t you be more like your sister, Luna?’ ‘Quit being silly, Luna ponies sleep at night!’ Look who’s silly now!”

A fresh wave of tears spill from Celestia’s eyes.

“Luna... she loved you. She only ever wanted you to be the best you could be,”

Two hoof steps away from the Artifacts now.

“Love?! Of course you would preach about love, in fact that’s all you ev - “

A loud and particularly vicious crunch interrupts her, both Alicorns whipping their heads towards the direction of the noise.

Celestia, her hoof planted square through the crushed rib cage of an ancient bipedal skeleton.

Both finally taking in the entirety of the room.

Dozens of skeletons, dressed in ancient fatigues and surrounded by the dropped bits of corroded metal and rotted wood. All outside of a massive sealed steel gate labeled ‘Бункер девяносто Шесть’ in faded golden text.

Taking the moment of distraction, Celestia grabs the Elements in her magic bringing them up and pouring her emotions into them.

“I’m sorry, Luna!!!” she screams while Nightmare howls in rage and rushes towards her.

But it was too late.

With a steady hum followed by a bright flash the Elements do their work.

Celestia collapses in exhaustion, sobbing in silence. The only witness being herself and the sorrowful and trapped spirits of those long dead who cry along with her.

All across Equestria terrified ponies exit their homes to gaze a brightening night sky, the only sign of the struggle between two sisters a faint imprint of a mare in the moon.

Elsewhere around the world creatures of all kind take a momentary glance upwards, frowning for a moment before returning to their daily toil.

In the far Frozen north, under layers of snow, ice and rock somewhere nothing living has graced for over 3 millennia is graced with the presence of life.

Three lives to be exact.

Author's Note

First story I’ve written in a very, very long time.

Feel free to leave criticism, or general remarks in the comments below.

All of this has and will be written on a mobile device, due to my computer dying.

Obviously this version of Equestria is one created of my own mind, so not everything will follow canon.

(Obviously)