The Ending of the End - 4 Parter

The Crystal Empire was in complete disarray. Crystal ponies shouted and threw things at each other. Carts were overturned and crystalline structures lay shattered. Heavy snow poured down as ice crept over the ground. The Crystal Heart seemed to flash, its light flickering as it spun slower and slower.

Sunburst galloped into the throne room of the Crystal Castle. Flurry Heart floated near the entrance, playing with some toys. Cadence leaned on the throne, straining to keep her horn alight as it dimmed and brightened.

“Princess, what’s going on?! It’s total chaos out there!” Sunburst exclaimed.

“D-Did you find Twilight’s friends?” Cadence asked, still concentrating on her magic.

Sunburst sighed. “No. The weather turned before we could go too far. But it’s lucky we came back! Shining Armor and the guards are getting overwhelmed. Why is everypony arguing and panicking?”

“I don’t know,” Cadence said tiredly. “My subjects… they’re all turning on each other.” Her breaths grew more labored. “I’m trying to keep the Crystal Heart from giving out, but without light and love it’s going to stop working.”

Sunburst started pacing. “Twilight said things were bad in Equestria, but there’s no way the Crystal Empire would be affected so quickly! Somepony has to be causing this!”

Below the castle, two ponies screamed and bolted away as a visage of King Sombra loomed over them. The moment they were gone, Sombra faded away and a tiny, grinning pegasus appeared in his place. Cozy Glow pushed back the hood of Clover the Clever’s cloak, gripping the Talisman of Mirage in her left hoof.

“Golly, I’ve always wanted to visit the Crystal Empire!” Cozy Glow said brightly. Her smile sank into an evil smirk. “Too bad it’s not going to last very long.”

She flew over to the darkening Crystal Heart with a wicked gleam in her eye. Around her neck, the Amulet of Aurora started to glow and a web of cracks spread over the Heart. With a crash, the relic shattered into thousands of pieces.

Cozy Glow shrugged and dusted off her hooves nonchalantly, flying away.

Echoing ethereal howls rejoiced in the sky. The clouds parted and transparent equine creatures with eerie glowing eyes circled overhead.

Night had set in over Canterlot. Standing atop the royal balcony, Luna watched the last few lights go out in the city as she raised the moon overhead.

“It seems so peaceful when everypony is asleep,” Luna murmured. “Perhaps in the dream world I will have better luck soothing their fears.”

She started the spell to slip into the world of dreams, when out of the corner of her eye she noticed a pony’s shadow in the doorway behind her. Luna turned, but saw nothing. Furrowing her brow, she opened the door back into the hallway and looked around. Behind her, just out of sight, was a distinct shadow on the wall with two large horns and slitted eyes. It existed for just a moment before disappearing.

At the far end of the hall, a door creaked.

Luna opened the door with her telekinesis. “Who’s there?”

The dim candlelight lining the hall revealed Celestia standing with her back to Luna, looking out a window at the city below.

“Sister?” Luna asked, puzzled. “I thought you would be asleep by now.”

Celestia turned to face Luna, a cold expression on her face. “Sleep? It’s rather hard to sleep after that fiasco today.”

“We will make everypony see reason,” Luna assured. “We would have today if Discord – ”

“Discord?” Celestia whirled around to face Luna. “I was talking about you.”

Luna recoiled. “Me?!”

“Don’t you think I know what I’m doing? You always speak up when you shouldn’t. You always get in the way!” Celestia barked, a sudden anger striking her tone. “Twilight is my student, not yours!”

“Oh, is that how you feel? I thought you wanted my advice!” Luna shouted, stomping her hoof. “Twilight is her own pony. You dumped Equestria onto her without thinking about the consequences! Look where that has led us!”

“So, this is all my fault?!” Celestia growled.

“No. I am to blame as well,” Luna replied evenly. “I wanted to support your decision. I was eager to spend time with you, to live life instead of dreaming about it. But that’s no excuse. We separated Twilight from her friends when they are strongest together. Our enemies have used that against us!”

“Oh, you don’t need to lie, Luna,” Celestia said venomously, pacing around Luna like a predator. “You resent that your rule was cut short! Or maybe, you just wanted to rule Equestria by yourself after I was gone?”

“That’s not true!” Luna yelled, backing away.

Celestia’s face twisted itself into an icy smile. "So insecure… you always have been! ‘Nopony listens to me!’ ‘Celestia doesn’t take me seriously!’ It’s pathetic!”

Luna flared her wings, her features painted over with hurt and anger. “Mock me at your peril. Do not forget that the night is my domain.”

“Oh, I haven’t.” Celestia’s eyes took on a sinister gleam and the shadows shifted around the room. “The darkness has always been within you, princess. You only needed a tiny push to embrace it!”

The horned shadow grew behind Luna, looming over her.

In the darkness, Luna screamed.

“Princess Celestia? Princess Celestia, wake up!”

Celestia’s eyes shot open, and she saw Starlight Glimmer shaking her vigorously.

“Starlight Glimmer?” Celestia asked, rubbing her eyes as she rose from her bed. “I thought you were in Ponyville – ”

“There’s no time!” Starlight urged. “I think something’s wrong with Princess Luna!”

Celestia was instantly awake. She looked at Starlight in concern. “Wrong? What do you mean?”

Starlight pointed at the window. Celestia got up and looked outside to see a blood-red moon, gleaming at twice its normal size.

“Come on!” Celestia raced out the door with Starlight following closely behind.

Upon reaching the throne room, Celestia froze. She heard a familiar cold laugh reverberate around the hall. Nightmare Moon stared back at her with contempt, her slit-like pupils shrinking.

“I HAVE RETURNED!”

Celestia stepped back, her face lacking comprehension. “This can’t be! This… this is a trick! An illusion!”

Starlight glanced up at Celestia worriedly.

“Fool! You have underestimated me for the last time!” Nightmare Moon bellowed. The dark alicorn unleashed an enormous ray of dark blue energy.

Instinctively, Celestia raised a shield and deflected the attack upward. The beam decimated the ceiling, sending rubble raining down on her and Starlight. With the open sky above them, the moon was as immense as ever, like a great red eye watching the battle.

Celestia managed to envelope Starlight in her shield, and the debris bounced off it harmlessly. Nightmare Moon seemed completely unaffected, already preparing another attack. The next beam was a sustained blast, colliding against Celestia’s shield with cataclysmic force.

“Luna! I do not understand!” Celestia pleaded desperately, trying to push back the dark magic as it grinded against her barrier. “Why are you doing this?!”

Nightmare Moon cackled. “Your weakness has doomed you and Equestria! Now the Night shall last… FOREVER!” The corrupted princess started walking toward Celestia, focusing more energy into her attack.

Celestia turned to Starlight. “She’s right… without the Elements of Harmony, I’m not strong enough to stop her!”

Starlight thought for a moment, then seemed to have an idea. “Yes, you are! You’re just as strong as Nightmare Moon. Stronger actually…”

“But the Nightmare Moon I faced in your dreams was just a figment of your imagination! Unless you’re saying… no… I’ll never become her!” Celestia groaned, exerting herself to hold back Nightmare Moon’s blast.

“Why not?” Starlight said lightly, her voice taking a strange tone. “Aren’t you tired of always pleasing everypony else? Endless listening, patience and understanding? You’ve been doing it for a thousand years and Luna doesn’t care.”

Starlight pointed at Nightmare Moon, who was steadily advancing toward them with hatred in her eyes.

“I… I will not change who I am,” Celestia said, beads of sweat pouring down her face. Nightmare Moon was just a few steps away. Outside the shield, dark blue magic roared.

“Oh, you don’t have to!” Starlight smiled, showing sharp fangs.

Starlight swished her horn, breaking Celestia’s shield with a slice of sickly green power.

Nightmare Moon’s dark magic washed over Celestia. For a moment, it seemed like she would be destroyed on the spot. Then, bright orange flames leapt out of the maelstrom and an inferno pushed it back.

“Finally, FREE!”

Daybreaker cackled maniacally, sporting orange armor and surveying the ruined castle with molten eyes. Nightmare Moon dodged the fiery blast and flew at her corrupted sister, ramming her into the air. The two tyrants began a fearsome duel, and an enlarged, cruel sun joined the moon above them.

Starlight Glimmer’s form flickered, and green magic flashed over it. Chrysalis watched the two alicorns fight, chuckling in amusement. Behind her, a dark, two-horned shadow narrowed its eyes and vanished.

“All according to plan…” Chrysalis mused, laughing deviously.