Ages of the Sun

by Commentaholic

Rating: teen
Tags: Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Alternate Universe, Nightmare Moon, Princess Luna, Tragedy
Length: 1076

Celestia, the Alicorn of the Sun, has ruled for countless years over the ponies of Equestria. Many harrowing ordeals and dangerous crises have followed her through her long life. Now, an ancient foe makes her relive her greatest failures.

For many years has Princess Celestia ruled peacefully over Equestria, whether it was with Luna at her side or sitting alone upon the throne. She ushered in a golden age for the land of the ponies, alone, but few know at what costs. Fewer still know of the burden she bears: The Immortal's Curse. The Alicorn's Burden.

Doomed to live forever, witnessing the rise and fall of dear friends and associates, knowing they, in time, will fall by the wayside and perish by the sword, illness or age.

A thousand years ago, Princess Celestia was forced to strike down a beast that would not listen to reason. Nightmare Moon wasn't her beloved Luna anymore, and so was banished to the Moon.

Now, on the Longest Day of the Thousandth Year, Nightmare Moon returns and, with the Elements of Harmony lost centuries ago and unable to stop the Lunar Alicorn, Celestia is cast into the unforgiving tides of time to relive her greatest failures as punishment for sealing her in the Moon.

Little did she know that Nightmare Moon was doing Princess Celestia both a cruelty and a kindness.

She was giving Celestia a second chance to get things right.

Note: This Alternate Universe is not consistent with the one of Herald of the Night, but is the second of four thematic stories I intend to write in Alternate Universes, centralized around the troubles of Alicorns.

Published 2013-02-16 15:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2013-02-16 15:50:01 UTC

Prelude: The Night Will Last Forever

Ages of the Sun

Prelude: The Night Will Last Forever

"You've come at last, then."

"You don't sound very surprised."

"Surprised? I've known this day was coming for a thousand years..."

"Yet you've done nothing. No Elements this time, dear sister?"

"I can no longer use them, and I would not use them even if they were still around, my dear Luna."

The dark alicorn spat at Celestia's gold-shod hooves. "You DARE call me that name? You lost that right when you abandoned me!"

"It is yours, whether you wish it or not. There are many things I wish I had done differently... but youu will always be my dear sister, Nightmare Moon. I only wish you could see that yourself, Celestia intoned, looking pleadingly at Nightmare Moon. "Please, I want my sister back...

Nightmare Moon laughed haughtily. "It is far too late for that, Celestia. The time has come, long overdue. Night shall reign eternal, just as it did so long ago before you imprisoned me upon my Lunar charge. But you? You won't get off so easy." she growled, her horn beginning to glow.

Celestia's already white complexion paled, Wha- What do you mean?"

"Goodbye, Celestia."

There was a flash and a thundering crack that resounded throughout the kingdom, then silence and night reigned eternal.

Author's Note

I do not claim to be an expert on the Princesses or their personalities. All characters (aside from those specified) belong to Hasbro and/or Lauren Faust.

Act One: The Discordian Wars, Part One

Ages of the Sun

Act One: The Discordian Wars

Part One

"Arise, dear sister! We must flee with haste!" came a panicked, delicate voice.

Fire flickered in the dark, its sudden heat - a change from the cold halls that Celestia had been in mere moments before - stirring her from the daze she had been in. A cloud of pink swirled past her vision as she looked around for the source of the voice.

"What? Who's there?" she asked, looking around and, finally, locating the speaker. A blue alicorn filly with a pale, ethereal mane and a crescent moon emblazoned on her flanks, mirroring the one looming in the sky. "L-Luna? Is it really you?" This was not the dark Alicorn of the Night. The coat had not yet turned jet black and her mane was still benevolently luminous with the fragile hues of a bygone era. This was Luna as Celestia knew her during their youth.

"What? Verily, 'tis us, sister. Doth something vex thy memory? Is it the doing of the foul brigand Discord? Hath he reached thee, as well?" Luna asked, a concerned expression on her face.

"No... I'm alright. I just... I'm still sleepy." Celestia said, rising to her hooves and finding herself to be much shorter than she remembered...

The swirl of pink flowed past her eyes again and Celestia flicked her head, only for it to react in kind. My mane... It hasn't been like this for almost two thousand years... Not since...

"There is no time for thy strange change in speech, sister, nor for sleep. The abominations ushered forth into this world by foul Discord approacheth, from over yonder hill. We must travel hence if we are to avoid discovery!"

A chill ran down Celestia's spine. "Discord?"

"Doth thy mind be addled? Dost thou remember nothing of our struggle against him?" Luna asked, pushing a hoof into Celestia's chest. "But lo... We can see confusion in thy eyes. Never thee mind, dear sister. We will explain later. For now, thou must follow us to The Bastion."

With a powerful thrust of her wings, the fire pit was obliterated and Luna cast herself into her starry sky on her smaller, yet functional, wings. Celestia looked around in bewilderment before the fiery glow from over the ridge prompted her to similarly depart, following her sister up into the sky, dodging black clouds that rained down a torrent of the reddest blood, staining her coat crimson in patches as they headed towards the last safe place for Ponykind.

Celestia still remembered the way.

The two alicorns descended towards the valley hidden amid the arid Badlands Mountains. One of the last places where Discord could do very little to disrupt the land, seeing as how there was so little actually in the Badlands to change. The only changes he could make would be an improvement.

The valley would have been a utopia, had it not been akin to a refugee camp, where survivors of Discord's wrath had taken shelter under the protection of the two Alicorn sisters who, alone, had the power to hold off the never-ending tide of Chaos. Eventually, the Alicorn sisters had discovered the Elements of Harmony and driven Discord's power off and sealed the beast himself in stone.

Though, that wasn't due to happen for a couple years, at least.

And there were still many years of war, bloodshed and hard times ahead for her little ponies.

And there was nothing Celestia could do about it.

Or was there?

"Now, Sister, wouldst thou care to explain why thou seem as confused as a newborn filly and why thou wouldst endanger our scouting mission?" Luna said, giving Celestia a cold stare as she freed herself of her silvery gorget and chestplate as Celestia watched. Celestia's lavender-hued eyes were drawn to the silver adornment that would, one day, bear three jewels representing half of the Elements of Harmony.

Shaking her head to clear the stray thought, she adapted a tone and way of speaking she had abandoned centuries ago. "'Tis nothing, sister Luna. The fatigue of this war ravages our heart and makes it heavy with the fears and pains of our precious ponies."

Luna's expression softened, "We hearken to your words, dear sister. We also feel the burden thou speakest of, though we cannot afford to show weakness before our subjects, however informal our position is. Rest, sister. We shall keep watch over the Bastion while thou attains much-needed sleep. The brief respite of yesternight wouldst not be enough to restore you to full strength."

The lunar alicorn fanned her wings to stretch them before folding them to her sides and ascending a staircase to a balcony above, which overlooked the whole valley.

The departure of Luna gave Celestia the perfect chance to have the breakdown she'd long been holding in.