Moondog

Chapter Nine: Solar Transit

~BlackRoseRaven

Luna and Scrivener were sprawled in an ungainly mess on the same bed, both snoring loudly, a tangle of limbs and sparkling mane and sheets and drool.

Shining Armor studied them both moodily from the open doorway, Centurions poking their heads in curiously on either side of him and giggling, and the Captain of the Guard rubbed slowly at his temple as one of them said: “Night Mistress has found a fine suitor.”

“Yeah, they suit each other alright.” Shining Armor said tiredly, before he tilted his head up slightly, his horn glowing before he shouted in a magnified voice: “On your hooves, maggots!”

The Solar Anthem blared through the bedroom, and Luna and Scrivener both squirmed in bed before Luna shoved the stallion, who slowly rolled off and flopped on his side to the ground with a moan, wheezing: “Oh Horses of Heaven, I haven't been this hungover in years.”

“Scrivener Blooms... I am... dying...” Luna moaned helplessly as she slowly crawled to the edge of the bed, then fell off and thumped down on her head, laying half-on, half-off the bed. “Oh Valhalla... take me!”

Scrivener Blooms mumbled, and Shining Armor tapped a hoof slowly as he allowed the music to fade from the air before he cleared his throat and said loudly: “Princess Celestia requests your presence at the Chamber of the Sun. Both of you.”

Luna mumbled as she slowly crawled her way down onto her belly on the floor, laying there for a few moments as Shining only impatiently continued to watch them both. Then his eyes shifted to the stallion, adding moodily: “Oh, by the way. Heard you visited my sister last night.”

Scrivener scowled as he slowly clambered to his hooves, as the ivory stallion leaned forwards and said pointedly: “I heard you were both flirting with her. Now, I don't care if you're swingers-”

“What, hey!” Scrivener blurted, and Luna blinked in confusion as she slowly hauled herself up.

“I do not understand. What do swings have to do with Twilight Sparkle?”

“It means he thinks we date other people.”

“Preposterous! We are not dating Twilight Sparkle yet!” Luna stopped, blushed, then both she and Scrivener rambled about how they weren't dating or in a relationship or anything, and Shining Armor rubbed a hoof slowly at his forehead as one of the Centurions clapped and gave a little cheer in the background.

“Neither of you are dating Twilight at all!” he burst out, and both ponies immediately scowled at him. “I'm sorry, but Scrivener, you're a bad influence on Twilight. You always have been. You even made her skip class once!”

“Damn I'm such a bad boy.” Scrivener said wryly, and Luna gave a donkey laugh before she cleared her throat hurriedly.

Shining Armor glared at them both, before he cleared his throat and said more respectfully: “Princess Luna. Twilight Sparkle is already Princess Celestia's student. It would appear as nepotism, or worse, if she were to enter any kind of relationship with you. I think it would be best for you both if you considered leaving Twilight alone.”

Luna slowly pursed her lips, and then she snorted steam before she asked: “And were I not a Princess, Shining Armor?”

The white stallion ground his teeth together for a moment, and then he answered as tactfully as possible: “If you were not a princess, my advice would be the same for you as it is for Scrivener.”

The sapphire mare huffed loudly, then she shook her head before swaying woozily, her eyes rolling in her head before she grumbled as her horn started to glow: “Bah, I shall just-”

Scrivener flung a pillow at her, making her wince as her magic was canceled, and she huffed at him as he said tiredly: “No. Even I know that's a bad idea. Let's just go see Celestia and then we can go back to bed.”

“Princess Celestia.” Shining Armor corrected shortly, glaring at Scrivener Blooms.

“Boss Lady Celestia.” Scrivener mumbled, before he winced and leaned back slightly when Shining Armor stomped angrily at him. “Horses of Heaven, you're even worse than Twilight Sparkle ever was, just how far is that stick jammed up your-”

“Mmm.” Luna looked almost dreamily between Shining Armor and Scrivener Blooms. “If thou does not desire us to swing around Twilight Sparkle, perhaps thou should offer up thyself as sacrifice instead, Captain Armor.”

Shining Armor looked at them both for a few long moments, and then he sighed tiredly before he turned around, calling with only a little disgust: “Please join us at the Chamber of the Sun when you're ready.”

Luna scowled and stuck out her tongue, while Scrivener grumbled under his breath before both ponies strode forwards, then blinked as a batpony let himself in, carrying a tray with a carafe of coffee and some muffins on it.

“Oh thank thou and the gods of Valhalla.” Luna hurried forwards, and Scrivener dragged himself over as well as Luna sloppily poured mugs of coffee for them both. They both guzzled these down, then took their second mugs slower, pairing them with muffins as the batponies waited on them with smiles.

“I'll agree with Luna for once. You guys are lifesavers.” the black stallion added, smiling over at the... well, he was a Night Chef, he guessed, more than a Night Guard now, and a lot less intimidating now dressed in his little suit and looking so thrilled at having prepared coffee without burning it.

They gave their thanks to the batponies before leaving, Luna and Scrivener both glancing back as they started to gossip almost immediately once they were on the way out. Luna squinted thoughtfully at Scrivener Blooms as the stallion glanced over at her with a cocked eyebrow, before she asked: “Does all of Canterlot know- er, uh, think, that thou and I-”

“No. No, no no no. How could they?” Scrivener asked lamely, and both ponies blushed a bit before they both quickly turned their attention ahead, striding quickly through the castle, and Scrivener glanced at her again before he smiled a little, saying quietly: “You know, you really do look better without that stupid tiara.”

“Thou art stupid.” But Luna smiled and nodded despite herself as they headed through Canterlot, which was a bustle of activity this morning.

Neither Luna nor Scrivener usually saw Canterlot in the morning, with the sun risen and the castle in full activity. Ponies looked at them curiously as they passed, but for the most part they went ignored by the busy populace as they walked quickly through the halls and then left the castle via the main entrance facing the city.

The Chamber of the Sun was actually in Canterlot proper: it was an old building, squat and square, a temple formerly dedicated to ancient and long-forgotten gods. Luna was surprised to see the doors were guarded today by a cadre of Royal Guard, who saluted sharply as Luna and Scrivener approached, although she was all-too-aware of the wariness in their eyes as they made their way up to the doors, where Shining Armor was waiting for them.

He nodded to them, then turned and opened the heavy stone doors for them: Luna frowned uneasily as she strode inside with Scrivener at her side. Shining Armor joined them after a moment, but he respectfully took up position at the entrance as Luna walked slowly across the carpeted temple hall, looking uneasily up at her sibling. “Celestia, has something happened?”

Princess Celestia opened her eyes from where she had been meditating on the stage at the front of the converted temple, gazing down at them with soft compassion from her seat on a cushion. She nodded slowly as Luna and Scrivener stopped in front of her, before she said gently: “But please wait a moment for me to explain, Luna. I want to go over this once, and not everyone is here yet.”

Luna only had a moment of confusion before a stumble of hoofs came rushing in, along with a familiar voice blurting: “I came as fast as I could, Princess! What happened?”

Twilight Sparkle hurried up to join Scrivener and Luna, who both looked at her with surprise before Celestia ordered: “Shining Armor, seal the doors.”

“Yes, ma'am!” Shining Armor saluted sharply, then he shouted an order to the soldiers outside before pulling the heavy stone doors shut. They could hear locks being closed on the other side even as Shining Armor strode quickly up to join them, smiling reassuringly to Twilight Sparkle as he took position by his sibling.

The four ponies looked up at Celestia, who took a slow breath before she said quietly: “I've changed, Luna. It feels like something inside me has transformed. And I have memories that are impossible; I'm sure by now, you've experienced them too. The moments of deja vu, and a sense that... we are not who we once were.”

Luna frowned uneasily as Scrivener Blooms chewed at his lip, before Twilight Sparkle asked: “Why are we here, though? Why did you seal us inside this temple?”

Celestia became more serious as she stood, brushing her cushion away, and then pulling something forward. Luna's eyes narrowed, catching a glimpse of a reflection beneath the curtain that covered it, as the ivory mare said quietly: “We need to know what we're dealing with. I need you all at the ready. I need to know if something has truly happened... what I am missing, and if Equestria is in danger.

“I feel...” Celestia bit her lip. “'Manipulated' is too strong a word. But something has changed me, Luna. I know you've seen the difference in me.”

“It is not a bad difference!” Luna blurted out, and then she blushed before adding softly: “Thou art still my sister. I love thee with all my heart, Celestia, and trust in thee... more than I ever have before. Thou hast been kind, merciful, and good. Better than thou hast ever been...”

She stopped. She hated it, as she shifted uncomfortably, but then she nodded grudgingly and murmured as her eyes looked down: “But aye. Thou art different, too. There... thou wert always such a creature of passion. A schemer, and I know thou schemes still, wretched Celestia, with whatever thou hast created...” She smiled despite herself, and Celestia smiled softly back at her, chuckling quietly. “But there are many times thou would have punished me. Thou art strong still, but...”

“My edge is missing. Part of my personality is... missing.” Celestia bit her lip, then she looked at Luna and said quietly: “I'm not afraid for myself. I'm afraid for you, Luna. What if this force touched you, too? What if it took away...”

Scrivener smiled wryly at this, unable to stop himself from replying: “I don't think anything could make Luna less of a pain in the flank. That would just require erasing her.”

Luna snorted as Twilight gave them a sour look, then scowled at her brother when he muttered an agreement, but Celestia remained serious even as she smiled faintly. “That is precisely what I am afraid of.”

There was silence for a moment, and then Celestia closed her eyes before she took a breath, then turned and swept away the curtain from her scrying mirror. But Luna saw it had been modified: the glass was somehow both dark and glowing, and gold frosted the edges of the looking glass, which was edged in metal covered in runes. Celestia gazed at this silently, saying quietly: “I have asked you all here to help me, and to stop me if something goes wrong.”

“What?” Luna stepped forwards, her voice rising. “Celestia, tell us-”

“Shh, it's okay, Luna, I promise everything is under control. That's why I asked you here, as an emergency measure.” Celestia answered soothingly, before she smiled faintly as she gestured at the mirror. “Let me explain.

“This mirror has been altered with powdered bark of Yggdrasil and mythril focal bars. All of it enhanced by runic amplifiers.” Twilight Sparkle looked fascinated, but Scrivener only felt a shiver run down his spine for some reason as he looked at the mirror, and he swore he saw something move inside it. “This should allow my scrying mirror to look through not just this world, but further and deeper. My goal is not to look into other worlds, however, but rather to make contact with the lost part of me and see where it has been taken.”

“Thou art convinced of this? That some entity has... stolen part of thee?” Luna asked uneasily, and then she bit her lip. “Celestia, if such an entity exists, then-”

“That's why you're here. To break the connection if something tries to possess me, or help me force it back if something attempts to come through the mirror.” Celestia looked at the four, and she smiled faintly at the earth pony as he shifted uncomfortably. “Yes, even you, Scrivener Blooms. You're not just the Court Poet of Canterlot anymore. From the rumors I've heard-”

“Um this isn't really the time or place for that I don't know what you're talking about.” Scrivener hurriedly waved his hooves with a wince as Luna blushed and glared horribly at her sister.

Celestia only laughed, and then she nodded slowly as she murmured: “You're right, it's not. But...” She closed her eyes, then took a slow breath. “Well, no time like the present. All of you, get ready.”

“Wait!” Twilight burst out, looking almost frantically back and forth. “What... but we... but wait, we-”

“It's okay, Twilight Sparkle. I trust you. You'll do the right thing...” Celestia smiled softly down at her student, before she turned to face the mirror as her horn glowed, murmuring: “And this may not even work. Part of me hopes that it doesn't, and not just because I'm afraid of what it means... because... it means I was always too weak to control myself, and it took something from beyond our space and time to fix me.

“I have always been more broken than you, Luna. You became Nightmare Moon, but so what? Outside influences helped with that, too... a broken heart, and a sister who was too wrapped up in her own plots and schemes...” Celestia gazed silently into the mirror, breathing a little harder as the ponies behind her gazed up at her with silence from the bottom of the stone steps leading up to the solid stage. “So please... show me the truth...”

“The truth...” echoed a voice. It sounded like Celestia, but it wasn't Celestia. And they all saw it, as something gold and white formed in the mirror, before it slowly leaned forwards, the reflection of Celestia glaring back at her as it whispered: “The truth...”

Celestia stumbled back even as she stared, enraptured, at her reflection. The others could all see it even from their angle below: not a princess, but a mighty and terrible queen in heavy golden armor, her mane not a pastel, flowing rainbow, but a series of long white braids. Her features were older, harsher, worn by time and battles that had taken their toll on her; she had an eyepatch, and her remaining iris was harsh and cruel as she snarled: “The truth is aye, you are a weak dog, Celestia, yet... and yet!”

The reflection leaned forwards, and Celestia stumbled another step back in horror as it passed through the rippling mirror into reality. It was Celestia, and yet it was not Celestia, almost the same as her and yet radically alien as it looked across them and asked: “Why? Why was I not good enough for them? Why did they rip me out of you and toss me away like a rat, a cancer...”

“Who are you?” Celestia whispered, as the long, braided tail of her reflection slipped loose of the mirror, which gave a single weak pulse before the glass went black and dead.

“I am the Celestial Unicorn, I am the Dragon Slayer, I am the Princess of the Sun, the Radiant, the Queen!” snarled the doppelganger bitterly. “I am Aya, I am Goddess Sol, I am Celestia, I am Freya, Queen of the Valkyries!”

She roared the last, the Chamber of the Sun shaking with the force of her voice before her eye flashed as she dropped her head forward and hissed: “Get out of my way, Celestia. There is work to be done and you are too weak to do it.”

Celestia trembled violently, and then she grit her teeth and steadied herself as Luna ran up to her sister's side with Scrivener Blooms, and Twilight and Shining leapt to her other side, all of them standing at the ready. “N-No. I... I have made a terrible mistake. I cannot allow you-”

The not-Celestia, Freya, threw her head back and laughed raucously, and then she bared her teeth in a cruel grin as she mocked: “Think you all can stop me, do you? Well, let's see what you and this mock Brynhild can do!”

Freya bulled forwards, smashing Celestia down the stairs before she threw her head back with a roar, and all four ponies were sent crashing across the temple from the shockwave of golden flames that erupted from her.

Luna flipped, landing unsteadily on her hooves as she skidded backwards, a barrage of alien memories sparking through her mind before she lunged forwards, her horn glowing, but Freya laughed at her as she leapt down, meeting her with a mocking grin as she shouted in her face: “We're nothing but shadows, you know! Foul copies of the real thing! Mockeries, but even for a joke you're a poor one!”

Her horn smashed and clashed with Luna's, forcing the sapphire mare back with gasps of pain from the strength of impact as the hulking juggernaut of a mare strode fearlessly forward in her armor. Luna tried to twist to her blind side, but Freya slashed her horn up, and as she did so, golden light slashed through the air and shredded Luna's chest and side open, sending her crashing and rolling back with a scream of pain.

The light that had slashed across her formed into short golden swords, these whirling rapidly to ready positions: simple double-edged broadswords that were sharper than dragon fangs, Freya spitting to the side as she growled: “Pathetic. A shadow of a shadow. Get on your hooves, false Brynhild. Die like a man, if you can't die like a woman!”

“I am no man.” Luna muttered, looking up at her defiantly, breathing hard before she grit her teeth as Freya lunged at her-

Celestia leapt in front of her, and golden swords collided sharply with perfect copies of golden blade. Freya laughed loudly at this, but her attention was taken away from Luna as she immediately began to storm towards her hated twin, six golden swords whirling and clashing through the air as she snapped: “Your hjorleikr is only a poor imitation of mine!”

Celestia was forced to the center of the room: Shining Armor tried to flank in, his horn glowing brightly, but Freya suddenly sidestepped and slammed a hoof out without looking at him, sending him bonelessly backwards in a fine spray of blood as Twilight Sparkle screamed and ran to her brother's side.

Six swords collided, clashing violently, grinding firmly before Freya laughed as she suddenly twisted and sharply repelled Celestia's attempt to pin her down. The pommel of a sword slammed into Celestia's face and knocked her staggering before a leg was almost mockingly cut out from beneath her, sending her crashing down on her side as she desperately defended herself with her swords as Freya's own rained a hail of blows down on her. “Miserable! Pathetic! You're nothing without me! I am your battle rage, your anger, your passion, and you are-”

Celestia flapped her wings hard, launching herself backwards in a flash of light, and Freya hissed before she snarled as something sliced across her face. She set herself, her other eye twitching as her eyepatch fell loose to reveal a glaring glass eye.

She reached up, touching the bloody cut on her face as she trembled with fury, and Celestia said quietly as she set herself and readied her swords around her: “I don't want to kill you. But I will. Please don't force us to.”

Freya snorted in contempt, and then she looked up and answered coldly: “There can only be one of us, Celestia. Unlike you, I don't hesitate.”

She paused, then smiled thinly as she tilted her head back slightly, adding easily: “And don't think I won't spank you, Brynhild. But fortunately for you, I don't mind if you decide to just stay back and admire me from afar.”

“Stop calling me that. I am...” Luna shivered. Why couldn't say she she wasn't Brynhild? Why did that name sound familiar to her? “I am not going to allow thee to harm my sister.”

“Oh?” Freya smiled.

Luna's eyes widened, and she leapt forward, but too late: Freya was faster, so much faster, and so much stronger as she used her swords to smash wide Celestia's before simply plowing into her, hefting her with a roar before slamming her down and pouncing on top of her. She slammed her hoof down into her face, again and again and again as Luna screamed like a wounded animal and Twilight shrieked, firing a blast of magic at Freya-

All of it, useless. With a flick of her horn, Freya launched a sword at Twilight Sparkle, while using another to slice across Scrivener's chest and interrupt his charge. Twilight gasped in pain and horror as her shoulder was cut open and she stumbled to the side, and Scrivener staggered to the side, forced to back off.

Shining Armor created a shield and charged forward, but Freya's last sword was launched like a missile into this, the force of impact making him wince before the blade exploded in a tremendous bang of golden fire, knocking him sprawling with a gasp. Luna leapt at Freya's back, only for a rear hoof to neatly slam into her face: she hit the ground hard, but anger and desperation drowned out her pain as she forced herself to leap forward again-

Freya spun around, slapping her out of the air like a child with one hoof as her other yanked Celestia up by the mane, making her scream before she was punched viciously down to the ground with the sound of shattering bone, Freya looking down at her with contempt and disgust. Luna staggered, trembling in pain as she spat blood, breathing hard as she looked at this... this tyrant, this monster, with fury and terror in her eyes, only able to watch as Freya's forehoof burst into golden flames and she said callously, to broken, bloody, beaten Celestia: “Prune back the weak so the strong can grow in their place.”

Something crashed into her armored side on her blind side, and Freya swore as she was knocked off balance, immediately dropping Celestia to round on what had hit her with a snarl of fury, her rage growing as she saw Scrivener Blooms. “Gelding filthy mud-pony!”

Her flaming forehoof crashed down on him, and Scrivener howled in misery as he was crushed beneath it, pinned to the ground with a fiery hoof charring into his face, squirming and kicking uselessly as Luna's blood ran cold, her eyes going wide, her heart stopping in her chest-

“Die.”

Luna screamed and launched forwards in a blast of blue fire and darkness, crashing into Freya with such violence that even the armored mare was helplessly knocked into the air before raw hate made into purging fire roared upwards in a torrent, a living dragon of magic that ripped over Freya and dragged her upwards to smash her into, then through, the ceiling of the temple.

Shining Armor gasped as Twilight shrieked in fear, the Captain of the Guard sharply snapping his horn out to blast rocks out of the air as he shouted: “Twilight, help me!”

Twilight was panicked, but all the same managed to unleash her own powerful, mostly-unfocused blasts that knocked falling debris away from where Celestia and Scrivener were laying. But Luna was twisting, her eyes glowing white, her body flexing and rippling unnaturally as pulses of magic emanated off her in all directions.

Luna.

Luna blinked, and found herself standing in a circle of white light. She mouthed wordlessly, before trembling as a shape appeared in the darkness, emerald eyes opening, looking down at her as she whispered: “Oh no. What... what I unleashed, what have I done...”

“Luna.” the voice said again, and... was it desperate? Was it scared?

She saw a flash of reality. Of Scrivener Blooms, not... not moving. Celestia, bleeding, a broken and bruised mess she had failed to protect-

“You haven't failed anyone yet.” promised the thing in the darkness, and Luna trembled as she stepped towards it, looking up almost desperately at this creature.

It leaned down towards her. It was Nightmare Moon... and it was not. There was no helm upon her head, no crown, her beautiful black features naked as a mane of starlight and blue flame seared the darkness around her. She was the darkness, and she was what stood against darkness, as she said quietly: “We have to save them.”

Luna bit her lip, as she slid towards the edge of the shadows, as the great black mare loomed over her, before she asked weakly: “Must I give in? Must I become thee again?”

“No. I am only asking you to accept me. And to trust me.” Nightmare Moon said quietly, as she slid back a step, and hesitantly, carefully, Luna moved a little more forwards. A little more towards the edge of the light and darkness.

But there was honesty in her voice. Fear, pain, and deeper than that... “We love them both. Finally, Luna! Finally, Celestia is willing to accept us! And we have... Scrivener Blooms. We love him.”

“I love him.” Luna confessed. “I would... do anything for him.”

“So would we. We don't need a nation to rule. We don't want that. We only ever wanted to be loved, and now we finally have it.” Nightmare Moon said, leaning down almost desperately. “Take my power, Luna. We must save him. We must save him.”

Luna trembled, swallowing thickly. “I will. I must. I want to... but... b-but what if... they hate me, when they realize who I have been all along? That thou and I...”

Nightmare Moon slipped forwards, reaching out and settling her dark hooves gently on Luna's shoulder as she leaned down and kissed her forehead, and Luna trembled as the creature murmured: “Better that they live and hate us, then that they die, isn't it? That... that is love, is it not?”

Luna looked up at Nightmare Moon, who looked back down into her eyes, and she asked: “Would you ever forgive yourself, my Luna, if you let them die?”

Luna leapt forwards in answer, the light vanishing as she embraced Nightmare Moon fiercely, and the great dark shape smiled faintly as she hugged her other-self fiercely back, silently stroking through her mane as she murmured: “Good girl.”

Luna's eyes clenched shut, then snapped open as she snarled, her whole body flexing as blackness bled through her form and she almost doubled in height, snapping her head up as her eyes shone with emerald power. Powerful black wings flapped as her mane burst into blue flames, and she looked sharply up, into naked sky, and at the armored mare hovering calmly above.

“We shall not allow thee to harm them. We will become darkness itself to stop thee if we must!” Luna roared at Freya, and the cruel queen replied with a grim smile.

“A shadow's merely a shadow. But it's the light that decides its fate.” Freya said contemptibly, idly brushing a loose piece of armor free. “Don't get cocky.”

As the broken plate of armor fell, Freya's horn suddenly gave a sharp flash, launching the jagged piece of metal at Luna, but Luna deflected it easily with her horn, and Freya laughed loudly. “On your guard now, big girl, are you? Well, good! Try not to bore me!'

Freya lunged down through the air at her, sending a golden fireball at her, and Luna cursed as she leapt backwards, spreading her wings and letting the explosion of the spell carry her backwards. But the golden fire became golden swords that sliced in towards her, forcing her to furl her wings tightly as she met the attacks with sharp parries of her horn.

Freya flew in above her, then dropped like a stone, and Luna's eyes widened before she grinned at the last moment, Freya cursing as the black mare became a burst of blue mist that ripped across her, leaving sharp, stinging frostbite. Luna reformed above, snapping her horn down to blast the ivory mare with a telekinetic hammer and keep her off-balance before she stomped both rear hooves down into the middle of her back.

The tyrant roared as she tried to retaliate, but her swords stuttered and went the wrong way as Twilight Sparkle caught them with telekinesis, and Freya's eye glowed with rage. The swords exploded in flares of golden flame, magical recoil knocking Twilight sprawling with a squeak before Luna slammed a hoof into the back of Freya's head.

Freya cursed as she fell forward, but then she lunged sharply and flapped her wings hard, taking to the air. She flew rapidly upward, and Luna spread her wings and pursued her into the sky, where pegasi were circling and shouting, watching with shock as what appeared to be Celestia flew away from what could only be Nightmare Moon.

“If sacrifices must be made, then so be it!” snapped Freya, as her horn glowed brightly, and she spread her forelegs wide as she glared up at the sun, which grew larger, brighter in the sky, becoming a divine, scorching radiance that seared Luna's skin, ponies shrieking, shouting, panicking.

Luna's eyes widened in horror as Freya spun around with a cruel smile, glowing with golden radiance. She didn't care, Luna realized: she didn't care about the ponies panicking below, about the way they were being burned, or blinded. She didn't care about pegasi, whose feathers were smoldering in the sky from the withering force of the growing sun, or the calamity she was causing as steam and smoke began to rise across Canterlot.

No, not just Canterlot. All of Equestria...

“Witch! Thou will-”

“Let the weak be purged. Let them all burn.” Freya said bitterly, before she snorted in contempt. “I never liked Odin's little hobby horses anyway.”

Luna snarled, and then her own horn glowed as she roared: “I will not allow this!”

Freya began to dash towards her, before she halted, looking back over her shoulder with a snarl at the sight of a great disc rising from the horizon; it grew larger and larger, before it slowly moved across the face of the sun until it covered it completely, leaving only a burning halo.

Ponies cried out below at the eclipse, at the darkness that engulfed their nation, and Freya cursed as she faced Luna, her horn lighting up to pierce the darkness around her, and Luna realized she had a chance.

She dashed forward, and Freya lunged sharply above her, kicking at her as a golden sword appeared out of thin air in mid slash, but Luna twisted out of the way of both before retaliating with a blue fireball.

As expected, Freya tried to slap this out of the air, and the fireball exploded not into flames, but a great thick puff of cold smog that clung to her body, the mare roaring furiously as she launched herself backwards, then grinned and spun around, two more swords appearing and whickering outwards to cut across Luna's body and drive her back.

They shot towards her chest, but Luna launched straight up, and Freya, furious and passionate and smelling blood, pursued her prey. Her body streaked upwards, a golden comet, before Luna suddenly twisted around in midair and snapped her horn out.

Another blue fireball shot towards her, then exploded before it could make contact, but Freya only laughed as she plowed straight through the clingy, slimy wetness of the smog before using the flats of her swords to deflect Luna's attempts to kick her down, stabbing her horn upwards and burying it through Luna's breast with such violence that she was lifted higher into the air, gasping, choking, impaled on the tyrant's spire.

“Fitting.” she growled, as blood ran down her face and they hovered together, high above the city, Luna not daring to move as Freya almost held her aloft. “You know, Brynhild stopped Celestia before by striking her... right about here. Ah, but I only nicked your lung. Too bad.”

Freya paused, before three gleaming swords rose around her, and she asked contemptibly: “Do you have any last words before I cut off your head?”

“Yes.” Luna rasped. “Goodbye.”

Her horn sparked as she gave a mighty flap, a powerful gust of freezing wind ripping upwards and launching her loose, and Freya snorted and gave a wide grin before her eyes widened as the blood running over her face and down her armor froze. More importantly, and worse, her wet wings froze, refusing to move or budge, and Freya's eyes widened before she began to fall.

She dropped her guard for a singular moment as she turned her full attention to her wings: she began to act, to burn away the cold and ice with her magic, but then Luna dropped like a stone and slashed through her wing with her horn as she fell, and Freya screamed in rage and denial. Never fear, and perhaps never even pain, as she twisted awkwardly in midair as she became a burning, golden comet that fell through the eclipsed sky.

She smashed through the roof of the Chamber of the Sun and down onto the stairs leading up to the stone stage, sending chunks of rock and cement flying in all directions, along with broken plates of golden metal and a burst of flaming feathers, all of Canterlot seeming to rattle with the fall of mighty Freya.

Luna allowed herself to drop, breathing hard, feeling both sides of herself struggling together to maintain consciousness. The pain had become only an unpleasant pressure thanks to Nightmare Moon's powers numbing her body... and probably the shock of everything that had happened, as she slowly glided down through the broken roof and landed unsteadily between the broken heap of Freya, and her beaten and bruised sibling.

Celestia was back on her hooves, as was Scrivener Blooms. Luna looked over her shoulder at them, both afraid and relieved, but Celestia only smiled faintly at her as Scrivener whispered: “You look like crap.”

Luna laughed faintly, then shivered once before her form slowly shrank, her mane settled, and she slumped as she returned to her normal form. Twilight Sparkle ran forwards and embraced her as Shining Armor nervously approached, asking uneasily: “Is she...”

“I taught... Brynhild better than that...” Freya murmured. Slowly, she looked up, her glass eye cracked, blood running from her mouth and nose as she shuddered in a heap on the ground. “Well, get on with it... just know that... you are all weak, and you... you are no Brynhild.”

“I would rather be weak then whatever thou art.” Luna said quietly, as she gently slipped away from Twilight Sparkle and stepped up to the base of the broken stairs, glaring into the hollow eye of the tyrant. “I am not thy 'Brynhild,' nay. I am... I am my own pony!”

Yes. Yes, she was.

“Good.” Freya's eye glinted. “Then I don't need to feel any guilt about this.”

She launched forwards from her broken heap: her foreleg was broken, but it still hit Luna with enough force to knock her flying backwards, sending Twilight Sparkle sprawling as well before she pounced towards Luna, meaning to crush her beneath her forehooves and weight.

But Scrivener Blooms managed to sloppily tackle her, knocking her down on her side. She rolled away from him, cursing in frustration before she dragged herself up and lunged, her ire turned fully to the earth pony as she moved to finish the job she had started earlier.

Shining Armor leapt in front of Scrivener, gasping as she caught the mare against a barrier, and Freya bounced off this before she rammed her shoulder into it with a roar. Her broken, heavy body seemed to only be moving because she willed it to, but even as ungainly as she was, she was still strong and heavy enough to smash through Shining's barrier and then shove him aside before she launched herself at the prone charcoal stallion-

Celestia slipped between them, and Freya gurgled as a golden sword buried through her chest. She snarled slowly, her knees giving out, almost falling on top of Celestia, and tears rolled down the ivory mare's cheeks as she embraced her wicked self, asking weakly: “Why? By all the Horses of Heaven and Gods of Valhalla... what happened to you to make you this way?”

“Weakness... petty... pathetic weakness...” Freya whispered, and then she gave a cracked laugh. Her hindquarters fell, thumping to the ground and shattering away like golden glass that quickly turned to ashes, and the rest of her began to follow, dissolving like cloth being eaten away by flame. “You're nothing without each other...”

“And together we put a stop to you.” Scrivener said quietly, as Luna picked herself slowly up, and Twilight Sparkle hurried back over to them.

For a moment, Freya only looked at him, and then she whispered: “Aye. I suppose you did.”

There was silence, as the tyrant slowly dissolved, before she gave a final sigh as her head tilted back and turned to ash, her glass eye dropping to the ground and shattering like the bauble it was. The five ponies were left, all looking at this, before Twilight Sparkle shook her head quickly and whispered: “I... I know some basic healing magic, here, let me try and treat the worst of your wounds, Princesses...”

“I am no princess.” Luna said quietly, and she wasn't just being funny, or difficult. She said it with intent, as she looked at Celestia, and Celestia smiled faintly as she looked back at her sibling. “Sister... I...”

“I can hear the panic outside. They saw Nightmare Moon, fighting what looked like me.” Tears rolled down Celestia's cheeks, staring at her sibling as she whispered: “I can't let you sacrifice yourself like this, Luna. I can't, I can't, I can't...”

“Well, sister, 'tis not a sacrifice! I... I want to go.” Luna smiled faintly, raising her head as she said quietly: “There is... there is so much to learn in this world. I did not even get to tell thee about the Nightmares we befriended in the...”

Luna licked her lips slowly, and then she nodded as Twilight Sparkle trembled, uncomprehending, and Shining Armor silently, shamefully turned his eyes down to the ground. “Yes. That is what I shall do. I shall... I shall reclaim our old home, sister. Then I shall be but a stone's throw away should thou need me, yet safe from those who would seek stupid justice in the name of the light. I think there is a place for darkness in this world, is there not?”

“As the sun burns, the darkness may soothe.” Celestia hesitated, then asked: “Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure about this, Luna, are you-”

“Yes.” Luna said quietly.

“Well, you're not leaving me here alone.” Scrivener said, and Luna looked at him. This stupid, brave little earth pony who smiled at her even though half his face was so terribly burned, his eye swollen and fused shut. “Think you've got room enough in that castle for me?”

“Ah, Scrivy, what would I do without my loyal bard?” Luna laughed, gazing softly at him.

“Wait!” Twilight shouted desperately. “What's going on?”

“Luna...” Celestia swallowed thickly, then she leaned forwards and hugged her sister fiercely, and Luna hugged her tightly back. “Once more, Luna is taking the fall for a mistake I made. For a terrible sin that I have committed. Because... she is...”

“Selfish!” Luna smiled. It was an honest smile, too, as she winked at Twilight Sparkle, whose eyes filled with tears as she shook her head weakly. “'Tis perfect. I am no princess, Twilight. I shall be known as the mare who struck down Celestia! And I shall be free.”

“No! No, no no no! They'll hate you, you... y-you're a hero, you-”

“We could show them all the evidence in the world, Twili.” Shining Armor said quietly. “And all they'd remember is this eclipse, and that the saw who they think is Celestia fall from the sky. And... even if they both walked out right now and said it wasn't what they thought they saw...”

“My wounds.” Celestia smiled faintly. “Well, at... at least they'll be enough to help convince them... not to chase you. I'll... I'll put on a good act for you, Luna. I'll fix the eclipse... once I know you're safe.”

“Thou hast my thanks.” Luna said softly, before she winced when Twilight flung herself into her, hugging her fiercely as she buried her face against her neck.

She didn't have words though. Didn't have words that made sense, or could take away the injustice of the world, so Luna only hugged her, rocked her for a moment, and then pushed her gently back as she said softly: “Well, thou knows the way. Thou may visit us any time, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Yeah. We'll look forwards to it.” Scrivener added, then he winced when Twilight hugged him tightly, wheezing a little in pain before patting her gently on the back. “Take care of yourself.”

“I...” But there was nothing she could say.

Luna and Scrivener stepped together, and Celestia only looked at them silently as Shining Armor bit his lip before saluting them, and Twilight Sparkle trembled. She watched as a blue fog swirled gently up around them as the two pressed close, resting their heads together, until they vanished completely in a soft, cold breath of wind that was all the same... somehow comforting.

“I swear you to secrecy, Shining Armor.” Celestia said, without looking at him.

“Yes, Princess Celestia. As you command.” Shining Armor bowed his head politely, before he looked over at Twilight, reached up to touch her shoulder-

She shrugged him off, stumbling away from the two of them, and Celestia smiled faintly as she shook her head and murmured: “It's one of the sad truths, Twilight Sparkle. We cannot change what the world thinks, or wants to think. We can't make it love the people we love, or see them differently. All we can do is make sure those special ponies know how much they are loved by honoring what they have done. Their sacrifice for us.”

Twilight shook her head weakly, but she didn't have words. Couldn't say anything else, didn't know how to feel, before she swallowed thickly.

She knew what she had to do, as she turned and strode towards the doors. She pressed against them, tears running down her cheeks before she hammered on them, crying out to the confused soldiers outside: “Open the doors! Send a warning through Equestria!

“Nightmare Moon has returned!”