The Story Of Celestia and Luna(TSOCAL)

Chapters

Manifesto
Rebirth
The Filly Nightmare
Shattered Crystals
The Endless Night: Part 1
The Endless Night: Part 2
The Endless Night: Part 3
Dying Sunlight
Epilogue

Manifesto

2,500 years ago, the sun and moon were moved by Equestria’s beloved rulers, King Tempest and his wife, Queen Faust. But, they knew that they wouldn’t always be around to continue the cycle. To maintain order, they decided to continue their bloodline. Soon, a new life was growing in the queen’s body, and everypony eagerly awaited the day the foal was born.
One day, Faust suddenly collapsed, her eyes wide.

“T-tempest….” She gasped, sweat pouring down her face.

Tempest hurried towards his wife, gently nuzzling her.

“Faust! My darling! Are you…? Is it…?” the king asked.

Though she hid none of her pain and discomfort, the queen’s smile shone upon her husband’s face like a beam of light. The time to welcome the royal heir had come.

The king called the nearest servants to aid the queen to her bedchamber while he rushed to fetch the royal doctor. In the hours that followed, filled with anxiety, pain and unknowing, a pony had been born.

“What is it? Let me see!” King Tempest said.

“In due time, Your Highness. We need to clean off this filly first,” the doctor said, taking the newborn to be sanitized for her first moments of life.

“A filly…?” the king gasped, his knees giving out. “I’m a father now…And she’s my filly…”

“Please, may I hold her?” Queen Faust weakly asked.

“In just a moment,” the doctor said as the nurses did their work.

In seconds, the newborn filly was swaddled up and cradled in her mother’s hooves. She yelped only once before her eyes cracked open and she gazed upon the smiling faces of her parents.

“Darling, look! She sees us! Our daughter sees us!” King Tempest said, barely able to contain his laughter.

“Don’t you see yourself in her face?” Queen Faust asked.

“Now, don’t be so cruel to her when she’s so new to life. She may want to go back,” the king joked.

“Oh, no! It was difficult enough making her leave. She’s staying right here,” Queen Faust said, holding her daughter tighter to her chest.

The filly held just as tightly to her mother, as though she never meant to let go. It was then that the royal parents knew that their daughter would grow to be strong. And that she would use that strength to protect the land that she would one day inherit from them. But, who would that filly be?

In the week that passed, the king and queen argued constantly over a name to pick. Harvest Star sounded like she lived in a mud hut and wore a gown made of hemp. Scarlet Rose made her sound like she tramped around street corners at night looking for cheap tricks to turn. But, they would have to pick a name quickly. In only minutes, they would be introducing her to their subjects.

It seemed like a frightening prospect to the filly, who cried and fussed loudly as her mother tried to make her look presentable for the kingdom.

“Please, please! Calm down, my little pony,” Queen Faust desperately muttered.

“How is she coming?” King Tempest asked. One look from his wife, and he knew it was a stupid question.

“Of all the days! Our daughter won’t calm herself. Her nanny is on vacation. And she still doesn’t have a name to share with the kingdom!” Queen Faust said, as she tried in vain to console her filly.

King Tempest shook his head at the sight and did the one thing that seemed to placate their screaming daughter. He magically took the mobile that hung over her crib and hovered it over her head. The second she saw the spinning sun, stars, moons and planets, the filly slowly stopped crying and reached for the sun.

When she saw that, the queen’s face lit up. “Husband! Perhaps if we named her–” she looked around, wary of any nearby listeners and whispered the name in her husband’s ear.

“That’s brilliant!!” King Tempest declared, dropping the mobile to the floor as he did.

Their daughter began fussing once more, and he hastily hovered the mobile for her again.

“Your highnesses,” one of the servants called. “It’s time.”

The servant looked doubtful, but the king and queen felt more ready to face the masses than they had all week. And with the poise and stature expected of royalty, they walked onto the balcony and announced the arrival of the heir to their kingdom, Princess Celestia.

In the time that passed, Celestia grew to be adored by the staff of the castle. Except for whenever she was bored.

“Get back here!!” one of the castle cook’s screamed.

Young Celestia rushed out of the kitchen with a plateful of pastries on her back. She turned just in time to avoid having a large colander slammed over her.

“I’ll make you pay for this, you little gutter rat!!” the cook yelled as he charged after her.

Celestia giggled as she ran from the angry cook, her prize balanced perfectly upon her back. She ran up a flight of stairs and was nearly at her bedroom, before she suddenly felt the plate snatched from her back.

“And what is the meaning of this?” King Tempest sternly asked.

Celestia’s ears drooped as she looked at her father’s scowling face. Behind her, she heard the steps of the cook rushing toward her and hid behind her father.

“You rancid little tripe! I’ll tell your mother and father about–” the cook stopped himself as he screeched to a halt before the king.

“Tart Framboise? What’s going on?” the king asked.

“Ahem– Your daughter has been helping herself to the pastries again,” the cook growled through his teeth.

“I supposed as much,” the king said, glancing at his daughter, who hid from his gaze.

“I know that it’s not my place, Your Highness, but perhaps the princess needs to occupy herself with something else during the day,” the cook said, glaring at the princess.

Celestia stuck her tongue out at him in response.

“Yes. As it so happens, I was going to discuss such a thing with my queen just now. So, Celestia, if you’ll confine yourself to your room,” King Tempest said.

Celestia knew that tone. Without question, she went to her room and shut herself inside. Directly after, the king went to his own bedroom, where he locked the door.

The cook was thrilled that the princess was finally going to get some real discipline introduced to her, and pressed his ear to the king’s door. He listened eagerly, waiting to hear what punishment would befall the princess.

The voices muttered inside, too low for the cook to hear. He cleaned out his ear with a hoof, promising to wash it before he resumed work and put his ear back on the door.

“YOU WANT TO HAVE ANOTHER FOAL!!??”

The queen’s voice shrieked so loudly that the cook’s whole body rattled. He shook the ringing out of his ears and listened to the rest of the conversation. All he heard was the queen’s joyous laughter and the sounds of her lavishing her love onto the king. This had been the king’s plan. To give to Celestia a sibling. Somepony who she could teach all of her tricks of the trade to and call for backup in her mischief. Feeling more defeated than ever, the cook slumped his way back to the kitchen.

Celestia was told the news that she may have a sibling soon. That she would have a new responsibility to undertake in her new role as a big sister. Even though Celestia hardly understood what such a thing entailed, she accepted the gravity of her parents’ words as proof that things were going to change for her very soon.

In time, it came to pass that the queen was pregnant once more, and that same feeling of jubilant elation spread through the palace. With another foal, things were going to change for everypony. A new spot would have to be set at the table. A new desk would have to be made for the royal classroom. And Celestia was made to promise to stop stealing from the kitchen, to stop tromping through the gardens, to not treat the fountains as her own personal waterpark, to not use the book trolleys in the library as bumper cars, and to try and be the best possible example she could be for her new sibling. But, just in case, the kitchen staff set up a few extra security measures.

In the months that passed Celestia watched as her new sibling grew inside of her mother. Day after day, she waited and hoped for the baby to come, and was repeatedly met with a disappointing answer. But, she was always assured that the baby would come when it was ready. One day, only days after Celestia had stopped asking, she and her mother were walking in the gardens, when Queen Faust’s breaths became labored and she sat down on the nearest planter.

“Celestia…” she said, tears in her eyes, “Fetch the doctor. The baby’s come early…”

Celestia watched as her mother’s face twisted in pain. Why was the baby hurting her so much? Did she already hate her family?

“Go!” the queen said.

Celestia did as she was told and ran to fetch the doctor. In less than an hour, the queen was taken to her chambers by a group of guards, the doctor, the nurse and the midwife were waiting for her, and the king arrived just in time for the birth of his second foal.

The process seemed easier the second time. The queen struggled much less, though her pain was just as great. The seconds passed, and Celestia held onto her father, wondering why her mother was in such pain. Soon the sounds of pain passed, and Celestia heard the sounds of a baby crying. All she had time to see was something very small being passed to the doctors and nurses.

“She’s here…” King Tempest said, his knees giving out again.

Celestia had to move to avoid being squashed by her falling father. She looked at her father, wondering why he was smiling when he had just fallen over. When she turned to the sounds of the crying baby, she could see nothing past the adults that surrounded it. All she could do was watch and wonder what was going on. But, it was only seconds before she saw a swaddled bundle passed to her mother.

“This is her. Our second daughter!” Queen Faust laughed as she held the tiny bundle.

Celestia wandered around to the other side of the bed, trying to get a better look at what her mother was holding.

“Celestia. Come up and greet your new sister,” Queen Faust said, magically pulling over a chair for her daughter to climb upon.

With a little help from her father, Celestia was able to climb to the seat of the chair. She leaned over to see what her mother held, but saw only the bottom of the white bundle. But, the little princess wouldn’t be stopped.

“Celestia! Wait a moment!” King Tempest said as his eldest daughter climbed up to the back of the chair.

He was unable to stop her from climbing from there to the backboard of the queen’s bed. From there, Celestia was finally able to see what her mother held. It was a very small, very feeble filly. One who had a deep blue coat and a lighter blue mane that peeked out from beneath her wrappings. It was her. Her own little sister.

The baby looked at Celestia and reached a tiny hoof for her.

“It seems that she already wants to get to know you? Do you want to come down and say hello?” Queen Faust asked.

Celestia didn’t know what the baby could have wanted to know. They had only just met. Without understanding much, Celestia carefully climbed down from the headboard and allowed her sister to touch the tip of her snout. Her nose twitched and Celestia sniffed harshly.

“She’s saying ‘hello,’” the queen giggled as she cradled her filly.

It was certainly the strangest ‘hello’ that Celestia had ever received. Whatever it was, she wasn’t inclined to hear it again.

“Celestia? Do you know how you were named?” King Tempest asked.

Celestia shook her head.

“You were named for the sun. And because your sister is to complement you, she will be named for the moon. Princess Luna.”

And just as it was with Celestia, her sister was introduced to the ponies of the kingdom one week after her birth. However, there were some setbacks.

Unlike her sister, Luna was completely inconsolable. She screamed and fussed all through the ceremony. By the time her name was announced to the kingdom, her voice had become loud and cacophonic, sending chills through the bodies of the onlookers. And it all came to a head when a thick, blue fog descended onto the balcony, cutting the ceremony short.

Celestia had watched the whole thing from a distance, and hid when her parents rushed back in with her sister. She listened as Luna cried incessantly, never once stopping until she wore herself out and cried herself to sleep.

Queen Faust laid her youngest in her crib and sighed. Such a thing was never supposed to happen. Not since the gods had stopped talking to them. She left her filly to sleep, and left to the hallway beyond. There, she saw Celestia watching her with a puzzled look on her face.

“Celestia. Dearest. You must have some questions about what had just happened,” Queen Faust said.

Celestia said nothing, staring silently at her mother.

“Now, listen to me. I promise that in good time, everything will make sense to you. For now, why don’t you go play in your nursery while your father and I take care of some things.”

That night, when the moon had been risen well into the sky and the majority of the castle staff had gone to sleep, the king and queen secreted themselves away to a hidden chamber within the castle. They descended deeper into the castle depths to a vaulted room. Beneath where the vaults met, an altar stood. Around it, the effigies of the deities forgotten by the citizens of the kingdom.

The king and queen looked at one another, knowing that if they backed out that things would only be worse for them. They placed their hooves on the altar, and a dim light glowed from within it.

“O gods of Earth and Life. Why have you called upon us?” King Tempest asked.

Two of the statues that surrounded the altar illuminated with the same glow.

“You must show the two their destinies…” the god of life’s voice lowly rumbled.

“Their…” Queen Faust stammered, before her voice choked.

“No! There must be another way!” King Tempest said.

“There is no other way…” the god of earth said next. “You know what must be done…”

Tears streamed down the face of the queen as she begged in vain for her foals to be spared such a thing. To wait until they were older and more prepared to face their demons. But, it was not the will of the gods.

There was a sudden flash, and Celestia found herself somewhere deep in some terrible forest. Her room at the palace had gone. Her parents had gone. The entire world that she knew had gone. The only shred of familiarity left was the nearby cries of her younger sister.

Celestia rushed to her sister’s side, trying to console her. She had seen the ways that her parents stopped her from crying. But there was no bed to put her in, and no bottle to feed her. The more she looked around, the more Celestia began to notice the unfamiliar sounds from beyond the darkness. Among them, the sounds of approaching hooves.

Hoping it was one of their parents, Celestia turned to see a large figure walking toward her. One that was much too large to be either of her parents. She held her sister close, ready to run away with her.

The figure drew closer, and Celstia found herself faced with the strangest creature she had ever seen. It looked almost like an elk, but it was all wrong. Its muzzle looked like granite. Its fur looked green and mossy, with many leaves clinging to it. Its hooves were split too many times. Strangest of all, its antlers spread out in a way that Celestia couldn’t decide looked like a tree’s branches or its roots.

Luna stopped crying in the presence of the thing, which stared at the two fillies. It lowered its head in a way that Celestia had seen other ponies doing to her parents when they wanted to show that they were friends. When she saw it, she loosened her grip on her sister.

“You need not be afraid, little ones. But if you wish to return home, you must find your destiny,” the creature said.

Celestia looked at the thing, wondering what it could have meant.

“I understand that you must have many questions. But, all I can say is that your destiny is something that you must find on your own,” it said, before turning around. “Come. There is a place that you may stay this way. Take your sister and follow me.”

Celestia watched the thing go further down the path, showing no signs of stopping to wait for her. Quickly, she wrapped one part of her sister’s swaddle over her neck and trotted after the thing. In a short time, she lost sight of her monstrous guide and a chill wind blew. Only a parade of fallen leaves blew past her. But, she could see something ahead. A light. And the closer she got, she could see more lights. Soon, she found herself in a tiny town just at the edge of the forest.

Hope filled the little filly, who quickly ran to the nearest adult she could find. However, anypony she approached acted like they hadn’t seen or heard her. Not one seemed to care for the lost foal and her infant sister. In time, Celestia had given up trying to get anypony to notice her and found an abandoned mattress somewhere in the back alleys to lay down for the night.

The time passed. Celestia relied on her experiences in pilfering the royal kitchen to provide food and water for herself and her sister. Their tiny mattress was built upon with a lean-to and a curtain to shelter them. The two of them listened by the windows of a tiny classroom to educate themselves after they were thrown out for disrupting so many lessons. Through it all, Celestia tried to make sense of what the creature in the woods had told her.

What was their destiny? And how were they supposed to find it?

Author's Note

So here is Chapter 1 of TSOCAL! What fate will befall the royal siblings? Updates will be as they come, but I promise it'll be worth all the wait for each chapter ^^

Rebirth

Another day, and the sun rose again on the ramshackle town that rested by the darkened forest. Its light shone down on everything and everypony that it could from so high up. Yet, there were some places that even the light of the sun didn’t reach. In the back alleys of the town, a tiny lean-to rested in the shadows. The curtain that covered the front shook, and the filly who rested within poked her head out into the world.

Things hadn’t looked bright for Celestia for years. Not since her early fillyhood where she was suddenly spirited away from her home and her family for no reason or means that she could logically think of. By then, she hardly remembered the faces of her parents, or what her life had been like before.

Behind herself, Celestia heard the rustling of her younger sister shuffling around on the mattress. She turned around and took a stale piece of bread from a ratty burlap pouch and broke it in half. Luna awoke to the sight of the rock hard hunk setting upon her blanket.

“Could you not do that? You know I hate the crumbs on my blanket,” Luna moaned.

“Oh, you’re just too much of a lazy-butt to shake the crumbs out,” Celestia replied with a weak chuckle, as she swept some of the crumbs out.

Luna rolled her eyes and started gnawing hungrily at the rock hard bread. For Luna, it was easy. She remembered nothing of their old life but vague details Celestia had told her.

“Couldn’t we get something else to eat? I could go for some fruit or mushy peas right now,” Luna said as she crunched on her bite.

“Sorry. Bread’s all ponies seem to leave out these days, and I’m still sore from the last time I was caught with something fresh,” Celestia replied.

Celestia looked at her sister, who looked as lean and frail as she had the day that they had arrived in the forest. Though she had grown, she hardly looked any stronger.

“Didn’t you say we came from somewhere beyond the forest, with good food?” Luna asked as she munched on her meager meal and stared towards the treeline.

“I told you, some big stone building, and I don’t remember much more. We were both so young at the time,” Celestia said, before she bit into her own piece of bread and harshly swallowed it, the jagged edges stinging her throat as it went down.

“Wait. You don’t mean to face the forest, do you? You know what the grown ups say about it!”

“Well, it can’t be much worse than here, with its stale bread and mean ponies. What worse can there be somewhere else?” Luna pointed out with sad eyes.

Despite her younger years, there was wisdom in Luna’s words. Celestia feebly nibbled her piece of bread, feeling the crumbs fill her stomach decently; it wasn’t her best meal, but better than the last few days.

“Fine. When we’re done with breakfast, we’ll pack up and be on our way,”

In response, Luna gorged down her breakfast more quickly than she had in months. Taking her sister’s cue, Celestia did the same, not caring for the crumbs that either of them were making. After wiping off their mouths and dealing with stomach pressure, they for a moment simply smiled at each other and hugged, feeling happier than they had in weeks.

They then rolled up their blankets and tied them to their backs, then took jars to the well in town and filled them with water, and finally, managed to sneak away with some fresh pastries from the local bakery. With their supplies packed up into their blankets, the two sisters were on their way.

They had been told their whole lives that the woods were not a place for ponies to go, that whoever went in almost never came out, and those who went in deep enough were completely forgotten about by the ponies of the town. For them, that would have been preferable, because the second that Celestia and Luna crossed the treeline, they felt somehow more free and hopeful than they ever had living in that nowhere town. And so, the two of them walked on, never once looking back at where they had come from.

Onward they walked, further along the trail through the many trees, until the trail disappeared altogether. Even then, the fillies couldn’t be stopped. They climbed over the rocks that blocked their way and continued on through the dense woods. Only once that day did they stop for lunch and rest. Along the way, they foraged for the plants and mushrooms that they knew to be safe to eat and refilled their water supply at a river they crossed.

Sooner than either one of them knew, it was nighttime. Even with just the sun barely gone below the horizon, the forest took on a completely different face. There was something ominous about the encroaching darkness, as though it came from somewhere within the very trees like some beast that had awoken for its nightly hunt.

Celestia gathered kindling and lit it with a match to get a fire going, and the sisters laid out their blankets. Luna had expressed her concerns about sleeping in the place where ponies were said to never return from, but her sister assured her that the morning would come soon enough and the fire would scare away beasts. Taking Celestia’s word for it, Luna allowed herself to lie down and try to go to sleep.

A distant howl cut through the night.

“What was that!?” Luna said, sitting suddenly upright.

Celestia’s ears swiveled around, listening for any other noises of the night
.

“It must have been a wolf,”

“A wolf!?”

“Don’t worry about it, Lulu. It probably wasn’t anywhere near here.”

“Then, why don’t I hear anything else?”

The revelation was disturbing to Celestia, who suddenly realized that after that howl all of the other noises of the night had stopped abruptly, with not even the buzzing of any insects or the crunch of leaves. There was the sound of a heavy step.

“What was that!?

“It…It was probably nothing,”

“Nothing doesn’t make noise!”

Another step. The sisters carefully looked around, hoping to at least see their nighttime intruder.

“The fire!” Celestia whispered.

Sacrificing the tiny bit of water that she had left, Luna doused flames and hurriedly pushed dirt on the embers. When she was done, she stopped cold at the sight before her.

“What are you looking at?” Celestia said.

Luna pointed to the trees. Up into the branches, where Celestia saw a gigantic pair of green eyes staring directly back at her. There was one last step, and the owner of the eyes revealed itself in the starlight. When it did, it kept getting taller the moment that it stepped out from beneath the trees.

The fillies huddled together at the sight of the timberwolf, its wooden body creaking like a fallen tree as it reared back its head. Its mouth opened up, revealing the dark abyss beyond its wall of teeth, prepared to swallow anything that it could bite, and a rotting stench of death followed out.

Celestia looked at the thing, then to her sister. At her hoof, there was one of the loaves of bread she had stolen that day.

“Start running. Now,”

“Then what?”

There was no time for such foolishness. Celestia shoved her sister aside and threw the bread at the beast.

The timberwolf caught it in its mouth, its teeth not even touching the bread. The moment it swallowed, it saw two fillies running in opposite directions. Between the two, it chose the one that was easier to see in the darkness.

Celestia ran, hearing the heavy steps of the wolf behind her. She knew she had to survive. Without her, there would be nopony to guide her sister back home. Except, as the green light of the wolf’s eyes began to overtake her, Celestia began to doubt if she would be there for her sister much longer.

~~~~

Luna had run just as her sister had instructed her. She scrambled up the slopes of a rocky bank as quickly as she could. When she reached level ground, she looked back over her shoulder, she saw the green lights of the beast’s eyes trampling through the trees. She couldn’t do it. Not when her own sister was in such danger.

Back at the camp, there were the matches they had used to start the fire. If the wood of the wolf’s body was as dry as it had sounded, then the plan could work. Luna rushed back to the camp, hoping that she would be in time.

~~~~

Celestia ran between a pair of closely packed trees, hoping that the timber wolf wouldn’t follow her. She was terrified to hear the cracking of wood and the crunching of earth being upended.

There was a crash next to her, and Celestia yelped as a tree landed only a few feet beside her. Without thinking, she jumped onto the fallen tree and up to the branches of another.

The snap of the timber wolf’s jaws nipped at her hooves as she scrambled around to the other side of the tree. Branches were torn out from beneath her, and the fangs of the wolf got closer with each lunge.

Celestia climbed to the next branch, and the wolf shook the tree. Her hooves slipped from their hold, and she fell back to the next lowest branch. She could see the light of the wolf’s eyes looking directly at her, and its mouth opened slightly.

Another light flared up from below. A small, reddish-orange light that grew suddenly in size, illuminating the form of Luna.

Luna winced as she quickly grabbed the flaming matchbox with her magic, her blue aura flickering around her cracked horn. She watched the wolf carefully, picking her moment. The wolf stood up on its back legs, and Luna thrusted the flaming box into its leg.

The wolf bellowed in pain as the fire spread quickly through the dry debris that intertwined with its leg. Luna dodged as it fell onto the ground and began thrashing wildly to put out its flaming limb.

The beast stood up and jumped about, trying in vain to douse the flames. Luna was caught underneath it, dodging its pounding claws.

The fire began to spread and the wolf lashed its head around, catching its own leg in its jaws. With a loud crunch, it ripped its own leg off and tossed the flaming appendage aside.

The wolf rolled over and snapped at Luna, who stepped just out of the way. Celestia hurried down the tree to her sister’s aid, until Luna ran past her.

“This way!” Luna yelled.

Celestia followed after her, all too ready to make their escape. Behind them, the beast followed. Though it was down a leg, it was only marginally slower. Luna led her sister back to the rocky slope that she had climbed before. She looked over her shoulder and saw the timber wolf still in pursuit.

“It’s still coming!” Celestia yelped.

Luna looked up the slope and saw the answer to their troubles.

“Up there!” she said.

Celestia looked and saw a very large rock that looked liable to fall at the slightest touch. The sounds of the timber wolf drew their attention.

“Go! I’ll keep it here!” Luna shouted.

“No! I’ll be the bait!” was the protested reply.

“You have the stronger magic! Now, go!”

There was no arguing that ever since Luna’s horn had cracked that Celestia’s magic was more reliable. And the quickly approaching timber wolf ended any argument she could have made.

Celestia climbed up the rest of the rocky slope. All the way up to where the teetering rock rested. She looked around the side of the rock and saw her sister cornered by the beast. She flared up her magic, and the rock started sliding slowly toward the edge.

Luna backed herself further away from the wolf, which eyed her hungrily. She looked up to her sister, making sure that she was clear. A growl in front of her brought her attention back to the wolf.

There was a vicious growl, and Luna felt the entire side of her body punctured by the fangs of the beast. She was shaken harshly, then thrown aside, her little body bleeding profusely.

“Luna!!” Celestia shrieked.

The wolf looked up at Celestia, and began climbing the slope.

Celestia flared her magic more strongly, pushing the rock further to the edge.

Luna’s eye cracked open, and she saw the beast slowly ascending to her sister. The moon had risen up, silhouetting the wolf’s body against it.

The moon. That wondrous orb that she had gazed upon night after night as she imagined the life that Celestia had told her about. The sight of it filled her with that same feeling. Their journey had only begun. No way was she going to let it end so soon.

Luna’s horn began to flicker its magical aura, and the rock up the slope became overwhelmed by it. Celestia backed away as her own magic was overtaken.

The wolf rose up over the ledge, and was immediately hit by the rock as it tumbled over. Wolf and boulder went tumbling back down the slope, the broken piece of the wolf’s body breaking to splinters.

By the time it reached the bottom, only half of the beast remained. It whimpered pitifully as it tried to drag its body away, until the light in its eye dimmed into nothingness and it laid still.

Celestia hurried back down the slope, where she found Luna’s bloodied form resting against one of the rocks.

“We did it,” Luna weakly smiled.

Celestia couldn’t find the words to say to her sister, who was bleeding out before her eyes. Never would she have expected in a thousand years that Luna’s life would end before her own. Even less did she think that Luna would have given her life to save her own.

Luna’s side slowly rose and fell with each labored breath. There was a smile on her face as her eyes slowly closed.

“You should…keep going…Whatever there is beyond the woods…you need to find it…"

Celestia watched as Luna released one last breath, before she ceased moving altogether. Tears flooded her eyes as she held her sister. She would have to make the journey alone now.

High above, the moon shone more brightly than it had ever before, and a ray of light touched the top of the rocky slope.

“Take your sister and ascend,” a voice bade.

Celestia looked around for the source of the voice, but saw only the beam of light that glowed at the top of the slope. There was no knowing what awaited her there, but there was one way to find out. She picked up Luna and carefully placed her on her back.

The first step up the slope was the most difficult that Celestia had taken in her entire life. In moments, she began to feel her sister’s blood trickling down her sides, and down her hooves. Still, she carried on, until she was finally at the top. What she saw there shocked her.

The creature who had greeted her on her first night in the woods stood before her. The thing looked at her, its face an emotionless mask.

“You and your sister have done well to come so far,” it said in its hollow voice.

“What do you mean? How well could I have done?” Celestia asked, holding her sister’s limp hoof.

“Better than either of you could have thought.”

Celestia saw that the first creature was joined by a second. One that was like a bird, but at once like a pony. Its entire form was solid blue with swirls of white that flowed across its form, like the clouds across the sky.

“Tonight, the two of you have proven that you would go to any length to keep one another safe. Even if it meant your life. Exactly the quality that the future rulers of Equestria need.”

“The…”

“Tia, what do they mean?”

Celestia quickly looked over her shoulder and saw her sister weakly lifting her head, her eyes barely cracked open.

“Lulu! You’re alright!” Celestia said, a smile across her face.

“Yes. And it’s not a gift given lightly,” a third creature said.

The third creature looked like a deer. At once like a fawn, but with the wisdom and years of a fully grown doe.

“A life given for another is beyond precious. You both would do well to appreciate it. Which is why I grant you both eternal life.”

“What does that mean?” Luna wondered.

There was no answer from the fawn, which disappeared as suddenly as it had come. The elk approached next.

“From the earth, there comes shelter and nourishment. Yet, there are also dangers that arise. And so, I grant you freedom from illness and aversion to injury,” it said.

“What does that mean?” Luna repeated.

The elk crumbled apart, rejoining the earth that it had come from. Finally, the bird-pony creature stepped forth.

“I suppose all that’s left is for me to grant you both flight,” it said.

“Flight!? We can fly!?” Luna said, knowing precisely what that meant.

A gentle light emanated from the creature, before it rocketed up into the sky and disappeared with a twinkle of light.

They were alone once again. Neither of the filly’s knew what to make of the sudden happenstance. While Celestia was trying to make sense of anything, Luna was climbing off of her sister’s back, and made an impressive discovery that made her yelp.

“What is it?” Celestia said.

“Your wings!”

“My what?”

Both had been born as unicorns, and knew full well that unicorns didn’t have wings. But when she investigated her own sides, Celestia was shocked to find that she had in fact grown wings.

“Lulu!! I have wings!!” Celestia squealed.

“I know!” Luna said, flaunting her own pair of wings.

The sister circled one another, examining the new limbs that they had been granted. Neither knew why they were given such wonderful gifts, but knew that it was something special to be cherished. Even more was what they found on one another’s flanks.

What was once a blank space was now adorned with a mark. On Celestia, a radiant sun. On Luna, a glowing moon. The sisters slowly faced one another, their mouths agape in awe. More than their new wings, their cutie marks were a thing to celebrate. If only there were some way to do so.

A new light suddenly shone in the sky. It was no star. That much, they could tell. Especially the way that it was drifting slowly across the sky. The way that it called to them.

Luna spread her wings for the very first time. It was grand, to say the least. A wonderful feeling of freedom and renewal that she had never known before. Celestia took one look at her sister’s wingspan, and a devious smile spread across her face.

“Race you to the star!” Celestia said, running forth with her wings spread.

“Hey! No fair getting a head start!” Luna yelled as she followed her sister.

The fillies ran through the forest, trying and failing repeatedly to get liftoff as they chased after the wayward star. In time, they both managed to get off the ground, however clumsily. They flew higher and higher into the night sky, and the star seemed to grow ever closer to them. There was a light from the star, which soon filled the sky. When it was gone, the fillies found that they were no longer in the forest, but somewhere at once strange and familiar.

~~~

The night had been long for Queen Faust. Paper after paper. File after file. Stamp after stamp. Signature after Signature. The most dull, mind-numbing experience she knew. All part of being royalty, she supposed.

One more paper, and her quill trailed a line of ink across the surface as she laid her head down on her desk. How much longer could this go on?

She jolted as something deep within herself awakened. Deep in her very soul, a tug was felt. Though she had no reason to believe what it was telling her, she knew it was true. Quick as anything, the queen rounded her desk and dashed out of her office into the halls. She ran down the corridors, until she nearly plowed into her husband.

“You felt it?” King Tempest asked.

The queen nodded, her eyes wide. Taking his wife by her hoof, King Tempest ran with his wife through the castle. Neither knew where. Only with their feelings to guide them, they knew that they would find it.

“Your Highnesses! Here!” a guard called.

“What is it, guard?” the king asked.

“They’re here! Alicorns! Two of-"

Before the guard or the king knew what was happening, Queen Faust had run into the castle foyer, where a group of guards had gathered around two very familiar fillies.

“I don’t believe it. It’s real!” one guard said, examining Luna’s wings and horn.

“Wings. Horn. The whole shebang. We got some alicorns here!” another guard said.

“How’d this happen?” yet another guard asked.

“We told you. We followed a star and ended up here,”

Celestia almost went on explaining the whole thing to the guards again, when she noticed the mare at the top of the stairs. A face she hadn’t seen since she had been taken from her home all those years ago. Slowly, she gravitated toward the mare, her steps under a force beyond her own power.

“Momma…?” Celestia said, scarcely daring to believe it.

A tear leaked from the queen’s eye as she nodded.

“Momma!!” Celestia shouted as she dashed up the stairs.

Hardly any time passed from when she was at the bottom of the stairs to when she was embraced in her mother’s hooves. She was home now. And she never planned to leave again.

Luna observed from the bottom of the stairs, not knowing how to feel. She had barely ever known her mother’s face, having been an infant when she was taken from her family and home that she never knew. As Celestia showed off her wings and her cutie mark, she was joined by a stallion who she called ‘Papa.’ Whoever he was, Celestia pointed out that Luna had gotten hers as well.

The stallion’s attention was drawn to Luna, who waited below him. The second he saw her, the stallion trotted down the steps to the filly, who stepped back from him.

“You’re Luna?” he asked.

“Uh-huh,” Luna unsurely said.

The stallion smiled widely. “You’re my daughter, Luna!” he said.

Luna was unprepared for when the stallion lifted her up and twirled her around. For years, Celestia had told her how wonderful their father had been. Only now, she didn’t realize how understated her sister’s recollection was.

The natural order was to be upheld. In time, the responsibility to move the sun and moon, to rule over the kingdom of Equestria, was going to fall to the filles. For now, they were going to enjoy their time as a family. Made whole once more by the odd machinations of fate.

Author's Note

Expect weekly updates! I'm so excited to show you guys what this story has to offer!

The Filly Nightmare

The road to becoming the rulers that Equestria deserved was a long and difficult one, and their parents could tell it would be an uphill battle with Luna’s poor manners, so training for the fillies began immediately.

The sisters were soon put into school to learn the history of their kingdom and the tenets that it had been built upon, which was quite different from the pauper’s education they’d gotten so far. Celestia took to the books as readily as anything, but Luna was hardly able to focus on anything that she was doing. And the sisters’ mischief didn’t help anything.

One day, Celestia had snuck a bag of frozen peas and a hollow reed into class. She loaded a pea into the reed and blew it into the back of their instructor’s head. Their instructor turned around and noticed nothing, then naively went back to her lesson. By the third time that she was hit, Celestia’s desk was moved to the front of the chalkboard, where her teacher could see her.

Luna sat at her desk behind their instructor, disappointed that the fun had ended so early. Or had it?

A nearby standing candelabra caught her eye, and she used her magic to pull it over. Since her ascension to alicornhood, her horn had healed and she was able to stealthily pull the candelabra closer. Her instructor turned around and Luna sat innocently with her magic neutralized, completely without the instructor realizing that the candelabra had moved a full four feet closer to Luna. Once her back was turned, Luna’s evil work began.

As quietly as she could Luna unscrewed the candelabra at the middle, taking the hollow bottom half for herself to use. Celestia had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing as she watched Luna load the apple she had taken for lunch into the base. Luna raised the gigantic blowgun to her lips, and her instructor turned around.

Luna whipped the blowgun behind her chair, hoping that the instructor hadn’t noticed the magical aura that was still glowing behind her back. Once Luna had answered the question that was posed to her, her instructor turned back around. That was her undoing.

The position was perfect. Their instructor’s flank swayed back and forth as she wrote on the chalkboard. Luna aimed down the sights of her blowgun and put her lips to the opening.

Celestia bit her lip and snickered to herself.

The moment that she was asked what was so funny, Luna let fire. The apple flew straight and true, hitting their instructor squarely in her flank, making the mare jump forth so much that she landed on her blackboard, flipping herself over to the other end and revealing the rude picture that Celestia had drawn on the other side.

Between the antics of the two princesses, the king and queen dreaded the thought of the two of them one day using the sun and moon as weapons in a duel with one another. Still, one day they would both understand the discipline and responsibility that was required to do such a thing. And they would both have plenty of time.

Even as the king and queen and everypony else aged, the fillies remained fillies, which was soon noticed. While Celestia and Luna stayed young, the king’s beard had begun to turn grey, and the queen’s eyes had lost their sparkle. And it began to alarm the fillies as they saw their own friends from the kingdom grow up without them.

Time had lost its effect on them. And it frightened them. One day, everyone they knew wouldn’t be there. They would continue to grow and age, until they were no more.

Still, they were assured that it wasn’t so bad. That there were others who were like them. And when the color of their parents’ hair had almost completely greyed, they were introduced to such other creatures.

Luna and Celestia were at the front of the castle, wearing their best clothes as they sat in the courtyard.

“Why do I have to wear this dorky dress?” Luna said as she tangled with her oversized skirt.

“Because you need to look your best for when your new friends arrive,” Queen Faust said as she combed and pinned Luna’s mane.

“How do you know we’ll be friends? I don’t want to be forced into being friends with somepony I hate,” Luna said, as she took out one of the pins from her own mane and let it flow freely in the breeze.

“If you two are anything to go by,” King Tempest said as he forcibly reapplied the pin into Celestia’s mane, “then you are most certainly going to get along with these two.”

Celestia didn’t like the sound of that. That tone her father used was the same one that always made her want to go hide in her room when she was a filly. For as little as he seemed to think of her, it made her think that the new arrivals were going to be a couple of delinquents.

There was a sound from somewhere above. A loud, whirring, buzzing sound like the world’s biggest bee was about to pollinate the entire royal garden by itself. A shadow soon hovered over them all, and the sound of the buzzing grew even louder. The fillies looked up, and there in the sky above them was the biggest insect they ever saw. Only, it wasn’t an insect.

It looked like a hornet, but at once it looked like a dragon. A gigantic maw filled with fangs beneath a pair of royal purple compound eyes. Three pairs of long, spindly legs which ended in five clawed feet reached down to the ground as the creature landed. Its translucent wings folded onto its chitinous golden back and it looked over the family before it.

The thing only looked briefly at Celestia and Luna, who stepped back from the monstrosity before them. Finally, it fixated totally on King Tempest. The king’s eyes flashed as he glowered at the monster.

Queen Faust rolled her eyes at the sight. “Here it comes,” she sighed.

Quicker than any of them could blink, the dragon-hornet had brought one of its many legs crashing down on King Tempest, who was holding it up with only his front hooves. He began leaning to the side under the power of the monster, until a sudden surge of strength allowed him to push back to the other side and flip the beast over like it was a flapjack.

“And it is decreed: the hoof wrestling champion still reigns!” King Tempest bombastically declared.

“You’re getting softer, old-timer. One day, you’ll be lying on your back with your hooves tied in a knot,” the beast chuckled.

His laughter spread to King Tempest, who helped the beast up and heartily embraced him.

“Stallions. Go figure,” Queen Faust muttered to her daughters.

She approached the two men as they laughed jovially with one another. Taking her cue, Celestia and Luna followed after her, though at a distance. The second they were close enough, the beast looked over them.

“So! These must be the daughters that you’ve been boasting about,” he said.

“Indeed, they are,” King Tempest said. “This is Celestia and Luna. Daughters, this is King Mandible of the changelings.”

“Soon to be the former king of the changelings,” King Mandible said. “Chrysalis. Come out.”

“I’m already here, dad,” a nearby voice said.

As if the foliage in the nearby planters had come alive, a creature much like King Mandible walked out of them. Only, she wasn’t like her father. She was much smaller, only slightly taller than Celestia was. Her chitinous shell was marked with patterns that looked like the flowers and fronds in the planter, and her four legs ended in hooves. On her back was a pair of translucent insect wings, and atop her head was a curved horn like a single antenna. Most unlike her father, she had the face and eyes of a pony.

“Are these the alicorns?” Chrysalis asked.

“Yes. And I’d expect you to treat them as well as you would any one of your friends,” King Mandible said.

“Yeah. Hanging out with a couple of little fillies. Whoopee,” Chrysalis murmured to herself.

Celestia gave her a nasty look, letting her silently know that she wasn’t too happy to be hanging around a sullen stranger who was older than she was.

“Since you’re here. We just have to wait for Dissonance and her little boy,” Queen Faust said to King Mandible.

“It’s strange. I saw her on the way here. I guessed that she was going to be here before me,” King Mandible said.

He stepped in a puddle, which yelped the second his claw touched it. Everypony jumped back as the puddle shot up like a geyser and stood straight upward. From its sides, several limbs lashed out and melded into its body over and over. Finally, a single eye opened up at the top of the churning amorphous mass, which took on a more reddish color, then blue, then green, then yellow.

Luna eeped and hid behind Celestia, who remained relatively composed as she patted her younger sister.

“Dissonance. Always one to make an entrance,” King Tempest said.

“Admit it. You were this close to pissing yourselves,” Queen Dissonance said, holding two of her appendages less than an inch apart.

“Hm. You don’t seem to be as eloquent today,” Queen Faust said.

A second creature that looked exactly like Queen Dissonance rose up behind the first and slapped it on the back of the head.

“OW! Mom!” the first creature said.

“Discord! Did we not discuss how to conduct ourselves for our royal peers!?” the second asked in a voice that sounded like two creatures speaking at once.

“Aw, come on. I was just having a little fun.”

The second creature smacked the first again, and the first creature changed immediately to what looked like a mix of a hundred different other animals.

“Now. Stand up straight and introduce yourself,” Queen Dissonance sternly said.

The mishmash creature sighed, stood as stiff as a board then bowed as graciously as he could.

“Greetings and salutations, my new and future friends. My name is Discord, future lord of chaos,” he said, his speech mechanical and monotone.

“Looks like the lord of the sideshows,” Celestia whispered to Luna.

“Maybe, if we ask him, he’ll bite the head off a chicken,” Luna whispered back.

“Psh…This is gonna be a real blast,” Chrysalis muttered grimly to herself.

And so, the four of them met, and their day had begun. The adults left them alone, knowing that they would eventually be friends. At first, they children wanted nothing to do with one another. However, it was Celestia who brought the group together. When she revealed that she had stolen back her reed blowgun, she decided to show the others how to have fun with it.

The baker from Celestia’s foalhood still worked in the castle. And as the four peeked into the kitchen, Celestia loaded her blowgun with a tart cranberry and let fly at the back of the baker’s head. The cranberry hit home and the baker’s face went splat into the oversized cherries jubilee that he was preparing.

The children all started to laugh, until they realized that the baker had been about to flambé the pastry, and the match that he was holding must have fallen into it. The baker screamed as his mane burst into flames and he ran a fiery path through the kitchen, until he dunked his entire head into the sink.

Nopony knew how it happened. The culprits were never caught. And they weren’t done with terrorizing the staff.

The four of them were all in on the second assault. Discord conjured a very large painting of a stallion raising one hoof and pointing with the other. He and Chrysalis transformed into a couple of movers and crossed the path of Celestia and Luna’s tutor.

The fillies were lying in wait. They both peered out from their cover, each holding one of Luna’s ingenuous candelabra blowguns. Their weapons were loaded, aimed, and fired. Two apples hit the mare in her flank and sent her rocketing through the canvas, getting her stuck and making it appear as if she were about to be spanked by the stallion in the painting.

As the day went on, the four of them decided that they had better lay low somewhere. The castle was up in arms over their antics, and demanded justice.

Celestia knew the perfect place for them to stay while the castle authorities tailed them. The tunnels beneath the castle were abandoned long before Canterlot Palace was built on top of it. Nopony had been there for centuries, and the fillies were always prohibited from going there. It was the perfect place to make a hideout.

Except, now that they were confined to one place, there was very little to do.

“You fillies ever played ‘Truth or Dare?’” Chrysalis asked.

“No. What is it?” Luna wondered.

“It’s where you choose either to tell the truth about anything that you get asked about, or do anything that you get dared to do. You lose if you chicken out. You’re not chicken, are you?” Chrysalis provocatively said.

“Only one part,” Discord said, showing his one avian appendage.

“I wanna play,” Celestia said.

“Good. Who else is in?” Chrysalis asked.

“Oh, I’m an expert at this game. I’m the truth or dare king back home,” Discord boasted.

“No, you’re the flank master back home. There’s a difference,” Celestia said.

Discord only huffed haughtily in response. She’d see. They’d all see. Only Luna had remained silent.

“Come on, Luna. Don’t chicken out,” Celestia said.

“I don’t know if we should do this. We’re trying to lay low right now,” Luna said.

“Or, we could try to do something so big that we’d never be able to be punished for it,” Chrysalis said.

“Yeah! You can’t be punished for mixing the sun and the moon together into the same thing, can you?” Discord said.

“I wouldn’t go so far,” Celestia said. “So, how about it, Luna? Are you in?”

Luna looked between her peers, knowing deep down that something bad was bound to happen. Then again, she didn’t want to be left out of anything with the new friends she had made.

“Alright. Who’s first?” Luna asked.

“Mememememe! Pick me!” Discord babbled as he waved his hand in the air.

“Okay, Mr. Chaos. Let’s just see how chaotic you can be,” Celestia said.

“Ooh! What did you have in mind, cupcake?” Discord asked.

Luna grew nervous when she saw the way her sister was smirking.

“I dare you,” Celestia said. She paused as she looked at the eager, anxious looks on everypony else’s faces. “I dare you to unleash as much chaos as you can all at once.”

“Oh, I can do better than that, lady. I’ll have one of you do it!” Discord said.

He flexed his fingers and cracked his neck. Right after, he began waving his arms and Luna began to levitate.

“Tia? What’s happening?” Luna asked.

As though her entire body had become radioactive, Luna began to glow with a sickly green light. Dull at first, the light grew so bright that it blinded the others. The only thing seen was Luna’s dark silhouette contorting in pain.

“What did you do!?” Celestia said to Discord.

“I just did the dare!” Discord said, sounding suddenly defensive and unsure.

There was a bright flash as dark shadows streamed from Luna’s body. Her scream echoed across the walls of the abandoned tunnels long after it ended, and the light died down as Luna drifted back to the ground. Only, it didn’t seem like the Luna that they knew. If it was Luna, her coat was much darker, and she was much taller than before. And her face. They couldn’t even see it. Her wings had grown so large that they covered nearly her entire side as she lowered her head.

The others stepped back, but Celesta slowly approached her sister.

“Lulu?” she anxiously asked. “Lulu, are you alright?”

What was once her sister raised her head. Luna was no longer the bright-eyed filly that she knew. She was a mare now. One whose face conveyed nothing but disdain and hate for all things beneath her.

“‘Lulu’ is dead,” the mare ominously said. “I am Nightmare Moon!”

It was then that they knew they had gone too far. Discord lamented the abuse of his power, knowing that his mom was going to kill him over this.

Nightmare Moon flew out of the tunnels beneath the castle and began her reign of terror. No matter how the guards tried, they were defeated. After so many lives were lost, the parents of the young royalty were informed of what had happened. Springing into action they all faced the stranger who had so brazenly announced that she would take over the castle and usher in an eternal night.

At first, her threat seemed unfounded. Until the sun began to dim. Darkness began to spread across the land, and the evil things that came with the night began to stir.

It was only the combined efforts of the royals, and the love that King Tempest and Queen Faust had for their daughter that defeated the evil Nightmare Moon and restored Luna back to her former self. After a tearful reunion with their daughter, it was heavily impressed upon the children their serious lack of judgment.

In the centuries that followed, this would be something that they would all look back on darkly. For the time being, they had learned their lesson.

Author's Note

Sorry about the late update! Life happens sometimes lol

Shattered Crystals

The days passed since that dark time in Luna’s past. Ever since she had nearly taken over the kingdom, she took her duties as the future Princess of the Night more seriously than ever before. Her own tutor was surprised that the fillies were no longer using their magic to tease up her mane or print monstrous images onto her glasses. Even the royal baker was more shocked than delighted that the Royal Sisters were no longer stealing from the kitchen.

The passage of time didn’t go unnoticed by the fillies. All of their foalhood friends were now adults who had their own foals. The familiar castle staff had all been replaced with new staff members. And their parents kept growing older and greyer.

One day, Celestia and Luna were waiting for their mother to join them for a trip into town to choose their new dresses for the Grand Galloping Gala. Only, Queen Faust had not yet arrived.

It was an odd thing to the Royal Sisters. Their mother was always the first to arrive when any appointment was made. It was Luna who volunteered to go and find her. She asked every staff member who she passed by where her mother could be, but none of them had seen her. Even as she checked all of the queen’s usual places that she frequented, her mother was nowhere to be found.

At last, Luna encountered her father, who told her that the queen requested to stay a little longer in bed that day. He also noted that she had sounded ill when she said it.

Now that she knew where her mother was, Luna trotted her way to her bedroom. She opened the door and she let herself in. The room was still dark. The curtains had not been drawn for the morning. Yet, Luna was able to make out the form of her mother in her bed. And just as her mother had done for her for so many years, Luna was going to get her out of bed before she slept in too late.

“Mother?” Luna said, as she jostled the queen’s side.

The queen laid still and silent.

“Mother, wake up. It’s time to go and choose our dresses for the Gala.”

Yet, the queen wouldn’t wake up.

Luna’s nerves began to quiver. As she looked at her mother’s greyed and wrinkled face, she reached her hoof into the queen’s. Queen Faust’s hoof dropped limply over the side of the bed, and Luna knew the worst had come to pass. The dreaded inevitability that she feared would come to pass had finally claimed her mother.

News of the queen’s death spread quickly through the castle. And it wasn’t long before the entire kingdom knew it. The Gala had been canceled. Instead, a funeral would be held.

It was a dismal day for everypony. Celestia and Luna had always known that losing their parents would be the greatest blow that they ever felt. But nothing had prepared them for how much it would hurt.

Not long after, King Tempest’s steps began to fail him. The stallion who knew no physical weaknesses was having trouble standing up. In time, he too was confined to his bed. And he passed away in a matter of days.

Queen Dissonance was the next to go, followed later in the year by King Mandible. The four friends were now orphaned. With only one another and the lessons that they had learned in their early years, it was up to them to rule their kingdoms as their parents would have wanted.

Yet, there would always be trouble lurking.

Flames roared across the snowy streets of the Crystal Empire. Houses burned and ponies were slaughtered in the streets.

Guards in dark armor stormed the streets, pulling ponies from their homes and showing them the carnage that they would join if they did not swear fealty to the imposed leader of the kingdom. Through the streets of blood and flame, a dark figure walked. He swept his way toward the castle, cutting down any who opposed him. Towering at least twice the height of everypony he passed, his flaming eyes and glistening fangs struck terror into all who gazed upon him. Many swore loyalty to him out of fear. Anyone who resisted was dealt with in a way that was brutal beyond comparison.

Finally, the figure was upon the Crystal Castle. The guards were no match for him. However powerful their magic was, he overpowered them. However great their martial prowess, his bare hooves were faster and stronger than any weapon they possessed.

The doors to the throne room were in his sights. Just across the receiving room where the royal guests waited. The figure strode through the room, knowing that even if the royals hadn’t been evacuated, they’d be no match for him.

There was a flash of metal, and the figure stopped as a sword flew into the floor before him, cracking the crystalline marble with its blade. The figure looked to the direction that the sword had come from, and there stood the young king of the land.

“Take up arms and fight!” Shining Armor demanded.

The figure smirked at the king, then glimpsed at the sword. As though some important decision had been made, the figure lifted the sword out of the cracked floor and broke it with his own hoof.

“Your sense of fair play is admirable. But, I find the idea that I would need it insulting,” the figure said.

“Who are you to think you’re so grand that you can slaughter your way to the palace!?” Shining Armor growled.

“Ah, yes. One must always offer the dignity of knowing their betters,” the figure said, taking a mock bow. “I am called Sombra. And I will be the stallion who kills you.”

Sombra stomped his hoof, sending a tremor through the entire room.

Shining Armor barely managed to keep his footing when Sombra vaulted toward him. He dodged, and the floor was cracked beneath Sombra’s hooves.

Shining Armor’s sword sang as it sliced through the air at Sombra, who deftly dodged each blow as he advanced on the king.

Sombra’s eyes ignited with a hellish flame, and his maw turned almost dragon-like as crackling fire spewed from his gullet.

A shield of magic surrounded Shining Armor, who started wobbling from the sheer force of the fire. He lunged forth with his sword drawn, ready to cleave the intruder in two.

Sombra leapt over the attack. When he landed, he began swinging his bare hooves at Shining Armor.

Shining Armor’s magic shield deflected each blow, and his sword attacks were countered just as easily.

The power of Sombra’s attacks was almost unbearable. Without a weapon, he was able to push Shining Armor back.

Shining Armor focused his shield into a single point and thrusted it forth.

Sombra caught the shield by its point and was pushed across the room in the wall. The point of the shield drilled into his midsection, drawing blood as it inches into his flesh.

Shining Armor rushed across the room, his horn blazing wildly as he charged Sombra. Even as he pushed his own sword into the magic that drilled into Sombra, the usurper smiled.

Dark shadows began to ooze across Shining Armor’s magic. Like fresh tar on a hot street, it dribbled across the magic shield, then lashed onto the king’s sword.

Shining Armor yelped as the shadows crept toward him. His own magic was overtaken, and Sombra began to meld with the darkness until only his wicked grin and flaming eyes remained.

The shadows consumed Shining Armor, crawling down his throat, gouging out his eyes and flowing deep into his mind, heart and soul. The husk that was left of him would never have been recognized as the king of the Crystal Empire. Sombra grinned at his own handiwork and kicked what was left of Shining Armor, making it burst into ash. Now, to find the queen…

In the throne room, Princess Amore paced fretfully. Though she knew she was in the safest room in the palace, the thoughts of her husband facing the demonic intruder worried her to her very core.

The throne room opened. And a great, flaming eye peered in. The queen met the same fate as her husband. The Crystal Empire belonged to Sombra. Next, Equestria.

“What do you mean Princess Amore has been killed and the Crystal Empire has been taken over?!” Luna snarled at the poor messengers.

“Ah…I, uh…I mean that Princess Amore has been killed…And the Crystal Empire has been taken over…” the messenger said.

Celestia gasped in shock. It wasn’t too long ago when the empire began, and things were just fine. Now, some unknown usurper had undone all of the work that had been done to make it a livable place.

“Do we know who has done this?” Celestia asked.

“The, uh– The message didn’t say. But, there was this signature from an unknown pony,” the messenger said, showing the scroll to the sisters.

Scrawled at the bottom of the scroll was a signature, which shifted and waved at the bottom of the page like a flag, written in blood. The name Sombra.

The name was one that neither sister was familiar with. Whoever he was, he had the audacity to let them both know what he had done. There was no doubt in their minds that he would come for Equestria next, given half a chance.

“You are dismissed,” Luna said, waving her hoof to the messenger, who all too readily left the room.

As soon as they were alone, the sisters began their course of action.

“We need a plan,” Celestia said.

“We banish him. For as long as we possibly can!” Luna growled.

“After we find out what to do,” Celestia said, taking a map of the Crystal Empire from a shelf.

“What are we going to do? Chart a platoon into the kingdom? You heard what the messenger said! The entire army was wiped out!” Luna snapped. “The more time we waste, the closer he gets to doing the same to us!”

“I’m aware of this, sister. Don’t pressure me,” Celestia said as she looked over the map.

“If not from me, the pressure of a thousand lives lost and thousands more under the rule of that monster should spur you on!” Luna said.

“Just go! I need to think!” Celestia said.

“Alright. Fine. You think while ponies die!” Luna huffed, before leaving the room and slamming the door behind herself.

Now that she was alone, Celestia began going over the best course of action for reclaiming the Crystal Empire from its monstrous new ruler.

In the streets of the Crystal Empire, a battle was going on.

King Sombra dodged a swing of an ax, then another swing. The pony who had taken up arms against him swung furiously at the mad king, only to miss every time, taunted constantly by his fanged smile between blows.

The pony swung low and Sombra jumped right over it. When he swung high, Sombra ducked and rose up in one fluid motion.

A heavy swing to the right.

Sombra punched the stallion in the face.

A downward slice.

Sombra wheeled out of the way, kicking the pony twice.

A slice to the gut.

Sombra caught the ax, turned the blade to face its owner and headbutted the blunt end, driving it deep into the face of his enemy.

The pony’s eyes shot wide as he watched Sombra headbutt the ax again, driving it deeper into his face. Once more, and his world went red before death took him.

His enemy dead, Sombra took his entire head in his teeth and pulled it off of his body. His eyes flared up with hellish flames and his magic lifted the severed head of the fallen pony to the crowd that was gathered around.

“Who else dares to challenge the king? Or do you wish to try and assassinate me from the shadows now? Be warned, the shadows may simply swallow you,” Sombra said.

As he looked around, not one of the ponies in the crowd dared step forth. Not even an arrow from some hidden nook came flying forth to put an end to him.

“Disappointing,” Sombra muttered.

In any case, he knew that his reign of terror had not yet reached its limit. The Royal Sisters of Equestria had surely gotten his message by then. And they would be making their move to stop him.

A wicked smile crossed the face of the king, and his mantle swirled around his body until he became a gust of shadows that swept across the kingdom, back to his stolen castle. The time was drawing nearer, and he could taste his victory.

Luna was furious with her sister. She took her rage out in every way that she knew how. Her only regret was that now as a mare, she was unable to fire a homemade blowgun at anypony.

Minutes later, Celestia reappeared to her. Her face was different from how she remembered it. Instead of the stern, knowing scowl she wore once before, she seemed unsure of herself.

It seemed the Celestia had exhausted all but one possible option for the good and safety of all creatures in the world. Yet, it would require the both of them to go ahead with it. The minutes passed, and Luna listened to Celestia’s proposed plan.

A wry smile drifted onto Luna’s face. It just might work, should the two of them work together.

The darkness was gathering. And it would soon spread.

Sombra overlooked his kingdom from his lofty perch. The ruined remains of the kingdom were already being rebuilt to his will. The ponies were being made subservient to his new regime. It was glorious.

What he saw next on the streets shocked him to his very core. There, led by his city guard toward his castle, were Princess Celestia and Princess Luna of Equestria. His surprise turned to joy. Then to curiosity. If anything, the Royal Sisters would have mounted a full scale attack against him. And as far as he knew, there was no such resistance from them. Not that the outcome would have been different. Things were just unfolding in a way that he hadn’t expected.

With a swish of his mantle, he returned indoors to receive his royal guests.

Celestia and Luna were guided at spearpoint down the once familiar corridors of the castle, their horns and their wings bound. Their faces remained forward, but their eyes were everywhere at once, looking at the terrible state that had befallen the glorious Crystal Palace. Finally, they were taken to a double door of obsidian, laced with veins of red stone. The doors were opened, and they were greeted by the sight of the mad king seated upon the throne of the castle.

The warm, welcoming beauty that had once graced the palace was corrupted far beyond recognition. Darkness pervaded the entire room. And the beast who sat upon the throne only exemplified everything that had gone wrong with the world at that moment.

“State your business,” Sombra’s voice rumbled.

The sisters exchanged an unsure glance. Celestia’s breath grew quicker with every passing moment. She tried to swallow her fear, but couldn’t hid the terror in her eyes. Finally, she turned back to Sombra, whose eyes peered out at her from his shadowy seat. Her jaw quivered as she tried to speak.

“S…S-Sombra–”

“King!–Sombra,” Sombra corrected her.

“Er…King Sombra…We’ve…My sister and I have come to offer our unconditional surrender…” Celestia said.

Sombra said nothing. He remained motionless upon his dark throne. From the darkness that shrouded him, his fangs bared in a horrid smile.

“Say that again. A little louder this time,” he said.

“We…Offer our unconditional surrender,” Celestia repeated.

“Again,” Sombra said, his smile growing.

Celestia glanced briefly to Luna, then back to Sombra.

“We offer our unconditional surrender.”

“Again! From your sister this time!”

“We offer our unconditional surrender!!” Luna shouted.

“Ah! Exquisite! Truly, no sweeter music has been sung!” Sombra jubilantly said. He looked to his guards. “You are all dismissed.”

The guards all bowed their heads as they were enveloped in fiery shadows. In another moment, they all vanished from the room. The sisters were alone now. Alone with a mad despot, who was eyeing them both with a vicious smile. Without any motion that they could comprehend, Sombra was suddenly standing before them.

Luna recoiled at the sight of him, and nearly took a step away. She froze completely when Sombra looked directly at her. When he did, Luna could see something different in the mad king’s gaze. Something sickeningly delighted at the sight of her. Like a venomous snake that had just seen something that it could bite sheerly for the fun of it.

“Tell me your reasons for surrender,” Sombra said, his voice a guttural whisper.

Celestia bit her lip, and she took a quiet yet deep breath inward.

“For the sake of our little ponies, we wish to–”

“No!” Sombra interjected. He brushed his hoof across Luna’s chin, “Let this one explain.”

Luna’s whole body shivered as she looked into the flaming eyes of Sombra. No matter what she heard about him from the messenger who had approached her, nothing came close to the real thing. He was a monster from the pit. A foul creature who had no place among the world of light. Not even in the world of darkness. He was an aberration that should never have been. And there he was, looking at her, staring her down.

“For the sake of our little ponies…” Luna began.

“Stand on no ceremony,” Sombra interjected. “Use no prepared speech or script. Tell it to me from the depths of your own heart and soul.”

“Our…” Luna began. She clenched her eyes shut, then cracked them open, hoping that Sombra would have moved back away from her. Instead, she could no longer see him. But she could feel his presence to her side. “Our little ponies are our greatest treasure…” she finally said.

“Yes,” Sombra said, intrigued.

“They bring us our greatest joys and memories every time we are among them. To let them fall victim to a mad tyrant such as yourself would not do justice to our title as Equestrian Royalty,” Luna said.

“Ah! Bravery. Nobility. I love it!” Sombra said.

“A beast like you has no business with our little ponies,” Luna said.

“Yes. Go on.”

“You’re a spot on this land that should have been scrubbed out of existence! How the others of your kind allowed you to remain is an oversight beyond reproach!” Luna continued.

“Yes! Yes!” Sombra said, his smile growing. “A mare with fire in her heart is truly rare. Something that one should never let go of.”

Luna shivered as she felt Sombra’s breath in her ear. And her entire spine went numb as she felt his tongue on her neck. Her eyes shot to Celestia. Now was the time.

In one fluid motion, Sombra was knocked away, and the false horns the sisters wore sheathed over their actual horns were thrown off.

They stood at the ready. Their magic was flared. Yet, they could do nothing as Sombra easily bucked them both across the room from one another.

Celestia opened her eyes in time to see Sombra leaping across the room at her. She jumped to her hooves and shot a burst of magic at him, which was easily knocked away by Sombra’s hoof.

Try as she did to get the upper hoof, Celestia found that she was little match for the monstrous king.

The aura around her horn elongated and solidified into a blade, which she swung mercilessly at Sombra.

Sombra dodged left, then right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Then he somersaulted backwards over Luna’s sweep at his legs.

When he landed on the floor, Sombra only had time to see the sisters cross their magical blades, before swinging at him from afar.

Blades of pure magic spun at Sombra, slicing through anything in their way. With a whoosh of his mantle, Sombra’s body waved like some pattern of heat through the air and he slid right through the flying blades unharmed.

He bounded across the room toward the sisters, who attacked as best they could, until Sombra landed before them.

Luna was struck first from the front, then from below as the floor rose up to jab her. Celestia’s blade was parried, and her face was slashed by Sombra’s horn.

Sombra dodged Luna’s downward swing and bucked her in the chin, before magically swinging her into Celestia.

Even when the sisters stopped rolling, their torment didn’t stop. Sombra was everywhere at once. Wherever there was shadow, there he was, striking them with his hooves and his devilish magic. In time, they laid crumpled on the floor beneath the triumphant glare of Sombra.

Luna’s entire body went cold as she felt herself enveloped in shadows. She was lifted off the floor and levitated before Sombra. Though he gloated bombastically to her, she could barely make out what he was saying. Her gaze was behind the mad king. On the floor in the corner, where her false horn was still adorned with its magic dampener.

Sombra smiled as he watched Luna’s horn ignite, and he mocked her for trying to struggle. His smile turned to terror when Luna raised her hoof and he was only just able to perceive the magic dampener she held, just as he was slammed over his horn.

They had won. Celestia and Luna stood victoriously beside one another as Sombra tried in vain to remove his hindrance.

“Accept your loss, Sombra. For now, you’ll face justice for the crimes you have committed!” Celestia severely said.

A fiery aura glowed around Sombra, who seemed to grow larger with each passing moment. Darkness filled the room, and his horn began to ignite with magic.

Fade away…

A chill voice filled the minds of the sisters, piercing their thoughts with the madness of Sombra. All of his hate poured into them, twisting their perceptions of all that they knew.

Fade away with me…

The world grew darker. There was no escape. Everything would go to Sombra’s darkness one way or another.

Celestia…Luna…

Though it was very faint, the sisters could hear their names being called. There was a glimmer of light. One that made them feel loved in a way that they hadn’t in years. It was strong, welcoming and protective. Everything that made them what they were. Everything that the creatures of Equestria loved about them. And they were going to follow it.

Sombra disappeared into the shadows, but Celestia and Luna chased after the light. They could see it growing clearer. There was a mare there. And a stallion. And finally, there was sky.

An arctic wind blew across the land, chilling the sisters to their bones. They sat shivering in the frozen wastes of the north where the Crystal Empire once stood. Now, there was nothing. The pristine buildings and sparkling ponies were gone. Not even Sombra remained. Wherever they were, whatever had become of them, Sombra was no longer a threat to Equestra.

Luna wondered if their parents would have been proud of them for saving their land by condemning the Crystal Empire. But Celestia assured her that she was somehow certain that their mother and father may have done things much the same, with so little control over the matter.

They took another moment to look over the land that had once been the home of thousands of ponies, then left to continue with their lives. For the time, that was all that they could do.

Author's Note

Sorry again for the late update!

The Endless Night: Part 1

The years had gone by, and Celestia and Luna had only become more endeared to the ponies of the kingdom. There was hardly a creature who had a low opinion of them. No matter what, they knew that they could count on their beloved rulers to take care of it. And the princesses continued to grow closer to them all.

It began with the yearly gala to celebrate the birth of their kingdom. Then, it was the celebrations of Celestia and Luna’s respective birthdays. Finally, after so many years, the Royal Sisters simply opened up the palace gardens every weekend for an informal gathering. It was at one such party that Luna’s life would change forever.

The night was still young. The moon had just been risen, and Luna joined the party with her usual poise and grace. Meaning that her first stop was the bar that was set up at the edge of the patio.

“Cider with a chaser,” Luna sighed as she rested at the bar.

“Rough night? But it’s still early. Your nights must be really wild if you’re worn out already,” said the barstallion.

Luna looked up and saw a young stallion with a blue coat and a silvery-white mane.

“You’re not Gin Rum,” Luna said.

“No. I’m Rising Moon. Gin Rum’s gone out. Got dealt a bad hoof. His life’s been a house of cards lately,” the barstallion said, as he flipped the bottle of cider onto the bar.

Luna smiled as she watched Rising spin the bottle on his hoof, then flip it over to his other hoof, somehow popping the cap off as he did so. The drink was poured for her, and the glass scooted before her waiting hoof.

“Well! You’re certainly more amusing than our usual barstallion,” Luna said.

“You ever done this job? It’s the pits. Everypony who sits down thinks they’re the only pony who had a bad relationship or a job they hate. I gotta amuse myself somehow. If I didn’t know how to wow a crowd by lighting a match with my teeth, I’d light it with my hoof and use it to burn down my bar for the insurance,” Rising replied.

“Well, don’t do that. You wouldn’t do anypony any favors by depriving us of your amusing bar tricks,” Luna said.

She picked up her glass. And just as the cider touched her lips, the glass was taken from her.

“Hold it!” Rising Moon said. “A good night drinking can’t be wasted on peasant swill like this. Let me mix you up something with a little more zip.”

By some sleight of hoof that Luna missed entirely, three more bottles and a mixer were tossed up onto the counter. Luna’s smile grew brighter as she watched the bottles dance through Rising Moon’s hooves, adding their contents to the mixer. Once they were all added, Rising picked up the mixer, shook it like a maraca, spun it on his hoof, rolled it across his shoulders, and finally poured it into a champagne flute. Somehow in the process, the lid of the mixer had been removed.

Luna looked at the bubbling, pink drink, marvelling at how it hadn’t gone flat after being shaken up so much.

“It certainly looks interesting. What is it?” Luna wondered.

“I heard it's called a ‘bijou bisou.’ It means diamond kiss. In my experience, a mare will do just about anything if you give her a diamond big enough,” Rising said.

Luna sputtered loudly as she stifled her uproarious laughter.

“Perhaps I should be more cautious about drinking this,” she said.

“It’s worth a shot. Heck, it’s worth about five or six shots. Careful walking home tonight. Those night guards are really cracking down on public drunkenness these days.”

Luna eyed the drink, feeling suddenly adventurous as she saw her reflection in the flute. She could see her hoof reaching for it in the reflected surface of the glass, until she finally held it and lifted it to her lips. The drink trickled into her mouth with a tiny sip, which turned into a giant gulp which finished the kiss in less than a second.

“That–! Is good drinking!” Luna said.

“Think of all the jealous looks I’m gonna get tonight. Serving kisses to the princess,” Rising said, already mixing up another drink for her.

For much of the night, Celestia had been mingling with the guests and hadn’t even noticed that her sister had arrived. Until she heard her laughter from the other side of the garden patio. When she looked, there was her little sister talking merrily with the bar stallion. For just one moment, she thought that she could see something in her sister’s eyes. Something that she never expected to see when she was simply ordering a drink. It warranted an investigation, and Celestia trotted over to the spot next to her sister.

“The moon’s hit your eye a little early tonight, has it?” Celestia asked as she scooted in next to her sister.

“Two princesses ordering drinks at my station? They aren’t serving poison at the other places, are they? Why else would I have such high class clientele?” Rising wondered aloud.

Celestia noticed the way her sister was laughing at the stallion’s joke, and decided to intervene. “I’ll have a blue hawaiian,” she said.

“Sure thing. I’m partial to a blonde parisian myself,” Rising said as he sifted through the bottles on the shelf behind him. “Well, princess, the good news is that I have everything I need to make your drink. The bad news is that I left it in my carriage. You mind waiting a minute while I get it?”

“Take your time,” Celestia said.

“Time isn’t something to take. It’s considered petty theft in some kingdoms,” Rising said, before taking his leave.

The moment that he was gone, Luna had no time to realize how eager she was for him to return when she saw the way that her sister was looking at her.

“What’s that face?” Luna wondered.

“It just seems to me that you’re enjoying this night in the garden,” Celestia replied.

“Of course I am. I always do. Not that there’s anything particularly special about tonight, but it just seems a little more lively here in this odd corner of the gathering.”

“Odd indeed,” Celestia said.

“What does that mean?” Luna asked.

“Come now. You surely noticed it. The breezy feeling in your words. The laughter you feel at a simple quip. The filly-ish amusement of watching a few drink mixing tricks.”

“So?” Luna asked, before sipping her drink.

“So,” Celestia said, “You, Luna, are infatuated by the barstallion.”

Luna inhaled sharply and sputtered as she nearly sucked down her drink.

“What!?” she coughed.

“Don’t be coy with your sister. I saw the way that you were looking at him. If they only knew that telling you a joke was the way to your heart, then every half-wit in the kingdom would be at your door for a royal hoofout,” Celestia said.

Both sisters noticed that they were joined at the bar by another mare, who quickly walked away when she saw the awkward looks she was receiving.

“Ahem,” Luna unsurely began, “Tia. Sister. Dear. I can promise you that something so simple would not make me do anything irrational.”

“You’re certain?” Celestia asked.

“Yes. Perfectly.”

“Because I remember you wondering if you should choose to wed to give our subjects a king.”

“Tia, I was thinking about years from now to do that. Not with the first barstallion who mixes me a fancy drink. That much, I promise you,” Luna reassured her sister.

It seemed that her promises were only as good as anypony else’s.

By chance, Luna had met Rising at another gathering a month later. After that, the two began spending even more time together, seeing one another at least once a week. Soon, they were seeing each other every night and day. Weeks turned to months. Months turned to years. Until the glorious day of their wedding.

Nopony would have expected that Luna’s chosen suitor would have been a simple commoner like any of them. Nor did any of them find out. What had started as a simple ceremonial position for Rising Moon quickly turned out to be his second calling. He had impressed everypony to the point that many thought that he was just some lesser noble that had caught Luna’s eye.

Things truly were going well for Luna. Never once in her life did she think she would be so happy. Then came the day of the biggest decision of her life.

“A foal? Now?” Luna said.

“Well, not now. We have a few months to get ready before it comes,” Rising said.

“I know that. I didn’t sleep through all of my lessons,” Luna said. “I mean, doesn’t it seem a little soon?”

“You seem a little nervous.”

“I…It’s just…”

Luna tried to laugh off any awkward feelings she had, but it was no use. She sighed as her shoulders slumped. So many doubts and uncertainties turned over in her mind. She reflected on her own mother and father who she had so many ups and downs with. Worst of all were the days when she lost them. Would her foal be blessed with immortality as well? If it was, how would it be for the foal when Rising passed away?

Her worries eased when she felt her husband’s hooves on her shoulders, and his snout began nuzzling her face.

“Luna. In all seriousness, I don’t know what’s going to happen next. I understand that this isn’t a decision to make lightly, but I know that we can face it together. Nothing is ever going to be completely good. Whatever does happen, I want to face it with you.”

Luna glanced over her shoulder and saw Rising smiling at her. That same smile he had given her so long ago on that fateful evening seemed somehow different. Only, it was as sincere as it ever was.

“I do think you would be an amazing father,” Luna said.

“We don’t need to rush this decision. Just take your time with it. I understand,” Rising assured her.

Indeed, Luna took her time with her decision. Yet never once did Rising Moon ask her or pressure her for an answer. Whenever the most important things were taken care of, Luna’s mind would linger on whether or not she would want to have a foal. One day, she gave her answer to her husband. And that night, they decided to bring a gift to their kingdom.

The many mornings of nausea and the evenings of fatigue plagued Luna at first. But as time went by, she became used to it. One day, Celestia noticed a different look about her sister. Something that she had seen many times before in her life. And it filled her with a joy that she had never known. She was going to be an aunt. And the whole kingdom would know it. But, not just yet.

Luna and Rising counted down the days to the expected arrival of their foal. At times things were difficult. The pains of pregnancy were taking their toll on Luna. And the anguish of riding out her mood swings, demands and general healthcare were a strain on even Rising Moon’s famous sense of humor. Still, they knew it would all be worth it.

It was on the clearest night of the year that Luna was in the royal gardens, taking in the tranquility of the world around her when she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. Her legs began to wobble and she fell to her knees.

“Somepony…!” she weakly called out.

Nopony had heard her. She tried to teleport herself to find aid, but she could barely concentrate on anything at the moment. Her magic failed her. There was nopony to help. And there she was about to be a mother.

From somewhere beyond, she thought she could see a shadow moving inside the castle. Mustering what strength she could, Luna levitated a piece of gravel from the ground and threw it at the nearest window.

Seconds passed, and Luna threw another pebble. In time, she heard hooves rapidly approaching her.

“Lulu! Goodness, are you alright?!” Celestia asked.

Luna managed a pained smile as she looked up at her sister.

“It’s come early…” she strained to say.

Memories flashed into Celestia’s mind about the first time this had happened to her. The way that her sister had so suddenly come into her life, so too was her niece. Remembering what she had done on that day, Celestia quickly teleported her sister back to her bedchamber, then fetched the doctor and the midwife as fast as she could.

Rising Moon had been informed about what was happening and hurried to his wife’s side. To his greatest dismay and fear, he was told to wait outside Luna’s bedchamber with Celestia and the other members of the castle staff that had gathered there.

They all waited anxiously for any word. Rising managed to keep a smile on his face and maintained the spirits of the others with his renowned humor. The same that had seen the others through their darkest times.

Beyond the doors, Luna began screaming loudly.

“Lulu!? Lulu, say something to me. Let me know you’re alright,” Celestia called from the door.

“Quit talking, Tia. You’ll just upset her,” Rising said. “Luna, just say the word and we’ll sue these quacks! This has gotta violate some pony rights ordinance!”

“Rising!” Celestia admonished.

Beyond the door, they heard Luna guffaw between shouts of pain.

“Let’s see you make a mare laugh when she’s in labor,” Rising smugly said.

“Where were you during our parents’ funerals?” Celestia said, rolling her eyes.

There was one last shout from Luna, and the medical team with her all started chattering.

“That’s it! Ready or not, I’m comin’ in!” Rising announced.

With the gusto of a stallion on a mission, Rising Moon burst into the bedchamber with Celestia and the castle staff in tow.

“Luna, thank goodness! I was this close to calling the Equestrian Medical Association and beating these guys over the head with it!” Rising Moon said. “Where is she? Where’s our filly?”

Celestia stood by, excited to see her newly arrived niece. However, her excitement slowly waned as she saw her sister’s despaired face.

“Lulu?” Celestia asked.

Luna’s answer was a slow swish of her head toward the doctors, who had their backs turned to the others. It was only then that everypony noticed the silence that filled the room. Not the sharp, shrill cry of newborn life that so many of them knew.

Rising Moon’s ears drooped and his smile faded. After so long, so many anxious nights of waiting and wondering, it all ended like this.

There was a crackling moan, and a high-pitched gasp.

Everypony snapped to alertness. Luna’s breath quickened as she looked over to the doctors.

The midwife turned around, magically levitating a swaddled bundle over to Luna, a smile on her face.

Everypony gathered around Luna to see what she held. There in her hooves, peering curiously at them all from within her blankets was a filly. Her tiny mouth opened, and a quiet squeak burst forth from her.

Rising Moon sighed loudly.

“Heck of a way to make an entrance, filly. You had us all worried for a second,” he said, trying to keep his voice from jittering.

“But you won’t be scaring us like that anymore, will you?” Luna asked her filly.

The filly answered by squeaking again.

“Doesn’t she look like you?” Luna asked Rising.

“Come on. Don’t insult the filly. She’ll want to go back where she came from,” Rising said.

“No, no. It’s one way from here,” Luna said, cradling her foal.

Celestia silently motioned to the others and allowed her sister and her husband time alone with their newborn foal.

“What do we call her?” Rising wondered.

Luna had no trouble picking. For so many years, she had thought about that name. The one that she knew she would pass on to her first daughter, should she ever come to be. Now, it was time to share that name with her.

“Moondust. That’s her name.”

Moondust was loved by all who crossed her. Wherever she went, nothing dull ever happened. One day when she had returned home from school, she found her mother passed out cold on the floor of her study, snoring peacefully in a deep sleep.

Of all the mistakes that Luna could have made, she had one of the more lenient castle guards keeping watch at her study. Soft Lotion was known among the other guards for being rather lackadaisical, leaning on his polearm as he stood guard, and never questioning most of the ponies who visited the castle. There were rumors that he was even complicit with Moondust’s antics. And they were right.

After a long day at school, Moondust wanted to spend time with her family. Since her father was off on some diplomatic trip, her mother would have to do. But there was nothing that she could do with her mother asleep.

Just as Moondust turned around, she saw something sailing through the air toward her. She caught it and saw it to be an airhorn. Her eyes drifted from the airhorn up to Soft Lotion, who nodded toward the sleeping Princess Luna.

A devious smile crawled onto Moondust’s face. She turned around, snickering impishly as Soft Lotion carefully stepped out of view. The airhorn was placed on the floor next to Princess Luna’s head. Moondust raised her hoof, then brought it down as hard as she could on the horn’s bulb, loosing a long, loud, shrill blare from the device.

Princess Luna screamed loudly as she flipped like a fish into the air.

“I SHALL FLAY YOUR GUTS, YOU–” she began to say, before she felt a sudden weight tackle her chest and wrap its hooves around her.

“Morning, Mom,” Moondust greeted her mother.

“I…You…Moondust! What possessed you to do such a thing!?” Princess Luna asked, her nerves frayed.

“Soft Lotion. He gave me the airhorn,” Moondust replied.

Outside the door, Soft Lotion gasped quietly to himself and shuffled away from his post.

“Of course. Oh, what possessed me to allow that hooligan to keep watch over my study?” Luna sighed to herself. Despite the rude awakening, she was glad enough to see her daughter that she didn’t send her away. A memory returned to her of when she and Celestia were still foals, and thought that Moondust would relate to it. “Moondust, would you like to hear a story about when your Aunt Celestia and I were young?”

“Yes!” Moondust squeaked.

“This goes back to one of our lessons in the castle. There was only the two of us, so there were no other foals to keep us occupied. We had to entertain ourselves, so your aunt fashioned a blowgun out of some old reeds…”

In the back of her mind, Luna knew that these stories would only give bad ideas to her daughter, but she didn’t mind at the time. For now, she was relaying her own life to her beloved filly for her to learn from.

It was these lessons from her mother’s life that Moondust took with her well into her teenage years. Unlike her mother and her aunt, she had learned to have fun during her fillyhood. And for the time, it seemed that she had avoided most of the pitfalls that her mother had fallen into.

During the night, just after the moon had risen, Princess Luna sat at her desk with a pile of papers to go over. How much work had backed up, she didn’t know. Except now, she was able to finally put her mind to it and lessen her load.

The doors to her office burst open, and in rode Moondust on her skateboard. The filly ollied over the table in the middle, swatting her hoof on the chandelier above, then grinded across her mother’s desk, before breaking beside her mother’s chair.

“Hey, I kinda got a favor to ask,” Moondust innocently began.

“I told you to bother your father with these things at this time of night,” Luna said irately.

“He’s busy,” Moondust shrugged. “I know it’s kinda late, but my friends wanted to go hang at the new pizza place that opened up in town…”

“Go. Please, go,” Luna moaned.

“Thanks, mom,” Moondust said, before exiting the room by jumping off the balcony and landing on her board, rolling off into town.

Luna watched her daughter go, and sighed loudly to herself. Finally, she was going to be able to get some work done.

The Endless Night: Part 2

Joyful conversations and laughter filled the restaurant that night. Among them, Moondust and her friends were but a drop among the sea of good times and fun.

The waiter approached their table, serving up an extra large platter of mushroom and dandelion pizza on a garlic bread crust.

“The alicorn has landed!” Small Luck cheered, throwing up his hooves as he and the others were served.

“Before we dig in, please, take a moment to reflect,” Moondust said.

She, Small Luck and Waterbug all leaned over the pizza and inhaled deeply.

The waiter had to stifle a laugh as he served their sides. Eggplant parmesan for Moondust. Pasta marinara for Small Luck. Hayfries for Waterbug. Once they were all set, the waiter took his leave.

The food was as good as the foals had imagined it. Moondust was glad that she was able to go out to try the new place. Once in a while, her mom was pretty alright.

“Delicious! I love how they put on extra cheese without us even ordering it,” Waterbug said, taking two more slices for himself.

“Good call on the garlic bread crust,” Small Luck said, dipping one of his crusts into the sauce on his noodles.

“Mm! Seriously, if I could eat pizza for every meal, I totally would,” Moondust said, stuffing a whole slice into her mouth. “My stupid mom won’t let me though. She thinks I should have a ‘balanced diet.’ Whatever that means.”

“I still think it’s cool how your mom’s the Princess of the Night,” Small Luck said.

“Eh. The only real upside is that I get to stay up late every night,” Moondust shrugged.

“Lucky! I almost always have to go to bed when the sun goes down,” Waterbug said.

“What’s different about tonight?” Moondust wondered, sipping her soda.

“Parents are out of town at some fancy-shmancy thing. I don’t know. Something about polo, or billiards, or something.’

Their meal carried on with conversations ranging from everything from family pains to the latest news in sports. Everything was going so well, that nothing terrible that came next could have seemed so. Until it happened.

As the staff worked in the kitchen, they were blissfully unaware of a catastrophe in the making. The restaurant was new, but the building was old. Ancient, some might have thought. Few ponies were around to know that it had been built shortly after Canterlot’s first hydroelectric dam was built.

Power surged from the faulty wires into the oven, which had been running all day. The heat from the appliance spread to the walls, onto the frayed and weakened wires. There was a spark inside the walls. The dried wood and ancient insulation were no match for the flames, which spread across the establishment.

Smoke filled the dining area, covering the building in a thick cloud that choked and burned the ponies from the inside.

Waterbug was the first of his friends to try and escape, but was trapped by the disoriented crowd. Moondust called his name, reaching for his hoof, but was pushed around by the crowd.

The fire spread quickly into the restaurant, creating clouds of black smoke. In time, the stragglers were consumed by the fire. Moondust looked frantically for her friends. For a way out. Her breath was growing short, her vision was darkening, and the fire was closing in.

The flames had engulfed the restaurant. The team of pegasi first responders were dumping stormcloud after stormcloud onto the fire, doing little to douse the flames, though the disaster had been contained to the one building.

A city guard who had been on patrol saw the smoke from his route and rushed to get the word to the palace.

Princess Luna arrived as quickly as she could fly, hoping against hope that her daughter was unharmed. The moment she landed, her magic flared up and the stormclouds grew enormous. Water poured forth from them in an incredible deluge that extinguished the flames in seconds. There was no time to celebrate. Only one thing was on the princess’ mind.

“Where is my daughter?” she frantically asked one of the firefighters.

“We’re not sure. We haven’t been able to–” the mare said.

“Where is Moondust!?” Luna practically shouted.

There was movement from the inside of the building. A small colt crawled out of the charred building, his body badly burned by the fire. Every motion was slow and painful for him as he pulled himself into the streets of Canterlot, before the horror-struck crowd.

Luna gasped when she recognized the colt as her daughter’s friend and rushed over to him.

“Small Luck!” she said. “Small Luck, are you alright?”

Small Luck breathed heavily as pain blazed his every nerve. “M…Moondust and Waterbug…In there…” he said, pointing to the burnt restaurant.

Dread clutched Luna’s chest as she allowed the medics to take Small Luck from her and get him the help that he needed. Before any of the firefighters were inside, Luna was inside the charred remains of the restaurant.

All of the cheer had gone to the place, leaving it a darkened husk of its former self. Gone were the sounds of laughter and cheer. The remains of the building sagged and drooped, mourning the loss of its former self.

Among the burnt up rubble, Luna found something that made her heart stop. Two foals were among the dead she found. Waterbug laid with his hoof firmly in Moondust’s, together in their last desperate moments.

The cries of a mother’s greatest loss echoed through the burnt building. For many minutes, nopony did anything, until Luna emerged from the dark interior. The emergency team was allowed to do their work as Luna was offered condolences by the fire chief.

Luna’s flight home was a long and sorrowful one. The moon stayed in the sky for longer than it should have, making Celestia have to lower it herself before raising the sun.

Celestia was understandably annoyed by having to do something she knew her sister was fully capable of doing. She marched through the castle to her sister’s room. The closer she came, the more she heard the sounds of sobbing.

As she approached, Celestia was noticed by Soft Lotion, who was stationed outside Luna’s chambers. He motioned for Celestia to stop where she was, and to listen at the door. Celestia did as she was instructed and listened quietly.

She could hear both her sister and Rising Moon inside. Luna’s voice was low, yet also frantic. It was a voice that Celestia had heard from hundreds of ponies who had approached her during her time as ruling princess. One that she never once would have hoped or dreamed to hear from her own sister. It was the voice of somepony who had just experienced great turmoil and had become emotionally shattered by it.

Rising Moon fared no better. Though his voice was much steadier, he had none of his normal humor or upbeat tones. It was as if some stranger who had only heard of him was trying to impersonate him.

There were short stints of sorrowful conversation, followed by long silences that Celestia eagerly awaited to end. If only to hear their voices and know that they were alright.

Soft Lotion leaned on his spear, his face an expressionless mask of what it normally was.

From what Celestia could hear, only vague details were learned. As the time passed, she put together a picture that was too grim for her to believe. Her niece had died in a fire. Celestia’s knees nearly fell out from beneath her as disbelief churned over in her mind.

Steps approached the door. Celestia and Soft Lotion both stepped back as Rising Moon exited. The look on his face was more dull and glum than either of them had ever seen. He had no words. Only that terrible look upon him. With hardly a sound, Rising left slowly down the hall.

“What do we do now?” Soft Lotion quietly asked, never raising his gaze.

“I don’t know,” Celestia answered.

One week later, a funeral was held for Moondust. For as long as she was there, Luna acted as if nopony else was around her. She didn’t speak. She didn’t look at anypony. She was a shadow of her former self.

Luna shut herself away from everypony else after that. Her days and nights were spent locked up in her daughter’s bedroom, allowing nopony else in. Occasionally, somepony saw her walking the halls, but only for a fleeting moment before she disappeared around a corner, not a word spoken by her. She was little more than a ghost who walked among the ponies, who haunted the halls of her own palace.

In time, even those closest to her began to grow distant, Rising Moon began to grow concerned that Luna would never recover. Time passed, and he had to bury his feelings to keep them from overwhelming him. It was the worst toll that it ever had taken on him. His renowned sense of humor had faded like a mist. His peppy smile and bright eyes became a neutral gaze. Soon after, his love for Luna was only a cold lump in his heart.

Discontent and a darkness filled Luna’s soul. She was becoming a backdrop. A pony with no purpose.

The Endless Night: Part 3

The years passed again. Luna had rejoined the ponies of the palace, but she was only a hollow shell of the pony she was before. She no longer spoke to anypony as her equal. Every word was laced with disdain, and her eyes saw nothing but the lowest of the low before her. Nopony could approach her willingly anymore. The strain was too much even for Rising Moon, who renounced his royal title and returned to the simple life he had once before. Even then, a life without Luna was meaningless to him.

Celestia tried time and again to restore her sister’s spirits. But it was perhaps her lack of any true understanding that made her fail every time. She had no husband who ever left her. Nor did she have a daughter who she had lost to a tragic accident.

After so long, Celestia felt as though she was teetering on the brink of her patience. In her darkest thoughts, she sometimes thought that she may as well not have a sister. For the sake of honoring the promise that she had made to her parents those many centuries ago, Celestia knew that she couldn’t give up. So, she had decided to do what she did best.

The days that followed were filled with golden light, blue skies, and painterly sunrises and sunsets. All across the lands, the ponies began to grow more mindful and appreciative of the gorgeous daytime that their ruling princess bestowed upon them. They praised her and thanked her every day for the light that was given, taking not a moment of it for granted. Something that Celestia knew that Luna was feeling.

However, Celestia was wrong.

Whenever Luna heard her little ponies talking about the Royal Sisters, they were only ever talking about Celestia and the things that she had done. No matter how Luna tried to bestow a beautiful night for them, not a single pony seemed to appreciate it. And when anypony did stay awake through the night, they always seemed more preoccupied with the dangerous and terrible things that came with the darkness.

One last night, Luna seethed at the sight of her sister’s sun going down. Looking out over the land, she saw the last of the ponies in town retreating indoors for the night. There was nothing left in her heart for them. And so, she simply raised the moon, threw some stars into the sky however she felt, and that was the end of it.

She returned to her personal chambers, feeling nothing but disgust and irritation for her nightly duties of running the kingdom.

There was a knock upon her door.

“Who is it?” Luna asked.

“Soft Lotion, your highness. The ambassador for the diamond dogs is here to see you,” the guard’s voice said.

“Send him away,” Luna replied.

“Er…Your highness, you may not want to do that. The kingdom has risked a great deal to begin this negotiation for an alliance–”

“Send him away NOW!!” Luna snapped.

Soft Lotion’s rushed steps faded down the halls of the castle, and Luna paced furiously in her room. As far as she was concerned, there was nothing left for her in Equestria.

“Luna…”

A soft, ethereal voice called out to her. Yet no matter how much she looked, she couldn’t see who had spoken.

“Over here, Luna…”

Luna’s head slowly turned toward the voice. All she saw was her mirror, sitting as plainly as it ever did upon her dresser. As though possessed, Luna began walking toward it and looked into the glass.

Nothing was there but her own reflection. Then, she began to see something else. Something dark was walking through the wall behind her. Luna gasped and looked over her shoulder, but saw nothing there. She turned back to the mirror, and saw the dark shadow walk around the room, until it stood before herself.

“It’s been a very long time, Luna. My, how you’ve grown,” the shadow said.

Luna’s ears flattened against her mane. “Do I know you?” she wondered.

“Yes. You and I have known one another since you were a filly. Not that you would have remembered it. You weren’t exactly yourself at the moment.”

Luna tried to study the features of the shadow’s face, but it was only an exercise in futility.

“Is there someplace that we may have met?” Luna asked.

“We’ve always been together, Luna. Even if you couldn’t see or hear me, you’ve felt me many times,” the shadow answered.

“Have I?” Luna said, her breath catching.

“Yes,” the shadow nodded. “All those moments of despair you felt as a filly. During your deepest moments of grief. Every venomous drop of spite you’ve felt. It was all me.”

Luna’s head felt as though it were spinning atop her shoulders. Who or whatever the shadow was, things were beginning to make sense. In her darkest hours when she felt her worst, Luna had always felt the presence of somepony else. A dark companion who was always there with her to guide her along.

“What do you want now?” Luna asked.

“The quest is: what do you want?”

“Me?”

“Yes. You,” the shadow said, pointing a hoof that looked as though it came out of the glass. “Every night you do your best for your little ponies, who do nothing but ignore all of the favors that you do for them. This night that you create for them, always taken for granted and overshadowed by the sunrise.”

For just a moment, Luna glowered at the mention of her sister’s beloved mornings, which many ponies woke up early just to watch. From the mirror, the shadow seemed to smile.

“You hate them, don’t you?” it asked.

“What?” Luna said. “No. I don’t hate anypony!”

“You can’t lie to me, Luna. I know you better than even your own sister. I know how you feel about her precious daylight, and how the little ponies look down upon your supposed darkness. Many of them even fear it and treat it as if it were a monster! And what about your precious husband? In your greatest time of need, he left you! If you were more than nothing to him, he would have stayed by your side and been there when you needed him the most. Instead, he abandoned you. Just like everypony else!”

The more the shadow spoke, the more that Luna could feel something like a cold spike in her chest. She had been abandoned, and she had been taken for granted. Whenever she had tried to bring it up with anypony, they always dismissed her feelings. Finally, Luna was vindicated. Sompony understood her.

“Tell me, Luna. What would you do to make things back to the way that they were?” the shadow asked.

She had spent so much time thinking about how things were that Luna had hardly thought about how to make things change. Only now that she was thinking of it was the answer obvious.

“I would make everypony understand my greatness! And make sure they never forget what I have done for them!” Luna declared.

“It can all be yours, Luna. All it takes is a little trust…” the shadow said, reaching its hoof from the mirror.

Luna raised her own hoof, mirroring the shadow. Closer they came. Closer. Until darkness overtook the princess of the night. She gasped as the shadow surrounded her, but soon grew elated. There would be only one ruling princess of Equestria. Her.

A loud boom resonated through the palace. Celestia quickly rose from her bed to investigate the sound. As she rushed through the palace, she noticed how the night outside had grown suddenly darker. And all across Equestria, screams of terror echoed.

Celestia’s fear spiked as she suspected the greatest enemy that she and Luna had ever known had somehow come back to haunt them. Nothing could have prepared her for the return of Sombra. But if she had beaten him before, she was going to do it again.

Soft Lotion rushed frantically toward her, screaming that the sun had killed the moon. The moment she heard that, Celestia knew what had happened. It was a disaster that only her parents had been able to avert. Now, it was up to her to face the demon her sister had become.

Celestia hastily told Soft Lotion to spread the word that Nightmare Moon was not to be approached. Following the sounds of manic laughter, Celestia took flight to confront her broken and corrupted sister.

The moment that she was outside the castle, Celestia saw that the world was brimming with the beasts of the night. They prowled hungrily, snatching up anypony who was foolish enough to try and run. Homes were broken into by the beasts, and the ponies within were feasted upon. Unnamable horrors flew through the air, catching and clawing the guards who had not heeded Celestia’s order to stay away. Above all of the pandemonium, the devilish laughter of her sister rang like a diabolical bell, heralding the arrival of the hordes of darkness.

The moon rose into the sky, larger and fuller than it had ever been seen, its surface dyed a sanguine shade. Against the moon, the tallest turret of Canterlot Palace stood as an imposing silhouette. Atop it stood the new ruler of the night who sat waiting for her honored guest.

The stones of the turret nearly cracked as Celestia landed with more force than she had meant, and stared down the demon. From the deepest recesses of her mind, she recalled that face so suddenly that it felt like a blow.

Nightmare Moon answered with a smirk.

“I never thought we’d meet again,” she said. “You haven’t changed much since we last saw one another.”

“L…Luna?” Celestia said.

“Do you not remember what I said during our first meeting? Luna is dead. And this time, she intends to stay that way,” Nightmare Moon replied.

“You lie!” Celestia snapped.

“Do I?” Nightmare Moon provocatively said. “Look around you, little foal. This is all a culmination of Luna’s desires. Long has she wished to eliminate every trace of your precious day to usher in eternal night. Just as she has desired to do this.”

Celestia had to dodge as Nightmare Moon lunged at her, her horn blazing with magic. With a swing of her head, Nightmare Moon’s horn sliced through the stones of the turret and swung again before Celestia could recover.

It was only the reflexive use of her magic that saved Celestia as she parried Nightmare Moon’s attack with her own horn. With a flap of her wings, she pushed herself away and shot a stream of fire from her horn.

Nightmare Moon summoned a shield before herself and flapped her wings, creating a gust that blew Celestia’s flames back at her.

The flames nearly overwhelmed Celestia before she moved. She barely had time to counter Nightmare Moon’s next spell.

The demon mare laughed and disappeared from sight in a burst of light.

Celestia sensed the presence behind herself and fired a concentrated blast of magic, only to hit the empty wall.

“Here I am!”

A heavy weight fell on Celestia, forcing her to the ground. Nightmare Moon wasted no time shooting a concentrated beam of light from her eyes at Celestia.

Celestia tried to dodge, only to have one of the beams slice across her face and gouge out her left eye.

She laid on the ground in pain, hoping, wishing to save her kingdom. It was then that she knew that the Elements of Harmony would activate and save them all.

When she was a filly studying with her sister, they had been taught of six powerful artifacts that contained the very essences of friendship. And in their darkest hours when they were needed the most, these essences would aid them. Only, something in the deepest parts of Celestia knew that it was no use.

Trust with her sister was broken. Any kindness in Luna’s heart had dried up. Any offer she could make would be rebuked. Their loyalty had been severed. The laughter they had shared would remain forever silent. And magic? No amount of magic would bring Luna back from the dark place she had gone to.

Everything had been lost. And somewhere, deep in their hidden conclave, the Elements of Harmony turned to dull, useless stone.

Nightmare Moon’s magic spread across the sky, turning it pitch black, the only light to be seen was shining from her eyes.

“Celestia…”

A voice called out to Celestia. One that she hadn’t heard in nearly a thousand years.

“When my brothers and I blessed you and your sister with our gifts, you were meant to use them for the benefit of all.”

Before her, she saw the earthen elk appear, glowering down at her the same way that her father always had whenever she had done something wrong.

“Why do you lay here and allow your own sister to abuse our gift?” it asked.

Celestia was silent.

“Do you not care for your little ponies? Have you forgotten your purpose as she has!?” the elk angrily asked.

“No! I’d do anything for my kingdom!” Celestia answered.

The stag nodded.

“Then you know what must be done…”

Celestia’s breath stopped. It was something she had never done before, but knew that she may have had to one day. Worst of all, she would never have dreamed that she would have to do it to her own sister.

“One thousand years to atone, Celestia. One thousand years to reflect and ruminate.”

And those were the elk’s last words, before it disappeared.

Faced with the darkness, Celestia clenched her teeth and looked with her one good eye to the sky, which filled with the thousands of twinkling lights of devils’ eyes. Slowly and painfully, she stood, facing the light of her sister’s mad gaze.

“Equestria is not yours, Nightmare Moon!” Celestia said.

Her horn began to shine and the light of the gods’ gifts began to shine around her.

Nightmare Moon’s eyes shone fearfully as she watched her sister’s injured eye miraculously heal until it looked as though nothing ever happened to it. Stranger still was how Celestia had changed. She was taller now. As tall as Nightmare Moon herself. And her mane flowed in some nonexistent breeze like some glorious aurora. Still, the demon mare barely fazed.

“I don’t know how you’re still standing. But I’ll make sure you never so much as kneel before me!” Nightmare Moon shrieked.

She fired a concentrated blast of darkness at Celestia, who fired back with a burst of light. The two alicorns fought for control, trying to push back the other’s spell. Deep in her soul, Celestia could feel it. The hopes, dreams, worries and cares of her entire kingdom at her back, pushing her forward.

Nightmare Moon began to falter as she watched Celestia’s magic grow ever closer. Her hoof slipped, and the light overtook her. Yet, she still resisted. With nothing but her own will to dominate, she staved off the spell, feeling her strength wane with every moment.

There was still one way to win.

“But, I’m your sister…” Nightmare Moon pleaded.

Celestia’s will wavered. Even in the face of evil, she could see her own sister calling out to her. It was only when she saw the devilish smirk of Nightmare Moon that she remembered her sister was no more.

A shout burst from Celestia’s throat as the spell overtook the evil mare. There was a burst of light, and Nightmare Moon had gone.

The moon slowly drifted back to its rightful place. The sun returned to the sky. And all of the evils of the night had scurried back to their abyssal hollows until they could torment the world of light once more.

It was a cruel victory for Celestia. In time, the world was as it was before. But no matter how brightly the sun shined, it was a darker, more terrible place for Princess Celestia. For the centuries after, she lived knowing that it was she who had created the monster her sister had become. No matter how she was consoled or comforted, she knew that it had all been her fault.

Wherever Celestia went or who she talked to, she couldn’t help but feel as if the ponies were judging her. Whether or not they knew what had happened, she would never know. In her heart of hearts, she wished to make things right. However, there were miracles that not even she was able to perform.

The generations passed. The story of Nightmare Moon was no longer history, but a story that ponies told their children to keep them from misbehavior, or to tell around a fire on a camping trip. No matter what, the face of Luna would always be seen from the moon, whether the ponies knew it or not.

Dying Sunlight

For centuries, Celestia ruled her kingdom as she had sworn to do so long ago. Equestria had never been so prosperous. And that prosperity was well kept under the watchful eye of the benevolent princess.

No matter where one went in the kingdom of Equestria, the tenets of friendship were followed, and there was nopony with a major sorrow that couldn’t have been solved by the ponies they cared about the most. Adventures were shared among groups of friends all over the kingdom, learning from their experiences and strengthening the bond between them ten, fifty, a hundred times over.

The wounds of the past had healed. But the scars would forever remain.

Celestia never allowed herself to grow so close to anypony again. Her life was lived solving friendship problems, but never having friends. Even though she never showed it, her heart had shut itself off from the warmth of such things. No matter what, she would never allow herself to experience such heartbreak again.

Until she met Heat Wave.

During one of the parties like the ones she and her sister had attended so long ago, she was trying her best to remain discreet. Although, it was inevitable that the nobles who wished to curry favor with the princess would find her. And they did. Celestia was able to fend off some of them, directing their drunken passions to an equally drunken partner for them to violate some public decency code in some corner of the castle gardens. Others, she had to wait for them to start arguing with one another over who was more worthy of the princess’s time. It was only when she was informed of a display by the prince from the Court of the Double Suns was performing.

Celestia had heard of this stallion and knew his name. Heat Wave was known throughout his peers for his garish rainbow mane and his remarkable strength. Something that he never missed a chance to show off to anyone who was willing to watch. And even to others who didn’t.

After making her way across the garden, she saw the star of the show himself lifting a table with three mares on it over his head with ease. The moment she saw it, she remembered how her father had done such a thing when she and Luna would sit on a chair each and he would lift them over his head like they were feather pillows.

He was quite a display, this Heat Wave. Beneath that sky blue coat, his muscles throbbed and rippled with every motion. His magenta eyes flashed dashingly with every glance. And as if he were laying a newborn foal down to sleep, he placed the table back on the ground and helped each of the mares off.

Celestia watched him in awe, wondering how such a body could have been built. She was taken completely by surprise when Heat Wave called upon her personally to talk.

The crowd was awed by the audacity of the stallion, knowing that things would only end badly for him if he tried to work her into his strongstallion act. More shocking was his offer to get her a drink.

Celestia politely declined, wishing to spend the party as quietly as possible. When she went to get the drink herself, she was irritated to find that Heat Wave was already there with a drink in each hoof. Since there seemed to be no losing him, Celestia resigned herself to sipping cider with him.

At first, he seemed to only talk about himself. And Celestia found him to be a terrible bore. It was when he asked her about her own life that she felt as if she had a dagger plunged into her side, and wanted to go run off to some corner and cry like a filly. Except when she began, she felt that pain subside. For the first time in many years, Celestia revisited her past and related it to another. To her greatest delight, she found that Heat Wave was far more understanding and sympathetic than she would have expected him to be. Even though he had never experienced such things in his life, he knew how she had felt.

It was because of this that she desired to spend more time with him. To get to know him and to remember herself. Slowly, the mare she once was came back to light. Gossip began to spread that Princess Celestia had been seduced by some musclebound hoodlum at a debaucherous gathering. Of course, they were only half right.

Tabloids went wild, and the two of them became the hottest couple in Equestria. New rumors began to crop up, each more ridiculous than the last. Sometimes even scandalous. But it was always taken in good humor by the two of them. They knew the truth. And they had one another.

One enchanted evening, all of Celestia’s dreams came true. She had lowered the sun and raised the moon, and Celestia met with Heat Wave at their favorite restaurant. The balcony view of the kingdom was splendid. What Celestia liked the best was that he had gotten a private area reserved for the two of them. And she found out why soon enough.

For much of the night, Heat Wave was looking at her with a dreamy, mischievous glint. Every time, Celestia laughed when she saw it. It made her think about how far she had come since she had met him. He truly was wonderful.

Heat Wave passed something to her from across the table. A small box with a single hinge on it. Celestia looked tentatively at the box, and Heat Wave motioned for her to open it. When she did, she was stunned by the discovery.

A ruby that glowed like the evening sun was set before her. Her face beamed just as brightly when she heard Heat Wave propose marriage. An offer she readily accepted. It was the most glorious day in both of their lives. And their excitement had spread to the small audience that had gathered around them without their notice.

One year later, the two of them were married. The ceremony was heavenly, and was attended by ponies from all over the country. Within the year, Celestia was expecting her firstborn foal.

It took five orderlies and two nurses to hold back Heat Wave as he tried to break into the maternity ward. No matter how the medical staff tried to reason with him, nothing would stop him from seeing his beloved wife in her time of greatest need. But there was no getting him to stop even when they told him the foal was born breech. He simply resolved to pull it out himself.

His steps were slow and steady as he bulldozed the hospital staff backwards. The door to the maternity ward was growing ever closer. Not even magic was enough to stop him. Finally, he burst through the door, calling out Celestia’s name.

The room went silent upon his arrival, the hospital staff hanging in vain on his muscular frame. Celestia was sitting quietly, holding a swaddled bundle in her hooves. Heat Wave rushed over to see it, leaving the dazed staff behind him. It was announced that he was now the proud father of a colt. His first son.

The foal peered out of the blankets, his tiny horn poking through a tuft of his scarlet mane. His white coat was taken as a sign that he would be a shining star among his peers. For this, Heat Wave wished for him to be called Bright Star.

Celestia thought Bright Orange might have sounded a little better, which Heat Wave quickly gave in to. After all, who was he to question the ruling princess?

Things could not have gone better for Celestia. Although she had noted that Bright Orange was not like most foals. He was unusually thin for his age. And no matter how his father tried to play with him, Bright Orange was always the first to tire. His fits of anguish would happen at the most inopportune times, mostly when it seemed that they should not have been.

Doctors were called from all corners of the kingdom to find out what was wrong with him. Bright Orange was examined thoroughly. His diet was carefully monitored and his blood was sampled. But not one of them could say what was wrong with the foal. As far as they could tell, it was simply the will of some greater force that had brought this about.

Celestia winced inwardly, feeling as though she knew what forces were at play. Had banishing her sister not been enough? Was she doomed to have her own son suffer? She had already lost a sister and a niece, and she was determined to keep the family that she had left.

For many months, Bright Orange never left her care. He was her treasure. Her very reason to live. Whenever she saw his face or heard him laughing from the next room, she remembered the reasons that she did what she did for her kingdom. But it was not to last.

Bright Orange’s steps became slower, and he cried more often. Finally, he stopped crying altogether, which worried Celestia and Heat Wave more than anything.

The doctors were fetched again, and the foal was examined. This time, they had a concrete reason for Bright Orange’s agony.

An infection had settled in his lungs. Only an antibiotic could be prescribed. However, it was too late. Perhaps it was a mercy that Bright Orange didn’t live to the next week. But it was a terrible pain like none other Celestia had felt since she had to do away with her own sister.

It wasn’t long after that the same illness claimed her husband. Heat Wave’s passing was longer than forever to Celestia, who was with him to his very last breath.

For the first time in her life, Celestia cursed her ascension to alicornhood. This supposed gift was nothing but a burden to her. What good was immortality and eternal health if it couldn’t be shared with anypony who truly mattered to her? In her everlasting life, she would never know the pain of sickness, but she would be forced to watch it sweep over everypony closest to her. Life and death had come to mean more to her than to anypony else. With a fury in her heart, she cursed the demon gods that granted her those terrible gifts, knowing that it was their hooves that had dealt such a terrible thing to befall her.

The sky was silent. Nothing was seen. Nothing but the moon looking down on her.

Celestia gazed back at the moon, wondering how her sister was faring. Perhaps one day they would meet again. If only the gods would allow it.

Epilogue

The years had finally been good. Thanks to the efforts of six brave mares, the balance of the world had been restored and the family Celestia had resigned to be forever broken had mended. The curse of Nightmare Moon had been broken, and her beloved sister returned to her. Albeit with some reluctance.

The crowd in the courtyard cheered loudly up at the balcony, where royal orations had been given for centuries. From the curtain beyond, a single eye peered out at the crowd and quickly retreated.

Luna pressed herself against the wall, steadying her heart with a hoof on her chest.

“They’re out there! Since when were there so many ponies in this kingdom!?” Luna hissed.

“There are no more ponies out there than there normally was before,” Celestia reassured Luna. “Although, the courtyard was expanded about a hundred years ago to make room for a second fountain, so it’s conceivable that there’s a higher capacity.”

Luna exhaled loudly.

“I…I…” she huffed.

“You what?” Celestia wondered.

“I wish Rising Moon were here…”

Celestia felt she should have known. Rising Moon always knew what to say to steady anypony’s nerves with his cool head and cutting remarks. If anypony could have saved Luna on that day of her grand reappearance, it would have been him. Alas, he was long gone. Much like every other mortal pony, he couldn’t remain in the world of the living. But it was his spirit that made Celestia think that Luna could do this.

“Do you think he would have had a barrel of moldy tomatoes to throw at any hecklers in the crowd?” Celestia suggested.

“Almost certainly,” Luna nodded.

“Perhaps he might have served one up by saying, ‘Open wide! Vegetables are good for you!’”

“Now you’re channeling his spirit!” Luna said, almost laughing as she could clearly picture her departed husband saying exactly that.

“Don’t I wish,” Celestia lamented. “I’d say we need him now more than ever. But I think that some part of him and Moondust will be beside you when you’re ready.”

Luna bit her lip and nodded slowly. Moondust, who had been taken from her so early in her life, had been the hoof that guided her onward. Whenever she had no clue what to do as a ruler, she decided what to do next as a mother. It was a side of herself that she never would have known or learned from if her beloved daughter had never been. Instead of forever mourning her loss, she was going to be forever grateful for Moondust and Rising Moon.

Although, there were still doubts that lingered.

“Do you think anypony would understand? About Nightmare Moon…?” Luna weakly asked.

“I think you don’t give our little ponies enough credit,” Celestia said. “For as many who see Nightmare Moon in your face, tenfold more will understand that she was separate from yourself.”

“But she wasn’t separate. She was me! Every foul thought I ever had was manifested into her! And–”

Celestia stopped her sister from speaking by holding up her hoof.

“You’ll never know until you face it,” Celestia said. “For better or worse, it will be better than not knowing at all. Even then, there is so much more to look forward to. I mean, look around you. You’re back after a thousand years! Have you any idea the advances that have been made since our day? Food is safer for everypony to eat. Forget about going to the public laundry pool to clean your linens. You can do it right in your own home. And right after this, I’m taking you to the arcade in Ponyville.”

“The what in where?” Luna asked.

“The arcade. It’s where a vast collection of games are all gathered up in one place for ponies to play with one another,” Celestia explained.

“You mean like badminton and marbles?”

“You’ll see,” Celestia said. “And as for Ponyville, it’s that quaint little hamlet that you can see from our window. Just…over…there.”

Luna looked to where her sister pointed and saw a small village nestled at the edge of the Everfree Forest. She had already been informed that the ponies who defeated Nightmare Moon lived there and felt apprehensive about showing her face to them all once again.

She looked back at the eager crowd, which was waiting excitedly for their diarch to return. The hoof of her sister on her shoulder calmed her nerves considerably.

“Fear not, Lulu. I’ll be with you every step of the way,” Celestia assured her.

Outside the door, a guard leaned lazily on his spear. After dazing and daydreaming for so long, he was forced into action by the hands of the nearby clock. Without even a thought for ceremony, he simply raised his rear hoof and bucked the door behind himself a couple of times.

“Princesses! It’s time!” he called.

Luna looked at the door, astonished as she recognized his voice.

“Was that…?” she began.

“Cool Balm,” Celestia answered. “He takes very much after his great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather. I’ve never once seen him stand up straight.”

Luna couldn’t help but smile at the thought. Even after so much time, some things still hadn’t changed. And that gave her hope enough to face what was to come. She faced the curtain and pulled it back.

Beside her Celestia had pulled over a barrel of old tomatoes. Luna laughed at the sight, but politely declined her sister to bring them out. Before Celestia could go on without her ammunition, Luna magically levitated the barrel over to her side.

“I shall be the one to deal with the peanut gallery,” she said.

With those last words, she and Celestia walked out to face the future that laid itself before them.