Eclipse Bane

Chapters

Nightmares
A New Legend Begins
Family Ties
Suspicion
Cry in Sorrow
Take to the Skies
Prologue- Dearest Sister
Heart of a Lion

Nightmares

Your Majesty? Wedge... I think she's fallen asleep.

Celestia stood across the throne room, a look of pure sorrow, shame, and regret upon her face. Clad in the armor of Nightmare Moon, Luna stood opposite the chamber with a smirk of pure accomplishment. Nightmare Moon was about to accomplish her mission of bringing about eternal night, even if she had to kill her own sister to do it. Through the stained glass murals within the windows, fading sunlight bled through the colored glass storybooks of old legends as the moon intruded upon the cosmos of twilight.

"Luna," Celestia finally called out. "Remember who you are. You aren't Nightmare Moon... You are my sister, to whom I have given my love to for the entirety of our lives. Your night sky, it is of pure beauty. Sister... You are a half of our world that must stay true. Believe in me, in yourself."

Nightmare Moon scoffed, the true emotions of the Princess Luna were obscured and locked away. All that remained was the bravado of this dark spirit that had lived within the mare. The dark mare's phantasmal sparkling mane curled and flicked as she shook her head in a soft laugh.

"Sister? You think yourself equal to me, Celestia? What power does a single star have against every star of the cosmos? I am infinitely more powerful than you could ever be, and for that, you are unworthy of your title as Princess. Pitiful Equestrians have ignored the unlimited power above them as they slept, basking themselves only in your puny sun. What hope could you--"

Celestia shouted, cutting Nightmare Moon off. A droplet of water fell from the Sun Goddess' eye, glimmering like a sapphire before it hit the marble floor. Celestia was in pain, her heart shattered threefold by her sister's betrayal.

You must wake up, my lady, there is not much time...

"Luna! Listen to yourself! We wanted nothing apart from peace and harmony in our world, and we both took up our responsibilities with joy. Why... Why are you doing this?"

Nightmare Moon's expression changed from confident and strong to angered, and even hurt. She stamped her armored hoof firmly upon the marble floor, her horn and body glowing with a midnight-blue aura. She was no longer interested in arguing with Celestia.

Your Majesty, please, wake up!

Celestia shook her head, multiple jewel-like tears were now streaming down her face. "Luna... I forgive you, for everything. I only hope that you can forgive me for this... If I cannot stop you... Please... Just remember... I love you." The Sun Goddess' voice cracked as the entire room bathed itself in a golden light emanating from Celestia's horn.

"Elements of Harmony... Grant me the strength to free my sister from her torment--"

"Enough!" Nightmare Moon had charged forward, leading with her magical lance-like horn.

"--And restore harmony to Equestria. Grant me the strength to vanquish Nightmare Moon."

The entire room emanated a blinding, golden aura as Nightmare Moon came dangerously close to Celestia.

******

"Your Majesty!" Luna heard a stallion's voice call. She jolted her body in surprise violently to discover that she was in the center of the Ponyville library, books and scrolls littered around.

I'm having the nightmare again.

The recurring nightmare Luna kept experiencing, the conflict between Celestia and Luna that took place one thousand and one years ago, had been occuring every night since Celestia began to change. It was vivid and perfectly recounted through the eyes of the lunar Princess. It was a reminder that Celestia loved her so dearly, even after Nightmare Moon had taken over and betrayed her. It also, ironically, put Luna in the exact same place as Celestia was over a millenium ago. Luna still loved Celestia, and must do everything in her power to save the life of her sister.

Luna rubbed her eyes with her hoof, two dark blurs in the room now revealed to her as her eyes scanned the moonlit structure. They were her two final allies. Her most faithful guards, the brothers Biggs and Wedge Darklighter.

"Your Majesty," Biggs began to say. "You were asleep, tossing and speaking softly. Wedge and I were worried you were having a nightmare. Is everything okay?"

Luna nodded her head, the pain of Celestia's betrayal, and the perfect retelling of the cataclysm over a millenium ago, weighing heavily upon her ability to think clearly. "Thank you, my faithful Biggs. What time is it?"

Biggs adjusted his ebony helmet, his bat-like wings folding around his body as he glanced to the undamaged clock. "It's nine-thirty, Your Majesty. You raised the moon just before you began reading, and fell asleep."

Wedge chimed in, bringing Celestia a ration of tea with a large smile on his face. "It's not fit for a Princess, Your Majesty, but here, this is my last tea pouch."

Luna smiled softly and shook her head. "That is alright, you two need every bit of strength that you can muster. I am grateful to have you both at my side."

The Darklighter brothers, Biggs and Wedge, were standard pegasi before Luna returned to Equestria. Their coats were a natural brown, Biggs with a black mane and Wedge with a red mane. Biggs had earned his cutie mark, a silver coin, for his generosity. Wedge's mark was a chef's hat. Although he could have gotten a plenty stable job with his talent of cooking, he wanted to join the Royal Guard more than anything and become a military chef. Both of them were rookies when Luna returned, and were on Canterlot guard duty for most of their career, up until Celestia granted Luna the title of Princess again. That was when Celestia was generous enough to open a separate Guard Corps for her.

All of the Guards under Luna's control volunteered for a magical augmentation, which changed their feathered wings into bat wings whenever their armor was donned, and their eyes slightly modified for vision in the dark. Each of the guards were faithful to her, and gladly accepted the augmentation. However, when Celestia began to lose her mind, most of Luna's Guard Corps were forced into abandoning the augmentation by force, if they did not submit immediately, and return to their standard pegasus form. Biggs and Wedge aided in Luna's escape from Canterlot, and are the last of Luna's guards. They would gladly lay down their lives for her.

******

The library was Luna's safe haven for that night. Mere hours ago, she had witnessed the six Heralds of Harmony stand against Celestia at Canterlot, their idol, their Goddess. The image of the six being gripped in a powerful spell and changing into those dark, evil reflections of themselves horrified Luna, knowing that there was nothing that Luna could do to stand up against both Celestia and the corrupted Heralds. Luna did her best to focus her attention to the books before her, searching desperately for a way to stand up to Celestia.

"Got 'ny sixes?" Luna heard Wedge say by one of the large windows.

"Uhh... No. Go fish," Biggs said in reply.

Biggs and Wedge were on watch duty while Luna researched, stationed at the main windows about the structure. Luna understood their boredom, and was not going to scold them for it. She owed them a great deal of compensation for their efforts, and allowed them to play their card game.

Luna had searched through a countless number of books within the library, and let out a frustrated sigh at the amount of useless information in the piles of books behind her that was of no use. She had read almost thirty books, desperately searching for a way to free her sister, when quickly, a seemingly average book lay before her that caught her eye.

The cover was beaten, yet a lustrous emerald-green. Luna curiously plucked the cover off of the pages, and began to read.

The Three Runes of Power
Property of Princess Celestia

Odd, Luna thought. Why would Twilight Sparkle have one of Celestia's personal books?

An ink message on the inside of the book's cover, appearing to be written by Celestia herself, was revealed to her, but the writing seemed jumbled and out of place, the lettering in a completely different alphabet. Luna recognized this alphabet immediately, and with a quick cast of a spell and a touch of her horn, the ink shifted and twisted into legible letters.

My faithful student, this tome contains a secret that I would only entrust to the greatest magical power in Equestia. The decoding spell you have used to decipher this message is only known by Luna and I, and if you are reading this, we have decided that it is now time for you to learn a powerful secret.

Luna had stumbled upon a rather important book. For Celestia to have encoded the writing with this kind of spell, this powerful secret contained within the tome must be able to help Luna free Celestia.

Three Runes, Luna thought to herself. I remember a mention of these Runes from thousands of years ago, when Celestia and I were mere fillies, but I remember nothing else...

Although this was personal material, and Luna felt somewhat guilty going through a secret meant for Twilight's eyes, she opened the first page of the book and deciphered the writing of the entire text with the touch of her horn.

A New Legend Begins

The strange characters and letters contorted and twisted into legible writing as Luna magically deciphered it. Her horn faintly glowed as she began to immerse herself into the text, relaxing herself as she prepared to discover whatever secret Celestia had reserved for Twilight Sparkle. She sighed softly and began to read.

A few hours had gone by, and Luna was fluttering past pages quickly, her horn glowing and deciphering the code with each turn of the paper. She had taken notes on every important detail she could find, though even her powerful body and mind were succumbing to the stress it had taken. The psychological torment of losing her sister and her closest friends, as well as the recurring nightmares that plagued her in the rare opportunities of sleep, were eating away at her soul. It was only through her sheer determination and willpower that she remained committed to uncovering these ancient secrets.

Biggs had fallen asleep, Wedge taking over watch. He patrolled the windows one at a time, his dark armor and wings allowing him to camouflage himself with the library's furniture as he kept his Guard's lance at his hoof. He sighed, knowing the torture his Princess must be going through, and silently vowed to stay true and faithful to her.

Luna, Wedge thought to himself. I promise we will find a way. I just hope you don't destroy yourself first...

In the hours past, Wedge's guard duty was over, and woke Biggs up from his slumber, much to his dismay.

"Wedge? Ugh, five more minutes." Biggs harmlessly flailed a hoof at his brother and rolled onto his side, attempting to go back to sleep.

"C'mon Biggs, I've been up for hours!" Wedge went to the side that Biggs was facing and nudged him a bit, Biggs only rolling and turning his back to him again, both of them getting into a quiet argument.

"Be still!" The Princess finally shouted. "Wedge Darklighter, you may rest. You have performed your task. Biggs Darklighter, it is now your turn to take up watch. I am nearly finished. Grant me just a small amount of time so I may figure this out."

Biggs nodded and hopped immediately at Luna's command, grasping his own lance and heading to the window, Wedge smirking and plopping down on the floor, immediately drifting off to sleep.

Several hours had passed, and the dawn had began to encroach on Luna's night sky. She had finally finished her notes off, sighing and giving them a quick read to get her goals straight.

Thousands of years ago, an ancient race of pony existed with control over the Earth, the Sky, and the Cosmos. These deities were known as the Alicorns. Born with both wings and horns, the Alicorns were the common ancestor of all three modern races of ponies. Vastly powerful, the Alicorns molded and shaped the world as it is today and filled it with the life that dwells today, under the guidance of the royal family, the King Nighthawk and Queen Lightbringer.

The royal family presided over the lives of the Alicorns and the wildlife in the ancient city of Canterlot for many millenia, their powerful magic stretching out into the stars and beyond. It seemed like the peaceful rule would never end, until one day.

The Alicorn's magic had grown too great, and began to inversely effect the world they inhabited. In many places, the earth cracked and split open, volcanic eruptions coming to a catastrophic rate. The weather was unmanageable, even for the most powerful of Alicorns. Tidal waves and blizzards had wiped out many of the villages. Even the raw magical currents flowing through the world were slowly weakening.

In this apocalyptic world, the Alicorns realized that they were the cause of this problem. Too much power had existed, and they had upsetted the natural balance of the world. And so, King Nighthawk and Queen Lightbringer devised a plan to restore harmony to their world. All Alicorns gathered in the ancient Canterlot and agreed to give up their power. The remnants of the race ensured that life would continue in the world and that their legacy would not be forgotten.

To restore harmony to the world, the Elements of Harmony were crafted. Six crystal spheres containing the Alicorn's spirits of Loyalty, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty, Kindness, and Magic. These six Elements contained all of the power the Alicorns had as their race began to vanish.

In order to ensure that not only order, but life would continue, the King and Queen created three final relics; these were the Runes of Power. Each one embodied the power of Earth, Sky, and Cosmos. In their final moments, the last remaining Alicorns that did not sacrifice themselves to the Elements constructed three temples, each in separate, distant realms. The Temple of Earth, the Temple of the Sky, and the Temple of the Cosmos each housed their respective Rune. These Temples were the final constructs of the Alicorns.

The Runes of Power and the Elements of Harmony were used to create the three races of pony seen today; Earth ponies from the Earth Rune, Pegasi from the Sky Rune, and Unicorns from the Cosmos Rune. These small new races were a great distance apart. In their final moments, Nighthawk and Lightbringer gave their strength to their daughters, Celestia and Luna, and faded away with the rest of their race. The two were the new Princesses of the universe, and the last Alicorns.

Luna had forgotten their past and their parents. She had no recollection of the Age of Alicorns, nor of the Runes of Power. Luna took a deep breath in and let out a soft cry in sorrow, the further-intensified pain of not knowing her own origins finally pushing her over the edge.

Wedge awoke to the sound of Luna's quiet sobs, both brothers slowly trotting toward her and sat beside her, doing their best to comfort her and keep protocol simultaneously. They would both hug her were she not their superior.

"Sirs Darklighter," Luna had caught her breath to say. "Thank you. I owe you a great deal."

"Think nothing of it, Your Majesty," Biggs said gladly. "We will follow you until we meet our ends."

Luna nodded sorrowfully. "I would hope that day does not come in the near future... But I believe I know what to do now."

Biggs and Wedge's ears perked, listening attentively to the Princess' instructions, both with their royal lances in hand. Wherever Luna was about to lead them, they would follow gladly.

"We must seek out the three Temples of the Runes. Only with their power can we restore the Elements of Harmony, and stop Celestia. The text that I have read will shed light onto the locations of these temples, and what we must do to enlist their power. Alone, I cannot stand up to my Sister, but with the Runes of Power and the Elements of Harmony, I may be able to stop her."

"Your Majesty," both brothers said, Biggs continuing the sentence. "You won't have to fight the Princess alone."

"No," Luna shook her head quickly. "I will not have you two thrown into danger like that. Even I am not a decent match for her. I need you two to carry out what I ask of you, as you have always done. This is a battle for me, and me alone. I have gladly accepted your aid, and shall continue to, but when the time comes, I must face up to Celestia on my own."

Biggs and Wedge nodded, proud to see that their Princess was becoming more confident and headstrong. "We believe in you," both said.

Luna smiled and drew her midnight blue cloak onto her back, the book of Runes levitating into her black satchel. "We've no time to waste. Let us march onward."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" both brothers called in joyful affirmation, tapping the end of their lances upon the ground. Luna approached the door, and opened it into the morning of Ponyville, the sunlight bathing all of Equestria as the Princess prepared for her long, dangerous journey.

Family Ties

The faint glow of the sunlight brought warmth to Luna's body as she breathed in the cool morning air. She and her two guards took a look around Ponyville. The entire place was deserted after Luna brought the Heralds of the Elements to Canterlot. The small town had relocated in their absence, spreading across to lands further away from Celestia's throne to avoid capture. Ponyville, which had once been bustling with life, joy, and excitement, was a ghost town. The only ponies who remained were those too committed to leave their land.

It was a truly depressing sight, but Luna had no time to dwell upon it. She had to find the Runes of Power. With their strength, she could free the Elements of Harmony and cure the Heralds, and together they would stop Celestia.

One thousand years of loneliness has brought me to this moment. I will not fail you, my sister. Nor will I fail anypony in Equestria. I am done crying.

"Your Majesty," Biggs spoke up. "Where do we go from here?"

Luna tilted her head skyward, the sun approaching the center of the sky slowly.

"Before we do anything, we must ensure that the remaining citizens of Ponyville are safe, Biggs. You two search the town. I will head to the fields. We will rendezvous here at noon. Do you understand?"

"Aye, Your Majesty," both brothers spoke in unison as they strolled down the streets, moving to investigate the silent structures.

******

Luna was unarmed, apart from her adept magical skill, her sparkling horn, and her blue cloak. Despite her seemingly feeble appearance, Luna was capable of handling multiple attackers, even in her current mentally and physically strained state. She would be fine on her own, Luna thought, as she gave a powerful stroke of her wings, taking into the air.

Luna's deep sapphire eyes scanned the ground below her as she flew over the town and countryside, spotting a familiar landmark Ponyville had been famous for; the Sweet Apple Acres. The Apple family was massive, Luna knew, stretching all across Equestria. Some ponies would never leave the land they've come to love, and swooped down to the apple tree orchard. She landed quietly and gracefully, hidden in just a few trees a short distance from the main barn. It was eerily quiet.

Luna was about to step out of the orchard when she spotted three figures outside of the barn and hunkered down, peering from behind one of the apple trees as she tried to focus on the conversation taking place and decipher who these ponies were.

There were three ponies, two were dressed in the same pitch-black cloak and hood. No part of their body was visible, but one of the cloaked ponies had a visible unicorn's horn protruding from the hood. The third pony was a red stallion with an auburn mane, standing in front of the barn door, his legs braced as if he was to charge and defend the barn with his life.

"I ain't seen her," said the red stallion with a tinge of anger in his voice. "She's far away from here now."

One of the cloaked ponies giggled. Her voice was familiar, somehow, with a slight country accent. "You sure you ain't seen her? Celestia wants to see her badly, y'know."

The stallion growled, stamping one hoof into the dirt. "Applejack or not, I ain't lettin' you touch Apple Bloom."

Applejack? Luna thought. Applejack, the Herald of Honesty, whom I had failed to protect... She has returned to her home. But this Apple Bloom... And who is this stallion? That mark, it's an obvious apple. My stars... They're siblings.

Luna acknowledged the fact that Applejack's defeat was the Princess' own failure, being unable to save the six of them. Now Applejack had returned with this other pony, whom she could only guess to be another of the Heralds.

"So," Applejack spoke up from beneath her hood, her voice tone itself taunting her brother. "You ain't gonna tell me where I can find ma sister, are ya?"

The stallion remained motionless. "Nnnope."

"Gosh, that's too bad..." The cloaked Applejack calmly approached her brother and placed a hoof on his back softly and harmlessly. Only a split second later, she threw the stallion with a massive push straight through the locked barn doors, leaving a large hole in the wooden structure, the stallion shouting in pain. Applejack was laughing in a fashion unlike herself.

"Then ah guess ah gotta kill ya, big brother." Both cloaked ponies giggled, Applejack drawing her hood back, revealing her mane, which was recolored pitch-black, her coat a much darker shade of orange. Her eyes were the same green, but the pupils themselves were slit-shaped. Celestia had augmented them magically in addition to controlling them, their power immensely strengthened.

Luna could not handle this spectacle anymore. She lept out of her hiding spot and bellowed out loudly to the two attackers. "Enough!" she shouted.

Both ponies took a moment to turn around, the second pony pulling her hood back. It was Rarity. Her mane was blackened as well and completely straightened, no curls at all. Her silver coat now patterned a light gray with those slit-shaped pupils. Luna gasped, the transformations Celestia had placed upon the two had deeply unsettled her, but Luna scowled at them, prepared to fight if she must.

"Let the stallion be. If you wish to do battle, then take on a Princess of Equestria!" Luna stamped her hoof in an attempt to intimidate them.

Rarity and Applejack glanced at one another and began to laugh. Luna's confidence wavered, but remained ready to fight.

"Applejack, darling. Surely Macintosh and Apple Bloom can wait. After all, our orders are to kill Luna on sight, are they not?" Rarity's mouth curved into a sly smirk.

"'a course, Rarity... Make sure not to get blood in yer mane now."

Kill on sight?! Luna hid her stunned feelings beneath her confidence.

Applejack turned her head, a small succession of pops heard from her neck as she stomps upon the ground hard, the entire earth seeming to quiver and shake at the force. Rarity's horn glowed, three arrows appearing from the magical force, levitating around her own body, pointed at Luna.

"Kill 'er," Applejack commanded, Rarity's arrows flying at Luna in a flash of steel. Luna had barely enough time to react as she rolled to the right, making the decision to charge Rarity head-on. Luna connected a right forehoof to Rarity's head, causing her to stagger back and cry out in pain. Applejack, however, approached Luna in seemingly no time at all and sent a very powerful kick to Luna's side, propelling her across the dirt and smacking her against one of the apple trees, the immense force of Applejack's kick nearly splitting the tree as the Princess collided with it.

Her strength is unreal, Luna thought as she collected herself, standing back up. That isn't a natural streak of strength. Celestia must have augmented her power...

Rarity flicked a drop of blood from her mouth with her hoof, looking visibly irritated. "Applejack, she drew my blood. Make her suffer for me, would you, dear?"

Applejack smirked, looking at the Princess and back to Rarity. "Sounds like a good time." The two corrupted ponies approached Luna, more of Rarity's arrows appearing from around her, both wearing a truly evil smirk.

As they drew closer, Luna shouted and summoned a mighty swell of magic, twin bolts of electricity arcing from her horn and into Applejack's and Rarity's bodies, both crying out in pain and launching backwards. Luna stood up, panting quietly from the pain of her earlier injury.

Applejack and Rarity both stood up, their robes were slightly burnt from the magical lightning. They scowled and turned back to face Luna.

"I'll pin your head on my wall, 'Majesty'." Rarity giggled once more. Suddenly, the sound hooves on the ground roars loudly as a blur of red flies out of the hole in the barn and smashes into Applejack, her hooves sliding on the dirt as the stallion forced her back as best as he could.

"Applejack... This ain't you! Lis'n to yerself!" He applied all of his strength into pushing his sister backwards, grunting as she pushed back.

"Rarity," Applejack called as she offered one more push against her brother, forcing him backwards and onto his back. "We'll kill 'er when she ain't got no one to help her next time."

"Hmm... You're right, darling. Best we waited until the prey is more vulnerable, yes?" Rarity and Applejack glanced at the injured stallion and back to the tired Luna. "So sorry to be leaving, but you see... We aren't quite enjoying ourselves with Macintosh here interfering..."

Luna growled angrily. "Interfering?! You assaulted him, threatened his life, and even had the nerve to threaten his filly sister!"

Both Rarity and Applejack giggled, turning away as they faded into blackness, vanishing. They were gone, teleported away.

******

Luna sighed with frustration, cursing herself silently. She didn't even notice the stallion in pain until he groaned loudly. She gasped and rushed to his side.

"Forgive me, sir... Are you hurt?" Luna crouched by his side, examining the bruises on his body he gained from smashing through the barn doors.

"E... Eeyup... Ain't nothin, though..." The stallion smiled briefly, Luna wiping away a drop of blood from his side with her hoof. "You alright, Princess?"

"I am fine, it is you who I am worried about." She closed her eyes and focused her magic on healing the stallion's wounds, the bruises lightening in color and the bleeding stopping. The stallion checked himself, slowly standing to his hooves.

"Name's Macintosh, but most 'a my family calls me Big Mac." He nodded to Luna, grateful for the healing spell.

"'Tis a pleasure to meet you... 'Big Mac'... That pony... Applejack is your sister, is she not?" Luna bit her lower lip at that last statement, unsure if it was necessary to say that, and knowing that it would bring Macintosh the grief of his sister betraying him.

Big Mac sighed sorrowfully. "Eeyup..."

"I am sorry, Macintosh. I promise you, I will return your sister to you, as she always was."

"How'd this happen..?" Macintosh was fighting back tears at this time. Luna didn't expect a stallion of his stature to be capable of crying.

"I'm... I am sorry... Celestia, I fear, has enchanted the Heralds of the Elements, your sister included. I swear to you, things will return to how they have always been soon."

A single tear fell from Macintosh's left eye, the pain of losing his sister to an evil force simply too much for him to handle. "She... Wanted Apple Bloom, too..." The strong stallion's voice cracked slightly.

Luna bowed her head. "I know the feeling of a sister's betrayal..." Luna felt compelled to comfort Macintosh, relating to his pain, and placed a hoof on his shoulder. "I will right what has been wronged, sir Macintosh. I promise. Believe in me."

Suspicion

******

Castle Canterlot. The high throne of Princess Celestia. The center of her corrupted reign. A monument to her complete and unchallenged power. A beautiful spire of millenia-old craftsmanship and precious materials. Not long ago, it was a symbol of eloquence and balance, representing all forms of peace and harmony. Now a fortress of evil, guarded by the mislead and manipulated. Princess Celestia, the tainted monarch of Equestria, awaits further news of her conquest upon her decorated throne.

Celestia reclined in her throne with a look of sinister boredom across her face. She was alone in the massive room, a chalice of wine hovering just a bit away from her. The day before, she had comissioned, or moreso enslaved, several carpenter pegasi to replace the murals of her and Luna that symbolized the balance of the twilight with murals of only Celestia. For the time being, the only progress the builders had made since were smashing out the stained glass windows which featured Luna, replacing them with an ordinary sheet of glass.

Celestia looked the same as she always had. A beautiful bright silver coat and her mint-color spectrum mane flowing and swaying with an unseen force in complete silence. She was, however, dressed in a long, flowing white cloak with the symbol of the sun emblazened in the center. She had been in this blank trance for quite a while, taking the occasional sip of wine every hour or so. She took a deep inhale, the ends of her mouth curving into a slight smile. She knew that even in her calm, blissful state, her control was spreading like wildfire over Equestria. No one was safe from her, she knew.

Crack

The silence suddenly broke as an arc of electricity appeared in the center of the throne room briefly. The quiet returned.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

The sounds and flashes of light continued briefly. After only a few mere seconds, the room burst with a flash of light, Celestia's eyes closing and shielding themselves from the flash. When she opened them, Applejack and Rarity stood before her, bowing their heads.

"Your Majesty," Rarity proclaimed. She raised her head to make eye contact with her tyrant, Applejack doing the same.

Celestia stared blankly at the two. "What news do you bring me?"

"Ya see," Applejack began. "We found yer sister."

"Then where is her corpse?" Celestia asked impatiently.

Applejack fell silent, Rarity looking away nervously.

"Is she still alive?"

"... Yes, yer Majesty." Applejack's voice quivered. Their efforts to be cocky and dishearten Luna in their last conflict would not sit well with Celestia, she knew.

"And why... Is... That?" Celestia spoke with a hint of rage and disappointment in her tone. She was far more than angry with them.

"We... We tried," Rarity began. "But--"

"Do not attempt an excuse." Celestia telekinetically launched her wine chalice as she shouted, smashing against the wall and crumpling, the contents spilling out in a drip. "There are only two results of a mission, success and failure. Even you two, the lowborn farm rat and the brainless princess-empathizing worm know that much. What have you done on this day?"

Applejack and Rarity were stunned. Their legs quivered slightly. Even in this dark, tainted state, they still felt fear for the reigning monarch.

"We... We failed." Rarity's voice cracked with hesitation.

"Were you not my own Knights, I would have sent your remains to the Moon by now. I will grant you one chance to redeem yourselves. Applejack. I want you to bring me Applebloom. I cannot take the Rune of Earth without her power. Rarity... You will kill Luna. Do not return here without her broken, bleeding body. If you fail... Then poor Sweetie Belle will suffer the price."

Rarity recoiled as a pang of fear dropped in her stomach like a pellet of iron. "No... Not that... I-I will kill her, Your Majesty. You have my word."

Celestia smirked. She derived a sort of sadistic pleasure from making even her most stalwart and loyal warriors cringe in her presence. "Then your sister will be perfectly safe, for now... Now, Rainbow Dash," Celestia called out to an unseen presence.

From the silence, a bright-blue pegasus wearing silver armor calmly trotted into the throne room. Her mane was all the gradients from black to white, her pupils the same slit-shapes as Rarity and Applejack.

"You rang, Your Majesty?" Dash smirked with the confidence she had retained from her past self, though with a much more devious air about her presence.

Celestia returned Dash's dark smile. "How fares the search for the Temples?"

"Little luck, Your Majesty. They're pretty well-hidden, even for me."

To Rarity's and Applejack's surprise, Dash was not scolded and threatened. Celestia knew that these temples would not be easy to find. The other two's failures were their own.

"Very well, Rainbow Dash. ... Hmm... An unfitting name at this time, don't you believe?" Celestia giggled under her breath. "... Darkness Dash seems much more fitting now. Do you two not agree?"

Rarity and Applejack nodded, feigning a proud smile for their pegasus comrade. Darkness Dash grinned. Though it sounded corny and predictable to her, it also made her proud and confident.

"I like it, Your Majesty. Nothing's quite as... Sexy as darkness." Both Celestia and Dash giggled, leaving Rarity and Applejack in dismay.

Celestia turned her head to the two, glaring at them. "Did I not give you orders?" She shouted. In an instant of shocked surprise, Rarity and Applejack vanished in a flash of electricity, leaving only Dash and Celestia.

"Come closer, my Knight," Celestia commanded with an almost seductive tone. Dash blushed lightly and trotted up the throne, curling up at her hooves and resting. Celestia treated Dash as a favorite pet, almost. Celestia's magical mane flowed on her own magical accord, unclipping her glistening armor deftly and stroking Dash's back. "Now... Tell me what you have learned."

Darkness Dash shivered softly, almost purring at her soft massage as she closed her eyes. "Nnh... Everything good... You now dominate all of Manehattan..."

"Excellent work, my general... Is Pinkie Pie still missing?"

"She's lost it... I haven't seen her since yesterday, talking to herself like she was two different ponies."

Celestia frowned, but continued to stroke her Knight's back, enjoying Dash's little coos and shivers. "I will send the Guard out to capture her. What of Fluttershy?"

"She is still forming a mental link with... It, Your Majesty..." Dash started to feel a bit sleepy as Celestia's mane brushed against her own back. She didn't understand why the Princess treated her this way, but she liked it.

"You make me proud, Darkness Dash... Truly fit to be at my side, do you not think so..?" Celestia nearly whispered in Dash's ear as she spoke, her voice sly and seductive. "Your search for the Temples today may wait... For now, I have a more immediate task for you. Tomorrow... Find your biggest fan, Scootaloo. We already have Sweetie Belle, Applejack is close to Applebloom, and finding this one would be no problem at all to you... And then the Runes would be ours."

"Ours, eh..? I like the sound of that..." Dash lightly nuzzled against Celestia's hoof, smiling as her eyes remained shut.

"We will receive clairvoyance tonight on her location. Then, tomorrow, you may begin your mission. But for now..." Celestia grinned as her mane swept over Dash, the pegasus Knight giggling as they vanished in a teleport.

******

It had been several hours. The sun had set, but Luna's moon did not rise. The sky was an impenetrable black sheet, no source of light at all. Celestia and Darkness Dash approached a large, heavily fortified cell door. There were no windows, only a series of locks, chains, and even several magical seals upon the entrance to the cell. Whatever was inside of it was obviously extremely dangerous.

Celestia, with a dreamy-eyed Darkness Dash at her side, let magic flow forth from her horn. Every lock opened and disengaged itself immediately, the glow of the glyphs magically sealing the door dimming slightly.

"Shall we, Dash?" Celestia smirked at her smaller companion. Dash nodded in return and pushed the cell door open very slowly.

Within the cell was a large, pitch-black room. The floors, walls, and ceiling were a cold stone. Connected to the walls were heavy chains, all stretching out to the center of the room's floor, keeping the movement of whatever was in the darkness still. The faint sound of breathing and quiet, disturbing laughter was all that was in the cell.

"My faithful student," Celestia called. On cue with her voice, the room flashed brightly with the crackling of raw, magical power in the form of electricity emanating from the restrained figure in the center of the room. The laughter intensified as the form was revealed to be a pony. It was restrained by the chains across the wall, as well as covered head-to-hoof in both leather and metal bindings. There was, however, the faint glow of white eyes and a sparkling purple horn.

The figure in the center quivered and laughed insanely. The raw magical power swirled around the unicorn, brightening the room completely in a purple light.

"Yes... Your Majesty?"

The voice was that of Twilight Sparkle, Celestia's former star pupil. With her white, glowing eyes and extreme measures of restraint, she controlled an extremely powerful, exponentially-amplified magic. She had an insane smile on her face, partially hidden behind her bindings.

"My faithful student... Find the one called Scootaloo for me."

"Scootaloo..." Twilight continued to laugh in her disturbing, yet pitiful manner. "Is the key to the Sky Rune... You will find her in the place... The place where the world works without you."

Dash cocked her head up to Celestia, smiling. "The Everfree Forest. Scootaloo is in the Everfree Forest, where the weather does its own thing."

Twilight cackled. "Yes! You solved it! Now run along...! Because someone knows your secret, Celestia..."

Celestia glared at her magical weapon. "What are you talking about?"

Twilight's eyes glowed a brighter white as she continued to laugh and smile dementedly. "I would hope the others are quick... Or Luna will kill you in no time at all once she has the Runes!"

Cry in Sorrow

Luna rested upon the makeshift straw bed in the Sweet Apple Acres barn. Macintosh and the Darklighter brothers looked on. The room was dead silent. The traumatic experiences of close friends and family turning on each other were too deep a thought to have idle conversation over. It was well into the evening; Celestia still kept up her duty of lowering the sun, the sky, a pleasant shade of orange and pink. On any other day, it would be beautiful. For now, the twilight was a symbol of Luna's failures, she thought to herself. After a moment of berating herself in her head, she lifted her eyes to Macintosh's.

"Macintosh," Luna spoke. "Why would Celestia want Applebloom? She is merely a filly, is she not?"

Big Macintosh nodded. "Eeyup. I dunno what's goin' on exactly, but I remember her other friends gettin' chased after. One of 'em black cloaks got to Sweetie Belle, but Applebloom and Scootaloo got away. Ain't seen Scoot since."

Luna continued to blame herself, despite not being there herself. "Why would they attempt to kidnap three innocent little ponies?"

Big Mac shrugged as Biggs and Wedge began to play their card game again on the opposite side of the barn. "When Applejack an' Rarity were here earlier, before ya got here, they were braggin' about Applebloom bein' a 'key'. I dunno what that means, exactly."

Luna's ears perked as if in sudden recollection. "The Runes!" The Princess threw open her satchel and pried the cover of the book open, skipping through pages as if she had a sense of where she was to look. Macintosh continued to look on, slightly confused.

She planted her hoof on a page, a single footnote written by Luna scribbled below the written text. She had a very confident smile on her face, which brightened the morale of the other three stallions, now smiling as well. "The Runes. The tome states that only a pure of heart youth, with a clear soul and body, meaning no cutie mark, may reveal the path to their race's Rune. Don't you see?! Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle are all different races, have no cutie marks, and are young and innocent. Celestia is hunting the Runes and needs these three to do it. We have to get to them before she does!"

Big Mac nodded, the Darklighters putting their cards away. The attitude of the room turned from gloomy to confident in little time, thanks to the Princess of the Night. She wore a wide smile on her face, the first that anyone had seen in a very long time.

She tilted her head to the hole in the barn doors caused by the Apple siblings. The sun was setting over the horizon. "I won't be raising the moon, nor will I the stars tonight. If Celestia believes me to be dead, then we will have more time to continue our mission."

"When do we leave, Your Majesty?" Biggs asked.

"Yeah, when do we leave?" Wedge squawked, earning a light push from his brother for repeating his line, both now chuckling.

"We shall rest here for tonight, and resume our journey come dawn… If that is fine with you, Macintosh."

Big Mac nodded with a slight smile. "Eeyup."

Luna smiled again, but her expression quickly turned to worry. “Where is Applebloom, Macintosh?”

“Hm… Ever heard a place called Appleloosa?”

******

Dawn had arrived. The starless night sky slowly turned orange as the sun crept over the horizon. The four ponies stretched their legs as they stepped outside, Luna pulling her cloak over her, the guard brothers clipping their armor to themselves. The Princess looked up to the dawn horizon, both beautiful and symbolic of the consequences of failure.

Big Macintosh noticed Luna’s silent lament. He sighed softly and approached her, looking to the rising sun beside her in an attempt to comfort her. The two exchanged brief smiles.

“Majesty… If ya need anythin’, ya can let me know. I’ll help out.” He gave the Princess a smile. Not the kind of smile one would expect from a good friend, but a soft, compassionate smile. A smile of understanding that gave Luna the sense that things will work out for the best.

“Thank you, Sir Macintosh.” Luna blushed slightly, indeed noticeable upon Luna’s midnight blue coat, offering her own shy smile.

“Your Majesty,” Luna heard the familiar voice of Wedge behind her. “Are you prepared to depart for Appleloosa?”

Big Mac and Luna turned to the two bat-winged guards, the Princess panicking and doing her best to shake the blush from her face before her two most loyal guards noticed. Big Mac smiled and stifled a chuckle, flattered by the Princess’ shyness.

“Ah… Y-Yes, Wedge!” Luna managed to get out, a big silly grin on her face. “We are all prepared to go. The sooner we find Applebloom, the safer she shall be, and closer to the Runes as well.”

“Then let us depart!” Biggs shouted delightedly, thrusting his lance into the air. Everyone cheered and reared back excitedly. It warmed Luna’s heart and took the pain off of her mind to see her companions so excited.

******

The trains that took passenger ponies from Ponyville to the nearby canyon town of Appleloosa no longer functioned. Ponyville was deserted with nopony to man the train stations. Even if there was a crew to maintain them, the trains seemed to have already taken the fleeing citizens as far away as possible. The four would have to go on hoof.

It had been roughly two hours since they left Ponyville. The sun was nearing its noon height. The rolling grasslands had turned to dust and sand. In the distance, the sight of desert buttes and canyons was seen in the bright daylight. With any hope, Luna thought to herself, there would still be ponies in Appleloosa, and hopefully Applebloom.

Luna turned her head to Big Mac, who had taken point leading them to the next town. “Macintosh, do you know how much longer it will be?”

Macintosh nodded. “Eeyup. Ain’t too far now. You gettin’ tired?”

Luna didn’t want to admit it, but her legs indeed ached from the journey. She spoke nothing of it, as to not worry her companions. “I am fine. Thank you for your consideration, Macintosh. Biggs, Wedge, can you see anything?”

Wedge glanced over the horizon, keeping pace with his brother Biggs. “Nothing quite yet, your Majesty,” Wedge spoke up. “Fear not though. Any threats that come your way, my mighty lance shall pierce through their very souls!” Biggs bopped his bragging brother over his helmet with his hoof lightly, the two chuckling. Luna and Macintosh began to laugh as well.

Their laughter turned to surprise as they saw a few brown blips not too far away-- No, wooden buildings. Appleloosa was in sight. Luna broke out into a dash.

Biggs and Wedge shouted out at their Princess, trying to keep up with her speed. “H… Hey, wait for us!” Big Mac shrugged, smiling and following after the three at a steady pace.

******

The four soon arrived, standing on a ridge overlooking the small town. Something very odd was happening. There was a group of buffalo; about seven, surrounded by a large number of Celestia’s royal guard, each with a lance. Luna gasped. Could she be too late? The four kept quiet and crouched down, observing the events unfolding carefully.

Luna could hear one of the guards speaking in a gruff, aggressive tone towards the buffalo. “Forfeit the filly, and you may all resume your miserable lives.” The buffalo were large creatures, easily stronger than ponies, but the armored guards had them corralled and surrounded with the points of lances. Luna could only watch.

From within the group of buffalo, a much smaller deer-looking creature emerged, her head wrapped in a headband. She spoke with a soft, yet powerful voice. “You’ve taken everything from us. You think yourselves knights of honor and virtue, but you’re only murderers!”

“Strongheart,” one of the buffalos quietly grunted. “We had best do what they say…”

Little Strongheart stamped the dirt, bellowing out at the guards with fury in her roar. Though such a small creature, she had an intimidating posture. Her roar, however, was cancelled out by a very quiet, very sinister chuckle and the slow clapping of one pony’s hooves.

A figure cloaked in black approached the standoff. A pearl-white smile could be seen beneath her hood. The royal guard turned to face the new figure as Luna recognized the robes as the same worn by Rarity and Applejack. It was one of the Heralds.

“Miss Pie,” one of the guards spoke. “We have orders to take you in as well. The Princess has declared you rogue.”

“Rogue?” The pony pulled her hood back. From beneath it was a strange and unsettling sight. Along with the unsettling slit-shaped pupils, her mane was in two different styles. Split directly down the middle of her head, on the left side was her usual billowing, puffy hair, and the right side straight and flat, the shape it took when she was depressed. Seeing these two different styles at once was both disturbing and disorienting.

Pinkie Pie suddenly jerked her head to the right side, only showing the left poofy mane. She spoke happily, but with a slightly dark hint to her voice. “Rogue, is it? That’s just too bad. I am, however, very important to Celestia, and I think I’m still your commander… Isn’t that right?” Pinkie smirked as the guards nodded a bit nervously.

Luna, Big Mac, Biggs, and Wedge continued to watch the spectacle from their cover. It was truly odd. Pinkie suddenly jerked her head to the left, now exposing her down mane, her voice immediately taking on a very sinister tone. “Don’t doubt me… I’m far more than anything any of you will ever be. Now… Are you going to turn against me?”

All was silent.

“Are you turning AGAINST ME?!” Pinkie bellowed, each guard flinching in fear. Pinkie seemed to have a psychological grasp on their minds to instill such fear into them. She turned her head to the left, her poofy mane all that is showing. “How sweet,” she smiled falsely.

Pinkie Pie approached Little Strongheart, both sides of her mane showing as she directly faced her. She turned her head to the left once again, showing her “kind” side with a smile. “Now, don’t be a party-pooper and help me find little Applebloom, okay?”

“Go buck yourself, you’re not hurting another innocent filly.” Strongheart replied. Pinkie, suddenly enraged, showed her “bad” side and forcefully brought a forehoof across the small creature’s face, sending her to the ground immediately. The buffaloes huddled near her, even the guards becoming nervous of Pinkie’s rage.

Her bad side continued to speak, glaring down at Little Strongheart. “How do we get respect in this world? It’s not with money, pride, land dominance, or strength…” She turned her back and trotted away a short distance, turning her bad side back to the standoff. “Fear…”

Pinkie faced the crowd and did something normal ponies found nearly impossible; she stood on her hind legs with perfect balance, her forelegs outstretched like arms. She turned her kind side to the crowd of buffalo with a wide grin, everyone including the guards looking on in terror. “Let’s play a party game, okay? Pick a hoof. Either hoof. You might get lucky!”

Back upon the ridge, Luna turned to Big Macintosh with a look of both fear and disgust. “We have to do something. Those buffaloes’ lives are in danger.”

Biggs, Wedge, and Big Mac shook their heads, each trying to dissuade the Princess from doing something rash. Big Mac whispered quietly to Luna. “If we blow our cover, we’re good as dead. Nothin’ we can do right now.”

Luna grunted with frustration. “But they’re…”

She sighed and shook her head. Was this another failure to weigh upon her already bursting heart?

Pinkie’s robed figure stood bipedal for a good minute as the entire canyon fell silent. Her kind side giggled softly. “Aw come on, don’t you wanna party?”

Strongheart’s body quivered. Whatever Pinkie’s game was, she knew that if she didn’t play, the innocent buffaloes would suffer the price. She took a deep breath, calmed her muscles, and answered.

“The left hoof,” the small buffalo managed to call out to the pink pony. The dual-personality mare was completely silent. Pinkie turned her head to show her cruel side as she outstretched her left hoof, covered in the black cloth of her robe, pointing at the brave little buffalo.

Bang.

A thunderous sound unlike anything Luna had ever heard echoed from Pinkie’s left hoof, everypony and buffalo flinching at the loud bang. Smoke wafted out of Pinkie’s left robe sleeve. Little Strongheart looked down at her chest to find a small hole in her chest that led straight to her heart. Blood trickled from the wound as she softly fell to the ground, motionless. Everything there looked on in stunned silence, including Luna’s companions.
The Princess tried to keep quiet, but watching a mere child die in front of her had drawn tears from the corners of her eyes. It was another failure. Another hateful regret weighing on Luna’s heart. She didn’t do anything to stop it from happening. All that she could do is quietly cry in sorrow. Luna looked over to see Biggs in stunned silence, mouth agape. Wedge was horrified. Big Mac was gritting his teeth in rage. Everypony was filled with hate.

Pinkie giggled and drew back the sleeves of her robe, revealing small cannon-like mechanisms strapped to each of her forelegs. These were the weapons killed Strongheart. “You see? You can’t get respect without a little fear. Oh well… Too bad she didn’t pick the right hoof. Well, since she picked wrong, sorry big hairy guys… but ya gotta go now! Kill ‘em.” At Pinkie’s command, the guards lifted their lances and closed in on the buffaloes.

“No!” Luna leapt from the ridge, her horn glowing with magic and wings outstretched, followed by Big Macintosh and the Darklighter brothers. As Luna landed, she summoned a gust of magical telekinetic force from her horn, knocking back a number of guards. Big Mac landed into the fray of guards. Utilizing his mighty strength, he threw a powerful kick into one of the corrupted guards with a force strong enough to send him straight into another guard. Biggs and Wedge readied their lances as they landed, forming a defensive circle around the buffaloes and their fallen comrade.

Pinkie smirked, showing her good side. “Hi, Princess Luna! Sorry, but I’m gonna have to shoot you.”

Luna glared down the pony that had once been so full of laughter. The guards raised their lances, Pinkie pointing her forelegs at Luna’s warriors.

Luna stared her target down and stamped her hoof, ready to fight.

Take to the Skies

Night has fallen. Or, more appropriately, the sun had set. Raising the stars and the moon would be suicidal for Luna to even attempt with the entire military of Equestria after her, not to mention the assassins that were once Luna's friends. Pinkie's cries had ceased. She was dreadfully silent, her mane having lost it's poofy joy, reverting to a saddened, conflicted straight pink mane. The four gathered around the pink mare, all remaining silent. It was Pinkie who broke the silence.

"Please, let me help you," she pleaded to the lunar Princess. The pain in Pinkie's ocean blue eyes pierced straight into Luna's heart, but the Princess wouldn't dare putting even more responsibility like that onto the broken mare.

"Pinkie Pie, after what has happened, it would be cruel of me to force anything else onto your conscience." Luna regretted putting down Pinkie even more.

"There has to be something I can do. Please, can't you think of anything?"

Luna ran out of words to say, nothing she could bring herself to state and put Pinkie into even further pain, but a stallion's voice lightened the mood.

"I think I know how she can help." Big Macintosh smiled compassionately as he turned his head to the buildings of Appleloosa not too far away.

******

Deep inside the Everfree Forest, where not even the brightest days of Celestia's sun would pierce the thick canopy. A small clearing by a crystal-clear river, the air filled with the sounds of water trickling through masking the quiet sobs of a young, tormented filly.

Her coat a deep orange and her mane a beautiful purple, Scootaloo wept quietly at the river's shore, her tears joining the running stream as they fell. The lonely night added further pain. She opened her violet eyes, staring into the river as she watched another of her own tears drop into the clear, tranquil water. The only light in the area came from a glowing stone that gave off a blue light she wore around her neck, a gift from a friend. Quite possibly the most important friend...

"I'm a coward," the filly told herself. "A weak coward. Just like she said." The more she beat herself, the more the tears kept falling. "I'm so pathetic..."

Scootaloo continued to cry, her wings, which had never once let her fly before, draped at her sides. The glowstone around her neck continued to glow, making every tear shine like a blue sapphire. Her cries were suddenly interrupted as she heard a thump behind her and the flapping of wings. She gasped quietly and held back tears, shutting her eyes tightly out of sheer terror.

"Finally found you," a voice all too familiar to Scootaloo told her. That voice held special meaning to the filly. the one who gave her the glowstone in the first place. Her idol, Rainbow Dash.

Scootaloo turned around, the streaks of tears down her eyes still shining. "S-Stay away from me, Dash! I'm not going with you!"

Dash, with her new black-to-white mane, clad in her silver chestplate, pauldrons, and wingblades, maintained a predatory smirk on Scootaloo. Her slit-shaped eyes scanned over her tiny frame. "You know you can't escape me, chicken. Give up and come with me, or I'll be glad to remove those useless wings of yours." The corrupted Dash chuckled darkly at her sick threat. "Still wearing that piece of trash around your neck? It isn't even worth anything good."

Scootaloo gritted her teeth as she tried to hold back further tears in the face of her former spiritual sister, cupping a hoof over the glowstone. "I know that Rainbow Dash gave this to me. Of course it doesn't mean anything to you, you aren't Dashie!"

"I'm gonna break a lot more than your wings for that, kid." Dash took a step forward, Scootaloo immediately breaking into a frenzied gallop away, making her way downstream.

Dash immediately gave chase, using her wings to lift herself from the ground and keep a streamlined pace after Scootaloo, who panted loudly as she ran as fast as she could, darting into the trees to keep Dash off of her tail. The glowstone was the only thing besides the dim, blank sky providing light, the dark paladin's vision obscured of oncoming obstacles, slowing her pace slightly and giving Scootaloo the chance to speed up.

"When Celestia's finished with you, I'm gonna kill you, brat!" Dash became more infuriated as her flight was further impeded by unseen treebranches, struggling to fly past Scootaloo's jagged running through the trees. The younger pegasus was running slower, her legs beginning to give way as fatigue set in. She couldn't run for much longer, and if she didn't tip the scale to her advantage, Dash would catch her.

Scootaloo took the chance, taking a sharp turn right through the dark, dense forest. She couldn't watch but she did hear a loud crash and Dash shout out in pain and anger. Scootaloo dared to turn her head to the sound, and in the faint light of the bright glowstone and dim, starless sky, she saw that her pursuer had crashed into a large tree and was grounded.

Dash let out a frustrated roar and began chasing her on hoof. Scootaloo could see a faint light just ahead and ran faster, her legs feeling like they were nearly about to shatter. Dash was hot on her tail, growling with a slightly damaged left wing. Not enough to put her out of comission for too long, but enough to keep her from flying as she chased Scootaloo.

The orange filly broke through the trees, the faint light of the dawn beaming over the horizon in the distance as she arrived at a steep waterfall, the end of the river she had been following. A dead end, and Dash, a slightly injured, yet physically superior pegasus directly behind her.

"Don't come any closer!" Scootaloo barely managed to shout between deep pants of exhaustion. Dash merely glared with rage, slowly approaching her.

"I'll jump!"

"You can't."

"I'll do it!"

"You're gonna kill yourself? I don't think you can, brat."

Dash continued to approach the vulnerable Scootaloo, the filly's hooves right on the edge of the cliff. There was no other choice. Either a swift death to be found at the bottom of the cliff, or a slow, heartbreaking torture at the hooves of one that she loves. Scootaloo leapt from the cliff.

Dash gasped as the filly jumped. Without working wings, she was certain to die. She stomped angrily, not in regret for letting her die, but because Celestia would be angry for not capturing her alive. She would have chased after her and caught her if her wing wasn't injured from that crash. She couldn't do anything now except turn and make her way back to the Palace.

Scootaloo closed her eyes as she barreled straight towards the ground. She couldn't help but recall her most treasured memories in the plummet. It seemed like an eternity, but she accepted her fate, taking her final moments to remember.

"Hey! Rainbow Dash! Wait up!" Scootaloo happily called out to her "soul-sister", wearing a wide smile on her face, running straight up to her. Rainbow Dash was happy to see her little Scoots, ruffling up the filly's mane with her hoof, giggling.

"Happy birthday, Scoots!" Dash nuzzled against her little pal, both giggling happily. "Hey, I got you a present."

Scootaloo grinned and squealed with excitement and happiness, hopping up and down. "Dashie, you didn't need to get me anything, hanging out with you is twenty percent cooler than any gift!"

Dash giggled again. Scootaloo would use the twenty percent thing whenever she could around Rainbow Dash. The older mare sifted through a small bag, drawing a tiny crystal bound by a string by her teeth, carefully placing it around her neck. The stone glowed with a bright blue light when Scootaloo touched it, gasping.

"Whoa, Dash... This is really cool! Thank you so much!"

"Heheh, happy birthday, kiddo. Don't let anypony tell ya that you can't do anything. You can fly higher than anypony."

The two exchanged a loving, sisterly embrace, both with wide, happy smiles.

Scootaloo dared to open her eyes, but she wasn't staring at a rapidly-approaching ground. She instead saw the sunrise directly in front of her. She gasped with amazement and looked at her sides. Her wings were unfurled. She was flying.

Scootaloo smiled widely, laughing and cheering with excitement and happiness. "I'm flying! I'm really flying! Woohoo!"

The sun was beginning to rise as Scootaloo continued her flight. The feeling was simply amazing. The wind beneath her wings, the sensation of her mane being brushed by the air, the knowledge of being able to go anywhere. She couldn't help but roll and flip in the sky, flying high above the ground she was so close to death with. Cheering loudly, she was far from the Everfree Forest, arriving in the vast, desert canyons. Her wings would carry her wherever she wishes.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Scootaloo is best pony. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAQImMg3wAo&feature=watch_response

Prologue- Dearest Sister

Dearest sister, what have you become?

My name is Luna. I am a Princess of Equestria, the younger sister to my counterpart, Celestia. One thousand and one years ago, I allowed my jealousy to take control of me. My sister Celestia is much older, stronger, and wiser than I am, and is responsible for raising the sun over the magical land of Equestria. I was in charge of summoning the moon and bringing forth the night sky. It seemed like such a harmonic balance, but I grew jealous of my sister. I was still a child in many ways, and still am today, and began to loathe, even hate my dearest sister. I gave in to my hatred and became Nightmare Moon, the embodiment of fear, the dark side of the moon.

Even though I had forfeited myself to the dark entity I had created myself, I fought against Nightmare Moon as my sister did battle with her, but inevitably, we were overpowered by my sister's superior strength and magic. Nightmare Moon and I, her vessel, were banished to the moon.

She used the Elements of Harmony; a powerful source of magic embodying the six virtues of purity, to defeat us. Kindness, Laughter, Loyalty, Honesty, Generosity, and Magic. They were the opposite of what I had become. For a thousand years, an entire millenium, I was alone with Nightmare Moon inside of me. A thousand years of a festering rage and hatred for my sister and her glorious sun had fed into Nightmare Moon, granting her further strength. Celestia's power over the Elements of Harmony had waned in time, as my sense of self, as Luna, deteriorated as well.

On Equestria, life had continued on without me. Nightmare Moon and I drifted to the books of legends, our very existence questioned and debated. It remained that way for one thousand years. Does my sister still love me? I had often thought, when Nightmare Moon had allowed me. On that day, one year ago, I was freed from the shackles of Nightmare Moon as we returned to Equestria. Six brave mares had banded together, and used the Elements of Harmony to destroy Nightmare Moon. I owe them my eternal gratitude. I begged my dearest sister to forgive me, and she gladly accepted me back into Royalty. It was the happiest I had felt in a whole millenium.

And then, one year after that, it happened. And everything came crashing down.

It was shortly after the return of the god Discord. Thanks to the Heralds of the Elements and my sister, the god of chaos was sealed away once again. Following the next month, Celestia began to change. She stopped sleeping, hardly ate, and even commanded her most faithful student, Twilight Sparkle, the Herald of Magic, to abandon her mission of friendship. Only shortly after, she just... Snapped.

Celestia was not what she once was. She became hateful and enraged, and soon began to abuse her power. She had cast a powerful Mind Control spell upon the entire Royal Guard, manipulating them into her own dark police. With all of Equestria's military and nobility under control, she exercised a new reign of terror. Major cities became dark slums, average ponies being forced into labor and extortion. It was a sick world. My sister was sick. Anypony who tried to resist their assigned tasks was forced by her police into submission, or even subjected to Celestia's own Mind Controlling.

She expected me to follow her. She expected me, her sister, to join in her reign. I did not know what was controlling my sister, but I knew that it was not the Celestia I had grown up with. I fled Canterlot, and then to seek the Heralds of Harmony in the town of Ponyville, and enlisted the six to my cause of purifying my sister.

However, even the power of the Elements was not enough to stop the forces of the Sun Goddess and her powerful military. I watched in horror as she forced each of the six into her own personal elite Knights. Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy. Their minds were quickly controlled, and each reflected the corrupted Celestia's own intentions. The Elements of Harmony, the only hope that I had left of healing my sister, were captured and converted. I had to escape.

The library of Twilight Sparkle, the tree-structure of Ponyville that housed many arcane scriptures was safe. Her dragon, Spike, was nowhere to be found. I had to search for a way to stop her... I scoured the books and scrolls for days... To stop my Dearest Sister.

I am Princess Luna, and it is my duty as a Princess and a sister to right what has been wronged.

Heart of a Lion

Luna charged forward at the armed, pink pony recklessly, her horn glowed as it summoned a translucent blue bubble of a shield in front of her. Pinkie smirked and pulled the mechanism back, another shot ringing out from Pinkie's hoof-cannon. As it connected with the shield, the lead shot ricocheted upwards, the immense force of the impact shattering the magic shield around the charging Princess like glass. Pinkie hurriedly reached to cock the weapon's slide back to load a third shot, but Luna had already closed the distance. A forceful tackle was enough to knock Pinkie off balance and fling her onto her back, shouting. Luna grunted at Pinkie and rose her hoof to stomp down and break the hoof-cannon on Pinkie's left foreleg, when an unexpected jolt from the pink pony's right hoof caught Luna's eye. From the right foreleg was a second mechanism concealed by the cloak; some form of hidden claw weapon. Luna managed to rear back and out of Pinkie's lunge, Luna keeping her distance as Pinkie managed to stand up onto her legs.

Big Macintosh found his own hooves full as he swept his powerful legs into another guard, dropping him to the ground with an audible crunch, knocking him out instantly. Two guards immediately attacked Big Macintosh from behind, the farm colt just barely kicking away their spears and launching them both off of the ground with each back leg, the signature applebuck kick. He was finding himself surrounded by three new guards; their numbers just kept coming. One managed to leap onto Big Mac's back and attempt to restrain him while the other two carefully closed in with their spears. Macintosh struggled until he forced up the strength to reach his forehooves up, grab the head of the guard on his back, and in an amazing display of strength, hurl him end-over-end into the other two attackers. He smirked at his slightly humorous accomplishment before more guards closed in on him.

Biggs and Wedge kept back to back, both of their spears in hoof, circling around the buffaloes in a protective stance as several guards closed in. A few of them they knew from their training days, and knew that Luna did not want anyone to be killed. A guard lept at Biggs, leading with his spear. Biggs swatted away his spear and quickly returned a blow with the blunt end of his own weapon to his head, dropping him. Wedge shoved an attacking guard back with the shaft of his spear and brought the blunt end down upon another guard's head. They were doing their best to stick to non-lethal means. More guards circled around the pair, each one attacking in-turn to be knocked out cold by accurate and swift blows of the brothers' spears.

Luna swiftly ducked and weaved her head around Pinkie's claw swipes, backing up slowly, biding her time as the pink pony relentlessly lashed out both of her forelegs. Neither claw nor hoof touched Luna as she continued to swiftly evade Pinkie's attacks, but Luna was being worn out. She had to charge up a spell, and fast. Her horn began to glow faintly as it drew upon the power of the cosmos. Pinkie took notice of the glowing horn and took a single forward lunge, leading with her claw. Luna managed to dodge and weave to the left, but the claw slashed along her right flank, Luna letting out a shout of pain, drawing royal alicorn blood. Panicking, Pinkie fretted with her hoof-cannon and pulled the slide back, loading another shot in place and taking aim. Luna didn't finish charging her spell, and had to use what little magic power she gathered immediately.

Pinkie raised her hoof-cannon.

Luna reared her horn skyward.

A golden-glowing swirl launched forward from Luna's horn as a loud, deafening bang sounded. However, it was not from Pinkie's weapon. It was a sonic boom, conjured from Luna's magic. The spell sent out a ring of compressed kinetic energy, which, when it contacted with Pinkie, exploded like a wind grenade at a speed higher than speed of sound, producing the immensely loud bang, stunning Pinkie and throwing her a good ten feet backwards. Pinkie struggled to regain her bearings as her vision blurred and her hearing deafened, slowly recovering.

This may be my only chance, Luna thought to herself. She summoned all of the magical power she had remaining, her eyes flashing pure white as her horn gleamed like silver. A magical sphere gained more and more power upon the tip of her horn. Pinkie opened her eyes to witness the magic at work, her hearing restored.

Luna stomped downwards, her voice thick with volume and authority.

"Remember who you are!" An arc of electricity fired from Luna's horn and enveloped Pinkie in a glowing light. Big Macintosh, Biggs, and Wedge were rounding off the last remaining guards when their heard Luna's shout and the sound of lightning. They turned to see Pinkie being lifted into the air and engulfed in a bright blue light, screaming out as Luna kept focus on the spell. Pinkie continued to shout and scream as the magic wrapped around her in a dazzling lightning storm. She opened her eyes, and everyone saw her slit-shaped pupils expand into their original circles. Pinkie's black robe burned away. She fell unconscious in Luna's magical grasp, the Princess gently setting her down.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I listened to a certain song on repeat while writing this part of the chapter, which I thought fit perfectly, and really helped me to write it out. It's not required to listen to, but I'll put the link here if you're interested.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8C0phclVqA&feature=watch_response

Everyone including the buffaloes surrounded the body of Little Strongheart. All were offering a moment of silence and mourning tears. After a few minutes of honoring a fallen comrade, the sun began to set. One of the buffaloes softly wrapped her in a blanket, everyone helping to secure Strongheart to his back.

"We will... Bring Strongheart back to her father," one of the buffaloes said. "You are Princess Luna, are you not?"

Luna said nothing, but nodded her head, staring at the ground. 'Tis all my fault. She was merely a child... Why, Celestia? Why are you doing this?

Luna turned her head to the fading sun, a tumbleweed blowing in the cool twilight air. I don't know what to believe anymore. One thousand years ago, you were the only one I could look up to. You showed me everything I needed to know, only for me to betray you. Even after I returned... You showed me nothing but love and respect. ... I suppose I know how you felt a millenium ago, now. I'm sorry, Celestia... I suppose it was I that failed you.

She turned her head back to the mourning buffalo. "I am sorry, good sir... Were we there earlier... Perhaps she would have lived."

"Nay," spoke the buffalo. "Little Strongheart was... Truly a valiant leader. She never backed down from a challenge, and always led with the heart of a lion. She truly was the chieftain's daughter. Fear not, Princess Luna. Little Strongheart died with honor. Now... She can watch over us for all eternity."

Luna smiled softly. The pain eased a bit. Biggs, Wedge, and Big Macintosh went to Luna's side. The ponies and buffaloes offered their final respects to the brave Little Strongheart, and parted ways. Luna brought her company to the unconscious Pinkie Pie, who was beginning to stir from her rest.

Pinkie rose up. The electric shocks had aided in restoring her mane back to it's full poofiness. Her eyes were normal. She was the same Pinkie Pie as before. Everyone smiled as Pinkie gleefully leapt up at Luna, hugging her tightly in her forelegs as Luna happily returned the embrace.

"Princess Luna, you got me out of there! It was like a really really bad dream but I knew I was still awake but I didn't control what I was doing which made things really weird but anyw--..." Pinkie's joyful banter stopped itself short as she lowered herself back to the ground.

"L.. Little Strongheart...?" Pinkie looked up to Luna with regret in her eyes, sniffling a bit. Luna could only close her eyes sorrowfully and shake her head.

Something rare happened. Pinkie Pie began to cry. It wasn't the over-the-top cries she normally did during her antics. It was a soft, sad, mournful and regretful cry. She dropped down onto her stomach and hid her face in her forelegs. She killed Little Strongheart. She committed murder.

"Wh-.. what kind of... horrible monster am I..?" Pinkie managed to utter between sobs. Luna, Big Macintosh, Biggs, and Wedge all wrapped around Pinkie in a warm, loving embrace. All was silent once more as they comforted their friend.

Celestia, Luna thought to herself. You will answer for this...